Stephanie and Aaron are two of the sweetest and funniest people we had the chance to meet this past year. The entirety of their Racquet Club wedding day was full of jokes, lots of love, and not a little bit of holiday cheer.
Getting Ready for their Racquet Club Wedding
Stephanie is a real go-getter. Besides having her bridesmaids well organized and keeping her cool, she dressed herself! After we’d had the chance to capture some of her gorgeous details, like her Brilliant Earth wedding rings, bouquet from Willow & Thistle in all its glory, and especially her lacey Eddy K for BHLDN wedding dress, she was ready to put that bad boy on. And so she did. With no help. There’s a first for us. You go girl!
Meanwhile, Aaron was dressing himself downstairs, as is typical for the groom. His floral tie was held in place by his grandfather’s tie clip and provided a pop of color and texture for his black Damari Saville suit. We absolutely loved his Scrabble tile cufflinks! He was a little nervous, but mostly enjoying himself before heading down to the great hall for his first look with Stephanie!
The First Look at the Racquet Club
We set the scene at the bottom of the holiday dressed staircase in the great hall where just a little later they would have their Racquet Club wedding ceremony. Aaron waited at the foot of the banister and Stephanie floated down the stairs. The second Aaron turned, Stephanie began to happy cry. They were SO excited to be together on their wedding day. Moments like these are why we love what we do so dearly. With the threat of rain (story of the year for 2018) we grabbed umbrellas and made a dash for Rittenhouse Square.
Portraits at Rittenhouse Square and Racquet Club
Christmas lights were abundant and the park was quiet as we began to photograph these two for their portraits. They could do no wrong. Every look, stolen kiss, long embrace, and hearty laugh was perfect. And quick as we could, we shot away until the rain began to trickle down and we went back to the Racquet Club for bridal party pictures on the stairs and on the racquet courts! We brought a little pop of color with some special off camera flash gels and Stephanie and Aaron and their besties brought the fun!
The Racquet Club Wedding Ceremony
There was so much to love about this wedding ceremony. From the darling flower girl with her crown and stuffed unicorn (given by Stephanie and Aaron that morning), to the sweet ring bearer who made it about halfway down the aisle before being scooped up, to the guest of honor: Stephanie and Aaron’s adorable dog Odie! Throughout the ceremony Odie watched intently as his parents exchanged their vows and rings.
Before they could do that however, their buddy Evan had to perform the ceremony. Bringing his own flair to what can be somewhat rote at times, he walked around the room, brought elements of audience participation, and even doled out a couple of bucks for correct answers. Amidst the laughs, he did say the magic words following the vows and rings, “I pronounce you husband and wife” and that was that!
The Racquet Club Wedding Reception
After an incredible cocktail hour spread by Jeffrey Miller Catering, Stephanie and Aaron made their grand entrance. This time coming down the stairs together and leading right into their first dance. The Christmas tree lights made the entire room sparkle and everyone looked on with admiration for this incredible couple. Toasts followed in short order, the best man interrupted briefly by his daughter, and then it was time to cut the cake and share another special dance. Mother son and father daughter. Then we quickly snuck out for some Broad Street portraits with all it’s colorful lights, before letting them dance the night away with their friends. We were sad when the time came to head home. Their album consult and pickup only solidified how great these two are and we are so glad we got to be their wedding photographer!
