Gary & Jess

engaged...

Aug 15th, 2008. First one to wise crack about this being 3 years ago gets it :)

HOTEL INFO

The original idea was to book a bunch of rooms on the North Shore, right near the Warhol. We tried the Residence Inn, Hyatt Place, and the Renaissance. But after getting prices of $275/night and up, we had a change of plans. The Residence Inn and Hyatt are both not taking reservations for room blocks due to a Pitt game that weekend (and possible Steeler game that Sunday). Having out-of-town guests fly into Pittsburgh, and asking them to fork over $600 for a 2-night stay in Pittsburgh seemed to be the wrong thing to do.

Instead, we booked a group of rooms at each hotel on University Blvd. There are 4 to choose from:

Hampton Inn Pittsburgh Airport

8514 University Blvd.
Moon Township, PA 15108
(412) 264-0020
$79/night - Doubles or Kings (non-smoking)
* Pets allowed
CUT-OFF DATE: 9/24/11

DoubleTree Hotel Pittsburgh Airport

8402 University Drive
Moon Township, PA 15108
(412) 329-1400
$82/night - Doubles or Singles
CUT-OFF DATE: 9/14/11 

Holiday Inn Pittsburgh Airport

8256 University Blvd.
Moon Township, PA 15108
(412) 262-3600
$99/night - Doubles or Kings
CUT-OFF DATE: 9/23/11

La Quinta Inn Pittsburgh Airport

8507 University Blvd.
Moon Township, PA 15108
(412) 269-0400
$75/night - 2 Fulls or Kings
CUT-OFF DATE: 9/23/11
  

When calling for reservations, please mention the Cooper-Smith Wedding Block on October 14-15.  If you have any problems with making these reservations, please contact us immediately.

As mentioned in the previous posts, these hotels are minutes from the Chapel, and transportation will be arranged to the Chapel. We will also be working on round trip transportation for anyone staying here...to the reception and back. All 4 of these hotels are within a few hundred yards of one another. So the choice is yours. We will be staying at the Hampton.
 
You are also about a 5-10 minute ride to Pittsburgh International Airport. And all hotels have complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport.

Post reception and late-night activities will be taking place at either Jacksons Lounge at the DoubleTree or Primanti Brothers (across the street and right next to LaQuinta).

If you truly wish to stay downtown, we did block a set of rooms at the Renaissance.   Rates are $300/night.  They are located at 107 6th Street, Pittsburgh.  Phone: (412) 562-1200.

The Ceremony: Ann and Alvin Rogal Family Chapel

Yes...this is the chapel at Robert Morris University, here in referred to as RMU, Bobby Mo, The Bob, Big School.  Jess and I both met at RMU, so this made sense.  I was a big-time TV star on Moon Township's most popular sports show, Colonial Sportscenter.  She not only was a big fan of the show, but as a track star for the Colonials, she was looking to get more recognition in the highlights.

So we went out on a date, and that was that.  I insisted that my journalistic integrity made it impossible for me to put her in more highlights.  And we simply continued to date each other.

Moving on...

We originally thought of having an outdoor wedding. But being an October wedding and realizing that no one is a fan of wearing a wet suit to a reception, we opted for something indoors. Plus, the North Shore downtown was nixed after we realized there was a Pitt game that Saturday. So this was perfect.

DIRECTIONS:

The Ann and Alvin Rogal Family Chapel is located in Moon Township on the campus of Robert Morris University (duh).  For Google Maps directions, CLICK HERE.

Here's the address:

Robert Morris University
6001 University Boulevard, Moon Township, PA 15108
PHONE 800-762-0097

TRANSPORTATION:

For all of the out-of-towners who will be staying at one of the hotels we've booked (see forthcoming post on hotels), this is minutes from where you'll be staying.  We will secure transportation from these hotels to the Chapel, as well as round trip transportation to the Warhol downtown (and back).  More coming on that.

TIME:

5:00  4:30

The Reception: The Warhol

We looked around Pittsburgh at a few different places before deciding on The Warhol. Not only is it perfect for the type of wedding we're looking forward to, but there's some sentimental value, as Jess and I have frequently attended shows and film screenings at the Warhol over the years.

TIME: 

7:00pm - 11:00pm  6:00pm - 11:00pm

We will have access to the entire museum, so guests are encouraged to peruse as they wish.  But the main floor, or the entrance gallery as it's referred to, will be where most of the festivities go down.  We've both decided we wanted a less traditional reception (not that there's anything wrong with a traditional reception).  In lieu of a sit down dinner with assigned seating, we're opting for more of a "cocktail party" atmosphere.  Don't worry...you will be fed :)  And there will be seats.  There will be 3 different stations of food throughout the main floor, and guests will be able to eat as they wish.  Grub will include a variety of things, including: hors d'oeuvres, skewers (meats and veggies on a stick), an Italian station, and for our out-of-town guests craving some local fare...a "Pittsburgh station," including stuffed cabbages, pierogies, and other local treats.  

Boozers' Note: Bars will be open for the duration.  It just didn't make sense for us to have a "cocktail party" where the bars close :)

Also, we will have access to the theatre on the 1st floor.  We are pretty excited about this.  Not only will this be where the bridal party is introduced, but for the duration of the reception, there will be some choice videos played on the big screen for your enjoyment.  This video program will be covered in a separate post to be coming soon.

DIRECTIONS:

For directions and parking info, CLICK HERE.  If you'd prefer to utilize your own personal Google machine or GPS apparatus thingy, look up this addy:

The Andy Warhol Museum
117 Sandusky Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212-5890
Phone: 412-237-8300
e-mail: information@warhol.org

There's a big day coming...

Yo La Tengo - Big Day Coming from City Slang on Vimeo.