Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the bride… Both having been married before in traditional weddings and not having children, Kathy and Randy decided on a private marriage ceremony at City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kathy wore a dress and shawl from Talk of the Walk. Her shoes (flats) were Vera Wang Lavender Label so that she could be photographed around the city at various locations with her husband including Love Park, Logan’s circle and the Art Museum. Thanks to photographer Alison Conklin and florist Sullivan Owen, who did the bride’s bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere, they have great memories of that first special day as husband and wife.

Approximately one week later, the couple invited 50 guests, who consisted of their family and closet friends, to a marriage celebration dinner at Terrain at Styer’s in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania. It was a beautiful Sunday in early October. The couple had Two Paperdolls design the invitation by creating silhouettes from photographs that the couple took of each other. The bride wore a tea length wedding dress and hair piece from BHLDN, a wrap from J.McLaughlin, shoes from Valentino and a vintage purse from her great-grandmother. The flowers at the dinner were designed again by Sullivan Owen. The menu was planned among the couple, Terrain Garden Restaurant executive chef Keith Rudolf and event manager Elizabeth Clark. Two Paperdolls printed a large menu for the event and smaller menus for each guest as a memento of the evening. Additional decorations were purchased by the bride from BHLDN and used in decorating the magical rooms and reception area at Terrain, including the Mushroom Hut, which featured cupcakes and whoopie pies from The Flying Monkey. The bride’s hair was done for both events by Megan Tadeo from John Andrews Salon. She did her own make-up using Bobbi Brown’s latest palette and colors and wore her own jewelry given to her by Randy from Marco Bicego at Neiman Marcus. The bride and groom’s rings are from Sydney Rosen Jewelers. The bride’s engagement and wedding band was designed by Coastal and was hand-engraved on platinum. The guests were given either mint mojito or rosemary sage travel candles as favors in gift bags from Anthropologie. It was a splendid and magical evening, enjoyed by all!!

Wedding Photography: Alison Conklin Photography / Ceremony: City Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (215-686-2233) / Reception: Terrain at Styer’s in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania / Flowers: Sullivan Owen / Wedding Invitations + Menus: Two Paperdolls / Ceremony Dress + Shawl: Talk of the Walk / Ceremony Shoes: Vera Wang Lavender / Reception Dress + Hair Piece: BHLDN / Reception Shawl: J.McLaughlin / Reception Shoes: Valentino / Reception Purse: The Bride’s Great-Grandmother’s / Reception Jewelry: Marco Bicego / Hair: Megan Tadeo of John Andrews Salon / Makeup: DIY / Bride + Groom Prep Location: Sweetwater Farm / Rings: Sydney Rosen Company / Cupcakes + Whoopie Pies: The Flying Monkey / Wedding Favors: Anthropologie

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Post tags: Alison Conklin Photography, BHLDN, Blush, Glen Mills, Gold, J McLaughlin, John Andrews Salon, Marco Bicego, Megan Tadeo, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Philadelphia City Hall, Sullivan Owen, Sweetwater Farm, Sydney Rosen Jewelers, Talk of the Walk, Taupe, Terrain at Styler's, The Flying Monkey: Anthropologie, Two Paperdolls, Valentino, Vera Wang Lavender
Post categories: Casual Elegance, The Blog

Tammy + Erik from CinemaCake Productions

Within five minutes of our first date I knew Erik was “the one.” The evening went by too fast and left us both excited to see each other again. On our second date, we held hands and started to feel like there was something developing between us. By our third date Erik and I became inseparable. After that, the rest was history and within a few months he got down on his knee the night before we were moving in together and made me the happiest woman as I confidently said “Yes!”

We immediately started planning our wedding. I had the advantage of being immersed in everything bridal on a daily basis since I work in the industry and am a graphic designer. I already had a vision of what would be perfect for our special day. We wanted our wedding to be intimate, whimsical, elegant and traditional with a vintage feel with touches of gold, crystals, ivories and shades of pink.

Our venue needed to reflect our daily lives living in the city and we also wanted it to be convenient for all of our guests who would be coming from out of town and in some cases from around the world. After seeing a few venues, we absolutely fell in love with the Ritz Carlton. The architecture of the building is stunning and offered the elegant and intimate feel that we were seeking.

