This wedding is featured in the current spring issue of Virginia Weddings.
BRIDE
Ruth Cosse, 32
Digital Marketing Manager
GROOM
Dr. Matthew Wells, 32
Resident Physician
DATE
April 18, 2025
LOCATION
Carnegie Museum of Art
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NUMBER OF GUESTS
155
“Opryland, Nashville, Tennessee Proposal”
Matthew and Ruth initially met at a Friendsgiving — a pre-Thanksgiving gathering hosted by a mutual college friend.
PROPOSAL
In November 2023, Matthew proposed to Ruth at the Opryland Gaylord Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee, in November 2023. With the help of friends, Matthew organized what seemed to be a casual girls’ night out to enjoy the holiday lights and have dinner. While Ruth was getting ready at home, two friends met with Matthew to decorate a gazebo at the Gaylord with candles and rose petals. A third friend picked up Ruth. As they headed to dinner, Matthew gently tapped Ruth on the shoulder. When she turned around, he led her to the beautifully lit gazebo, glowing with flickering candles and scattered rose petals. A crowd of curious strangers also gathered to witness the proposal. It was a magical moment.
PLANNING
Matthew and Ruth chose Sequoyah Davis from Shayla Hawkins Events, a Black-owned wedding and event planning company, as their wedding planner. “Having a planner helped us achieve a cohesive vision,” said the bride. “Despite having a planner, we still had plenty to do. I’m very hands-on and enjoyed seeing updates from Sequoyah and watching our to-do list get smaller each day.”
COLORS/THEMES
The theme of Matthew and Ruth’s wedding was Art Deco meets glam, with a touch of jewel-toned flair — think teal, purple, marigold and deep pink. The ceremony space was bright and airy which created a fresh, romantic vibe. At the same time, the reception area featured richer, moodier colors. The goal was to craft a dramatic yet seamless transition between the two spaces.
INVITATIONS
The outer envelopes of the couple’s invitations matched the teal color of the reception tablecloths. In contrast, the inner marigold envelope complemented the bridesmaids’ dresses and the bow ties and pocket squares worn by the groomsmen. Pops of purple, inspired by the floral arrangements, were also included on the invitation.
BOUQUETS
The bouquets and boutonnieres featured a mix of soft, neutral-toned roses, including champagne and marigold shades.
ATTIRE
The bride’s gown was EPICO by Pronovias, purchased from Adorn Bridal in Nashville, Tennessee. It featured an ivory mermaid silhouette with detachable lace sleeves. The cathedral-length veil, made of Chantilly lace, was from WeddingVogueCraft on Etsy. Ruth completed her look with Bella Belle’s Serafina open-toe platform heels and delicate pearl earrings from Ayajewelry, also on Etsy.
The five bridesmaids wore Birdy Grey chiffon dresses in marigold, all floor-length and in different styles to match their personalities. One wore a strapless gown, two chose spaghetti straps, one opted for an off-the-shoulder look and another wore a one-shoulder style.
The groom wore a custom three-piece tuxedo from David Alan Clothing. It featured exquisite details including an ivory coat, black pants and monogrammed cuffs. The five groomsmen wore black tuxedos from Men’s Wearhouse and marigold bow ties and pocket squares from Birdy Grey.
CEREMONY
Matthew and Ruth married at the Carnegie Museum of Art in the Hall of Sculpture in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The hall, inspired by the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, is a bright, white marble space surrounded by decorative statues.
As Christians, it was important for the couple to incorporate their faith into the ceremony. The bride’s brother began the event with a reading from the Bible. The ceremony was officiated by Ruth’s aunt, an ordained reverend. Matthew and Ruth wrote vows to each other that reflected moments in their lives that showed they were meant to be together.
A harpist from Noir Hathor Sounds performed music for their ceremony. The bridal party walked down the aisle to “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Elton John. The groom’s processional music was “Final Fantasy: Main Theme” by Nobuo Uematsu. For the bridal entrance, the harpist played “Why I Love You” by MAJOR. The ceremony ended with Stevie Wonder’s “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” as their recessional.
PHOTOS & VIDEO
Following the ceremony, the wedding party took additional portraits at the venue’s Grand Staircase. The newlyweds also took photos at a colorful wall in the lobby while guests enjoyed cocktail hour.
Before the wedding began, the bride and bridesmaids took photos in the getting-ready suite at The Oaklander Hotel and throughout the Carnegie Museum of Art.
The guys were photographed on the rooftop, in the getting-ready suite, in the bar area of The Oaklander and outside around the Oakland neighborhood.
The couple hired Adam Michaels Photography and Videography and Studio Hayes to document their wedding. They specifically chose this photographer because of their planner’s familiarity with his work, along with his experience shooting weddings at the Carnegie Museum of Art.
COCKTAIL HOUR
While guests mingled on the balcony for cocktail hour, they were serenaded by a live violinist. A special feature was the guestbook experience, where guests could choose a postcard, write a quick note to the couple and drop it into a vintage-style mailbox. The postcards displayed cities where the couple had lived over the years.
