To celebrate their 10th anniversary as a couple, Kelly & Paul commemorated their love in a self-uniting Cescaphe Ballroom wedding. Inviting their closest family and friends to their joyous festivities, the pair planned for a relaxing day in Philly before officially proclaiming their love. Full of intimate moments and reminders of what a wedding day is truly about, Kelly & Paul’s Cescaphe Ballroom wedding day was truly a celebration of their love and commitment to one another.
Getting Ready at The Canopy Hotel
Starting off the morning with Kelly at the Canopy Hotel looked a bit different than most of our pre-wedding prep rooms. While Kelly had no official bridesmaids, she invited a few cherished companions to join her morning of preparations. The bride sat in her black pajamas for a few finishing touches to her hair and natural makeup look before snapping a photo with her friends. With a hand from her mom, Kelly stepped into her simply elegant Made with Love Bridal gown with a beautifully beaded pattern. The form fitting fabric perfectly complimenting the laid-back bride with her stunning statement jewelry adding a bit of flare. Now that everyone was dressed and ready for a wedding, Kelly shared a few first looks with her friends, father, step-father, and mother-in-law. Finally, it was time for the formal first look with her soon-to-be husband.
Meanwhile, Paul prepped for the day ahead with his family and friends a few doors down. His father excitedly showed us his bag of tricks for the wedding day as Paul warned us of his affinity for all things funny. He shared casual conversation and glasses of champagne with his brother and a few friends before they helped him into his classic navy suit. Featuring a fun and unique personal detail, the collar was embroidered with their wedding date underneath. After a visit from his mom to perfect his final look, Paul was ready to head to the lobby of the Canopy for his first look with Kelly.
First Look & Photos in Philly
While the rain began to fall outside, Paul stood calm & collected waiting in the lobby for his bride. The carefully curated lobby provided a private nook perfect for the relaxed couples’ intimate moment. Kelly quietly approached her groom and tapped him on the shoulder. Once Paul turned around and briefly admired his bride, they shared an intimate moment as Kelly placed a classic gold Halloween wedding band on his finger. We love that they shared this intimate moment with only each other before their self-uniting Cescaphe Ballroom wedding ceremony.
With the rain lightening up, Paul led Kelly up the stairs of the Second Bank in Old City for their classic wedding portraits. The elegant architecture of the bank building has the added benefit of quick cover in case the rain begins to fall again. Luckily for Kelly & Paul, we got to take advantage of the whole park with blue skies and bright sun above succeeding the morning of showers. Now that their portraits were captured, it was time for the self-uniting ceremony at Cescaphe Ballroom.
Self-Uniting Cescaphe Ballroom Wedding Ceremony
Self-uniting wedding ceremonies became a common practice for our couples during the pandemic. If you’re curious as to what that entails, check out our blog on self-uniting marriage licenses. For Kelly & Paul, it was important that friends and family play a special role in their wedding day. Kelly’s brother Anders played the part of MC, Paul’s brother James and Kelly’s sister Lindsey each did a reading, and their mutual friend participated in the exchange of the vows. The pair sealed their love with a kiss before heading to the bridal suite with their official witnesses to sign the marriage certificate.
Cescaphe Cocktail Hour
Now officially Mr. & Mrs., the couple joined family and friends for the 90 minute signature Cescaphe cocktail hour after capturing a few photos with extended family & friends. One of the many reasons we love the 90 minute Cescaphe cocktail hour is that it leaves plenty of time to capture family and friend photos and still enjoy the festivities. Before officially joining the guests, Kelly & Paul got to share another private moment in the ballroom. While they weren’t going to have a formal first dance, the pair paraded around the floor of the beautiful ballroom. The Beautiful Blooms team delightfully decorated with pops of gold and perfectly pastel centerpieces on candlelit tables. We captured the signature Cescaphe Ballroom bar shots with Kelly & Paul standing and snuggling on the surface. Finally, it was time for the celebrations to begin!
Cescaphe Ballroom Wedding Celebration
Without a wedding party, it was up to Kelly & Paul’s family to get the crowd going for their introduction. Remember that bag of tricks we mentioned Paul’s dad packing? It was filled with light up goggles and fake facial hair that made many appearances throughout the night. Kelly & Paul entered the ballroom through cheering guests before inviting everyone onto the dance floor. The groom got things going right away when he took off his jacket and broke out into a break dance center stage. Before settling down for dinner, the newlyweds shared a speech thanking their guests for joining them on their special day. They also made a point to mention Kelly’s aunt & uncle’s 45th wedding anniversary prior to the beloved anniversary dance. To finish off the formal festivities, they cut their classic cake by Cescaphe with iconic Philly skyline and Eagles logo details.
We had to step out onto the streets of the city for some night shots in the neighborhood before dancing the night away with Eclipse DJ Entertainers.
Cheers to the new Mr. & Mrs! It was such a joy to participate in Kelly & Paul’s intimate self-uniting Cescaphe Ballroom wedding day!
Here’s to the professionals that helped make their wedding even more special:
Photographer: Ashley Gerrity Photography | Getting Ready: The Canopy by Hilton | Reception Venue: Cescaphe Ballroom | Florist: Beautiful Blooms | Entertainment: Eclipse DJ Entertainers DJ Maurice | Stationery: The Paperia Invitations Greenvelope | Caterer: Cescaphe | Cake: Cescaphe Cakes | Transportation: Cescaphe Trolley | Videography: Ashley Gerrity Photography | Wedding Dress: Made with Love Bridal | Dress Boutique: Lovely Bride Philly | Bride’s Shoes: | Wedding Rings: Halloween | Hair & Make up: Aleksandra Ambrozy |
