Falling in love with a venue long before you’re engaged has its perks. One of them being that this Bride knew exactly where she wanted to say “I Do” to her love; Elkins Estate in Philadelphia. Its gorgeous grounds and old world elegance set the stage but that Monique Lhuillier wearing Bride definitely stole the show. All those ruffles set against the design and styling of Off Shoots! and, of course, the images by Tin Sparrow Studio make for the ultimate in romance. See even more right here in the full gallery.
From the bride…My husband and I got married this past Memorial Day weekend on May 27th 2012 in a historic estate located in Elkins Park, PA. Jason and I met during college and upon graduating I moved to NYC to pursue a career in fashion, while he stayed in Philadelphia. We were a long distance couple for four years and when he finally popped the question I knew exactly where I wanted to marry. When visiting Jason at his business I would drive by an old estate that I thought was beautiful and intriguing. Obsessed with all things vintage, the Elkins Estate embodied a beautiful venue with rich history and meaning. It would be the place where Jason and I would marry and never have to say “see you next weekend” ever again.
I knew I wanted the wedding to have a romantic and elegant feel with a touch of modern vintage (modage). I asked the bridesmaids to choose maxi dresses in hues of blush to match my wedding color. From my wedding invitations, floral arrangements, and set design, I wanted everything to flow and work together. My centerpieces had three alternating designs with tarnished tea sets/historic books/jewelry boxes lavished with garden roses, hydrangeas, and spanish moss. The escort cards were displayed with vintage suit cases that I provided and a hand-made barn door.
For the ceremony the mothers/grandmothers wore traditional Korean dresses called Hanboks. The mothers, both very close wanted to hold hands while walking to their seats. We also had a lighting of the candles by the mothers and later Jason and I lit our unity candle (symbolizing that we are leaving our respective families to become our own). The ceremony was led by our church pastor and his son + his son’s girlfriend were our flower girl & ring bearer. Their parents have high hopes of their marriage (they’re only 4!!). One of the best parts of having our wedding at The Elkins Estate is that we were able to use all of the historic furniture (sofas, couches, tables, books, record player, etc) for free! The catering/planning company were great going over the furniture I could use and setting it up perfectly for cocktail hour.
Jason and I spent a lot of time working on our songlist with the DJ and we were SO glad that we did. One of the most important parts of the wedding we wanted for the guests was for them to have a great time dancing. With Jason’s family originally from California and mine from Philadelphia (and extended family across the country & from Korea) we wanted the opportunity for our families to especially have the chance to dance together. My grandparents used to compete in local dance contests so it was so great to see them reliving the past at the reception. We had a mix of slow songs and top hits and we ended the night happily exhausted.
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Photography: Tin Sparrow Studio | Cinematography: InFocus | Flowers and Event Design: Off Shoots! | Event Planning: Feastivities (Dawn Dywer) | Ceremony and Reception Location: Elkins Estate | Invitations: Fourteen-Forty | Shoes: YSL | Dress: Monique Lhuillier