Philadelphia Wedding Photographer | Please Touch Museum | Megan + Brian

Megan and Brian’s wedding make my little heart sing! I was smitten with them from the moment I met them via Skype one night and then in person at their engagement session (hi, Jake!) when they came down from New York to Philly.

This wedding was all about the chicness of black and white with the whimsy/fun (and boy was it fun!) of sparkles, or, as Brian called them, sprinkles. With a wedding venue at the Please Touch Museum, you know you’re dealing with people who don’t take themselves too seriously.

Megan’s details had just the right amount of bling. I love her sparkly belt.

Oooh, sparkly envelope liners! It’s the little touches!

If you don’t have a sixpence, three 2 pences can fill in, right?

These were some smokin, giggly ladies!

And Megan! Megan was beautiful. No surprise there. I don’t think there was any doubt that she would look fantastic. It poured, POURED, the morning of the wedding. The sky had opened and let down buckets of rain as poor Megan watched from the window.

Megan wore earrings that were custom-made by her grandmother.

Allow me to introduce you to Butter, Brian’s childhood polar bear, who has been through many trials and tribulations.

While the ladies were getting ready in one room of the Sofitel, the guys were in another. Brian wore a suit made by Megan’s Italian uncle. Though Megan groomed him throughout the day, I think he looked quite dapper.

They opted to do a first look. [Photographer does happy dance.]

Mere moments before we all got on the trolley for some pictures in Rittenhouse Square, the clouds parted and gave us glorious sunshine.

We load back in the trolley and what happens? Buckets!

All the way until… we reach the Please Touch Museum. The timing couldn’t have been more miraculous.

I need to speak a little about Megan’s family. I had been talking to their marvelous wedding planner, Tonia of Aribella Events, about everyone involved in the day. Tonia told me that she had never seen an entire family so engaged and cohesive with a wedding. Megan’s parents and sister, Lally, were involved and instrumental in making the day the smash hit that it was. That’s family.

This National Historic Landmark, built in 1876 for the Centennial Exhibition celebrating the country’s 100th birthday, has to be one of the most beautiful in the city.

And when you’re here you’d be crazy not to get a little loopy in the Alice in Wonderland exhibit.

Here is Megan right before the ceremony. She turned into a ball of nervous energy moments before she was to walk down the aisle with her parents.

This ceremony was one of the absolute best I’ve ever witnessed. Everything about it was so thoughtful and meaningful. It was obvious that they had taken a lot of time really thinking about what and who were important. Instead of flower girls, they had flower grandmothers coming down the aisle tossing petals. Totally amazing!

Grandparents gave readings and spoke during the service. There was a small incident with fire but Lally took care of things.

With some relief, Megan and Brian took a few minutes to breathe together (and chow down) after the ceremony.

Meanwhile, guests snacked and enjoyed themselves in the lively Carousel Room.

The reception area was fabulous. The uplights and pinspotting (always a great idea, especially in a room like this) made the room come alive. There were DIY glitter table numbers and hints of sparkle all around.

Introductions began and the couple pulled off one of the best choreographed wedding dances I’ve ever witnessed. There were audible gasps around the room when Brian pulled some crazy move that spun Megan so that her head hung inches from the floor. The song was “Hold My Hand” by Michael Jackson ft. Akon.

The night unfolded into a giant party with some sweet parent dances and a (full) history of the building.

Like all good things, this wedding came to an end. This end involved a beautiful sparkler
exit.

Congratulations on a whirlwind year (1 year to the date of getting engaged) and pulling off a truly sparkling wedding! You all deserved every last sprinkle!

So if you just hold my hand,
Baby, I promise that I’ll do all I can
Things will go better if you just hold my hand
Nothing can come between us if you just hold, hold my, hold, hold my, hold my hand, hold my hand.
~ Michael Jackson ft. Akon, “Hold My Hand”