When you watch Tanya McKee at work, there is no doubt that she loves what she does. McKee, the Wedding Sales Manager at the Doubletree Hotel & Suites Pittsburgh City Center since 2003, has a knack for making those around her feel special. On a recent snowy afternoon, McKee greeted a young couple in the Doubletree lobby to help put on the final touches of their wedding planning for the upcoming weekend at the hotel. With an infectious smile, she thoroughly went over the timeline and the details of their wedding. Mixing in humor as well as personal conversations, McKee kept the process flowing and the couple really seemed to enjoy themselves and stay relaxed the entire time. The week leading up to a wedding can be an extremely stressful time, with all of the details, final balances and family obligations appearing seemingly at the same time.
McKee, who works closely with Mimi Antonetti, the Director of Catering at the Doubletree Hotel & Suites Pittsburgh City Center, has pretty much seen it all when it comes to weddings during her career. Prior to her move to Pittsburgh eight years ago, McKee served as the Catering Sales Manager for the Sodexho team at Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville, New York. While at Holiday Valley, she coordinated multiple receptions held each week through the summer and fall seasons at the beautiful ski resort’s lodges. Tanya received her degree from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh. Upon graduation, she put her knowledge and skills to work for world-renowned hotels in Dallas. In 2001, Tanya relocated to Pennsylvania to be closer to family and became the Dining Room Manager at the Glendorn Resort.
“This job is so satisfying,” McKee explained while having lunch at the Bigelow Grille at the Doubletree, ” I love that I get to be a part of such a big day for our couples.” McKee runs the gamut with her clients, beginning with creating a timeline for the wedding, discussing and designing the room layout and planning the dinner and the entire dining experience. She makes sure that each wedding will be unique and reflects their style.
“We have such a fantastic staff here,” McKee concluded, noting the expertise of Antonetti and her other co-workers,” and they make working here wonderful. It never gets old. Even during the crazy times, at the end of an exhausting run, I still want to do another wedding the following weekend!”
