Philadelphia Ballroom Wedding | Brianna Berner & Patrick Lutz

Brianna and Patrick’s Irish Catholic wedding incorporated a fun mix of tradition and individuality. There were bagpipes, custom groomsmen beer steins, and a little tomfoolery when they all dropped their drawers to show off yet another uniquely fun aspect to their outfits. Brianna got married in her mother’s wedding gown at St. Katherine of Siena church then changed into an alluring gown chosen by herself before heading to the Philadelphia Ballroom to celebrate. 

Getting Ready

The bride and groom started off their day in separate homes preparing to be married. Brianna’s home was decorated with flowing white tule and wedding bell balloons to celebrate her big day. Red Sage Salon’s Brianna Drigo worked her magic on the bride, 15 of her closest girls, and Brianna’s mother. The bridesmaids stunned in their matching silky silver robes as they paused for a huge group photo before getting dressed. With the help of her bridesmaids, Brianna stepped into a modified version of the gown her mother wore on her wedding day all those years ago. They laced up the elegant corset back, slipped on her sparkling golden Badgley Mischka bridal shoes, and the hairstylist placed a dazzling silver and pearl hair pin and simple veil to complete this brides wedding day look. She shared a quick first look in the sun with her father who hugged her tight before taking her to get married. 


The boys’ day always starts off a little differently from the girls. While the ladies spend hours upon hours in hair, makeup, and getting dressed, the guys are dressed and ready usually in under 30 minutes. That leaves more time for a little pre-wedding drink. Patrick gifted his groomsmen custom steins that they were drinking out of and had custom ‘team groom’ cozies for their White Claws. They packed a cooler of ice with beer, hard seltzer, Mad Dog 2020, and were ready to head off to the church. 

The Ceremony at St Katherine of Siena

Brianna and Patrick had a traditional Irish Catholic wedding at St. Katherine of Siena. Upon arrival to the church, everyone was greeted outside by a bagpipe player. The ring bearers quickly drew everyone’s attention to the aisle as they walked, and were carried, toward the alter boasting signs that read “don’t worry ladies, we’re still single!” and “think we’re cute? just wait for the bride!” Boy were they right… Brianna paraded down the aisle with her father in her mother’s wedding gown towards her soon to be husband looking elegant beyond words. Another traditional part of this ceremony that we don’t see too often anymore was Brianna entering with her veil over her face. It’s such a touching moment when a father lifts that veil to symbolize the blessing as he gives his daughter’s hand to the man about to become her husband. 

Portraits at Philadelphia Ballroom

We arrived at the Philadelphia Ballroom just in the nick of time to capture the golden purple sunset that perfectly lit up the sky for Brianna and Patrick. The adoration these two have for one another was clear as they cuddled up to stay warm, kissing and giggling like the newlyweds they are. As the sky faded into darkness, the dark purple and blue skyline delightfully complimented the bridesmaids’ grey gowns. While the girls kept it classy and cool for the camera, the guys were showing a different side of themselves- literally. They dropped their drawers to show off their “GROOMSMAN”, “BEST MAN”, and “GROOM” stamped bottoms. 

The Philadelphia Ballroom Reception

This Philadelphia Ballroom wedding reception kicked off the right way with a band of bagpipes and traditional Irish music. There were awesome entrances by the wedding party with lots of dancing, bridesmaids lifting up groomsmen, a pair wearing their clothes backwards, and a tiny man with his stuffed dog. An up and coming wedding trend that we are loving is brides changing dresses. This bride in particular wanted the wedding dress her mom wore to play a special part in her day, but also wanted to show off her own style. She wore her mother’s gown to walk down the aisle in a beautiful traditional church wedding and changed into the gown she chose to be introduced as Mr. and Mrs. for the first time. After Brianna and Patrick danced their way to the center of the room, confetti fell as the newlyweds boogied with their beers in hand. They kept the fun rolling for a few dances with the guests before a romantic first dance to “Unforgettable” with a dazzling dip pulled off by Patrick. Brianna’s maids of honor and Patrick’s best man delivered toasts that brought tears, laughs, and lots of hugs. They cut into their luscious lace detailed cake from Milillo Event Group catering, sweetly sharing a piece with one another. Some of the most tender moments of the night happen during the parent dances. The bond between a father-daughter and a mother-son is incredibly special and sharing that moment of closeness is so meaningful. After all those gushy moments, the dance floor burst and overflowed with guests using beer bottles as microphones and breakdancing on the ground. DiNardo Brothers Entertainment kept the party going strong all night! 

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