Darlene Smith & Robert Powell
By Nicole Barley | Photography by Melody Farrin
It actually began when he offered her a job. Darlene and Robert were working in Human Resources for different companies in Chicago when Robert tried to recruit her. She turned him down — twice.
But since they moved in the same professional circles, they ran into each other often. Years later, when Robert revamped his offer and asked Darlene to dinner instead, she accepted. A job brought Robert to Pittsburgh in 2007, where he bought a house, and the next spring, he bought a ring, too. The groom proposed in Las Vegas, where Darlene was celebrating her 40th birthday with friends and family. Darlene was so excited that she put the ring on before she said yes. “Beyoncé was telling everyone to ‘put a ring on it,’” Darlene says. “He finally did.
The Details — How To Plan a “Formal” Wedding
We just love this elegant affair! Darlene and Robert’s wedding reception is a soirée, warmly lit with lots of love in the air.
The Location — Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel
Darlene and Robert chose the Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel because the venue had a room that was just the right size for their intimate party of 110 guests, a number that was the perfect size to get an entire group photo. “And it was gorgeous,” Darlene says. “The view was fantastic.”
Foodie Fun
The Renaissance Pittsburgh Hotel catered the festive fête deliciously. The bride and groom chose a duet entrée of filet mignon and Chilean sea bass. “We have a lot of foodie friends,” Darlene says. “The food had to be good.”
Let Them Eat Cake
Food Glorious Food’s Chef Tom Hambor baked his signature White Lily Cake. The bride said it was the best she had ever had. The couple had a groom’s cake designed to honor Robert’s fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi. The red velvet cake had frosting in crimson and cream to represent the organization’s colors and was rich and chocolatey to satisfy Robert’s sweets cravings. “He loves dessert,” Darlene says. “One cake would not have been enough.”
Life is Like A Song
Three Rivers Entertainment’s After Dark performed at the reception. The couple specifically chose the band because of front woman Maria Becoates-Bey’s version of Etta James’s “At Last.”
Details, Details
The couple called on wedding planner Lisa Mason, owner of Behind the Scenes Wedding & Event Planning, located inside the Big Day Wedding Center for the last two weeks before the big day. “She helped us to pull together all the details,” Darlene says. “She became our point person so that everything flowed.” Allison McGeary Florist contracted all of the vendors for the cool square tables, lush ivory linens with a purple pin-tuck toppers from Mosaic Inc., gorgeous table settings, impressive lighting, which “made the most difference [in the room],” Darlene says. “She really transformed that room for an elegant and warm look. And it was perfect because it was cold and rainy that day.”
Cool, Calming
The bride and groom opted for a non-traditional combination of soothing lavender, for her favorite color, and crimson, for his. McGeary created the bride’s bouquet of antique purple hydrangea, lavender mini callas, cool water roses, and lavender lisianthus, the stem finished with antique white satin ribbon with pearl accents. The centerpieces were set in custom-fabricated mahogany boxes blooming full of cool water, royal majesty, and black magic roses, lavender mokara orchids, and red dahlias. Clear glass vases with floating candles and red mokara orchids tied it all together.
Say Cheese
A Shutterbooth was set up at the reception for guests to take fun photos. They got to take one photo strip home with them, and a second strip was pasted into a memory book for the bride and groom.
More Details!
- Rehearsal Dinner
Capital Grille - The Ceremony
Ebenezer Baptist Church - The gown
A Mira Couture design, which Darlene purchased in Chicago. - Tuxedo
The groom’s own, Hugo Boss. - The Rings
Darlene's rings were bought at C.D. Peacock, in Chicago. Robert’s is a custom band from LJ Marks in Mt. Lebanon.