Andrea Soltis and her husband, Tony Soltis, chose a different kind of diamond for their wedding — they were married June 8, 2013, on the dugout inside of PNC Park.
“We are both from Pittsburgh and we love going to Pirates games and one of our first dates was a Pirates game,” said Andrea Soltis of North Huntingdon. “We wanted to do something different. The view from PNC Park is spectacular.”
Soltis owns GrandEvents LLC, a wedding and event planning company.
“I like to be creative and think outside the box,” she said. “If you are from Pittsburgh, you are a proud Pittsburgher, and weddings like this are a way to show your Pittsburgh pride.”
Bethel Park residents Ali Simcho and her husband, Tom, a high school baseball coach, hosted their July 2017 wedding ceremony at The Clemente Museum in Lawrenceville. Their reception was at the Senator John Heinz History Center in the Strip District, which houses the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.
“We thought it was a unique way to tie the city into our celebration,” said Simcho, co-founder Wanderlust Weddings and Events with her sister Samantha Loshelder of Pleasant Hills. “A stadium or ballpark or sports museum might not be the first place you think of, but they are amazing spaces. If you love sports, they are perfect.”
Having a wedding at Acrisure Stadium or PNC Park also offers great backdrops and city views for photo opportunities, said Simcho, who also had her engagement photo session at PNC Park.
Wedding planners say it is important to check availability when deciding on a sports venue, like any venue. This includes finding out game schedules and, at times, concert schedules.
She and her sister love sports because of their father, Ray Giglio, who was a ticket taker at Forbes Field in Oakland when the Pirates played there and is currently working football games at Acrisure.
“Born and raised in Pittsburgh, we bleed black and gold,” said Simcho, who worked for the Pirates and helped plan events there. “It’s a part of us.”
Simcho is planning a wedding at Acrisure on July 26 with North Side resident Tara Schram and her fiancé, Tyler Covey.
“We wanted a way to showcase the city,” said Schram, who grew up in North Strabane. “Ali has been great. She knows about everything. She showed us a few different venues. We are sports fans and really love this space.”
The couple are season ticket holders for University of Pittsburgh home football games, also played at Acrisure. During the past season when they’ve attended games, they’ve talked about what their wedding will look like, Schram said. They’ve already chosen a few spots to take photos, Schram said.
The couple met at dental school in Kentucky. Her fiance is originally from Cleveland. Guests will travel from Ohio, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
“We want them to see why we love Pittsburgh,” Schram said. “We didn’t want them to come to Pittsburgh and then drive 40 minutes outside the city for a wedding.”
PNC Park has been hosting weddings for many years, but recently the venue has become even more popular, said Mariah Gigler, external events manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates. She said each wedding is priced based on what the couple wants, and the cost is comparable to other similar venues.
Catering is exclusive through partner Aramark and offers everything from a classic plated dinner with a filet to ballpark classics of hamburgers and hot dogs, Gigler said, and late-night snacks of a pierogi bar or Primanti Bros. sandwiches are Pittsburgh-themed food choices. One of the benefits of a sports venue is most can accommodate any guest list size, Gigler said. Plenty of hotels are nearby.
“Getting married here has really become popular,” Gigler said. “It is about customizing a wedding to what the couple wants and what represents them. Beyond weddings, we have hosted engagement parties, rehearsal dinners and bridal showers. You don’t have to be baseball fans because we have so many other amenities.”
Sports-inspired weddings can be done in big and small ways, said Rachel Stackiewicz, Murrysville native and owner of Lush Event Co. She has worked with couples who incorporate custom Terrible Towels, which can be personalized with the couple’s names and wedding date.
One couple played a song played at Penguins games as they entered the reception, and a Penn State couple did the “We are … Penn State” cheer.
Another had sports-inspired cookies at the famous Pittsburgh cookie table. The tables are often decorated in black and gold and at times there are miniature gold bridges, symbolizing the city.
One couple Stackiewicz worked with, Andrea and David Randolph, purchased a custom-made Penguins jersey that replaced the guest book. The avid Penguins fans wanted to find a way to incorporate something hockey-related at their reception.
The couple had a hockey jersey made with their last name and number 24, the year they married. Their wedding ceremony was Jan. 26, 2024, on the grand staircase inside the Allegheny County Courthouse in Downtown Pittsburgh. At their reception the following day at The Foundry Table & Tap on Pittsburgh’s North Shore, guests were invited to autograph the back of it.
“We thought it would be something fun,” said Andrea Randolph, who lives in Alexandria, Va., outside Washington, D.C., but grew up in Penn Township, Butler County. “Our wedding was more traditional, but we wanted to incorporate something Penguins.”
Bonnie Walker of Bonnie Walker Events has worked with couples all over the U.S. incorporating sports details into a wedding, as well as producing events for professional athletes.
She recalled a wedding for real estate broker Herky Pollock’s daughter in Aspen, Colo., where guests waved Terrible Towels while the song “Renegade” played, a tune fans hear during key moments at Pittsburgh Steelers games. Sports elements can be added to a wedding with food or songs or decor, Walker said.
Walker and Erin Cermak, head of production for Bonnie Walker Events, talked about the wedding of actress Gabrielle Union and retired Miami Heat basketball star Dwyane Wade in Miami. Walker and Cermak incorporated cupcakes for an after-wedding event from a recipe of a loyal fan who has attended Heat games for decades.
Rehearsal dinners are also an opportunity to incorporate sports elements, Walker said.
“There is no other city like Pittsburgh,” Walker said. “The best thing about Pittsburgh is it is one huge cheerleading team. Pittsburgh made me who I am today.”
With any planning, it is about personalization and tradition, Walker said.
“Talk with the couple and with other family members to find out what is important in the family and add that element,” Walker said. Citing the movie “Field of Dreams,” she added, “If you build it, they will come.”
