Philadelphia Wedding Photography | Tina & Garrett's Tendenza Wedding

*Posted by Matt*

Garrett and Tina's fall wedding at Tendenza in Northern Liberties was great. The day began with them both getting ready at the Omni Hotel at 4th and Chestnut Streets. Then, we headed across the street for a First Look in Old City, at the Second Bank of the US. The weather was a bit chilly, but the sun was out in full force so the lighting was perfect. After bridal party portraits in Olde City, we headed to Tendenza for the festivities.

We had been to Tendenza before, but this was our first time participating in a partially Jewish ceremony at Tendenza. Garrett and Tina opted to basically create their own ceremony. They kept the ketubah signing as well as a unity candle and they even had the Seven Blessings. They had a priest and a rabbi co-preside over the ceremony, and Garrett even stomped on the glass at the end of the ceremony.

Receptions at Tendenza are always amazing because the place just looks so beautiful. Garrett and Tina's was no exception. They were able to tie in their purple wedding color to make the whole room look amazing. Their portraits in the Piazza at Schmidt's were an added bonus.

Garrett and Tina, your sense of humor was so refreshing. It was really a lot of fun being a part of your wedding!

(If they look familiar, you may remember them from their engagement photos at the Horticultural Center.)

Philadelphia Wedding Photography | Leslie & Scott's Old Mill in Rose Valley Wedding

• Posted by Natalie •

Leslie and Scott held their rustic fall wedding at one of my favorite wedding venues —The Old Mill in Rose Valley, which was the site of my own wedding on a meltingly hot June day a couple of years ago! Thankfully, Leslie and Scott had much more pleasant weather for their mid-October wedding. They were drawn to many of the same features that attracted me to The Old Mill: It's just outside Philly, but it feels like a different world. Just a few steps from the stone courtyard, there is a beautiful outdoor space that makes you feel like you're getting married in the middle of the woods, complete with a little creek babbling in the background. Leslie, truly a woman after my own heart, accented  this beautiful space with myriad details to complete a scene of pure rustic elegance.

An antique trunk filled with fall-colored pashminas greeted guests as they made their way over the little stone bridge to the ceremony site. (The pashminas would definitely come in handy later as the sunny afternoon cooled into a brisk evening.) Tree stumps topped with simple flower arrangements lined the aisle and led to a beautiful Chuppah hand-crafted using grapevine wood and white dendrobium orchids. The ceremony itself was a true family affair. Leslie and Scott had held a private ceremony at their dream wedding spot in Bryce Canyon in Utah over the summer, so this day was all about celebrating family. Leslie's nieces guided the third "Flower girl," the couple's dog Chloe, down the aisle. Scott's brother officiated the ceremony, and Leslie & Scott's parents and siblings surrounded them at the Chuppah and took turns with readings and conducting a wine-sharing ceremony. The couple's other dog, Bryce, served as a very well-behaved ring-bearer, running the rings down the aisle right to Leslie.

Leslie's penchant for details was evident through the reception as well. A mix of round and rectangular tables were topped with brown linens, brightened by a variety of centerpieces and handmade wooden table numbers. Nobody left this event hungry! A variety of intricate passed hors d'eouvres started the night, and, in addition to dinner, guests could visit the martini bar or the ice cream float bar in the courtyard or choose from four flavors of cupcakes! A live band kept people dancing, and they left the night with goody bags of Philadelphia comfort food: Soft pretzels and Tastykakes.

Leslie and Scott, we had a blast with you guys. Thanks for being so awesome, and we hope to keep crossing paths with you in the future!

PHILADELPHIA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS | Matt Godfrey & Natalie Nigito

FLOWERS | Ginju Skrot of The Pod Shop

STATIONARY | Paper Rock Scissors

HAIR | Elite Concepts

MAKE-UP | Bella by Design DRESS | La Bella Moda

BRIDAL SASH | Custom-designed by Jenny Yoo

JEWELRY | Bucci's Jewelry & Design

FLOWER GIRL JEWELRY | Carly Marks

VIDEOGRAPHER | Brock Pemberton

VENUE | The Old Mill in Rose Valley CATERER | Connor Catering CUPCAKES | SophistiCakes

BAND | Slippery Band

Lehigh Valley Wedding Photography: Melissa and Mike's Disney Themed Wedding

• Posted by Matt •

Melissa and Mike's October wedding in the Lehigh Valley was actually our first visit back to the area this year. It was so nice to be back to a place we consider our second home. We knew going into it that Melissa had some big ideas so we were excited to try and make all her dreams come true. It was a Disney-themed wedding after all!

The wedding theme was inspired by the fact that Michael proposed to Melissa at Cinderella's Castle in Disney World during a family vacation. The couple had met during their high school years and even attended each other's proms together! We got to know this couple, their bridal party and families really well before their wedding day even arrived because they invited us to cover both the bridal shower and rehearsal dinner in addition to the traditional engagement portrait session.

Melissa and the girls started the day getting their hair and makeup at Meera Salon and Day Spa, while the guys got ready at the bride & groom's apartment. They held their ceremony at St. Thomas More Church in Allentown, which is Melissa's home parish. The priest has known the couple for years and added plenty of personality to the ceremony. The altar was surrounded by beautiful stained-glass windows, which really added to that 'magical' feel.

After the ceremony, we went over to Mike's aunt's farm for some barn wedding portraits. The bride and groom traveled there in a vintage Rolls Royce, which gave them some quiet time with each other, while the bridal party followed in limousines.

The reception was where everything came together to really show off the wedding's Disney theme. Little white pumpkins served as escort cards, Cinderella's castle was printed on their napkins and guests were treated to a Disney-themed wedding cake complete with a glass slipper topper and the words 'And They Lived Happily Ever After.'

Melissa and Mike, it was really an honor to be a part of a day that you have obviously dreamed about for years. We really do hope you two live 'Happily Ever After'!

WEDDING DETAILS:

VENUE & FOOD | Holiday Inn PHILADELPHIA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHERS | Matt Godfrey, Natalie Nigito & Abi Reimold VIDEOGRAPHER | Deswert HAIR & MAKEUP | Meera Salon and Day Spa DRESS | Bijou Bridal FLOWERS |  Dan Schantz Greenhouse CAKE | Egypt Star Bakery DJ | Laser DJ

Jersey Shore Wedding Photography | Kim & Matt's Stone Harbor Wedding

• Posted by Natalie •

This past September included a real treat as we got to spend a beautiful late summer day at the Jersey Shore for Kim & Matt's wedding at the newly-opened boutique hotel The Reeds at Shelter Haven. Stone Harbor is a second home for Kim & her family so choosing this new venue with a private ceremony site overlooking the bay was a no-brainer.

I love visiting the Jersey Shore in September when the weather is still nice, but the crush of tourists has relented. Everything fell into place for a truly picture-perfect day. The First Look on the beach was nearly private despite the warm day. Matt and Kim got to show off their awesome dip with a wide-open swath of beach behind them.

The bridesmaids were dressed in coral, floor-length gowns, and even the freshly-decorated hotel room seemed to coordinate with the wedding. The reception in the Sweet Grass Ballroom at The Reeds kept people on their feet dancing to the live band or outside enjoying the music and watching the sunset over the bay on attached patio.

Matt & Kim, Everything about your day was just lovely from start to finish.  Thanks for making us feel like part of the family!

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

• 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!