Media Wedding Photographer | Wallingford Community Arts Center | Rachel + Jon

Rachel and Jon had a beautiful daytime wedding at the Wallingford Community Arts Center in Media, PA. This place is such a hidden gem. It’s an old estate that has been converted to a community arts center and is filled to the brim with character. The venue and grounds are fantastic. Rachel and Jon live in Chicago and actually booked the place sight unseen. If you’ve been poking around on this blog for a few months, you’ll easily remember their engagement pictures.

The previous days were rainy and wet but they lucked out on the wedding day with abundant sunshine. Unfortunately, the grounds were too muddy to have the ceremony outdoors as originally planned but it all came together beautifully inside the art gallery.

Rachel was cool and collected before the ceremony. She has such undeniable beauty and grace. I loved her hair and the fresh gardenia blossom that smelled heavenly every time you walked passed Rachel.
 


Her something old was a stunning 100+ year old necklace that belonged to her great grandmother. It was still kept in the old tin it had been carried in for the past several decades.
 
Rachel and Jon opted for a first look before the ceremony so they could spend more time with their guests later (a great move!). I’m so glad we had time to wander around the grounds and have time with just the two of them.
 

How fantastic is this stone tower towards the back of the property?!
 
Not to be deterred by the mud, Rachel simply kicked off her shoes. Gotta love a barefoot bride!






I loved her bouquet of whites, greens, and splashes of purple.
 
Right before the ketubah signing we had a quiet moment on the second floor. Love this!
 

Rachel needed a small primer on her Hebrew before signing.
 

The gallery looked fantastic. The huppah was set up in the middle of the room and was surrounded by the tables for guests. It made it feel very intimate and inclusive.
 


I really liked that Rachel and Jon walked into their ceremony together, hand in hand. Rabbi David Ackerman was great. The Jewish service included thoughtful readings and words of wisdom.
 




Another very sweet touch was that Rachel and Jon requested some time alone immediately following the ceremony. They left for the upstairs ballroom to breathe it all in. They didn’t mind me taking a few shots on the staircase before the reception began.
 

We were regaled with stories of how the two met, how perfectly they fit with one another, what they were like as children, and the love that they both bring to everyone around them.
 


And I must give a shout out to Jeffrey Miller Catering for providing some truly delicious food and beverages (including a drink station with rosemary scented cucumber water and hibiscus iced tea).
 

They danced their first dance to the very appropriate “Come Rain or Come Shine” by Ray Charles and then had their guests come join them.
 

And it’s pretty impossible not to love a hora! (By the way, any venue with a balcony automatically gets 10 brownie points in my book!)
 
It was a spectacular day despite the impending storm. Rachel and Jon, thank you so much for including me in your incredible celebration!
 

I’m gonna love you, like nobody’s loved you
Come rain or come shine
High as a mountain, deep as a river
Come rain or come shine
~ Ray Charles, “Come Rain or Come Shine”