How They Met
“Christian and I met in college at the University of Central Florida. During our time at school, we became best friends and continued to stay in touch after graduation when I moved back home to PA. A few years later Christian was in NJ for a clinical for graduate school. He visited me in Philly, and our friendship quickly blossomed into something much more :)”
The Proposal
“We were in Puerto Rico on an unforgettable vacation with both of our immediate families. Christian got down on one knee while the two of us were on a pre-dinner stroll along the beach. I was completely surprised, there were some tears and squeals and finally a YES! We went back to the resort where our families were awaiting our return with lots of love, smiles and celebratory drinks!”
Wedding Planning
“I wasn’t one who had ever dreamed of having a wedding, and we were all over the place when originally discussing plans. We decided on Philly and then took our time planning the rest and enjoying our engagement. Over the next 1.5 years, we turned a lot of our planning items into date nights and actually enjoyed (most of) the process. We made every decision together and really took our time discussing details to make sure everything made sense for us. It was fun to learn what was important to each of us and to watch it all come together!”
The Reading Terminal Market
“We were looking for a unique venue, something totally different. After some searching, we found out that Reading Terminal Market hosted weddings and knew we had to check it out! RTM is one of our favorite places in Philly, and we wanted our reception to be pretty food and beer-focused (two of our favorite things), so it really couldn’t have been an easier decision. It was actually the first and only venue we viewed. The event planning group there, All About Events, are the ones that made it all possible and they were exceptional to work with.”
Wedding Inspiration
“Honestly, our main inspiration for our wedding was us. We really wanted everything to 100% reflect us – what we love, like, enjoy – and our relationship. We are both very close to our families, and they are always an inspiration to us, so they were a very big part of our wedding too. We also picked October for our wedding since we love everything fall. I guess overall you could say it was a very non-traditional wedding inspired by love, family, and fall!”
“Aside from our ceremony (thank you, Sheila, for creating something so heartwarming!) and exchanging our vows which were really just the most magical moment, our first look and bride and groom photos was our favorite memory. Noreen, our photographer, was so wonderful and she took us to different spots all around Philly. It was a beautiful fall day, and we had the best time walking around town with each other. There was something so special about stepping away from all the excitement of the day and being in the moment. Just us, so happy and in love! It was perfect!”
Wedding Planning Advice
“You will get a lot of advice and opinions, but make sure your day is all about the two of you! Take the time to really think through all of the details and to decide what things are important to you. Budget accordingly and DIY smaller details. Your vendors are also very important; they make all the planning a reality!”
Wedding Vendors
“All of our vendors were an absolute pleasure to work with! We took a lot of time reading reviews to help capture who had a focus on the things important to us. We did not hesitate to ask questions up front or during the planning process, and we were able to trust every one day off. Our photographer Noreen Turner was fantastic, and she captured every moment perfectly! Christina and Stevie from All About Events were also wonderful, and their transformation of the RTM was really remarkable! To all of our vendors – we thank you so much!”