Thinking of having a wedding ceremony or reception at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh? It’s a great option if you love architecture, art deco style, and need a lot of space for a large guest list. Those are some of the big reasons my clients choose Soldiers and Sailors hall for their wedding. In this review as a wedding photographer, I’ll go through:
- Getting Ready Location
- Wedding Ceremonies
- Cocktail Hour
- Wedding Photo Locations
- Wedding Receptions
Getting Ready Locations for Soldiers and Sailors Weddings
Where to get ready before the big day? Often, my brides will get ready for their wedding at The Oaklander, since it’s a beautiful hotel right across the street from the venue. This is a great options because you don’t need to hire transportation and the rooms at The Oaklander are really pretty! I also photographed a winter wedding at Soldiers and Sailors, and we used the upper lobby area of The Oaklander for some indoor wedding photo options. It worked great!
The guys for Soldiers and Sailors Weddings will often get ready at the venue, in the study room which has dark wood walls and an elegant feel for the beginning of the day. After getting ready, we can meet up for a First Look or hop right into the wedding ceremony.
Wedding Ceremony at Soldiers and Sailors
If you choose to hold both your wedding ceremony and reception at Soldiers and Sailors INDOORS, then the ceremony will take place in the main ballroom. There is also the option during the warmer months for a wedding ceremony outside on the entry staircase. I have photographed a wedding here as well, but I didn’t have the files immediately available on a hard drive to pull for you! But they are a a great option!
Back to the indoor wedding ceremonies, since they are held in the same room at the venue, then the room will be ‘flipped’ during cocktail hour. That means that the guest tables will be moved backward a bit for the ceremony and moved to space out with chairs while everyone is in the lobby and upstairs for cocktails.
The bride and groom marry on the stage, which helps guests to see everything!
Cocktail Hour at Soldiers and Sailors
After the wedding ceremony, guests will head into the second floor lobby hallway space and the upstairs balcony area. This is nice because it’s a lot of space and it offers your guests options on where to hang out with their friends and have great conversations. It’s also fun to have access to the upper balcony area and overlook the reception space.
Soldiers and Sailors Photo Locations
Whether you want to take photos inside or outside, there are lots of walking and easily-accessible options for you to have great memories of the day! Inside of Soldiers and Sailors, I like to use the hallway in the balcony area of the venue for photos if it is rainy or cold outside. It’s a nice long corridor, away from guests a bit for cocktail hour, and has great light.
Outside of the venue, you can get photos with the architecture of the building both day and night – LOVE those night photos at Soldiers and Sailors! There is greenery and other backgrounds immediately walkable around the Oakland area, and the venue is situated in great light!
Wedding Receptions at Soldiers and Sailors
This venue has a huge hall for your wedding reception, which is great for large guest counts. If you’re inviting a lot of people, definitely consider this venue to seat them with enough space and still have a dance floor. I love that there can also be a large cookie table in the room and that there is variability in the sizes and styles of the tables and layout. As I mentioned before, the dance floor can be really big for your party and the DJ or Band can have plenty of space to setup on the stage.
