In a world increasingly dominated by AI and creating things in the cheapest and most efficient way, there’s something extra magical about a wedding that specifically focused on analogue elements. Rachel and Ryan filled a former YMCA with physical music (vinyl), photography (film), homemade quilts, vintage Valentines and a coffee bar.

Guests arrived an hour before the ceremony for coffee from Slow Hurry Coffee. Rachel and Ryan worked with owner Kaylie to create two drinks for the day, a miso caramel latte and a sesame fig cappuccino, with syrups made from scratch. The cart stayed open through cocktail hour, giving sober guests another option alongside the mocktails and soft drinks.

The ceremony took place in the hotel’s ballroom and was led by Ryan’s aunt, certified Life Celebrant Irene Kane. Rachel and Ryan both walked down the aisle with both their parents. They had decided against a wedding party and waiting until the ceremony to see each other. Instead, they spent the morning together and took their couple portraits before guests arrived.

Their photopaper, Nellie Bradford, shot the entire day on both film and digital. She used 35mm, medium format and Polaroid, while the wedding film was captured on Super 8. The latter had always been Rachel’s dream and became her one non-negotiable.

The couple brought photography into the ceremony too. After the marriage address and before their vows, they picked up Rachel’s Canon AE-1 and photographed one another. The resulting pair of images records what each of them could see in the seconds before they said “I do.”

Once the ceremony ended, an original built-in divider opened to reveal the bar and food on the other side of the ballroom. The floral ceremony backdrop was then turned into a portrait station. Around 90% of the guests stopped for a professional photograph during cocktail hour, either alone or with a date.

Because the couple had finished their own portraits earlier, they could spend the whole cocktail hour in the room rather than disappearing for photographs. There was no grand entrance afterwards. They just headed downstairs to dinner alongside everyone else.

The Maverick Hotel in Pittsburgh occupies a converted YMCA, and its original gymnasium provided the setting for the reception. With its wooden floor, high rafters and disco ball, the room already carried the spirit of a 1970s school dance. Rachel and Ryan pushed it further with soul, disco and all-vinyl DJ sets from friends.

“We collaborated with DJs who are great friends of ours, and specialise in spinning all vinyl sets”, they said, “All of the music that was played was from the 1950s to 1980s except for one Outkast song towards the end of the night. Disco and soul were the prominent themes of the night.” Rachel also edited more than six hours of footage from programmes including Soul Train, The Cher Show and The Ed Sullivan Show which was projected onto the gymnasium wall behind the DJ booth.

The analogue theme carried through the details Rachel and Ryan made and collected. “We created and curated a variety of interactive décor with an analogue edge”, Rachel explained. “I taught myself how to quilt and created two patchwork quilts: one on a vintage lace tablecloth that said The Berts and another that hung in the stairwell leading to our ceremony space and said R + R.”

“I refurbished an old print vending machine and created ten unique prints that represent our relationship and lives together. Guests were provided with quarters and encouraged to take home a few prints as mementos of the day. Additionally, we thrifted vintage Valentine’s that were placed on our cocktail hour tables and throughout our guest tables in the gymnasium for the reception. Ryan’s birthday is on Valentine’s Day so we wanted to have a special nod.”

For the wedding programme Rachel created a 20-page zine introducing both sides of the family, many of whom had never met before the wedding. It included spreads about their parents and maternal and paternal families, poems, their pets, “Rachel & Ryan by the numbers” and a final page with the schedule and a thank you to their parents. For the guest book, they used a 2026 calendar and asked everyone to leave a message on their birthday. The idea gave them a record of every date and a prompt to stay in touch over the following year.

Dinner was served as a buffet, which kept the costs down. Dessert came from Piebird, a Pittsburgh business the couple knew through farmers’ markets and pop-ups. Sheet-pan pies were served instead of wedding cake.

Planning such a detailed wedding came with a sizeable workload. Working with independent businesses gave the day much of its character, although coordinating lots of different people and doing all the DIY was a lot of work. “Doing things DIY is a great way to save money but it’s important to really take into consideration just how much of your time, energy, and other resources that it will require”, they said. “Certain DIYs we would do again in a heartbeat, and others we didn’t feel were worth the total time and energy spent! Thankfully we had an incredible day of coordinator who was able to help us bring our months of planning to fruition day of!”

“Our biggest piece of advice would be to make sure that you are as direct as possible (while remaining respectful and kind, of course) with vendors, opinionated family members, and another who falls between the two”, Rachel concluded. “If an important conversation happens via phone call, in person, etc. don’t be afraid to follow up with a confirmation email that outlines what you’ve discussed so that there’s no confusion or potential miscommunication down the line. Lastly, don’t be afraid to follow up frequently! Even though this is one of the most important days of your life, some of your vendors may be prioritizing other weddings, events, etc. They may appreciate the slight nudge occasionally.”