written by Dolly Marshall
From the photographer, Deibert Photography: “We were super jazzed to photograph this Reading Terminal Market wedding. A wedding where the guests can go around to different food stands and choose their dinner bites? Yes please. A wedding where the DJ doesn’t play the same old wedding songs yet still rocks the house so hard, even we dance? Yeah, bring it on. Let’s not forget how amazing it is to work with a couple so laid back and chill- and that’s Kelly and Frank.”
How They Met
“We met through a friend. Frank likes to say he was DJing a party at his apartment, and my friend and I stopped by. The latter part is true but the former not so much. He was DJing a party for just himself.”
The Proposal
“Frank proposed while we were in Brazil. It was towards the end of our trip, and we were walking around the botanical gardens in Rio. He originally thought of doing it at Christ the Redeemer statue but it was too crowded. The gardens ended up being the perfect spot for us. Quiet and beautiful. Afterward, we wanted to find somewhere to celebrate with a toast and to call our parents. We stumbled upon a brewery across the street overlooking a horse racing track with the mountains of Rio as the backdrop, just as the sun was setting. Getting engaged in a different country where we didn’t really speak the language ended up being the perfect way for us. We got to enjoy it quietly for a bit just the two of us and then celebrate with family and friends once home.”
Wedding Planning
“We’re glad we’re done 😉 Our wedding day breezed by. Looking back we were just like all that planning for one day! But, totally worth it. Thankfully, we had great vendors and family and friends to bounce ideas off of. We’d be embarrassed to say how long we poured over the menu and the quest to find the perfect music. Those two items ended up being the most important to us and subsequently the two areas we struggled with most. A shout out to Marian Braccia of Porch & Pearls who did all the wrangling and kept us on track! And, a shout out to our friend, DJ FLO, who created the ultimate wedding playlist for us. We threw a Google doc of random songs at him and from that he figured out our vibe. The music and the ambiance he created for the reception was so better than we ever imagined.”
Reading Terminal Market
“Most of all, we were hoping for something more casual, less structured, and not the traditional sit-down dinner. Food was important for us, and we wanted it to be memorable for our guests. We live in South Philly so if we could find somewhere in the city that was definitely a plus. And, neither of us was very good at capping the invite list so a larger space was key. Reading Terminal Market checked off all these boxes for us. We loved the idea that our guests could walk around the Terminal after hours and experience a little bit of Philly.”
Wedding Inspiration
“After attending a number of weddings, we kind of had an idea of what fit our personalities versus what didn’t. Reading Terminal Market is such a unique space in itself that we didn’t really need much additional inspiration, a color scheme, or even a design theme. Overall, we really liked the idea of having no assigned seating and having no set dinner. We wanted all our various groups of friends and family to come together and meet, hang out, eat, drink, and dance as they pleased. As it got closer to the wedding, we second-guessed this setup, worrying it’d be a little too chaotic. But, in the end, it turned out perfect!”
Best Moment
“For me, the groom, it was being with Kelly and our families and friends. It’s hard to pinpoint one exact favorite memory because while, yes, it’s all a blur, you also remember so many things, like someone smiling at you while you walk down the aisle or talking with people while getting some deserts. But if I had to list one best memory, it was how nervous I was that morning, and then having it wash away when Kelly and I linked up for our first look!”
“As the bride, it was so cool to see everything come together with Frank. We had all our favorite people in one place, and I’m not sure we’ll ever get the chance to do that again. To call out just a couple of memories, one would be our vows. It kind of just showed both our personalities and how important we are to one another. When it came time for me to say my vows no one had the note cards that I jotted vows on, and I’m not one that can speak off the cuff, particularly in public. But, they were found quickly and that small glitch just lightened up the moment and reminded us to just breathe and laugh. For my second memory, at every wedding, a group of friends does this whole elaborate dance to Florence and the Machine’s the “Dog Days Are Over.” It started first at a wedding in Brazil and just has evolved from there. The friends it originated with will grab the bride’s dress and take turns making an almost wave with the skirt. At our wedding, all our guests got into it and it was just so fun to see everyone get together and celebrate. Ben and Ashley, of Deibert Photography, captured this moment, and it’s one of my favorite pictures.”
Wedding Planning Advice
“Groom: Try not to get too stressed and block off chunks of time to get things done. If you were to make a checklist of all the things you need to do, it’s like 53 items: some very big, like food, while other items are smaller ambiance style things, like welcome signs. Work through the list and it will all come together!”
“Bride: Certain things we got a little carried away with. If anyone needs a hat or pair of sunglasses, we have boxes of them leftover. So, maybe don’t go overboard with swag or bathroom accessories. Thankfully, though, we won’t need to pick up mouthwash or mints for the foreseeable future.
Also, shout out to our wedding planner for this tip, but masking tape to label everything and milk crates to carry things, just makes life so much easier for dropping off and picking up all your stuff. Maybe just remember to have space in your basement already cleared out pre-wedding to store things once you bring everything home. We definitely didn’t think of that.”
Vendors
“It’s amazing how everything comes together and that’s no doubt because of the vendors. We know coordinating all the various pieces isn’t easy, but because of them, they made it easy for us. Also, when your wedding lands on Halloween weekend, make sure to get yourself a photographer team who will protect your maid of honor from getting awkwardly hit on by a drunk college kid wearing a diaper! To finish off, and listed in no certain order, just a thank you to you all: Marian Braccia of Porch & Pearls (wedding planner); Ashley and Ben of Deibert Photography (photography & photobooth); the one and only DJ FLO; Reverend Angel Pagan, Jr (officiant); All About Events/Reading Terminal Market (venue); Molly Malloy’s (bar); Fabufloras (florist); Anna Sky Beauty (makeup); Jessica Colella (hair); Jeffrey Nowmos (ceremony & cocktail hour guitarist); Harvey the swag guy (hats and sunglasses); and our family and friends!”
Vendors: Venue: Reading Terminal Market |Catering & Event Design: All About Events |Wedding Planner: Porch and Pearls |Photography: Deibert Photography |Florist: Fabufloras |DJ: DJ Flo |Hair: Anna Sky Makeup:Jessica Colella |Dress Designer: Kate McDonald |Acoustic Guitarist: Jeff Nowmos