From the Bride:
“Rich and I met Online. In my profile, I described the qualities of a Perfect Guy being similar to those of a Perfect Dog (loyal, friendly, likes to go on long hikes but is happy to snuggle on the couch doing nothing, eats whatever you feed them). Rich sent me a message first saying how he was like a dog and possessed those qualities. We met for coffee (he was sick of paying to take girls out to a full dinner and never hearing from them again). After meeting we realized we had so much in common and we really hit it off.

I am not only a little bit of a control freak, but I am also quite crafty and love to make things myself. Rich says that he thinks I looked at the wedding as a way to show off all of the cool things I could make & do! We planned every little detail of the wedding ourselves (having a background in shooting weddings as photographers ourselves, we thought it would be easier than it was). Although planning the wedding and sorting through every little detail (including making sure we had enough silverware and arranging every flower) was quite stressful and time consuming, I would not have changed it in any way. I loved making everything on my own.”

Jewelry: The Bride’s Grandfather used to Own a Lace-Making Factory when her father was growing up. Her Grandmother was a Home Economics Teacher and a very talented seamstress – so she made the Bride’s Mom’s Dress from Lace my Grandfather had made. She wanted to be able to incorporate her mother’s dress in a very special way once she realized she didn’t want to wear it as her wedding gown. Rachel was able to cut the sleeves off of her dress and use that to have a local friend/business (AlohaMomCreations) turn her Mother’s Dress into her necklace and earrings! In addition to wearing heirloom necklace & earrings – her pearl bracelet was a present from her mother’s father (who recently passed away) to her mother, so Rachel borrowed that. The crown in a heirloom piece which was given to her Grandmother by her Great-Grand-Parents and has been worn by everyone in her family! .Additionally – the veil that Rachel wore on her wedding was her mother’s veil (made with lace from her Grandfather’s factory as well)

The Lavander farm: Since Rachel and Rich were getting married outside on a farm – she wanted Rustic, beautiful, relaxed & long-lasting flowers. Lavender fits that bill, in addition to it being a natural bug repellant! Her Flower Girl and their mothers went on a day-trip to Carousel Farms in Bucks County to purchase lavender fresh from the fields. It was absolutely beautiful and with the help of all of her Bridesmaids, they were able to make their bouquets (each girl make their own) and use lavender throughout the whole event – it looked and smelled perfect, exactly how Rachel imagined!

About the crown: When Rachel father’s Parents got married, her Great-Grandparents rented a heirloom crown from a second-hand store in Sweden for her Grandmother to use. Her grandmother thought it was a gift (not realizing it was a rental) and thanked them very much – they did not have the heart to tell her it was just a rental, so used their savings to pay for this gift (which her grandmother only found out about years later). After her Grandmother wore it in her wedding, she held onto it. Rachel’s mom and both of her aunts have worn the crown. From the time Rachel was little, she always knew she would wear it on her wedding day as well – so when she picked a dress (and a hairstyle) she picked something that would go with the crown.

Says Rachel:
“DIY Projects:
Centerpieces – We collected & stripped almost 50 wine bottles to use as our Centerpieces. The flowers were purchased through a florist and the bridesmaids and I arranged them all the day before the wedding. For the Table Numbers. I purchased the wooden hearts/numbers and then we drilled holes to attach the strings.
Program Fans – Designed with all the details of our day, those closest to us, and some history (designed by us)
CornHole Set – My dad built the cornhole sets and then it was a big group effort between Rich & I and my parents to paint and finish the boards, painting our monograms took many evenings which was all worth it for the game boards we now have for life!
Flowers – all done by us!
Rosemary Olive Oil favors/place cards – made/bottled by us
Ring Bearer Box & Flower Girl Basket – decorated/designed by us
Hangers for Girl’s Dresses – made by Rachel
Stamped Napkins with our Monogram & Tied Napkins
Cake Stand (Rich made from trees cut down from our house) & the Cake was made & decorated by a friend/co-worker of mine. We LOVE cake & the cake was the first decision we made – we knew we wanted a Chocolate Cake with a Cookie Dough filling & the Brown Sugar Buttercream just came as a natural fit with those flavors!
…. too many other things to think of – I had my hand in every single detail of the wedding and it came out exactly as I pictured it. There was not a detail of our wedding that I would have changed & we are thrilled to be able to look at how each detail was captured!

