When it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be…. and in this case, I’m referring to the fantastic venue for these “I do’s”. The park that it resided in, well, that’s where the Bride’s mother’s parents had their own wedding pics taken years ago. And the date that worked out, June 10th? Same day that the Bride’s father’s parents wed; all in all, it was meant to be if we do say so ourselves. And so this wedding took place, with love and personal meaning filling the air and Rachel Pearlman and Tweed Weddings captured it all – see it play out below and even more pretty in our gallery right this way!
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From the Bride… Andrew and I had probably been in, and to, nearly 20 weddings combined throughout our relationship, so we had a good idea about what kind of wedding we wanted to have once we got engaged. We both come from families who love food, so I started researching caterers first. When I came across JAM, I was sold and knew we needed them. From the elaborate harvest table displays of meats and cheeses, to their “by hand” methods, we knew this food would leave our guests feeling full and happy. When it came to the venue, we knew we did not want a ballroom feel, and also knew we wanted to have the ceremony and reception at the same place. We also decided that having some outdoor elements was a must, and thought a tented reception would be unique and fun. Fortunately, JAM catered at several venues in Pennsylvania, many of which had tents and provided beautiful backdrops for a ceremony.
During our search, we really liked a few of their venues we looked at, but they never felt perfect. We had heard of the American Swedish Historical Museum, but it didn’t make it to our initial list until we brought it up with my parents. When we mentioned the museum and that it was in FDR Park in South Philadelphia, we heard a list of stories about how my parents used to hang “by the lakes” as kids and my mother’s parents even had their wedding photos taken in the park. After hearing this, we made an appointment to check it out. As soon as I walked into the museum, I could picture myself getting married there. The staircase and high ceilings were so grand and beautiful, and unlike anything I had seen at other venues we visited. When we saw the tent, overlooking the park and lake, I could picture us dancing and singing along with our friends and family under the sky and bistro lights. And when we saw the gazebo by the lake in front of the museum, where my mother’s parents had taken their wedding photos 60+ years before, I just knew we had to choose this as our venue. We had decided June would be the best month for us, giving us over a year to plan, plus we thought we’d have the best chances for good weather. When we chose June 10th, my dad then reminded me that it was also the day HIS parents were married! With so many connections to the museum and the date, we knew we made the right choice.
We wanted our wedding to be beautiful and classy, but we also wanted our guests to have fun and feel comfortable, so I tried to make sure I kept the “casual-elegance” theme in mind throughout my planning. I have always loved more neutral colors, and though the blush color palette with accents of gold would be classy and timeless. When I saw our invitation suite on Minted, I thought it matched perfectly with the style of the venue – classic and elegant, with some fun shimmering gold foil. My bridesmaids wore shades of pink and purple/lavender – dresses they picked themselves; the groomsmen for wore blue suits with lavender boutonnieres and pale pink ties.
For florals, I knew I wanted to use a lot of greenery, mixed with light and whimsical flowers, and have always loved the smell of eucalyptus and lavender. When we first met with our florist, I shared a few photos of centerpieces and bouquets that I liked, and they provided great advice and suggestions, so I knew they would be able to bring my vision to life in a beautiful way. Our table settings were kept simple with the centerpieces of wildflowers, peonies and eucalyptus, and accented with a few gold mercury candles. The museum itself was so beautiful, that I didn’t feel like we needed to add much. For the ceremony, we just added some candles and eucalyptus along the staircase.
I had a close friend design and create 99% of our wedding signs, including a beautiful welcome sign/mirror, as well as our tables numbers made with gold and purple foil. My sister-in-law was our officiant – she played a special role in getting Andrew and I together. Several photos of our grandparents at their weddings lined the table at the entrance of the museum, including the one of my mother’s parents in the gazebo by the lake.
Andrew and I live in the house where my father grew up, and also where his mother was born. While the house has had some upgrades since then, we have kept many of elements, including the bedroom furniture, the same. When my grandmother got married, she was photographed in her bedroom getting ready for her big day, so I thought it would be really special if I could “re-create” some of those photos since the room still looks practically the same, and I also had some of the pieces, like a comb and mirror, that she had used on her day (which was also June 10, 1950).
The clutch I used was my “something borrowed” from my cousin/bridesmaid – it was made from lace of wedding dresses of our mothers and grandmothers and hand sewn by her cousin for her wedding day.
We did our first look in the gazebo where my grandparents did their wedding photos, which made that moment feel even more special.
Capturing our amazing day was really important to us, and we were so lucky to know Rachel and have her as our friend before we professionally worked with her for our wedding. She made us feel so comfortable, when we normally feel quite awkward in front of a camera, and she captured so many special, intimate moments between us and our family/friends.
Photography: Rachel Pearlman Photography | Cinematography: Tweed Weddings | Floral Design: Buttercup By Jeffrey Miller Catering | Wedding Dress: La Sposa | Invitations: Minted | Ceremony Venue: American Swedish Historical Museum | Catering: Jeffery Miller Catering | Makeup Artist: C.E. Facial Artistry | Entertainment: JSV Entertainment | Groom's Attire: Indochino | Bridal Boutique: Unveiled Bridal | Ceremony Musicians: Main Street Music | Film Scanning: PhotoVision Prints | Hair Design: The Salon at Duross & Langel | Invitation Calligraphy: Lewes Lettering Co. | Signage: The Printed Pie | Stylist: Natasha Pickett
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