Romantic Timeless Red & Pink City Wedding

I just love the timeless feeling of Megan and Konrad’s classic and beautiful city nuptials. They were married on the 18th November 2017 and held their reception at Stotesbury Mansion in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The venue is steeped in history and their cathedral ceremony was rather spectacular, it made for a really grand and vintage feel to their celebrations.

They created a romantic atmosphere through lighting and flowers. There was glowing candlelight throughout the reception spaces teamed with luxe and abundant florals in an array of pinks and reds. Think roses, astilbe, greenery and berries galore. So gorgeous!

Our pair looked very elegant in their chosen outfits, I am totally loving Megan’s red lipstick choice, just beautiful. Enjoy these stunning captures by Mariya Stecklair Photography lovelies, we are just so grateful to be sharing them with you today.

The Proposal

Konrad and I normally ditch the regular Valentine’s Day routine for an intimate dinner cooked at home. On Valentine’s Day 2016, we had gone to Rouge, a bar in Rittenhouse Square, for a pre-dinner drink and then walked home to our apartment, where Konrad cooked us dinner and proposed!

The Vision

We had a lot of friends and family visiting Philadelphia – some for the first time – so we wanted our wedding to reflect the best of the city we love and call home. Stotesbury Mansion was the perfect venue and help us set our vision. It is a historical mansion located in Center City, the heart of Philadelphia. We embraced this vision and went with a vintage, romantic décor.

The Planning Process

Konrad and I had a long engagement, which helped us stretch out the planning process. We’d encourage anyone thinking of a long engagement to go for it – it gave us extra time to research and meet vendors…and we were able to book all of our first-choice vendors because we booked so far in advance!

The Venue

Ceremony: Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Philadelphia

Reception Venue: Stotesbury Mansion, Philadelphia

We wanted our wedding to feel like a big party, and Stotesbury Mansion was the perfect fit. The townhouse itself was a wedding gift, and hosted Mr. Stotesbury’s wedding in the 1900s (which President Taft attended!) The house had three levels, which allowed our guests to roam around and mingle.

Your Outfits & Accessories

I found my wedding dress at a sample sale at Bhldn, whose headquarters are located right here in Philadelphia. The cathedral veil was designed by Lee-Ann Belter.

Earrings (Bauble Bar), watch (grandmother’s), hairpieces (Luna & Stone Co., Etsy).

Beauty

Pretty on Arrival (Marissa) completed my hair and makeup, as well as my bridesmaids, mom, and mother-in-law. In other words, she was Wonder Woman. She completely understood my vision for a soft, vintage hairstyle and was not afraid when I told her I wanted to wear a bold red lip on the big day.

Groomsmen

Konrad’s tuxedo was custom-made at Enzo Custom in Philadelphia. The groomsmen wore tuxedos from the Black Tux.

Bridesmaids

The bridesmaids wore dresses from Azazie.

The Readings & Music

We held a traditional Roman Catholic Mass at the Cathedral Basilica.

Entrance: Trumpet Voluntary

First Reading: Proverbs 31:10-13, 19-20, 30-31

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 128

Second Reading: Romans 12:1-2, 9-18

Gospel: John 12:9-12

Recessional: Hornpipe (Handel)

Our reception music was provided by Jamie Grimble.

The Flowers

Our florist was RAM Floral. Stotesbury Mansion had three huge fireplaces, and Rebecca decorated all three mantels with such beautiful, seasonal florals. Rebecca was so fun to work with and her knowledge of flowers was incredible.

The Cake

Our cake was made by Bredenbecks in Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. The three layers were vanilla, chocolate chip, and pumpkin with vanilla buttercream frosting. We recycled a bridesmaid’s bouquet to decorate the table, and Rebecca, our florist, used flowers to decorate the cake.

Your Photographer

Our photographer was Mariya Stecklair. Mariya was the first vendor that we booked, first for our engagement shoot and later for our wedding. She made us feel completely at ease, and her photographs have such a soft, romantic feel.

Your Filmmaker

Our videographer was Nathaniel David Videography. Nate was so attentive to detail and catching special moments on video. He completely customized our trailer for us, requesting the music that we would like to use, and the finished product was amazing.

The Details & Décor

Konrad and I met in law school, so we had cocktail napkins made that said “You’ve been served,” which were a fun touch.

Our invitations, table cards, and seating cards were made by Minted.

The Honeymoon

Playa Mujeres, Mexico

Memorable Moments

The whole day!

Advice For Other Couples

Start the planning process early, and don’t be afraid to book outside “typical” wedding months. We ended up receiving off-season discounts from our reception venue because we got married in November.

Credit Where Credit Is Due

Megan and Konrad, thank you both ever so much for sharing your breathtakingly beautiful wedding story with us xo Lou