I designed two Save the Dates, each with a different engagement portrait. I had Two Paper Dolls print them for us. Two Paper Dolls took care of the rest our wedding materials. We wanted our invitations to look elegant, ornate and have a vintage feel. Our wedding invitation was letter pressed and engraved. It included a beautiful ornate design in two different shades of pink along with gold. We had custom stamps designed with our names along with gold metallic envelopes. Our programs and menu’s carried the same design. We used white calligraphy in all our wedding stationery. I had custom napkins made with our names.

Claudia Seyler was in charge of all my bridal party’s hair and makeup. She has a way of making anyone look absolutely natural and beautiful! She makes the experience fun and has a way of keeping me calm with her soothing personality.

I had always been a fan of Evantine Design’s work and knew that they were the only team I wanted to have create our wedding and make all our dreams come true. Evantine Design blew us away! They created the most beautiful wedding we have every seen, truly magical, a Fairy Tale come true. I felt like a princess that day!

I walked down the aisle wearing an incredible Kenneth Pool ivory silk taffeta strapless low waist wedding gown with a tiered skirt and gently curved neckline. Silver crystal beadwork adorned the empire, hipline, and skirt along with my Jimmy Choo champagne glitter shiny heels. Evantine Design created the most stunning hand-tied bouquet of ivory, cream and pale pink flowers composed of fragrant Stephanotis and Roses. Crystals were inserted into the Stephanotis. The bouquet was wrapped in embroidered crystal ribbon. My husband wore a Ralph Lauren black tuxedo with a small Rose and Stephanotis boutonniere. The stem was wrapped in black satin ribbon detailed with a crystal. My bridesmaids wore beautiful Lazaro Raspberry silky taffeta floor length A-line gowns. Their gowns had an asymmetrically pleated sweetheart bodice, self-band with flower accents with crystals at their natural waist. They carried gorgeous hand-tied bouquets with pale pink flowers with a touch of deeper pink such as Roses, Cockscomb and miniature Calla Lilies. The stems were wrapped in pink velvet ribbon detailed with pearl pins. Our groomsmen wore a deep pink-colored Rose to compliment the bridesmaid gowns.

Our guests were welcomed into a ballroom foyer lit up with warm ethereal lighting. They walked by long marble and iron tables that had a collection of candles and flowers, creating a beautiful, dreamy effect before entering the ceremony space. Our parents wedding frames were also displayed there. Once the entrance doors were opened our guests saw a beautiful aisle showered with rose petals along an ivory linen runner. Ivory organza fabric was swagged from our gold chairs with ivory shiny pillows to the aisle. Flanking the entrance to the aisle, two tall pedestals supported the large arrangements of flowers in classic low-profile stone urns with candles placed on the bottom. Further along the aisle, tall white-washed Spanish iron candle stands holding delicate designs of flowers were placed in progression along with low weathered iron candle stands holding beeswax candles and flowers and crystal droplets and crystal swags. Our chuppah had a unique design of six posts that were covered in soft ivory fabric. There was a stunning curtain of crystals behind the chuppah. All of the flowers on the chuppah were in shades of white, cream, ivory and very soft touches of blush. Roses, Hydrangea, Lilies, Peonies and French Stock were used as final touches along with crystals to make our ceremony into a magical place.

Our wedding reception design was simply breathtaking. Our guests were welcomed into a space with a spectacular view highlighting our beautiful tall cake based on a photograph I presented to the Ritz Carlton. Evantine Design put together a combination of traditional elements such as crystal candle stands and crystal floral/candle stands combined with white-washed Spanish iron stands, low ceramic bowls, silver trays, crystal pedestals and glass pedestals with crystal drops. Crystal swags were added to crystal stands and to Italian tall fluted glass vases holding flowers. Every table design was different. The mix of vessels and candleholders were beautiful and elegant in the room, the flowers commanded attention upon entering the grand ballroom. The flowers on the tables were a beautiful soft romantic blend of shades of white, cream, antique, silvery gray and soft blush. There was a combination of Roses, Peonies, Ranunculus, Tulips, Hydrangea, Sweet Pea, Lilies, Amaryllis and garden roses along with Lamb’s Ear and Hypericum Berries. Pillars, votives, floating candles, tea lights were displayed differently in each table with crystal, silver and glass candles as well. Our round guest tables were covered to the floor with ivory pleated shiny linens overlaid by ivory beaded tulle. Traditional glass charger plates with a gold trim were added to finish the look along with gold chairs with shiny ivory pillows. Our bridal family table was a long community table covered in the same linens as the guest tables. Various tall elements were added to the design to create two dramatic tall floral arrangements complimented with low designs and candles down the length of the table. Many candles were used as well. We had Mr. and Mrs. signs for the back of our chairs. Lighting played an important role both in our ceremony and reception.

