PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

When I got engaged 13 years ago, I wanted to get married in my favorite city — Pittsburgh.

But I wasn’t living locally at the time, so my husband and I married in my hometown, at my home church, close to where our families live. It was a lovely wedding, and my mother made sure I had the best cookie table the town had ever seen, so we were still able to incorporate Pittsburgh traditions into our day.

But I had my dream Pittsburgh day completely planned out in my head. My rehearsal dinner would be on the rooftop patio at Cafe Sam, my ceremony would be at the beautiful St. Mary of the Mount on Mount Washington and my desserts would be supplied by Gullifty’s.

Two of those three places no longer exist, so if I plan an anniversary celebration or another event in the future I’ll have to look elsewhere. Luckily there is no shortage of beautiful spots and inspiration for a perfect Pittsburgh celebration.

In our “Pittsburgh Love” feature starting on page 28, one couple offered an adorable — and useful — favor: mini Heinz ketchup bottles. Others used the city’s striking architecture as the backdrop for their wedding photos. One entered their reception waving customized Terrible Towels as “Renegade” played.

Speaking of Terrible Towels, even Gabriela Citrone and J. Gannon Rooney, who both have strong ties to the Pittsburgh Steelers, couldn’t resist incorporating Pittsburgh into their wedding with a reception at Acrisure Stadium and custom jerseys. Find out more about their gorgeous day beginning on page 21.

One of my favorite nods to Pittsburgh in a wedding is when couples incorporate bridge displays into their cookie tables; check out a beautiful example on page 40.

Your wedding day is about love, and if you love Pittsburgh as much as I do, you don’t have to shy away from showcasing some black and gold, too.