Wedding

Philadelphia Wedding Photography: Mary Lou & Chris's Valley Green Inn Wedding

Valley Green Inn night wedding portraits

• Posted by Matt •

 We had the opportunity to return to one of our favorite venues in the city last month for Chris and Mary Lou's Valley Green Inn wedding in Fairmount Park. We were just there a few months ago but always love the chance to go back! September weddings are always fun there, as well, because the foliage gives you such great backdrops for pictures!

You may recognize these two. A few weeks ago we posted their engagement photos at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The wedding day started off closer to the city, with the bride getting ready in Fairmount and the groom getting ready at the DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel downtown. They did a great job of keeping things simple, with Mary Lou only having her two sisters with her and Chris just having his dad. When they were both ready, they made their way to Valley Green Inn for the festivities.

One of the things we like so much about Chris and Mary Lou, like so many of our couples, is how laid back they are and how willing they are to roll with the punches. So when their guests' transportation was running a bit late, we put together an impromptu first look on the bridge near Valley Green Inn. We got Chris into place atop the bridge and brought Mary Lou up to see her groom-to-be .

That gave the guests some extra time to arrive, it allowed us to get great photos before the light disappeared and let everyone still enjoy cocktail hour after the ceremony.

The rest of the evening was nice and simple, just like the newly-married couple wanted it to be. In lieu of a normal reception they hosted what was essentially an extended cocktail hour that included dinner. They wanted to just be able to hang out with their family and friends and that's exactly what they did.

Special thanks to photographer Douglas Bovitt for helping us out!

Chris and Mary Lou, we had a great time being a part of your wedding day. We are honored that you felt confident in our abilities produce the kind of work that you were hoping for with your wedding photography!

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Philadelphia Wedding Photography | Tom & Julia's Pyramid Club wedding

Bride and groom at the Pyramid Club, overlooking Philadelphia

• Posted by Natalie •

Few sights can match the sunset over Philadelphia from 52 floors up, but that was just the icing on the cake during Julia & Tom's Pyramid Club wedding reception. This sweet and fun couple tied the knot in Center City Philadelphia at St. Patrick's Church in early July before stopping at a few iconic Philly spots for wedding portraits, and then venturing up to the Pyramid Club for the evening.

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The view wasn't the only thing that was spot-on. Julia outfitted her bridesmaids in various brightly-colored dresses, and matched her bouquet to the colors of her sisters' dresses. It created a bright and cheery palette to match the beautiful summer wedding day.  Tom added his own bit of flair by surprising the whole bridal party — especially his new wife — with fake mustaches for the men and party-store accessories for the ladies. Julia gamely indulged him and donned a uni-brow for a few fun bridal party photos during portraits at the Azalea Garden behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

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Though thunderstorms threatened us all day, the weather cooperated beautifully as the storms held off until we had wrapped up outdoor portraits and the newly married couple was enjoying their cocktail hour.  The wedding reception room at the Pyramid Club provided guests with an awesome panoramic view of Philadelphia from three sides. For a little bit it looked gloomy as we watched thick clouds obscure our wonderful view before the rain started, but afterward we were treated to a rainbow over the Ben Franklin bridge as the sun set and the party really got started.

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These two know how to make an exit!  Their guests showered them with bubbles as they exited the Pyramid Club. Back at the ground level, a pedicab picked them up and whisked them in the night.

Julia & Tom, being your wedding photographers was truly a treat!  You two and your whole crew were such a blast to spend the day with.  Thanks so much for including us!

WEDDING DETAILS:

VENUE & FOOD | Pyramid Club PHILADELPHIA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS | Matt Godfrey, Natalie Nigito & Abi Reimold HAIR & MAKEUP | Oggi Salon & Spa DRESS | Alvina Valenta FLOWERS |  Flower by Yukie (from Wilmington, DE) CAKE | Bredenbeck's Bakery DJ | Silversound DJ

 

Philadelphia Wedding Photography | Justin & Emily's Glen Foerd Wedding

Philadelphia wedding portrait at Glen Foerd Mansion in Northeast Philadelphia

• Posted by Natalie •

It feels like we've been excited for Justin & Emily's summer wedding at Glen Foerd in Northeast Philadelphia for almost as long as them!  We had so much fun at their engagement session last fall at ReStore, a reclaimed furniture store in Fishtown, and we couldn't wait to see everything they had planned for their June wedding come to fruition. Their love for all things vintage popped up in little unexpected details throughout the day, but they mostly relied on the natural beauty of their church and reception site to set the overall tone of the day.

We met up with them at the Loews Hotel in Center City. If you're keeping count, that's the third wedding in a row we've been to this hotel, so they must be doing something right! You'll hear no complaints from us, since this centrally located hotel offers a great view of the Philly skyline, bright and modern rooms and easy access to a variety of Philly venues.  For Emily & Justin, this hotel was a no-brainer, since it was just a bock and a half from St. John the Evangelist church, where they had their wedding ceremony.  From there a vintage car picked them up for a trip around the block to get photobooth photos at El Vez restaurant.