Hiring Evantine Design is the best decision we made. They made our Fairy Tale wedding come true. It is such a blessing to be surrounded by such a creative and talented team that is truly passionate about their work.

We hired the fabulous Marie Labbancz to capture all of our special moments. She shot all of our engagement and wedding portraits. Since I am a graphic designer she was more than happy to let me design my entire wedding day guest book with our engagement photos. Working with her has been such an amazing experience. She is incredibly talented. Only Marie knows how to capture those spontaneous emotions in such a powerful and natural way. We will forever treasure all the beautiful memories Marie captured for us.

I had seen CinemaCake’s work in the past and was in awe with their films. I knew that the day I would get married that CinemaCake would be my ONLY option. The quality of their work is so consistent yet each wedding story is unique. CinemaCake has a way of telling a story like no one else does…. Their eye for detail is unlike no other. Every single video portrays the happiness, love and emotions of the day. It amazes me how they are able capture all the special moments in such beautiful ways, leaving me teary eyed all the time. The editing, music, story telling is always right on. We are thrilled with all of our wedding films and love watching ourselves as characters in our own love story.

Our guests danced the night away to EBE La Starz. They are such an incredible band. We loved how they interacted with all of our guests. We were grateful that they were willing to learn a few more songs that had sentimental meaning to us. They also did an outstanding version of “Marry Me,” by Train for our first dance. Our wedding favors were Godiva chocolate wedding cakes with raspberry pink ribbon that had our names written in gold.

There are no words to express how thankful we are to our incredible team. You gave us the best night of our lives. Our friends and family had an amazing time and are still raving about the beauty of all the flowers and how much fun they had dancing! Our wedding vendors made it possible for us to relax and enjoy our special day. The wedding was everything we could have dreamt of and more. Thank you for making our Fairy Tale wedding come true!

Cinematography: CinemaCake Filmmakers / Photography: Marie Labbancz Photography / Floral & Event Design: Evantine Design / Venue, Catering & Cake: The Ritz Carlton, Philadelphia / Entertainment: EBE LA Starz / Paper: Two Paperdolls / Bridal Gown: Kenneth Pool / Bridal Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Hair & Makeup: Claudia Seyler / Bridesmaid Dresses: Lazaro

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Post tags: Ballroom Weddings, Candles, CinemaCake Filmmakers, City Weddings, Claudia Seyler, Color Palette Pink, EBE LA Stars, Evantine Design, Glamourous, Highlight Film, Jimmy Choo, Kenneth Poot, Lazaro, Marie Labbancz Photography, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Romance, romantic, The Ritz Carlton Philadelphia, Traditional Elegance, Two Paperdolls, Wedding Cinematography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cinematography

That gorgeous Lilly of the Valley bouquet and all the other fab florals courtesy of Beautiful Blooms.

On Friday, February 12, 2010, Scottie was on her way from New York City to meet Cooper in Greenwich, CT for a romantic Valentine’s Day weekend. Scottie was in a particularly good mood, and quite distracted, as it was her last day of work before going on vacation for two weeks prior to starting her new job. Cooper had arrived in Greenwich a few hours before Scottie because she stayed late in the city to take a yoga class, so to her – there was nothing suspicious about their mismatched arrival times. When the cab arrived at the house in Greenwich, Scottie walked to the back door and found a note saying “Follow the Candles…” Scottie proceeded to follow a trail of 5 candles that led through the house. At each candle, there was a portion of a note written by Cooper, and the last candle was located at the threshold of the living room where Scottie could see a beautiful fire had been made. The end of the note at the last candle read “Ms. Elizabeth Scott McQuilkin…” Just as Scottie finished reading the note, Cooper walked into the doorway, got down on one knee with a ring in hand, and finished the sentence “…will you marry me?” Scottie of course said yes, and immediately needed to sit down for fear of fainting!

