Alyssa and Matt chose Philadelphia’s Water Works for their late August wedding, playing up the gorgeous weather, classic feel of the venue, and iconic location.
From photographer Alison Leigh Photography: “Their wedding day theme reflects a romantic soft tone pastel color scheme, incorporating peach, yellow and white floral arrangements, and soft pink bridesmaid gowns. The reception decor resembled soft blush and cream tones with gold accents, geometric decor, and tall glass vases for a warm candle lighting ambiance.
The two got ready at the Logan Hotel, which is where I also photographed the First Look. We then hopped on trolley to capture the wedding party portraits at the Art Museum and the pavilion, overlooking a beautiful view of the city and boat house row.
The bride was the definition of pure elegance wearing a stunning lace form fitting Paloma Blanca gown with bouquet stems wrapped with lace from her mother’s bridal gown.”
How They Met
“We met at a football tailgate at Penn State where we both attended college. (We Are!),” says the happy couple.
The Proposal
Alyssa and Matt had an outdoor proposal. Matt popped the question in a gazebo, which would be fitting down the line with the gazebo on site at their wedding venue, Water Works. He asked at his parents’ home, which is where the couple lived over a summer before their relationship became long distance for a time.
Wedding Planning
Alyssa and Matt loved planning their big day. They say, “Wedding planning was fun and exciting. The most stressful time is the last month, where everything has to come together. But we were very lucky to have such supportive parents to help us plan and we had the most perfect wedding!”
Water Works
“We chose Water Works in Philadelphia because we wanted an outdoor, rustic style wedding, but also wanted proximity to the city for the convenience and experience for our out of town guests. When we started looking at venues we were looking mostly outside of the city not knowing such a perfect combination of what we wanted existed, but once we saw Water Works we knew it was perfect for us. It didn’t hurt that we had attended a Cescaphe wedding in the past and were blown away by the experience,” Alyssa and Matt tell us of their venue choice.
Wedding Inspiration
Alyssa and Matt wanted their guests to feel at home at their wedding, describing their inspiration as, “…a laid back garden style wedding. Although our venue didn’t have a garden, it was outdoors, so I wanted to bring the garden style in with soft florals and market lighting. I wanted to create the vibe that we were all good friends in someone’s incredible backyard just having a great time.”
Wedding Planning Advice
Live in the moment! The happy couple says, “Enjoy the process as much as you can because it goes by fast! And don’t lose sight of the most important purpose(s) of the day, to make a commitment to one another and to celebrate your love and your future with the people closest to you, not the size of your centerpieces.”
After all, Alyssa and Matt focused in on those meaningful moments, telling us that, It is hard to pick just one, but I would say the best moment from my wedding day was saying our vows. We wrote our own vows and being able to share them with one another in the presence of our incredible support system was an amazing feeling, and it enabled us to walk confidently into marriage.”
Wedding Vendors
The vendors helped make the wedding day perfect. “I enjoyed working with all of my vendors! Both the planning process and day of events ran smoothly and everyone I worked with was patient, kind, and professional.”
Vendors | Ceremony & Reception Venue: Water Works |Floral/Decor: Beautiful Blooms | Stationery: Paper Trail| Dress Shop/Dress Designer: Paloma Blanca | Bridal Accessories: Elizabeth Johns | Hair & Makeup: Capelli & Trucco | Caterer: Cescaphe Event Group | Cake/Bakery: Cescaphe Event Group | DJ/Band: Matt Ostroff, EBE Entertainment| Photographer: Alison Leigh Photography | 2nd Photographer: Nick Uylinco Photography | Videographer: Well Spun Weddings