Monica and Tom are married! I can’t believe their big day has come and gone. I absolutely love these two – and after meeting them for their engagement session this January in Philadelphia, I knew their wedding day would be something special!!! Monica and Tom had an elegant and simple Christ Church wedding in Old City Philadelphia. We photographed some of their engagement session here so it was fun to be back for their wedding day!

Monica and Tom truly make such a beautiful couple and are just perfect for each other. I’m so happy I could be there to document their stunning Philadelphia wedding day!! It was such an honor to be in the same room as so many of their family and friends, all who clearly love them. Monica spent a lot of time in Germany growing up and she was so lucky that her friends from overseas flew in for their big day! Seriously, these are people you just can’t help but love!

The Wedding Day

One of the best parts about their wedding day was how close they kept all of their venues. Monica and Tom got ready in some gorgeous local hotels – Penn’s View, which overlooks the Benjamin Franklin Bridge! And Tom got ready in the Lokal. For their wedding day, Monica and Tom chose a fun palette of blues and greens to keep their day with a botanical inspired feeling. Monica and Tom kept their wedding day simple. Instead of a large bridal party, they had only family members as their party! Monica’s brother and cousin stood with her and Tom’s brother and sister stood with him. I mean, I just LOVE that idea!!!

Keeping tradition in mind, the newlyweds chose to not do a first look and saw each other for the first time at the altar at their Christ Church wedding ceremony. Their ceremony was beautiful and full of tradition – much of that because of the venue they chose. I love that this Philly venue does all it can to keep the old school feeling of their history! After some gorgeous portraits in the streets of Philadelphia, Monica and Tom headed into the Neighborhood House for their reception. If you haven’t been in the Neighborhood House, go! This beautiful venue has tons of exposed bricks and really lends itself to a rustic yet traditional wedding style. Monica and Tom didn’t go too heavy on decorations and some simple greenery and some hanging pennants brought the space to life for their reception. It was absolutely beautiful!!!

During their reception, Monica and Tom had a great time enjoying the music and dancing the night away with their guests. One of the things I loved about their reception was their open mic time. Any guest who wanted to say anything could, and they had some truly amazing things to say. Oh, and the late night German pretzel delivery was a great idea too!! Monica and Tom, your day was the perfect balance of elegance and tradition and I loved every second of it. Thank you for letting me be a part of the start of your journey together!

Second Photographer: Becca Miller of Remarie Photography

Getting Ready Venues: Penn’s View Hotel and Lokal Hotel

Ceremony Venue: Christ Church

Reception Venue: Neighborhood House

Officiant: The Rev. Susan Richardson

Bakery: Crust Bakery

Attire: The Sample Rack, Maggie Sottero Designs, Topman, The Black Tux

Florist: Ye Olde Yardley Florist

DJ: Silver Sound DJs

Organist: Paul Kitterman

Hair: Meghan Cahill

Makeup: Cheekadee Makeup Artists

Stationery: Elli

Caterer: Seedling and Sage