Featured Venue: First English Evangelical Lutheran Church 

Pittsburgh – and the surrounding area – has a wealth of options when it comes to holding your wedding ceremony in one of the breathtaking churches throughout the city. Many of these churches not only come with a distinctive history, but they also feature gorgeous architecture which looks amazing in your Pittsburgh wedding photography!

The First English Evangelical Lutheran Church is the location of one beautiful wedding I had the pleasure to attend – from the architecture to the downtown surroundings, this church has so much to offer. Founded in 1837, the church is considered to be the first of the English-speaking Lutheran church located west of the iconic Alleghenies. Various architectural details are so special to the church and stand out perfectly for wedding photographs. For instance, the Good Shepherd Window is a spectacular stained-glass work of art – over 500 square feet in size! The detail and story behind the stained-glass depiction is truly magnificent and a lovely spot for a wedding portrait. The lectern is also an eye-catching piece and is easily captured in wedding ceremony photographs during the vows.

For those who want to hold a wedding ceremony at the First English Evangelical Lutheran Church, contacting the wedding coordinator for the venue is essential. In order to meet the requirements necessary to get married in the church, a couple must first meet with one of the pastors of the church prior to setting a date. It’s always a good idea to have a few wedding dates in mind, especially as Pittsburgh churches fill up with wedding dates during the busier spring and summer months. To reflect the solemnity of the Easter season, weddings aren’t held at the church during the Lenten season or Holy Week.

First English Evangelical Lutheran Church desires a personal and special experience for a wedding day, so there are various meetings with the pastor during the engagement period – this allows the pastor to truly get to know the couple and create a completely unique and personal Pittsburgh wedding ceremony. The church also helps throughout the planning process, including holding a wedding rehearsal and announcing the upcoming wedding in a church bulletin. If you are not a member of the First Lutheran Church congregation, you are still able to hold your wedding at the church provided that you complete the required pastoral sessions.

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