Non-traditional weddings will always have a place in our hearts, especially the celebrations with inspiring details like this one! Jackie and Jason’s modern fete will have you rethinking what makes a wedding truly special. As food lovers, one of the most essential aspects of the day were surrounded by giving their guests an amazing dining experience. Barbuzzo Upstairs isn’t your conventional wedding venue, but for a small party, the space works perfectly for a ceremony and reception, or even as a rehearsal dinner spot. & of course the food is simply divine! Sebesta Design transformed the upstairs area into a greenery wonderland with endless white blooms and candles, the perfect rustic combination! & thanks to Brittney Raine Photography we have all the candid details to go along with this couple’s love story (keep scrolling for more wedding inspiration)!
From Brittney Raine Photography: “Jackie and Jason got married on a cold day in January, but you’d never know by the smiles on their faces and the coziness of their wedding day. Jackie and Jason live in Los Angeles, but got married in Philly, where they’re from. They hosted an intimate celebration – with just 60 guests for the ceremony and dinner, and a total of 100 for the reception. This was such a unique, non-traditional day, and I am so excited to share it with Philly in Love readers!
Since the festivities all took place indoors, Jason and Jackie wanted to do their portraits outside. I suggested a quaint street near their venue with brick, ivy walls, cobblestone – basically, all the things that make Philly feel so ‘Philly.’ Jackie’s two-piece wedding dress was topped with a light faux fur jacket, and Jason dazzled in a bright blue suit. Both wore shoes in my favorite winter material – velvet! We wandered around the neighborhood until the cold weather got the best of us, and stopped into Tredici for a pre-ceremony cocktail while guests headed into Barbuzzo’s Upstairs event space.
Corinne from Sebesta Design filled the space with tons of gorgeous white florals and greenery, including a hanging ceremony backdrop that doubled as sweetheart table decor. Jackie and Jason exchanged emotional vows and ended by smashing the glass, a nod to their Jewish heritage. After cocktails, dinner, speeches, and some watching of an Eagles playoff game (the reactions were hilarious and so much fun to document, especially since they went on to win the Super Bowl!), guests headed over to Zavino in University City. Jason spent years working in operations for the Zavino Hospitality Group (including Tredici!), so it was especially sentimental for the couple.
The restaurant was filled with even more stunning decor, including a suspended installation of branches above the dance floor, candles as far as the eye could see, and a Federal Donuts cake. Jason & Jackie took a moment to feed each other donuts before guests arrived, then spent the rest of the night celebrating with friends on the dance floor. One of my favorite details was how DJ Alkimist wore an Adidas tracksuit since Jackie works for the company out in LA!
How They Met
“It depends on who you ask. Some might say it was fate; others might say it was a dating website. But if you ask us, we say it has a whole lot to do with the love of pizza.
For six years, Jackie frequented her favorite restaurant in Philly where Jason worked, and lived four blocks from Jason’s apartment. Yet, our paths never managed to cross—at least that we know about! Fast forward to February 2015 and a few online dating messages exchanged, Jason finally asked Jackie out by inviting her to a 5k run. Although Jackie thought it was a unique date idea, she kindly declined as she had just had foot surgery. Jason took it as the modern day “I have to wash my hair” rejection. We finally decided to meet one cold night in the city at La Peg, Jackie in her surgery boot and all. We both can agree it was not love at first sight (but, hey, that’s a cliché anyway.) As the days, weeks, and months went on, we quickly learned how truly compatible we really are–sharing interests in food, wine, health, and family.
February 20th, 2017, with two years of dating under our belt, a brief stint of long distance, a move across the country and two new jobs, Jason proposed to Jackie on their rooftop in Tulum. It was the perfect trip that we both needed badly. Needless to say, it has been a wild ride so far and we cannot wait for all of our future adventures together!”
Wedding Planning
“It was pretty seamless. I promised myself (Jason and my mother) that I would stay calm and enjoy the ride. We live in LA (but are from Philly) so it was a little tough doing it from a distance, but by keeping it small (60 people) and with the help and support from family and friends, we really got to enjoy the process. We were home for Thanksgiving so we were able to finalize a lot of last minute details then! I have to admit doing something non-traditional was scary at times. Ask Jason, how many times I woke up thinking is this going to come together?!”
