Future brides search for options at Greensburg wedding show

Jan. 21—It's been a whirlwind since Christmas for Tatum Tocco and her fiance, Steven Whiteman.

The Jeannette couple became engaged over the holidays and are planning an October wedding. They were among the hundreds of future brides and grooms who explored options for their impending nuptials at Cavanaugh's Bride Show at Ferrante's Lakeview east of Greensburg on Sunday.

"We're hoping to keep it intimate, classic," said Tocco, 37, as she shopped for a dress to wear at her wedding. "We've got a lot done in the last couple of months, but more to do."

The annual expo, touted as the largest wedding show in Westmoreland County, featured 55 vendors, including dress shops, caterers, music options, venue hosts, photographers and more. Most providers are based in the county and cater to local brides and grooms, said event co-operator Dan Cavanaugh.

"Westmoreland County is just far enough outside of Pittsburgh so we feel it deserves its own show. People here are from Westmoreland County, and we're providing a chance to deal with wedding providers in their own backyards," Cavanaugh said.

Cavanaugh's company sponsors seven wedding shows throughout the region and will hold a two-day expo next weekend at the Wyndham Grand in downtown Pittsburgh.

Meghan McGee, 35, of Hempfield is planning to marry her fiance, Zachary Dukehart, in October 2026. Her future sister-in-law, Breanne Trumpe, 27, of Uniontown is set to wed McGee's brother, Harold Jr., in August. Both brides-to-be were seeking out new trends and exploring ideas for their upcoming events.

McGee said she was intrigued by the idea of a live violinist, who performed throughout the show, playing as she walked down the aisle, a notion that had not been on her radar before Sunday.

"It's about getting ideas. I'm trying to look for something different," McGee said.

Cavanaugh said the hot wedding trends for 2024 integrate innovative food options such as barbecue and new technologies such as photo booths that incorporate artificial intelligence.

Derek Galiffa of Donora, demonstrated his technology that updates standard wedding day photo booths with a modern twist. Instead of funny hats and wild sunglasses as props, Galiffa's photo booth uses artificial intelligence to transform pictures of wedding party members and their guests into models, action stars and cartoons.

"We can transform you into anything," Galiffa said.

For brides and grooms, the options can be overwhelming.

Erin Burkhart, 23, of Fox Chapel, who became engaged last month, was on the search for a DJ and a dress for her July 2025 wedding.

"There's just a lot to learn," Burkhart said. "I'm seeing a lot of options, and I even saw a dress really similar to what I want."

Cavanaugh said future brides and grooms want plenty of options.

"The average wedding costs about $20,000 to $25,000, and people like to have something unique. We're seeing new trends in 2024. Ice cream is taking off as an item people want catered. We're also seeing permanent jewelry, photo booths," Cavanaugh said.

The hustle and bustle of a wedding aside, Cavanaugh said, ultimately, a marriage is about relationships.

"We want to put more love into the world," he said.

Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.