Guests enjoyed a variety of hors d’oeuvres, including grilled cheese sandwiches, smoked goat cheese crostini, barbecue short ribs, baby Colorado lamb in a corn tortilla crisp and shrimp and lobster ceviche.
RECEPTION
The reception was held in the Carnegie Museum of Art’s Music Hall Foyer — a stunning space with 50-foot ceilings supported by grand marble pillars. A custom floral decal dance floor was arranged in the center of the room, directly in front of the head table, where the bridal party was seated. Both long and round tables were covered with a rich, elegant palette of teal and champagne linens. Centerpieces featured a mix of jewel-toned floral arrangements and candles. The ceremony arch was repurposed to frame the wedding cake.
Additional reception highlights included a photo booth and an interactive seating chart. Displayed alongside wedding photos of their parents and grandparents in antique frames, each guest found their name on a personalized letter, expressing gratitude and sharing heartfelt memories.
Menus were neatly tucked into each napkin pocket, with name tags looped in with matching ribbon colors. The table numbers stood out with flower-shaped designs.
MENU
Culinaire International catered the wedding. The guests were served port-poached pear salad before entree options, which included braised short ribs, grilled zucchini marinated in tomato, herb-crusted salmon and pan-seared chicken. The guests enjoyed yellow cake and liquid nitrogen ice cream for dessert. They also drank spirits, wines and beers.
CAKE
The wedding cake was a four-tier round yellow cake with raspberry buttercream.
DANCING
The couple’s first dance was choreographed to “Sweet Love” by Anita Baker. The father-daughter dance was set to “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong, and the mother-son dance to “Kiss from a Rose” by Seal.
HONEYMOON
About a week after their wedding, Matthew and Ruth headed to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to board a six-night Celebrity Beyond cruise to the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas.
BEST GIFT
Some of the couple’s favorite gifts were flight gift cards, a record player and a personalized blanket in their wedding colors embroidered with the name of their food blog.
WISE WORDS
“You can’t please everyone on your wedding day. Set boundaries and understand it’s not selfish to prioritize you and your partner’s preferences,” said the bride.
WEDDING DISASTERS
The groom’s younger brother was responsible for organizing lunch for the groomsmen on the wedding day. In a funny twist, he accidentally had it delivered to his home in Iowa rather than to Pittsburgh. So, the groomsmen arrived at the wedding hungry but still in good spirits!
VENDORS
VENUE
Carnegie Museum of Art Hall of Sculpture
Pittsburgh, PA
412.622.3131
PHOTOGRAPHY
Pittsburgh, PA
412.980.6414
VIDEOGRAPHY
Studio Hayes
Pittsburgh, PA
CONSULTANT/PLANNER
Sequoyah Davis
Shayla Hawkins Events
Pittsburgh, PA
412.339.9122
OFFICIANT
Reverend Cynthia Page
Olive Branch, MS
GOWN
EPICO by Pronovias
Adorn Bridal
Nashville, TN
615.727.7223
BRIDESMAID DRESSES
Birdy Grey
VEIL
Etsy
WeddingVogueCraft
Singapore
SHOES
Bella Belle Shoes
HAIR
Olaitin Olay
Catonsville, MD
MAKEUP
Beat by Nesh Beauty
724.624.9236
Pittsburgh, PA
Julea Beauty
412.951.1906
Pittsburgh, PA
323.538.0608
FORMALWEAR
David Alan Clothing
Pittsburgh, PA
412.226.4959
Men’s Wearhouse
INVITATIONS
Oh Joyful Day
Pittsburgh, PA
814.227.4834
FLOWERS
Sapphire and Lace Event Design
Wexford, PA
724.933.0108
RENTAL EQUIPMENT
Eventioneers Event Rentals
Wexford, PA
412.325.0030
Lendable Linens
Pittsburgh, PA
866.539.5363
CATERING
Pittsburgh, PA
MUSIC
Steven Vance Entertainment
Allison Park PA
800.303.1947
Noir Hathor Sounds
New York, NY
ENTERTAINMENT
BMW Entertainment LLC
Pittsburgh, PA
724.759.9617
Lux Photo Booth
Pittsburgh, PA
724.393.0440
DANCE LESSONS
Arthur Murray Dance Lessons
Nashville, TN
615.200.6199
CAKE
Bethel Bakery
Pittsburgh, PA
412.835.6658
ACCOMMODATIONS
Oaklander Hotel
Pittsburgh, PA
412.578.8500
HONEYMOON
Celebrity Beyond Cruise
888.751.7804
SEATING CHART
The Toasted Hostess
Pittsburgh, PA
412.403.9754
DESSERT
Bella Christie’s Sweet Boutique
Pittsburgh, PA
412.772.1283
LIGHTING
Benack Sound Productions
Pleasant Hills, PA
412.653.9950
CUSTOM PRINTING
Speed Pro Pittsburgh North
Cranberry Township, PA
724.717.2249
