Sometimes, we have a wedding that is so beautifully pulled together, with such an elegant couple, that we don’t quite know the words to sum it up. Andréa & Bill’s stunning Kimmel Center Wedding was just that sort of a day. Filled with opulent details, sumptuous textures, and a nod to family history, this day had all the elements of our favorite kind of wedding. A perfect mix of stunning visuals and authentic joy.
When we first arrived to the W Philadelphia, where Andréa & Bill were starting off the day, Andréa’s details were all perfectly organized in a little bag waiting for us to capture them. Her scrolling letterpress invitation suite featured envelope liners with a delicate ink illustration of the view down Broad Street from the perspective of the Kimmel Center and a simple, yet memorable acrylic save the date. But despite Andréa’s buttoned up elegance, there were little hints at the fun celebration that would be had that evening at the Kimmel Center – her pearl covered high top sneakers being one of them!
When it was time to get her dressed for the black-tie affair ahead of the day, Andréa was joined by her mother & sisters who deftly pulled her together into her beautiful a-line Ramona Keveza gown. After she added in beautiful jewelry and her sisters helped her into her statement pearly Jimmy Choos, Andréa’s father joined in for a quick series of perfectly window-lit family portraits. Then, as the rest of the crew headed downstairs to make their way to church, we paused for a few minutes of portraits with Andréa alone in her last moments before being married to Bill.
Bill is every inch as pulled together as Andréa. Together, they are the perfect match. As he got ready for their wedding day with his father & brothers, these guys opted to hang out in one of the W Philadelphia’s beautifully styled conference rooms. There was lots of laughter and perhaps a few drinks at the boys helped Bill look his best for when he would meet Andréa at the top of the aisle at church.
And what a beautiful church they chose to house their wedding ceremony! The Shrine to St Rita in South Philadelphia has dynamic colorful archways and columns throughout the sanctuary, is filled with deep wood pews, and has an imposing marble altar backlit by cool hues of purpley blues. But more important that the church’s beauty is the historical significance to Andréa’s family. This was also the church that her grandmother has attended for decades and was married at. After a moving wedding mass, these two led their guests down the aisle and headed out into the cool December air for a series of portraits in Rittenhouse Square.
Although Andréa and the girls all had plush (faux) fur shrugs to help keep them warm, it was still a chilly damp day in December. But no one thought to complain as they rode the high of wedding energy. Rittenhouse Square was at a perfect point in the season, where greenery and twinkle lights were starting make their appearances, but somehow a few of the trees managed to hold onto the last of their golden hued leaves.
As dusk quickly approached, Bill and Andréa wandered a little deeper into the park for a few minutes of portraits alone before hustling back to the warmth of the bus that would take us to the Kimmel Center for their wedding reception. As we arrived, we stepped just across the street to capture the iconic Broad St shot at night and a few fun night portraits in front of the Kimmel Center with the big holiday ornament statues that they put out during the season. Then, we had free reign of the amazing Kimmel Center lobby, where we played with the twinkling Christmas lights and hanging snow displays in addition to taking the quintessential balcony shot with the arching architecture of the Kimmel domed glass ceiling.
Before long, it was time to make our way into the Hamilton Garden, where Andréa & Bill’s Kimmel Center wedding reception would take place. The room was generously strung with market lights and tables were piled with sumptuous floral arrangements peppered with pine cones and hints of evergreen. Soon, the guests were pouring into the ballroom and Andréa & Bill led the charge out into their party.
In between the more scripted moments that you’d expect from any wedding, such as heartfelt toasts and loving parent dances, were the memories that really stand out to us about the day. Bill growling “You are my treasure” into the band’s microphone while they vamped through Bruno Mars’ song while dancing for Andréa being one of our favorites that got everyone laughing and onto the dance floor.
And to top it all off, The Celebration Artist was there live painting the night as it all unfolded.
Photographer: Ashley Gerrity Photography | Getting Ready: The W Philadelphia | Reception Venue: The Kimmel Center | Planner: Oh the Details, Darling | Florist: Carl Alan Floral Artistry | Entertainment: BVT LiveJellyroll | Stationery: Basic Invites | Caterer: Garces Events | Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza | Dress Boutique: Elizabeth Johns | Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Wedding Rings: Diesinger and Dolan | Make up: Isabella Lucia Makeup | Hair: Emboldened Hair Artistry | Live Painting: The Celebration Artist