Then it was off to the historic Glen Foerd mansion along the Delaware River in Northeast Philly. I just love the general atmosphere of this venue.  Guests could enjoy cocktails and hors d'oeuvres on the wrap-around front porch, explore the historically maintained rooms of the mansion or wander down the path along the Delaware River, before heading to the huge glass-enclosed patio on the back of the house for dinner and dancing.

Emily & Justin — Thanks for making us a part of your beautiful wedding day! It was such a pleasure to share the day with you and your family. You guys definitely know how to throw a party!

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Philadelphia Wedding Photography | Ashley & Aaron's spring Tendenza wedding

bride & groom portrait with sunglare

•  Posted by Natalie •

Ashley & Aaron tied the knot at an elegant spring wedding at Tendenza in Northern Liberties a few weeks ago.  Ashley has worked as a hair stylist for many weddings, so she knew exactly what she wanted from her day.  Two of her top priorities were awesome photos and not being stressed—so she was pretty much our ideal bride!

The day started at the Loews Hotel in Center City. We wanted to take full advantage of this location, so we headed to the top floor of the hotel for a few portraits with the Philly skyline. (It was an added bonus to be able to keep everyone indoors as much as possible during the first heat wave of the season!) It was very important that Ashley & Aaron didn't see each other before the ceremony , so Matt and I spent a lot of time strategizing to create portraits that would go together, without having the bride and groom in the same place.  We were able to spend over two hours with the bridal party before the ceremony and about an hour with the bride and groom afterward. That amount of time was an appreciated luxury, and it really gave us the ability to expand our creativity and style unique portraits for this wonderful couple.

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The talented Regina Miller of Origin Photo joined our team for the day to take the groom and groomsmen portraits and help document the ceremony. I love her take on the guys!

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Both the ceremony and reception were held at Tendenza. I love this venue so much because they truly think of every detail.  It combines elegance and extravagance without being overdone. Teamed up with Beautiful Blooms florist, the reception decor was truly stunning. I love details, so I'm always in my happy place at a Tendenza wedding.

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Ashley and Aaron— You guys are such a great couple. Thanks for throwing such a gorgeous wedding — and inviting us to document it! We loved having so much time to spend creating portraits, and I hope we were able to bring all your ideas to life.

 

WEDDING DETAILS:

VENUE, FOOD & CAKE| Cescaphe Tendenza PHILADELPHIA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS | Matt Godfrey, Natalie Nigito & Regina Miller HAIR & MAKEUP | Jordan Thomas Salon & Spa DRESS | Allure JEWELRY DESIGN | Faye Daniel Designs FLOWERS |  Beautiful Blooms

EVENT PLANNER | Betsy Shoustal of Cescaphe Tendenza TRANSPORTATION | Park Avenue Limosine CEREMONY MUSIC | Elegance String Quartet DJ | White Label DJs

Philadelphia Wedding Photography: Alejandro and Caroline's Wedding

Bride & Groom on South Broad Street

*Posted by Matt*

A few weekends ago we made our first trip back to one of our favorite venues, Valley Green Inn, for Caroline and Alejandro's outdoor wedding along the Wissahickon creek. Portraits were a priority for these two, so they decided on doing a First Look in Center City Philadelphia, inside the Hyatt at The Bellevue where Caroline got ready. We had the bride-to-be descend a spiral staircase to her fiance awaiting below with the bridal party looking on. After that we ventured out to South Broad Street for some bridal party portraits at the Union League of Philadelphia and then bride and groom portraits at City Hall.

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Philadelphia Wedding Photographer Union League Bridal Party Portrait

Philadelphia Wedding Photographer Bride Looking Out Window

Then it was off to Fairmount Park! After a few more bridal party portraits on the bridge near Valley Green Inn it was time to prepare for the wedding ceremony. They decided to have their ceremony on the bank of the Wissahickon Creek, just outside of the 19th century inn. With the creek as a backdrop and a beautiful May day, their ceremony went off without a hitch.

Philadelphia Wedding Photographer Valley Green Inn Wedding

There were a few surprises throughout the night, like the percussion group Alejandro's mom surprised everyone with. Alejandro is from Puerto Rico, and the band played music like you'd hear there, so it was a great way to add some unique flavor to their wedding. Personalized M&Ms and brightly colored poms hanging from the rafters of the porch emphasized their tropical color scheme of pink and light teal. And they incorporated their love of animals with table named after their favorite pets.

The biggest surprise, though, had to be the Kid Robot-themed Groom's cake that Caroline had made. Alejandro's face pretty much said it all when he first saw it come out.

Caroline and Alejandro, it was truly a pleasure working with you both. Your personalities truly do compliment each other and that came through in a big way on your wedding day. Thank you so much for making us a part of that experience!

WEDDING DETAILS:

VENUE & FOOD | Valley Green Inn PHILADELPHIA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS | Natalie Nigito & Matt Godfrey HAIR & MAKEUP | Headhouse Salon DRESS | White by Vera Wang FLOWERS |  Nature's Gallery Florist CAKE | Bredenbeck's Bakery DJ | SilverSound Entertainment