Weddings at blank-canvas venues always feel a little like opening a brand-new sketchbook — full of possibility, a bit intimidating, and ultimately shaped by the people holding the vision. For Sarah and Brody, that vision became a modern classic celebration at Pittsburgh’s Franklin on Penn, grounded in clean black-and-white tones, trailing green ivy, soft white blooms, and those unforgettable spherical chandeliers that sent flickers of light drifting across the room. Their day showed how minimalism can feel warm, intentional, and personal when the details reflect you.

But before we get into how they brought their style to life, let’s talk about the venue itself — because Franklin on Penn is quickly becoming a favorite among Pittsburgh couples looking for a flexible space with character.

Franklin on Penn: What to Expect From This Blank-Canvas Venue

Franklin on Penn sits in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, where old architecture and modern design naturally meet. The venue, once an industrial building, now blends polished concrete, high ceilings, and clean lines into a setting that quietly steps back and lets your personality take the lead.

Here’s what couples typically want to know:

A Space That Doesn’t Dictate Your Style

Some venues arrive with strong personalities — ornate ballrooms, rustic barns, vintage lofts — which can be wonderful, but they also steer your aesthetic. Franklin on Penn takes the opposite approach. With white walls, minimal architectural embellishments, and an airy layout, it leaves enough room for any design direction to feel at home.

Whether you’re envisioning bold color, lush greenery, modern edges, soft romance, or a mix of all of it, the space lets you build from the ground up.

Room to Arrange (and Rearrange)

The open floor plan is one of the venue’s greatest strengths. Sarah and Brody chose a traditional ceremony followed by a seamless room flip, keeping guests in one space the entire evening. But the layout can shift into long banquet tables, lounge vignettes, a dance-floor-forward design, or anything else that supports the experience you want.

Couples who value customization love the floor plan flexibility.

Convenient Amenities Without Visual Clutter

Franklin on Penn includes practical perks that make the planning process easier: a getting-ready suite, a caterer’s prep area, a built-in bar, and accessible entry points. Everything you need is built in — without any distractions that conflict with your design.

A Dream for Photography

Minimal walls and tall ceilings give the lighting space to really shine. There’s no odd corner you have to avoid and no competing patterns to work around. Ceremonies, tablescapes, detail shots, and portraits all photograph beautifully here. For Sarah and Brody, the venue’s clean palette allowed their black-and-white styling and greenery to stand out with clarity and intention.

How to Style a Blank-Canvas Venue Without Feeling Overwhelmed

Blank-canvas venues invite creativity — which is exciting, until it suddenly feels like too many possibilities. The question couples ask most often is, “How do we make it feel cohesive and full, not empty or disconnected?”

Using Sarah and Brody’s Franklin on Penn wedding as inspiration, here are thoughtful, practical ways to approach the design process:

1. Start With a Clear Vision (Even If It’s Only a Feeling)

You don’t need a full Pinterest board on day one. What you do need is a direction: a mood, a palette, or a set of words that anchor your decisions. For Sarah and Brody, that meant a crisp black-and-white base with lush greenery — modern, elegant, uncluttered.

Pick two or three descriptive phrases and use them as your compass. When a detail doesn’t fit the mood, it becomes easier to let it go.

2. Work With the Architecture, Not Against It

Even blank-canvas venues have personality. Franklin on Penn’s tall ceilings and linear design gave Sarah and Brody natural “frameworks” to build around. Their team brought in spherical chandeliers that echoed the modern lines while adding soft movement overhead. The trailing greenery played beautifully with the venue’s height, filling the vertical space without overwhelming it.

Let the architecture guide your biggest design choices — lighting, installations, ceremony backdrops — so the space feels intentional from every angle.

3. Add Visual Anchors to Shape the Room

Open-concept spaces need grounding elements. Without them, everything can feel like it’s floating.

Consider:

• floor arrangements framing the ceremony
• long tables or mixed seating to structure the reception
• a statement bar or lounge area
• hanging florals or lighting that draws the eye upward

Sarah and Brody created harmony by balancing higher elements (the chandeliers, greenery) with grounded pieces like simple white floral arrangements and clean tablescapes.

4. Think About How Guests Will Move Through the Experience

Styling isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s about flow. Blank spaces can feel directionless unless you create zones with intention.

Ask yourself:

• Where should guests enter and gather?
• How does the ceremony transition into cocktail hour or dinner?
• Do you want the dance floor front and center, or as a reveal?

Keeping everything in one cohesive space helped Sarah and Brody create a warm, fluid experience for their guests — no shuffling, no confusion, just a natural progression from one moment to the next.

5. Elevate the Mood Through Texture and Light

When your color palette is simple, texture becomes your best friend. Glossy black details against matte white surfaces, soft florals next to structured greenery, reflective chandeliers against minimal architecture — these contrasts are what make a minimalist design feel layered rather than stark.

Lighting also plays a huge role. Sarah and Brody’s chandeliers added focused sparkle, but the overall glow remained soft and inviting.

6. Edit With Purpose

Blank-canvas venues don’t neccessarily need more decor — they need the right decor. One of the most refreshing parts of Sarah and Brody’s wedding was how edited everything felt. Nothing was added “just because.” Every detail served the aesthetic or the guest experience.

Quality Over Quantity Wins in a Modern Space

Sarah and Brody’s wedding at Franklin on Penn is a reminder that blank-canvas venues aren’t empty — they’re open. They let couples shape the environment in ways that feel deeply personal, thoughtful, and true to them. With a clear direction, intentional design choices, and a willingness to trust the space, you can create a celebration that feels cohesive, warm, and beautifully reflective of your story.

Franklin on Penn Wedding Vendors

Photography: @rachelwehanphotography
Coordinator: @devotedtoyouevents
Venue: @franklinonpennevents
Dress: @blancdeblanc
Makeup: @alexisvincemakeup
Hair: @weddingdaywithgabandtay
Caterer: @eatbig
Florist: @beesbloomsflorals
DJ: @costaj2
Ceremony Music: @city6strings
Content Creator: @lovelexandliz