Suggestions that I would have for other brides are don’t skimp when it comes to photography – the pictures are the one way you are really going to be able to remember all of the other details! Also, remember that this is your and your future husband’s day – the two of you need to make decisions together and focus on what you (not those around you) really want. Have fun – you are only going to do this once (hopefully) so do it right! Sign up for Pinterest and sort through ideas, throwing out things and making them your own.”

The details:
Cake: friend of the family
Invitations: by the Maid of Honor
Venue: Quiet Valley Living Historical Farm
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Bill Levkoff, style #155 in Victorian Lilac
Bride’s Shoes: Seychelles
Bride’s Gown: Mori Lee, style #4164
Flowers: wild-picked lavender from Carousel Farms
Bride’s Bouquet: Millers Flowers by Kate
DJ: Diamond Event Entertainment
Caterer: Gala Gourmet Catering

See the Photographer’s Picks Slideshow HERE

mkPhotography is THRILLED to announce our participation in this year’s event: THE BELLEVUE GETS ENGAGED!

This is a truly all-inclusive wedding event experience for the most fashionable bride and groom-to-be! It’s returning to Hyatt at The Bellevue on Sunday, September 29th from Noon-4pm! Attendees will enjoy creative cocktails, bubbly champagne, decedent cakes, and delicious hors d’ouevres, while mingling with the area’s leading wedding innovators.

The event will showcase a high-energy fashion show featuring the 2013-2014 Nicole Miller Bridal, Bridesmaid, Mother-of-the-Bride and Groom Collection, Allure Films by Video One Productions, Bliss Restaurant, Bredenbeck’s Bakery, Casa Papel, Classic Cake Co., Jewish Exponent, The Knot, Philadelphia Wedding Magazine, Polo Ralph Lauren, Starbucks, Sweet Elizabeth’s Cakes, Tavern on Broad, Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland, TIFFANY & CO., Williams-Sonoma, AND MORE! Guests will receive a fabulous goody bag!

Exciting highlight video from last year’s show: http://vimeo.com/40174267

Tickets are limited. Click HERE to reserve yours today!

This gorgeous wedding and couple was featured on Style Me Pretty! See the full story and gallery HERE

You can also see the Photographer’s picks HERE

We love working together with great vendors to make these days come together in such a beautiful way!

Coordinator: Details by Kelly
Reception Venue: The Franklin Institute
Catering and Cake: Frog Commissary
Videographer: Tangerine Media Group
Flowers: Uncommon Events
Music: Star Talent, Inc.
Hair and Makeup: Glamourella NYC, LLC
Bride’s Dress: Martina Liana
Bridesmaid’s dresses: Monique Lhuillier

From the Bride:

How We Met:
Kenny and I met a little over 5 years ago at our college’s Alumni Homecoming. Although we went to the same college, we never crossed paths until that night. I was out that night with a girlfriend and Kenny was with some of his friends. Shortly after arriving I spotted Kenny across the way. I quickly told my girlfriend that I was going to go up and talk to him. Being a very shy person my friend doubted me and was shocked when I actually did! So, that’s how it all began…me taking a risk to go up and talk to a very attractive man from across the room. It still surprises me today that I had the courage to approach him first but as I look back and remember that night, there was absolutely no hesitation. I just knew I had to meet him.

The Proposal:
Kenny and I were dating over 3 years and spoke occasionally of marriage. The night before my birthday I brought up the “future” topic, but he quickly dismissed me. Well, this made me want to discuss it more. Finally at the end of it all, Kenny told me that I just needed to stop. So I did unwillingly. Little did I know he had a ring and was planning on proposing to me on my birthday. To throw me off any suspicion he waited a week or so.
The night of the proposal I came home late and was ready to go to bed right away. Kenny, the night owl, decided to follow me up to go to bed also. Strange but ok, didn’t think anything of it. As I open up our bedroom door, I noticed the lights out, candles lite, and roses petals laid out on the floor spelling “Marry Me”. He then hands me a ring; his great aunt’s ring. I am looking at him waiting for him to ask, but he is telling me the story of the ring and asking if I liked it. This was his way of distracting me. He then pulled out the real engagement ring and got on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes.