Scottie grew up outside of Philadelphia, and had passed The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia numerous times growing up. The architecture is beautiful and the backdrop of City Hall made for excellent photographs!  We also wanted a venue where we knew we would get exceptional service so we wouldn’t have to worry about anything on the big day.  The Ritz-Carlton exceeded out expectations every step of the way and their service was impeccable.  They comfortably accommodated all of our guests and provided a beautiful central location for out of towners to reach.  The food and accommodations were great for our reception and ceremony!

The most important thing for Scottie to decide on first was the dress since it determined the tone and level of formality of the rest of the wedding….Scottie went to Vera Wang with her mom, mother-in-law to be, and a close family friend.  She tried on about 15 dresses, and when she put the last one on – she knew it was the one!  It was simple, classic and elegant.  Once her consultant at Vera Wang put on the cathedral length veil, Scottie knew her choice was made!  The dress also happened to match the PERFECT Christian Louboutin shoes Scottie had picked out a few weeks before.  After the wedding, Scottie donated her dress and veil to The Bridal Garden in NYC, which is a non-profit that benefits children in New York City. Scottie kept the sash from her dress as well as her shoes, in case there is a daughter some day who may want to wear them.  As a surprise addition to Scottie’s outfit at the end, Betteridge, the Greenwich, CT jeweler who custom made Scottie’s engagement ring and both Scottie and Cooper’s wedding bands, loaned Scottie an incredible pair of diamond chandelier earnings to complete her wedding day look!

For the photographer, Scottie immediately knew who she wanted.  Scottie’s colleague had worked with the mkPhoto team for her own wedding a few years ago, and when Scottie saw their incredible photos – mkPhoto was the only photographer she reached out to!  Scottie and Cooper were incredibly impressed with mkPhoto’s professionalism throughout the wedding planning process, and appreciated their expertise on the big day to ensure we got more great photos than we imagined!

For the flowers, Scottie worked with the team at Beautiful Blooms.  Beautiful Blooms had been recommended by a number of people, and for good reason.  Maya Shumar and her team executed perfectly on the concept Scottie outlined – white flowers of all kinds and lots of fresh green throughout the ceremony and reception combined with romantic low lighting and candles.  Scottie chose a bouquet entirely made of lily of the valley for her walk down the aisle, and the bridesmaids and groomsmen were accessorized with mini calla lilies and sprigs of lily of the valley to match.

Photography: MKPhotography / Flowers: Beautiful Blooms / Ceremony Location: Ritz Carlton Philadelphia / Reception Location: Ritz Carlton Philadelphia / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Wedding Gown: Vera Wang / Veil: Vera Wang / Bridesmaid Dresses: Vera Wang / Stationery: Dana Charette, Salt & Paper Design / Calligraphy: Mindy Mraz / Hair & Makeup: Richel D’Ambra Spa & Salon / Band: City Rhythm, Brandywine Valley Talent

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Post tags: Ballroom Wedding, Beautiful Blooms, Brandywine Valley Talent, Candles, Christian Louboutin, City Rhythm, Classic, Color Palette Navy, Glasses, Lilly of the Valley, Mindy Mraz, MKPhotography, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Richel D'Ambra Spa & Salon, Ritz Carlton Philadelphia, Salt & Paper Design, Traditional Elegance, Vera Wang, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From La Petite Fleur…We’re sweet on this soiree’s style! This soiree has one of the sweetest looks— not to mention couples— that the La Petite Fleur team has had the pleasure of styling. In fact, designing the details of Lindsay and Josh’s summer sunset wedding at Glen Foerd Mansion was a true collaboration between our team and the bride and groom. Our designers used the couple’s pale sherbet palette and their collection of quaint accessories, which included assorted glassware and buttons, as a springboard to fashion a sweet celebration that exuded sophisticated charm.

As guests arrived at the mansion’s doorstep, the front door proudly displayed a square moss wreath adorned with hand-folded paper wheels and vintage buttons. Also on the porch was the guest sign-in station, which included a cheery yellow and white stripe linen-dressed table displaying an antique framed chalkboard sign that warmly welcomed guests to share well wishes with the Mr. and Mrs. on quilt patches. Behind the estate, LPF set the scene for a picturesque riverside ceremony—decking trees with handcrafted paper pom-poms and setting-up a lemonade stand with an antique-framed sign that invited guests to “pucker-up with a cup.” Peach and yellow parasols were also perched nearby in white aluminum buckets with signs that encouraged guests to “hold them tight, for the sweethearts’ love is bright!” A simple scattering of rose petals framed the aisle, which was flanked by white garden chairs— featuring petite clusters of picture-perfect petals, including pale yellow Lemoncello roses, which adorned ribbon-hung white-washed frames.

