Tracey and Steve @Atrium at the Curtis Center ~ mkPhotography, Philadelphia Wedding Photographer
Tracey and Steve were our first September wedding for 2013 and it was a quintessential Philadelphia affair of stylish details, beautiful gowns, and that classic City elegance!
From the bride:
“Steven and I essentially grew up together. We are high school sweethearts and have been together for over ten years. I was immediately attracted to Steven when I first met him because he was very confident, handsome, and I admired his ambitious spirit. I could tell even from a young age that Steven was going to make something of himself. It is amazing to think that we have been present for every milestone in each other’s lives. We have been to two proms together, we have seen each other graduate from high school and college, and I was by Steven’s side when he graduated from law school and began his career, just to name a few.
I always dreamed of a private and romantic proposal. On April 11, 2012, Steven asked me out of nowhere if I wanted to take a day trip to Cape May, New Jersey the following day. Being that Steve told me we were just taking a day trip, I packed us a picnic lunch and left our house with nothing else.
When we arrived in Cape May, Steven seemed to have the whole day planned. We played on the beach, enjoyed a lovely wine tasting at a beautiful local winery, dined around a fire pit overlooking the vineyard, and rode bikes around the Victorian town. As sunset neared, we drove to the Cape May Lighthouse and watched the dolphins swimming along the cape. Steven then took me to nearby Sunset Beach, a secluded beach on the western side of the cape where you can watch the sun set over the water. He laid a blanket down in the sand, and we watched the sunset together. Just as the sun was setting, Steven got down on one knee and asked me to marry him.
The first words that came out of my mouth were: ‘Is this real?’ Then, I of course said YES! I was crying and laughing, and I could not believe what had just happened! The surprises did not end there. After all of the phone calls, Steven informed me that we had dinner reservations at the nicest restaurant in town, and that he had booked us an oceanfront room in a beautiful Cape May bed and breakfast. Steven also secretly packed me a bag with everything I needed for that evening and the next day.
The proposal was unlike anything I could have imagined. Steve spent weeks sneaking around picking out the perfect ring and planning a day that I will never forget.
We always wanted a beautiful summer wedding, and we decided on Labor Day weekend 2013. We have been to a few weddings on Labor Day weekend in previous years and really liked how a great wedding could make for the perfect conclusion to a wonderful summer. It gave us something to look forward to, and we wanted our guests to feel the same way.
The first item that we checked off of our list was the venue. The Atrium at the Curtis Center was the first venue that we toured, and as soon as we stepped into the Atrium we knew it was the perfect setting for us. The historic building has so much character with the Tiffany Mosaic and the twelve story high ceilings. We were also blown away by the Cescaphe Event Group and everything that they offered to help create the perfect, fairy tale wedding.
Our vision for our wedding included large floral centerpieces with hydrangeas, lilies, and calla lilies. We pictured a big band that would keep our guests on the dance floor all night. We also wanted our wedding color, sapphire blue, to be infused in different aspects of our wedding: the signature cocktail had muddled blueberries, the bridesmaids wore sapphire blue dresses, and the flowers had a very light touch of blue throughout. Everything that we planned turned out to be absolutely perfect, and we could not have asked for a more beautiful wedding.
As I look back at all of the amazing memories from our extraordinary day, I think that the reveal was the most special moment. I had been waiting for nine months to show Steven my dress. Normally, I never keep anything from Steven, but I knew that this was one secret I could not spoil no matter how badly I wanted to tell him. I had butterflies the entire time I was walking up to greet Steven, but all of the anxiety and nervous feelings disappeared as soon as he turned around. The look on his face when he turned around and saw me immediately put my feelings at ease. I knew that I could not wait to marry him and begin our new life together.z’
The Details:
Venue: Atrium at the Curtis Center
Caterer: Cescaphe Event Group
Music: CTO – Park Central
Hair & Makeup: Renee Fox Salon
Flowers: Kyrstyna Szymansky
Videographer: TLJ Studios
Wedding Dress and Accessories: Private designers from Yes to the Dress Bridal Boutique
Tuxedo: Hugo Boss
See the Photographer’s Picks slideshow HERE
Check out Tracey & Steve’s beautiful vineyard engagement photos HERE
