Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum

Cristina and Casey’s love for travel and their hometown (Philadelphia) inspired the canny details of their wedding.  From the city place cards to the olive oil favors and food, this day was inspired by the Mediterranean.  With a color palette drawn from the colors of the sun and sea, rich and vibrant hues show all throughout the decor.  The florals designed by Vault + Vine feature spicy reds, bright yellows, and ocean blues, which set the mood for the unified day.  The American Swedish Historical Museum, located in South Philadelphia, was the perfect backdrop to preserve their love.  This couple’s story and inspiration are just as good as the pictures perfectly captured by Brae Howard Photography.  So keep scrolling because you’re guaranteed to fall in love with every single photograph!


From the Photographer, Brae Howard Photography: “The weather was beautiful and clear the day that Cristina and Casey tied the knot. They exchanged their vows surrounded by their family and friends at the American Swedish Historical Museum. The venue was perfect and reflected the couple’s elegance. Cristina’s lace dress designed by BHLDN, accompanied with a traditional long veil, looked great with their classic red color palette. There were touches of yellows and greens in the color scheme as well. Each dining table had handwritten vintage postcards by Haley Richter, with the names of places the couple has been together. The couple had their own signature cocktails and gifted infused olive oils to their guests. After the fun and beautiful night, the couple was sent off by way of sparkler holding guests.”

Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
How They Met:
“We met in the fall of 2005 at the University of Rochester in upstate New York. I drove up from Philly (with my future maid of honor) to visit another friend from high school (our future best man) who had become fast friends with Casey. We became friends too but we didn’t start dating until 8 years later in Philadelphia!”
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
The Proposal:
“Casey proposed the morning after Halloween (my favorite!) in our apartment in Bella Vista. He got down on one knee at our dining room table after making us breakfast.”
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Wedding Planning Experience:
“Luckily we had a great support system to help us plan but we really did everything together. Planning and decision-making together made the whole experience more fun and a lot less stressful.”
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
About the Venue | American Swedish Historical Museum:
“We wanted to get married outside but also wanted a true Philadelphia wedding. We chose the American Swedish Historical Museum in FDR Park because it’s a beautiful indoor/outdoor venue located right in the city. My family is originally from South Philly so many family members have taken their wedding photos there and my grandfather used to take my Mom to the park to play when she was little. We displayed many of these family photos at the venue, which was really cool to see. Now I have wedding photos in the same spots!”
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Wedding Planning Advice:
“Remember that your vendors are business minded and it’s okay to talk realistically about your budget from the beginning.”
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Wedding Inspiration:
“Food is important to us and we knew we wanted a Mediterranean feast so we designed everything around a ‘summer in the Mediterranean’ theme.”
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
“We had the Philadelphia-based Motown/soul band, York Street Hustle, play during our reception and a favorite moment was when they played the Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.” Everyone was dancing and singing along for that one and it was such an amazing experience to have all the people we love in a giant, real-life singalong with us.”
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Mediterranean Wedding at the American Swedish Historical Museum Brae Howard Photography Philly In Love Philadelphia Weddings Philadelphia Wedding Blog
Wedding Vendor Experience:

We had a particularly great experience working with our photographer Brae Howard who has an amazing eye and also really takes charge the day of the wedding. She kept us on schedule and calm throughout the entire experience. If we ever got stressed about little nonsense during the day, Brae was there to remind us “It’s all part of the story of the day.” Loved that! Florist, Peicha Chang, at Vault + Vine was also lovely to work with. She was a great listener and was able to bring our ideas together cohesively. There were a few items I collected myself to save money (bud vases, antique books etc.) and she really helped us coordinate everything in the days before the wedding. Steven Binnig from York Street Hustle was another asset during our planning. He made sure all the details were nailed down and talked through everything with me the day before the wedding to be certain we had everything in order.”


Vendors | Photography: Brae Howard Photography | Venue: American Swedish Historical Museum | Catering: Jeffrey A. Miller | Florist: Vault + Vine | Reception Decor: DIY and Vault + Vine | Bride’s Dress: Eddie K by BHLDN | Band: York Street Hustle