Mary & Brian
Things To Do
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
Phipps Conservatory is a fantastic place to walk around for any nature lovers, it's a lovely botanical garden and a nice way to relax while you're in town. Fun fact: just for kicks Brian and Mary checked how much it would cost to have their reception here and found that for the very reasonable price of selling both of Brian's kidneys on the Virginia Beach black market, they'd still be several thousand dollars short.
Lincoln Avenue Brewery
A great place to grab a really good beer, and it's right next door to the Church! Not that we're encouraging anyone to pregame our wedding, but if one of you ne'er-do-wells should decide to do so at least let Brian's hometown get some tax revenue out of it.
North Park Boathouse
A lovely park encircled by a 5 mile paved loop. Great if you want to go for a run or walk and don't want to worry about getting lost. The trail is popular with multiple parking locations, and has water fountains and bathroom stops along the way. Brian grew up being very familiar with this park from his participation in Boy Scouts. Mary first went with him in January of this year and they literally got hailed on! No need to worry, in April (hopefully) you don't need to worry about that.
Montour Trail
The country's longest suburban rail trail! 47 miles one way of finely crushed gravel. Great if you want to get a bike ride, walk or run on. If you're starting from mile zero, it is a gradual uphill for at least the next 20 miles. Noticeable enough to think "Am I just slow today or is this slightly uphill?", and pleasantly noticeable as you're cruising on the way back thinking "Ok I'm not that slow it was in fact, uphill!"
Grandview Overlook
Arguably the best view of Pittsburgh, and only steps from the Duquesne Incline (another Pittsburgh tourist trap), this is a nice place to take in the sights before grabbing a bite to eat downtown. Random fact only the happy couple cares about: Brian and Mary visited here on a sweltering July afternoon so Mary could see the city for the first time. They shared a cherry and orange shaved ice before getting stuck for 2 hours on the PA turnpike to go back to Virginia. The shaved ice was truly the highlight of the day.
Primanti Bros. Restaurant and Bar Strip District
You've either eaten here or you've heard of it if you're from out of town, regardless you should stuff one of their sandwiches in your face. There's a ton of these around Pittsburgh, but the Strip District location has some cool things to see and do nearby. Horribly unfun fact: Mary went for the first time and she was "unimpressed". Brian is still considering ending things between them due to this travesty.
PNC Park
The Pirates are in town the weekend of our wedding! This is a great opportunity for the true Pittsburgh experience; getting to see the Pirates lose to the Cardinals on opening weekend, and watch the start of yet another losing season of Pittsburgh baseball. Depressing fun fact: the reason Brian is as good as dealing with disappointment as he is (not that it's his best skill) is in large part due to being a lifelong Pittsburgh Pirates fan. When you consistently root for the AAA farm team of the MLB, you're used to things not going your way nearly as often as you'd like.
Lincoln Bakery
Lincoln Bakery is a fantastic place to grab a pastry, and makes some dang good baked goods. They're also making our wedding cake so that alone deserves a shoutout. Feel free to stop by after the ceremony and grab an eclair or cupcake before heading to the venue.
National Aviary
An impressive zoo dedicated to birds, housing 500 birds from around the world. Our recommendation - make sure you see the penguins and flamingos!