The indoor/outdoor cocktail hour featured tables dressed with yellow and white striped floor-length linens topped with a trio of eclectic vessels, including some from the couple’s collection, filled with single stems of white dahlias, yellow craspedia and coral roses. Dinner and dancing took place in Glen Foerd’s expansive conservatory which, in days gone by, had been a tiered slate and stone porch. As guests entered the reception, they were met with an escort bottle display and a flower-shoppe inspired display of aluminum buckets filled with single varieties, including pink peonies, white hydrangea and coral snap dragons, which were sitting on a table draped in a coral linen and finished with a burlap “L-O-V-E” banner.

When it came to the sweetheart table, we also topped that with a yellow and white stripe linen and one of the bride’s blue mason jars (for her bouquet). White chiavari chairs with pale yellow cushions and handmade Mr. and Mrs. flags finished the look. Reception tables were dressed with coral floor-length linens and white chiviarri chairs (pale yellow cushions) and then topped with one of two styles of centerpieces. Half of the tables featured a round garden-inspired arrangement of pink dahlias, green hanging amaranthus, hot pink peonies, asters, yellow roses and a variety of greens in a glass compote perched atop a beribboned, white wood platform. Custom table cards were suspended from wide yellow and white ribbon accented with a vintage button. The other tables featured a collection of containers with white ranunculus, pink peonies, and pale yellow roses on a white truffle stand topped with a cloche adorned with the same custom ribboned table card. Terra cotta pot satellite arrangements set-off the blooms beneath the cloche. Meanwhile, hand-folded wheels, in varying patterns, accented with buttons, sat atop the napkins at each place setting. And although sunlight floods the conservatory during the day, LPF wanted the room’s look to evolve as the event progressed. So, as evening fell, Italian bulb lights twinkled over the dance floor (thanks to our friends at Synergetic Sound and Lighting!).

Flowers, Decor, Accessories + Invitations: La Petite Fleur / Photography: Lori Gail Photography / Catering: Conroy Catering / Wedding Dress: Amsale / Hotel Accommodations: Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia / Lighting: Synergetic Sound and Lighting / Venue: Glen Foerd Mansion

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Post tags: Amsale, Conroy Catering, Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, Glen Foerd Mansion, La Petite Fleur, Lori Gail Photography, Lorraine Daley Weddings, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Synergetic Sound and Lighting
Post categories: The Blog, Whimsical

From Susan Stripling Photography … Rachel and Brian were married in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 9, 2011.  Rachel and her bridesmaids got ready for the day at the gorgeous AKA Rittenhouse Hotel and then walked to meet Brian for the first time in Philadelphia’s historic center city Rittenhouse Square.

The ceremony was at another Philadelphia landmark, the gorgeous Christ Church.  Built in 1695 Christ Church features the tomb of Benjamin Franklin.  After the ceremony the guests walked to the reception at TRUST, a beautiful old city Philadelphia venue right next to the historic Betsy Ross House.  Built in 1902, TRUST was first an exchange bank before becoming a home to seafarers from around the world.  In 1977 it was named as one of Philadephia’s Historic Places and since then has been home to the cast of the Real World in 2004 and is now one of Philadelphia’s most unique and beautiful wedding venues.

All florals were done by Philadelphia’s Offshoots Decor and the catering was by another Philadelphia wedding favorite, Feastivities.

Photography: Susan Stripling Photography / Flowers: Offshoots Decor / Ceremony Location: Christ Church / Reception Location: TRUST / Catering : Feastivities / Preparation Location: AKA Rittenhouse

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Post tags: AKA Rittenhouse, Bows, Chandeliers, Christ Church, Color Palette Black White Pink, Feastivities, Flower girls, Offshoots Decor, Ombre Cake, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Rosary, Susan Stripling Photography, Traditional Elegance, TRUST, Tutus, Wedding Photographers
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance

I just can’t wait to share this video with you. So before we get too far into this lovely affair…

Kate + Luke from CinemaCake Filmmakers

From CinemaCake Filmmakers … Kate and Luke had a beautiful day that combined spirituality, history, spontaneity, and of course their love for one another.

