Rebecca Anne Ruggiero and John Paul Desmond Jr.
June 21, 2008
Family
Ralph and Mary Ruggiero; John and Betsy Desmond
Ceremony
Married at St. Paul Cathedral (Fifth Avenue and Craig Street, Oakland; 412/621-4951). The Rev. James Wehner officiated.
Flowers
To complement the couple’s Jimmy Buffet theme, Reed and Petals (10339 Perry Highway, Wexford; 724/940-2200, reedandpetals.com) created floral leis and tropical corsages and bouquets for the wedding party. The amazing mini-palm-tree centerpieces on reception tables attracted curious guests from a neighboring reception!
Photographer
Dianne Adrian (Dianne Adrian Photography; 412/384-3890, adrianphoto.net)
On the Bride
The bride’s mother made her diamond-white, silk and satin strapless ball gown. Gretchen Narcisi-Jackowski at Clarissas Boutique (1700 E. Carson St., South Side; 412/432-3299, clarissaboutique.com) drafted the dress pattern and helped with fittings and fabric.
On the Groom
John wore a black tux with an ivory shirt, vest and tie from American Commodore (multiple locations; 800/225-5889, actux.com).
Reception
Guests enjoyed one of Pittsburgh’s premier waterfront venues, the Sheraton Station Square (300 W. Station Square Drive, Station Square, South Side; 412/261-2000, starwoodhotels.com). Not quite a beach, it still hosted a Jimmy Buffet party complete with stationery and linens made by the bride in vibrant blues, greens and browns. On the menu: coconut shrimp, pineapple trees with fruit skewers, and lime sorbet. John and Becky also chose their signature drink: a Key lime martini! The cookie table was decked out by Pittsburgh Cookie Co. (724/796-6500, pittsburghcookie.com), which included cookies baked from Becky’s grandmother’s traditional recipes.
Cake
The couple opted for a tiered, cupcake wedding cake with chocolate-, cosmo- and Copacabana- (tropical fruit)flavored cupcakes from Dozen Cupcakes (1707 Murray Ave, Squirrel Hill; 412/420-5135, dozencupcakes.com).
Music
Of course DJ Jeremy Ganss (814/221-0737, jeremyganss.com) played more than a few Jimmy Buffet songs. But he also spun steel-drum music during the cocktail hour and a lively mix of tunes all night long.
