An Empowered Same-Sex Fishtown Wedding at Front & Palmer in Philadelphia: Elizabeth + Sara
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Photos by Peach Plum Pear Photo. Words by Elizabeth.
Number of Wedding Guests:
120
Wedding Date:
January 19, 2019
Tell Us About Yourselves
Sara and I met while we were both working at Deb Shops. I was an Assistant Buyer and Sara was a Fit Model, so essentially, I picked out clothes and tried them on using Sara’s body to tailor the fit. We became friends and our relationship evolved from there!
When it came time for our engagement, we ended up proposing to each other at the same time while we were in Disney World with my family. Before dinner one night in Epcot, my sister was taking a picture of us and I got down on one knee and proposed. Sara loves Disney so I knew it would be extra special for her. Little did I know, Sara was also planning on proposing that night, and did so right after I did while we were taking celebratory pictures. While I am not the Disney fan like Sara is, it was special for me because my whole family was on the trip with us.
Flash forward to now — we live in Haddon Township, New Jersey in the house I grew up in (we bought it from my parents) with Sara finishing up school in May to become a teacher while I work as a planner at Urban Outfitters.
How Did You Pick Your Wedding Venue?
I did a lot of research and kept coming back to Front & Palmer. It was the only venue we visited, and we knew that was where we wanted to get married right away. We wanted to be close to home since almost all of our family is in the Philly area and we loved the look of the venue. The venue coordinator we met with, Lini, also was so easy to talk to and we could tell that she was going to make the whole process as seamless as possible (and she did!).
The venue was also only a mile away from where Sara lived her whole life which made it more meaningful. While researching, we found that Front & Palmer has hosted plenty of LGBTQ-friendly weddings, which was also something that was important to us in our decision making.
What Did You Wear and Were Any Pieces Especially Significant?
Sara and I both wore dresses that we got at BHLDN. I wanted something that would be easy to dance in and she wanted lace. I wore a bracelet that my Babci (grandmother) wore on her wedding day.
What Special Elements Did You Include in Your Wedding Day?
We had my two brother-in-laws (both my sisters’ husbands) officiate our wedding which made it so memorable and personal to us as a couple. They did such a great job and it meant so much to us because they really put a lot of thought, effort, and practice into it. We also wrote our own vows which I was grateful we did (even though we both don’t like that kind of attention on us). We also had our nieces and nephews in the wedding which was important to us.
What Did You Splurge On?
The Hotel Monaco was a splurge for us, mainly because both Sara and I needed our own suites since we were both getting hair and makeup done separately, and suites required a two-night minimum.
What Did You Save On?
I work at Urban Outfitters so Sara and I were able to use our discounts to buy our dresses from BHLDN. Neither of us really had a “dream dress” in mind and we love BHLDN’s style, so it was easy for us to find dresses there that we loved. We both also saved on shoes! I got mine from Target and Sara borrowed hers from a friend.
What Worked Out Really Well and Was Totally Worth the Time or Money Invested?
Honestly, all our vendors were so amazing and a big reason why our day was so special. All the time spent researching and the money we spent on them was totally worth it. One idea we thought of that wasn’t in our initial plan was hiring a string quartet to play music at our ceremony. After extensive research, we landed on Philadelphia String Quartet and I corresponded with Mugu, who was a gem and so great at breaking everything down for me. We decided to also book them for our cocktail hour where PSQ transitioned to playing electric strings which was a huge hit with the guests (especially when they played the Game of Thrones theme song).
What, in Retrospect, Could You Have Skipped?
There is nothing we would have skipped, but Sara really wishes we had a videographer. We had a mirror photobooth and people put a copy of their pictures in our guestbook, which I love, but having a videographer would have been nice in hindsight.
What Is Your Best Wedding Planning Advice to Other Couples?
Prioritize the most important aspects of a wedding for you guys. For us, it was food, music, and photography, so we made sure we didn’t skimp on any of those. One of the first pieces of wedding advice we received after we got engaged was to put the money aside for a good photographer. We know a couple who said that their pictures were so bad that the photographer came to their house weeks after the wedding to retake some. So, for us, we did a lot of research and knew from our first interaction with Inna that we wanted Peach Plum Pear as our photographer. Some things that weren’t as important to us in terms of splurging were save the dates/invitations, table numbers, and miscellaneous décor, so we made sure to stick to or come in under our budget in these categories to offset other areas.
Why Are You Excited To Be Featured on Catalyst?
I loved wedding planning and still love looking at wedding related sites so being featured on one, especially one that is feminist and also LGBTQ-friendly is so special! LGBTQ-friendliness definitely played a role in our vendor selection. Although it seems crazy that in 2019 we still had to think about these things, hiring vendors that were comfortable working with same sex couples was a must as we didn’t want to deal with the possibility of any negativity during the planning process or on our big day. To be featured on Catalyst, a company that embraces love of all kinds, would be an honor.
Vendors
Venue | Front & Palmer
Catering | Feast Your Eyes Catering
Photographer | Peach Plum Pear Photography
Florist | Fabufloras Design
Ceremony/Cocktail Hour Music | Philadelphia String Quartet
Reception Music | Synergetic Sound & Lighting
Hair | Happily Ever After Hair
Makeup | I Do Hair & Makeup
Dresses | BHLDN
Rings | Golden Nugget Jewelers
Lighting | Synergetic Sound & Lighting
Photobooth | Evans Entertainment
Transportation | First Charter
PEACH PLUM PEAR PHOTO
Peach Plum Pear Photo is a modern non-traditional wedding and portrait photo studio with a documentary, laid-back style. Our approach is a mix of organic visual storytelling and stylish editorial portraits that show real connection and love. We’re based in Fishtown, Philadelphia. Inna started Peach Plum Pear photo in 2012 to capture real couples’ love stories. Since then, she photographed 400+ couples and witnessed all kinds of celebrations, large and small. Over the years, Inna built an awesome team of like-minded documentary photographers. We love what we do and are 100% committed to use our experience and creativity to document our couples' epic celebrations!