The couple started their day with some alone time to take photos in Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, a great choice for their first look. This set the pace for the rest of the evening, as the two were clearly in love; apart, they were great, but together they were truly magical.

Old St. Joe’s held the official ceremony, and Luke had another moment of sheer excitement, seeing Kate come down the aisle. As dad handed her off, Luke assured him that he would take care of Kate. After tearful-yet-joyous vows, Kate and Luke were made husband and wife. Cheers and congratulations around.

The whole bridal party hopped onto a trolley alongside the bride and groom for photos around the city, which was a mini-celebration in itself; there were great photo spots on the trolly, at the Philadelphia Commerce Exchange, and at the reception venue, the Union League of Philadelphia.

Not wanting the whole day to be about just them, Kate and Luke surprised their guests by having the Mummers make a special guest appearance, which was both a delight and a surprise. Their guests were also treated to Mint Juleps, as their wedding day fell on the Kentucky Derby; guests were able to huddle around a few TVs during cocktail hour to cheer on their chosen horses. To tie in their bond and their history, there was also a very commanding Boston College ice sculpture to remind everyone of Kate and Luke’s special bond, having both attended.

The night was capped by wonderful speeches and much, much dancing. This was a group who knew how to have a good time, and they certainly weren’t shy about it. Cheers to Kate and Luke, a wonderful, loving couple.

Photography: Bernadette Uzcategui Photography / Cinematography: CinemaCake Filmmakers / Flowers: Campbell Studios / Event Design: Campbell Studios / Event Planning: Campbell Studios / Ceremony Location: Old St. Joseph’s Church / Reception Location: Union League of Philadelphia / Hair & Makeup: Dana Clift / Shoes: Kate Spade

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Post tags: Bernadette Uzcategui Photography, Billy Buttons, Campbell Studios, CinemaCake Filmmakers, Color Palette Black White, Dana Clift, Kate Spade, Mint Juleps, Old St. Joseph's Church, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Rolls Royce, Traditional Elegance, Union League of Philadelphia, urban wedding, Wedding Cinematography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cinematography

From Proud to Plan … When Will proposed to Casey in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, it set the tone for what was to be a wedding of historical proportions. Casey is a huge history buff and Will just graduated from West Point Academy, so it made perfect sense to host their big day at the Colonial Dames Headquarters of America. Located in the heart of historic Philadelphia, the venue is full of charm and authentic elements, and we knew this would be the ideal setting for their Revolutionary themed wedding.

As guests arrived, they were welcomed with pitchers of “Patriot Punch” and “Liber-Tea” self-served in “Free Mason” jars.  Programs fans, hung by clothespins on lines of twine, also gave guests their reception seat assignments.  Rather than traditional ceremony seating by sides, attendees chose to be “Loyalists” or “Patriots.” The beautiful bride walked down an aisle lined with flags she hand-stitched herself, displayed in galvanized tin buckets tied with twine.  The lucky lady was married to her groom by the Chaplain of West Point Academy while General George Washington enjoyed the nuptials from afar.

Casey chose a palette of soft pinks and blues to complement the touches of red, white and blue decor.  Her florist, Honeybunches, used beautiful peonies and wildflowers to coordinate with the vintage lace linens and antique place settings used at their reception.  Rather than floral centerpieces, the couple chose to feature lanterns in homage to Paul Revere’s infamous alert “One if by Land, Two if by Sea” and named each of their tables after a famous figure from Revolutionary times.  In lieu of a traditional guestbook, we set up a Polaroid photobooth and provided a stack of fun props such as wigs, three point hats, bonnets, muskets, and even a set of Ben Franklin’s spectacles!

General Washington gave a riveting welcome speech to the guests before Day by Day Catering served a family-style dinner of Southern comfort food.  Wedding guests really enjoyed a unique meal of fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens and pulled pork.   Sam Adams beer was featured as their signature cocktail and was displayed alongside the famous Ben Franklin quote “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”

A beautiful red velvet cake, topped with delicious buttercream icing and cascading pink peonies took center stage amongst assorted pies, pastries and cookies displayed on antique silver servingware.  Also included were tea tins and strainers direct from Boston Tea Company, the same tea salvaged from the harbor during the Boston Tea Party in 1773.

