joyfully invite you to their wedding celebration
June 6, 2026
At Calvary Episcopal Church
details below
The Details
When Where
Doors 1:00
Ceremony 1:30
Cocktail Reception 2:30
Calvary Church
315 Shady Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15206​​
The Ceremony
We found a wonderful home in the community of Calvary Episcopal Church, and we're excited to share that with you. The church was home to the Pittsburgh Aids Task Force at its inception in the 1980’s, and it has a strong relationship with the Tree of Life Congregation, offering space for their High Holiday services as they work to reopen their synagogue.
​
Our ceremony will be a traditional Catholic/Episcopal mass - we will have a detailed program to help you follow along with the service. You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you would like. We chose readings and hymns that spoke to us, and we did our best to make the ceremony welcoming while also celebrating the grandeur of the space. We hope you enjoy the beauty of our church.
The Reception
​Immediately following the service, we will have an indoor/outdoor cocktail reception in the refectory and courtyard garden of the church. We look forward to chatting with our guests for a few hours over light appetizers and refreshments, and of course, a cookie table!
A cookie table is a beloved Pittsburgh wedding tradition, featuring homemade cookies baked by family and friends, with guests often taking boxes of cookies home as favors. If you would like to contribute to our cookie table, please indicate this on your RSVP.​
The Dyke March
After our cocktail reception, we invite friends and family to celebrate with us at the Pittsburgh Dyke March, a protest that leads to a huge community pride celebration.
​
We'll post updates about the march as they are announced. For information on last year’s Dyke March, click here!
Our Story
_edited.jpg)
Monica is a bartender and manager at Mary's, and she also provides event bartending for local groups like Cleaner Tapes and the Dyke March. She brings her passion for cinema to the bar, playing Japanese Yakuza films alongside queer art-house classics. Monica is a committed hostess, bringing friends and family together and always making them feel warm and welcome in our home.
Patience is a professor at Pitt and an organizer with the Dyke March and in the local leather scene. She is an herbalist and a practicing Catholic. She has been a street medic for almost a decade, and she also provides grant writing services to the community, both through pro bono work and by connecting students to strong community nonprofits.
When I hugged Monica goodbye at the end of our first date, I wanted to hold on to her forever. I was startled by her release, surprised at how long I stayed wrapped up in her arms, giddy at how long she stayed wrapped up in mine. I tripped over my feet as I bashfully let go. I said something like “I’d like to see you again soon.” Something simple. Something to catch my balance. What I meant was I don’t want to go. I’m not ready to re-enter a world that doesn’t have you in it. I want to kiss you and hold you and fall in love. She said she’d like to see me again too.
On my last day in Pittsburgh, Monica and I spent 10 hours cleaning and moving her out of her apartment. We were exhausted and sweaty and in need of the respite of Allegheny Cemetery, back to where we had our first kiss. She told me she was praying to be good enough for me. Praying that we could make long distance work. Praying that I’d come back to her soon. I spent the next year in New Haven just barely staying employed and returning to Monica every chance that I could. I moved back home as soon as I got the chance.
For the past five years, Monica had been asking me to propose to her, but I had fully convinced her that I wasn’t ready to get married. She thought I wasn’t ready on the Thanksgiving trip to visit her parents where I asked them for their blessing. She thought I wasn’t ready when I was shopping for the ring, and when it had been lost in the mail, only to turn up at the very last moment. She thought I wasn’t ready when I asked her to go on a winter solstice walk with me to the cemetery, “I know it’s cold, but just a little further, to our favorite spot.” She stood in the snow at the site of our first kiss and asked, “do you promise to love me forever?” I got down on one knee and opened the ring box I pulled from my pocket. “I promise.”
FAQs
What should I wear?
The church doesn't have air conditioning, and it can get quite warm depending on the weather. We encourage you to dress well but comfortably. We don't have a formal dress code, but think garden party attire.​ In terms of gender presentation in the space, please wear what makes you feel your best; remember that this is a trans dyke wedding - don't feel intimidated by the venue. To our leather friends, we’d love to see you in your leather formals if you're up for it! But maybe leave the harnesses and lingerie for the dyke march ;-)
​
Can I bring someone?
Please do! We want to pack the church with the people who make Pittsburgh feel like home<3 Bring your friends, bring your kids, bring your exes. RSVP if you can, but we’d love to have you and your friends there even if you don’t RSVP.
​
When should I arrive?
Plan to get there around 1:00, that way you'll have some time to find your seats and chat with other guests.
​
Will there be other opportunities to see you over the weekend?
There will be a welcome reception for family the night before the wedding, and we'll be inviting close friends to spend time with us on Sunday.
​
Are there restaurants in the neighborhood that you would recommend?
Definitely! We love Delanie's for coffee, Margaux for brunch, Noodlehead for thai, and Kelly's for bar food, but there are plenty of other restaurants and bars in the area!
Getting There
Calvary Episcopal Church
315 Shady Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
Transportation
If you are flying into PIT, you will want to arrange a rental car - the airport is a 30 minute drive from the city.
There will be parking available both in the church's parking lot and on the streets surrounding the church.​
The church is a 6 minute walk from the East Liberty busway.​
Accommodations
We do not have any hotel blocks reserved, but we recommend the hotels below to out of town guests:
​
The Maverick by Kasa - 120 South Whitfield St.
Hotel Indigo East Liberty - 123 N Highland Ave.