Philadelphia Wedding Photographer | Hyatt at the Bellevue | Colleen + Karl

You already know Colleen and Karl from their winning Best of 2012 wedding picture and their Bryn Mawr engagement session with adorable puppy, Samson. I think it’s about time you saw more of their marvelous wedding at the Bellevue at the very end of December. This wedding was beyond incredible. The entire thing, starting with Colleen’s 1920’s vintage do, seemed to be made for black and white and sepia.

It was snowing hard that morning but the flurries had completely disappeared by the time I arrived on the scene for the getting ready pictures. The ladies were prepping in the suite and Colleen, 24 weeks pregnant at the time, was blissful and beautiful.

There was much celebrating!

I am eternally grateful to Christina Carnevale, the extraordinary paper maven of Paper Rock Scissors who connected me with Colleen and Karl and created the elegant paper products seen throughout the day.

I was in love with Colleen’s soft curls.

Her mother surprised her with a “something blue”: Colleen & Karl’s names and wedding date stitched into the underside of her wedding down in baby blue thread.

Colleen and Karl opted for an emotional first look on the beautiful Bellevue stairs.

We headed outside for pictures of the two of them. The snow had melted, leaving the ground wet and glistening and the sky was an incredible cloudy magenta color that made the scene all the more magical.

We warmed up inside on the 19th floor at XIX Restaurant for some more.

We shot some formals in the beautiful States Room – a place with gilded framed pictures on the walls, a beautiful mirror and fireplace, and fantastic ally huge windows. This seems like such a classic “kids” shot, right? I think it’s pretty freaking perfect.

The detailing on the back of Colleen’s custom Matthew Christopher wedding dress was to die for! It was the third dress she had tried on and her mom knew right away that it was THE ONE.

Pictures of Colleen and Karl as children hung from her bouquet in lockets that had belonged to her grandmother.

The ballroom of the Hyatt at the Bellevue is a true sight to behold. The massive ceilings with intricate detailing, wraparound balcony, exquisite chandeliers, and luxe golden draping create a scene out of a fairytale.

Their wide aisle was lined with simple tall glass lanterns and rose petals.

Karl couldn’t hold back tears as his stunning bride and momma-to-be came down the aisle towards him. I actually don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.

Karl surprised Colleen and all of us with a mid-ceremony serenade with some friends to their song, “A Million Years” by Alexander.

Cocktail hour was along the mezzanine as the ballroom was flipped for dinner and dancing.

Colleen and Karl entered for their first dance as husband and wife to “Ho Hey” by the Lumineers to really get the party started.

The speeches were heartfelt, funny, and emotional.

The reception was a rocking good time. EBE’s London Bridge had the crowd going bonkers all night long. It turns out Karl is a pretty complex guy – gaga over Colleen, a singer, and one hell of a dancer. Then again, everyone was that night.

This wedding was such a rush. It was filled with so many surprising, touching, and happy moments. I could blog about this day for a week and still not cover all of the millions of special moments I saw that day. Colleen and Karl, thank you for having me be a part of it all. I can’t wait to meet the little one!

I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweetheart
I belong with you, you belong with me, you’re my sweetheart
~ The Lumineers, “Ho Hey”