About the Wedding Venue | Barbuzzo Upstairs
“We wanted our guest to leave our wedding saying ‘wow, that was some of the best food I have ever had.’ And they did! We had heard so many great things about Barbuzzo Upstairs and after seeing the space in person, we had no doubt it was exactly what we were looking for. Jason used to work for Zavino hospitality group and they were graciously on board with us throwing our after party there and making the space ours. It was just a no-brainer for us. We just couldn’t picture us being in a big traditional space.”
Wedding Inspiration
“Jason and I are huge foodies and winos. Jason is in the hospitality industry and well, I just like to eat and drink. The night we got engaged and could finally talk about a wedding, we knew right away that we wanted the night to be based on amazing food & wine, and our closest of friends & family. We wanted the opposite of traditional and something that just felt us. We have never left a wedding saying ‘wow that food was amazing.’ So we knew that was a TOP priority. We knew we would do a winter wedding because we did not want a long engagement. We wanted a cozy rustic vibe with simple decor yet still modern. I also knew I wanted a non-traditional dress and had the idea of a two-piece in my head for a while. Again, sticking with the theme of feeling like ourselves! It was a super easy decision for us and decided on Barbuzzo Upstairs (the night we got engaged! bc we were so excited!) and it fit all of our criteria; beautiful, cozy and delicious food. I wanted the room to feel as intimate and romantic as possible being in the dead of winter. I told Corinne from Sebesta Design give me ALL THE CANDLES and ALL THE GREENERY. We knew we didn’t want the party to end after dinner, so an after party was a must. We knew Zavino would be the perfect place for popping bottles of our favorite sparkling rosè, pizza, donut cake and dancing the night away.”
Best Wedding Memory
“Walking down the aisle at Barbuzzo. Seeing 60 of the most influential people in our lives so cozy (yet comfortable) sitting together in the room, with Jason standing at the front. I had never seen the space during dusk, and I was completely blown away by how it looked. I still can’t believe how great it turned out! The floral arch and lanterns were absolutely gorgeous. You spend so many months planning and envisioning what you think that moment will be like and I can honestly say it was better than any dream I could have dreamt! I’m tearing up just thinking about that moment! Priceless!”
Wedding Planning Advice
“Trust yourself and your fiancè- don’t be afraid to do things differently! Have fun with it and don’t lose sight of what it is all about. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends and family!”
Wedding Vendors
“AMAZING! Barbuzzo was a breeze. Jess is an expert in her craft and listened to everything we said. Picking our menu was so fun! We knew everything would be amazing, and it did not disappoint. Who gets to have grilled octopus at their wedding? Our favorite dish in the world is Cacio e Pepe. Barbuzzo didn’t have it on their menu, but created it for our guests! I found Brittney by some photos she took for a rehearsal dinner at Barbuzzo and knew she would be the perfect fit! After some face time and talking about our love for pups, I could not wait to meet her the day of my wedding! Probably just as excited to see her and I was to see my husband, haha! Her photos didn’t disappoint, I look at them almost every day. She captured everything perfectly. The morning after the wedding I could not wait to text Corinne from Sebesta. She exceeded my expectations and I literally could not believe how everything turned out. She listened to every detail I asked for and more. Barbuzzo was stunning, absolutely breathtaking. And then I walk into Zavino – which has a cool vibe already, but then was completely transformed from a pizza place to the most magical space with hanging greens and hundreds of candles. I found Matt Hartke on gigmasters.com for our ceremony. We were very specific about wanting our song ‘only love’ by Ben Howard to be sung live when we walked down the aisle and he crushed it! He was super chill and talented. After we booked him, we found out that his music is on Sirius Radio Coffee House. For the after party, we knew we wanted a hip, cool, female DJ. I had worked with Kim (DJ Alkimist) almost 8 years ago at an event I had for work and she immediately came to mind. One thing that I was so worried about was what the vibe would be at the after party again being non-traditional. Moments after everyone got there, my mind was at ease and the party was started! Everyone danced all night thanks to Kim!”
Vendors | Ceremony Venue (& Dinner): Barbuzzo Upstairs | Reception (& After-Party): Zavino University City | Photographer: Brittney Raine Photography | Hair/Makeup: Meraki Studio | Invitations: Jenna Navitsky | Florist: Sebesta Design | Bride’s Style: Sarah Seven “Utopia Skirt,” Noel and Jean “Thorne Top,” and Forever 21 faux fur jacket | Groom Attire: Indochino Suit, Ted Baker Pocket Square and Magnanni Loafers | Bakery: Federal Donuts | Ceremony/Cocktail Hour Music: Matt Hartke | Reception DJ: DJ Alkimist (Kim Venetz)