Synergetic Sounds kept the dance floor packed all night, and when the reception was finally over, the couple left by way of a sparkler sendoff.  Thank goodness we enlisted Pete Malone of 217 Photography!  He captured every second of this amazing wedding and did justice to all of the details we included.  Amazing professionals make for unforgettable events and this one was no exception!

Event Design, Planning and Stationery: Proud to Plan / Photography: 217 Photography / Flowers: Honeybunches Floral / Ceremony & Reception Location: Colonial Dames of Philadelphia / Caterer: Day by Day Catering / DJ: Synergetic Sounds / Cake: Anna Violet Confections / Hair: Michelle from Daneene Makeup / Makeup: Cheekadee / Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Shoes: Steve Madden / Dress: Watters

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Post tags: 217 Photography, American Flags, Americana, Anna Violet Confections, Army, Army Wedding, Cheekadee, Colonial Dames of Philadelphia, Color Palette Red White Blue, Daneene Makeup, Day by Day Catering, Fourth of July Wedding, Honeybunches Floral, Military Wedding, Patriotic Wedding, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, pies, Proud to Plan, Red Velvet, Sparklers, Steve Madden, Stripes, Synergetic Sounds, Watters, Wedding Paper Divas
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

Click here to see the full image gallery!

I met Will one fateful evening in Philadelphia through a mutual friend who he had studied abroad with.  The stars must have been aligned that night because all the people involved and events leading up to our meeting were somehow interconnected and continue to be to this day.  After dating for nearly five years across two states, Will proposed to me when I least expected it.

Will loves history and is a public interest lawyer, and I love art and work at an art museum as an educator.  We are both nerds when it comes to art, history, and culture, so naturally we wanted to design our wedding to reflect our passions.  We chose to have our wedding at the German Society of Pennsylvania, a historic building in Philadelphia built in the late 1800′s.  The space was beautiful and had a transcendent atmosphere that we thought was unique – especially to those coming in from out of town.  In true nerd-fashion, we held our ceremony in the German Society’s library, which was filled with books from floor to ceiling.  The reception took place in the German Society’s ballroom, which had simple, historic wood-work design throughout the room.

Will and I are very proud of Philadelphia and the things we like to do.  We wanted to be resourceful and share what we love with our family and friends.   For our centerpieces, we drew inspiration from the library and stacked hand-painted and stamped books and topped each stack with flower arrangements in mason jars.  Instead of table numbers, we decided to identify each table with names and biographies of “Phamous Philadelphians.”

As wedding favors, we made and canned apple butter – a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe and tradition in Will’s family.  We used all local, organic apples to make the apple butter throughout the year.  To decorate the jars of apple butter, we cut squares of various patterned fabric with pinking shears, laid the fabric over the lid and put on the screw top over the fabric.  The nametags were crumpled and antiqued using distress ink and then tied around the jars using raffia.

Our wedding cake toppers were made by a ceramic artist named Jacqueline Jrolf who works at my art museum.  The birds are called “speros” which translates into ” I hope” in Italian.  Besides having wedding toppers by an artist I admire, I thought her birds also had a meaningful message that fit with our day.

One of our favorite moments at the wedding was our first dance.  We decided early on to take dance lessons and it really paid off!  We learned the fox trot and mastered a few surprising moves and dips, which had our guests applauding and cheering throughout the entire song.  We also really enjoyed the speeches given by my father and our wedding party because so many things were said that were meaningful to us.

Venue: German Society of Pennsylvania / Brides Dress: BB Couture / Bridesmaids dresses: J. Crew / Grooms Suit: Henry A Davidson / Florist: Market Blooms / DJ: Feme Olatunji aka DJ Femstar / Catering: Catering Concepts / Cake: Erin Grissinger at Ciao! Bakery / Photography:  Lindsay Hite & Jacqueline Schlossman for Readyluck / Cake Toppers: Jacqueline Jrolf

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Post tags: Apple Butter, BB Couture, Catering Concepts, Ciao! Bakery, Color Palette Purple Green, DJ Femstar, German Society of Pennsylvania, Henry A Davidson, J. Crew, Library, Library-Chic, Market Blooms, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Readyluck, Wedding Favors & Gifts, Wedding Photography
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Photography