A Laid-Back Love: Kelly McHolme and Bob Stasa
This Pittsburgh couple wanted their guests to be just as content as they were at their wedding.
Photos by Kristin Sanderson Photography
When Bob Met Kelly
Kelly McHolme says she and Bob Stasa don’t have an elaborate or sensational tale of how they met — but that’s just part of their charm. Bob was a student at Allegheny College and Kelly was on campus visiting a friend. They were introduced through mutual connections and instantly clicked. They started dating soon after.
“He says it was kind of love at first sight,” Kelly says. “Same goes for me. When I left that weekend, we exchanged numbers, and the rest is history.”
She Said Yes
On a cold and rainy Saturday in November 2014, the last thing Kelly wanted to do was take the couple’s dogs on a walk. The dogs were content and fast asleep, and Kelly couldn’t understand why Bob insisted upon venturing outside with them.
“He kept pushing it and pushing it,” she says.
She finally agreed to accompany him but was discouraged after walking a block.
“I was like, ‘This is silly. I’m going back inside,’” she says. “Then I turned around and he was on one knee.”
The Big Day
While wedding planning, Kelly and Bob’s main focus was ensuring their guests had a great day. The ceremony and reception site was Kelly’s grandfather (Jim McHolme)’s farm in Elizabeth, Pa., where the couple supplied their guests with games and top-notch bartenders. Their friends even lent a hand to make sure the festivities went off without a hitch.
“We have some friends that own a bakery so they did our cake,” Kelly says. “Bob’s got good friends at Brew Gentlemen in Braddock,” who provided refreshments.
Some of Kelly’s favorite parts of the day were personal touches that made it extra special. Not only did everyone spend the day at the family farm (the rehearsal dinner also was held there), but she and her mother designed much of the day by incorporating many classy DIY or antique elements:
Kelly’s mother and grandmother made her wedding dress, a short, shift-style dress with a belle sleeve and V-neck back fitting for the rustic, casual theme; The couple exchanged vows under a rough-hewn trellis (positioned under the 60-year-old pin oak trees her grandfather planted) constructed from a split-rail fence on the property by Kelly’s brothers and a close friend; Local wildflowers formed centerpieces created by family friends and were set atop wooden slabs harvested from property trees; Cookies were positioned on a rustic farm table in vintage wooden soda boxes, on a grocer’s scale and in other eclectic items.
“Everything just ended up working out so perfectly for us,” Kelly says.
Happily Ever After
Kelly, 25, works as a marketing specialist at PNC Bank and Bob, 27, is an attorney — he recently started a law firm in Oakland — Attisano & Stasa, Attorneys at Law — with friends from law school. The pair’s Pittsburgh romance continues with their recent purchase of a home in Dormont.
Vendors:
ceremony and reception site: Bride’s grandfather’s property, Elizabeth, Pa.
caterer: Hog Fathers BBQ
cake: Barton’s Flowers & Bake Shop
dress: Handmade by bride’s mother and grandmother
hair: Danni Morgan
makeup: Patty Bell Makeup
music: Big Day Entertainment
lighting: All Occasions Party Rental
wedding planner: Deb Waterkotte
