Concept by Sara Judith Events. Photographs by Lauren Renee.

The first question I ask myself when I begin any design is, What flowers belong here?

I’m not thinking very much about design decks or Pinterest inspiration photos. I’m not really worrying about what is fashionable at the moment. I’m concerned with what belongs. I’m interested in what feels inevitable. I’m considering which flowers have always been meant to meet the architecture in question.

That last bit is important because every venue has its own visual language.

At The Pennsylvanian, that language is one of monumental arches, warm stone, extraordinary height, and timeless grandeur. Rather than competing with those qualities, I set out to choose a design that could to respond to them. I wanted to introduce softness to strength, movement to stone, and fresh color to historic masonry.

This palette remains one of my favorite expressions of that philosophy.

With its soaring Romanesque arches, warm sandstone walls, and monumental rotunda, this space possesses a vastness that few wedding venues can rival. It is breathtaking before a single flower is ever placed. The challenge, then, is not to compete with the architecture, but to design florals that feel worthy of it.

Scale is always the most important consideration at The Pennsylvanian because the rotunda is …. capacious. Its towering proportions can easily dwarf floral arrangements that would appear generous in almost any other venue. Designing here requires thinking beyond individual centerpieces or bouquets. Every floral element must relate not only to the people within the space, but to the architecture itself.

For our ceremony look, we chose classical urns elevated on tall pedestals to create arrangements that could stand confidently. Tall snapdragons and bells of Ireland echoed the vertical lines of the space, while cascading blooms and dripping amaranthus softened the clean geometry of the arches. Smaller floral moments at the base of each pedestal grounded the installation, allowing for a transition from the monumental scale of the building to the intimate moments unfolding between the couple.

The result was not simply a backdrop for photographs. It was an environment—an elegant garden that had quietly taken root beneath one of Pittsburgh’s most iconic landmarks.

In terms of color, we embraced one of my favorite combinations: layers of soft pinks paired with fresh spring greens. It felt romantic without being overly sweet and colorful without being chaotic.

The color palette relied on nuance rather than saturation, and I worked across a spectrum, layering delicate blushes, shell pinks, juicy watermelons, ballet pinks, and more vibrant peachy pinks throughout the design. Subtle shifts in tone and temperature created depth and dimension. The greens were equally important. They introduced brightness and fresh life, and they kept things from feeling too pink. I think this color story challenges the notion that timeless design must always be neutral. White flowers will always be beautiful, but timelessness isn’t about limiting color; it’s about using color thoughtfully. Pinks and greens have been garden companions for centuries, and when coupled with natural textures and generous proportions, they feel enduring rather than trendy.

As for flower selection: I chose hydrangeas, viburnum, roses, snapdragons, dianthus, bells of Ireland, and trailing amaranthus, creating balance, lightness, and contrast. Instead of simply decorating the space, the flowers seemed to soften the architecture, making the grand rotunda feel unexpectedly fresh and alive.

I made a cascading bridal bouquet of roses, zinnias from my garden, dianthus, bells of Ireland, calla lilies, roses, orchids, and trailing amaranthus.

Inside, we kept the garden theme going. Lush pink and green arrangements adorned tabletops, and a pretty meadow surrounded the wedding cake.

Throughout this design, every floral element was meant to feel connected. From the dramatic ceremony installations beneath the rotunda to the reception beyond, the flowers worked together to create a cohesive visual story. Rather than a series of individual arrangements, the wedding became a complete floral experience—one that celebrated the extraordinary architecture of The Pennsylvanian itself.

For me, that’s always the goal. The best wedding flowers don’t compete with a venue’s beauty. They reveal it.