The Lucy by Cescaphe Wedding | Adrienne Botley & Rob DeSimone

One of our most highly anticipated weddings of the summer was Adrienne and Rob’s fabulous soiree at the brand spanking new Cescaphe space, The Lucy. The day was full of bumps along the way (including lost power at the Cambria Hotel), but a great timeline and excellent father of the bride saved the day on more than one occasion!

Getting Ready at the Cambria Hotel

The day started off H-O-T hot! A steamy 90 degrees on the thermometer, but thankfully the A/C at the Cambria Hotel is up to the task. When we arrived to begin photographing the getting ready part of the day, we were startled to learn that the power on the whole block had gone out for a couple hours that morning. Affecting the Cambria Hotel and The Lucy by Cescaphe! Thankfully, it was resolved fairly quickly, and Adrienne’s father Joe thought to ask the neighboring DoubleTree if they might be able to bring over a bunch of girls who needed to get their hair and makeup done over there. Props to the DoubleTree for being so accommodating. However, the relocation pushed the hair and makeup timeline off by a bit, which had ramifications for us. Never fear! Our handcrafted timeline allowed for buffer times in case things happened (and they always do on a wedding day), so there was absolutely no issues with the delay. Well, besides giving Rob some time to sweat it out in his room.

Rob greeted us in his Cambria Hotel room with a bit of nervous chatter. Later in the evening, he admitted he was a nervous wreck and apologized for barely being able to have a conversation. We assured him it was no problem and that it was massively endearing. There was so much happiness in that room. Not the least of which came from Rob’s mom, Maria. The sweetest mother of the groom you could ever hope to meet. She explained that her mother had recently passed and that all her boys and her father were wearing a pin with her photo in it. Her beautiful cuff from Beautiful Blooms had one as well with a charm. It was a touching tribute. Family is so important to these two, and they took a lot of pains to incorporate family into their wedding at The Lucy by Cescaphe.

Meanwhile, Adrienne was calm as could be. Despite the hiccup with the power and the pushed hair and makeup timeline, she was not worried at all. We had reassured her that all would be well. She and her bridesmaids were all in matching pajamas which we had to capture before everyone got dressed. Once we did, it was time for Adrienne to put on her fabulous Pronovias wedding dress. The inset lace in the train made us swoon and we couldn’t wait for Rob to see her. So we tarried no longer. 

The First Look on Broad Street

Broad Street, Philadelphia. In the shadow of City Hall, we placed Rob on the cobblestone median of Broad Street to await his bride. When she swept up behind him, they held hands for a moment (a moment that would make a lasting impression on Rob’s brother we would later learn), and then turned to behold one another. Rob’s face lit like the sun. He was so freaking excited. Simultaneously, all the nerves completely left him. He was focused solely on his bride. Which worked for us! So we began their portrait time.

Portraits at City Hall and First National Bank

While the trolley was picking up bridal party and family at the Cambria Hotel, we walked the few blocks down to City Hall for some portraits of Adrienne and Rob. They’re so cute together and it was a delight to find unoccupied corners (it was a Friday afternoon after all) to put them in for some beautiful portraits. We met the trolley at the corner and hopped in for a cool ride down to Old City.

When we arrived at the First National Bank, we found another bridal party there. We waited for a moment or two before asking if they had a permit for the bank. Moral of the story: Get a photography permit. It not only prevents the National Park’s Service from stopping your wedding day fun, it allows you the right to ask people to move so you can use the space you paid to use! 

The impressive architecture of the bank was a stunning backdrop for some family photos as well as the bridal party. We made short work of these images so we could have some time with Adrienne and Rob for more portraits. It was a good thing too, Adrienne began to experience some fatigue from the heat so we ended up needing plenty of time between portraits to drink water and cool down. Huge thanks to father of the bride, Joe, for being the bearer of water and chap stick for her when she needed it. Thanks to helpful family and a great timeline, we were on track for their arrival back to the Lucy by Cescaphe for the rehearsal and more family portraits. 

The Ceremony at The Lucy by Cescaphe

When the trolley pulled back up to the Cambria Hotel, we made the short walk down to The Lucy by Cescaphe so we could get set up for family portraits and the ceremony. Philadelphia’s newest wedding venue, and a jewel in the crown of Cescaphe’s impressive event space portfolio, The Lucy is the perfect marriage of modern and timeless. There are so many beautiful textures without feeling claustrophobic. Instead, you’re invited into a warmth and elegance that allows you to get lost in the moments you are celebrating. In short, The Lucy by Cescaphe was the perfect place for Adrienne and Rob’s wedding ceremony and reception! 

In a beautifully draped room, in front of a gorgeous flower wall from Beautiful Blooms, Adrienne met Rob and proclaimed her vows to him. He made his to her and gave her a beautiful ring as a token of his pledge. She responded in kind. Before their family and friends, they were declared to be married and shared a sweet kiss to make it all official! When they swept out back down the aisle, Cescaphe’s amazing cocktail hour began. 

The Reception at The Lucy by Cescaphe

After the incredible Cescaphe cocktail hour, the bridal party made triumphant entrances down the grand staircase at The Lucy by Cescaphe. And when the newlyweds stormed in, the crowd went wild! The petal cannon fired and everyone cheered. Adrienne and Rob opened the dance floor with a beautifully choreographed dance to Perfect by Ed Sheeran, performed by the Don Eaton Band. There were plenty of twirls, dips, and adoring looks shared between the two, and we were so happy to capture it all. 

Father of the bride, Joe, brought some wonderful observations in welcome to the guests. He remarked that after all the day had endured (the heat and the loss of power, etc), he was so proud of Adrienne and how she was a trooper through it all. Following him was Rob’s grandfather with yet another touching tribute to those who couldn’t be there, including his late wife. He blessed the meal and salads were served. 

Toasts came with Rob’s brother Mike sticking in our minds. He mentioned how when he saw Adrienne touch Rob’s shoulder (the Cambria Hotel overlooks Broad St, so we had some onlookers during first look) and he held her hand, that it finally hit him that his older brother was getting married. And not just getting married, marrying his perfect partner in life. It was a very sweet toast and brought a tear to Rob’s eye as well as his mom’s. Afterwards, Adrienne and her father danced together, followed by Rob and his mom. So many smiles and so much sweetness. 

As the night wore on, we stepped out for some night shots on Broad Street. It was worth it! After cake cutting, we captured the signature Cescaphe flambé station being fired up for the happy couple. We were thoroughly impressed with The Lucy by Cescaphe, and can’t wait to be back in November!

Adrienne and Rob, thank you for being so amazing and giving us the chance to capture your love story. As well as trusting us when we created your timeline – it worked out beautifully!

Their special day was made possible by:

— Photography — Ashley Gerrity Photography — Venue — The Lucy by Cescaphe — Videography — Visual Rose Productions — Stationary — Minted — Florist — Beautiful Blooms — Caterer — Cescaphe — Entertainment — The Don Eaton Band — Wedding Dress — Pronovias — Bridal Boutique — Le Bella Donna — Wedding Rings — De Simone Jewelers — Makeup — Ashley Gallo — Hair — Lisa Aprile — Menswear — Chadmoores — Bridesmaid Dresses — Bill Levkoff from Arielle Bridal