That crisp morning air, early signs of transitioning colors and a pumpkin spice latte in hand… I mean, are these not the best days or what?! Today we’re so excited to be sharing with you a gorgeous Philadelphia wedding planned by Polka Dot Events that so perfectly incorporated subtle hints of Fall into the decor. It was just the right amount of foliage in the arrangements from Belovely along with a moody color palette that did the trick. For more autumn inspired wedding inspiration, head on over to the full gallery – all taken by Haley Richter Photography!
When Matt, a Philadelphia native, met Emily, a born and raised New Yorker, the fireworks were immediate — but as Matt likes to joke, he thought Emily was way out of his league! The two of them met while working at the same software company in New York and say that their compatibility surfaced as colleagues through their mutual work ethic, drive and love for Matt’s corny jokes.
After three years together, Matt proposed in May of 2018. He had planned a date night for the two of them so that it wouldn’t be suspicious to ask Emily to get dressed up. However, as Emily remembers it, Matt was home from work before her, had already opened wine and was singing in the shower – not suspicious at all! Right before they were due to leave for their supposed restaurant date, Matt asked Emily if they could take a selfie, and right after the camera clicked Matt was getting down on one knee. Emily describes that moment as one she could never forget — “right there in the center of our cozy Brooklyn apartment, our first home together and our sanctuary from the hustle of NYC – the man I love with all my heart was down on one knee, asking me to marry him.” To make the moment even more memorable, Matt had organized it so that their friends and family were all at the bar below their building, ready to celebrate with them after she said yes.
When planning their wedding there were a few nonnegotiables for Matt and Emily. They wanted a venue close to Center City, a modern-romantic aesthetic, a fall date, and a large dance floor for all of their guests. Cescaphe’s newest venue, The Lucy, checked all of these boxes and more; however, there was a catch — it hadn’t even been built yet! Emily and Matt took a leap of faith and booked The Lucy solely on the design renderings. The Lucy promised an air of mid-century modernness; it’s moody romantic color palette offset by cool brass fixtures and marble details differentiated itself from other venues. The couple knew The Lucy would be something special. November in Philadelphia can be a stunning contradiction: Center City, where the Lucy is located, is a gray bustling metropolis, however, just a few blocks over in Old City there is liveliness in the fall foliage that surrounds you.
The couple wanted to honor both facets of the city for their big day, and so, chose the Lokal Hotel as their venue for intimate time with family in the hours leading up to their ceremony. To the bride, a successful wedding was all in the details; and details were the last thing she wanted to be thinking about on her wedding day — cue the wedding dream team! “While the food, music, and drinks are the most important aspects for our guests, for us, we’re spending most of our wedding day with our photographer and coordinator so it was so important to get the dynamics right”, stated the bride, “We had already met Haley, of Haley Richter Photography, during our engagement shoot and from the moment we met her she felt like family. When Haley referred us to Polka Dot Events for our coordinator we were quick to take her referral but couldn’t have imagined how wonderful Allie Beik would be. The two of them truly were our dream team!”. The couple photographed in several Philadelphia landmarks including the Merchants Exchange Building, Washington Square and of course, Broad Street. Carrying the warmth of autumn inside to their venue, the couple hired Belovely as their florist.
Belovely materialized the bride’s vision by bringing in softer elements like pampas grass, linen runners, muted greens and pops of jewel toned flowers throughout the venue for their early November wedding. The bride’s gown was a custom design featuring a clean modern silhouette as an ode to her New York style; paired with statement earrings from Olive + Piper and designer Jimmy Choo shoes, she radiated confidence walking down the aisle. The couple was accompanied under their chuppah by their parents as well as the Bride’s twin sister and Groom’s brother who officiated their ceremony. Putting family first has always been a shared value between Matt and Emily; they opted to only have their siblings in their bridal party and even their rescue dog Winnie made a cameo as the namesake signature drink – the Winnie Woo! Emily, Matt, and Matt’s mom were especially excited about their band (LA Starz from EBE), and they did not disappoint! The dance floor was packed the entire time, from the minute the Cescaphe flower cannon went off after the new couple was introduced to the end of the final song. LA Starz included some of Matt’s parents’ favorite songs which really got this local crowd going, including (of course) Bruce Springsteen’s Rosalita and Bon Jovi hits.
Photographer: Haley Richter Photography | Cinematography: Yours Truly Media | Coordination: Benor & Beik | Stationery: Shine Wedding Invitations | Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Engagement Ring: Rosnov Jewelers | Wedding Bands: Deco Diamonds NYC | Makeup: Makeup by Carly G | Hair: ONLO | Bridal Gown: anomolie | Bride's Earrings: Olive + Piper | Ceremony and Reception Venue: The Downtown Club | Floral: Belovely | Getting Ready Hotel: Lokal Hotel | Groom's Cufflinks: Uncommon Goods | Groom's Suit + Tie: Enzo Custom | Music: Ebe Amsterdam | Wedding Party Makeup: ONLO