Wedding Planning:
We both wanted a fall wedding but we got engaged in May and did not want to feel rushed or have the stress of planning a wedding so quickly. So we decided to wait until the following fall. Best decision ever! We had 1½ year to plan. I knew, however, that I needed to book certain things quickly since fall is now a very popular time to get married. So we went out searching for our location shortly after getting engaged. As we went from place to place nothing seemed to fit right. We knew we wanted the ceremony outside and also wanted the ceremony and reception at the same location but nothing caught our eye. A friend of mine recommended going to Loch Nairn. We instantly fell in love with its atmosphere and charm. Their event coordinator, Rebecca Brooks who unfortunately no longer works there, also fit our easygoing personalities. We couldn’t have asked for a better location.
Although Kenny was a big help…I did most of the planning. I was very lucky to have such wonderful friends and family members that gave me a ton of advise and help during the planning stages. I used a lot of Loch Nairn’s recommended list of vendors and did a good amount of research before committing to something. Let’s face it I had the time, so I was able to do so. I used bridal magazines, blogs, and surprisingly enough Facebook. All I would have to do is put up a status asking for advice. I was surprised on how many people would respond. My table cards come from a Facebook idea. I am a kindergarten teacher and I knew I wanted something unique while incorporating my students. I got a ton of ideas from others through Facebook. I then combined the ideas into what worked for me. I ended up having my students write out the guests’ names in fall colored crayons and they turned out adorable! And best of all I killed two birds with one stone; a writing lesson for my students while not having to write out them myself!
I can honestly say our wedding was us. Simple but elegant. Laidback but polished. It couldn’t have been a more perfect example of Kenny and I and our love for each other.

Thank you to all the vendors who made this day possible!

Reception: Loch Nairn
Caterer: Loch Nairn
Cake: Liberty Lane Bake Shoppe
Flowers: Blue Moon Florist
Music: Rich Buchanan- DJ
Hair and Makeup: Bella Hair and Spa contact Kelly Miller at weddingbybella@gmail.com
Wedding Dress: Tara Keely
Shoes: Lulu Townsend
Bridesmaids dresses: Dessy

From the Bride:
“Cinderella Complex, that’s what I had diagnosed myself with years ago. Who doesn’t want the handsome prince, on the white horse, with the happily ever after ending? Was that too much to ask? Apparently….it was. Handfuls of failed relationships later I was left without the handsome prince or his horse but I did, however bring my beautiful daughter, Skylar Rose, into this world. At that point, I did start to give up on the fairy tale, cursing Disney movies and love novels for giving me a skewed sense of love, for there were no princesses I could remember that had been a single mom. So I stopped looking, hid the Disney books and movies from my daughter, and moved forward.

For the next year I searched high and low for my castle and stumbled upon it in Philadelphia. In the middle of all the crazy drivers, beeping horns, and some not so nice people I looked up at the Masonic Temple of Philadelphia and everything else just faded away. I knew this was it. So, on August 11, 2012 I married my prince, in a castle, with my daughter right beside us. And (wait….here comes my favorite part)…..we all Lived Happily Ever After….The End!”

To see the Photographer’s Picks look HERE

This wedding was also featured on Style Me Pretty! You can see the feature HERE

Details:
Dress: Lazaro, purchased at La Bella Moda in Conshohocken
Jewelry: Touche in King of Prussia and La Bella Moda
Flowers: Beautiful Blooms
Hair and Makeup: Salon Thalia in Philadelphia
Nails: Cinderella nails in Worcester
Ceremony: Corinthian Hall at the Masonic Temple of Philadelphia
Reception: The Atrium at the Curtis Center by Cescaphe Event Group
Portraits: Masonic Temple of Philadelphia, City Hall in Philadelphia, Love Park in Philadelphia and areas surrounding
Videography: Branded Productions
Band/DJ: Mittman Entertainment

Jana was born in Staten Island, NY to a loving and supportive family. She grew up playing sports and going to the beach with friends she “would die for”. She is described as being outgoing, friendly and patient and lives by the motto “Turns out not where you are, but who you’re with is what really matters.” Shaun grew up in Delaware and is described as athletic, funny and generous. They met before a Phillies game when a mutual friend introduced them. They instantly bonded over their mutual love of baseball, playing softball and going to the beach. These two were meant to be together by any standard!

Jana and Shaun wanted an elegant, beautiful and modern wedding with a dance club atmosphere and this photographer can attest to their success! The ground shook with the party they threw and the enthusiasm of their guests when it came time to dance! It was difficult not to start dancing right along with everyone; I certainly could not stop myself completely and frequently found myself keeping time with the music. Not only did we love this couple, but we loved their families! It was an honor to document their day and we cannot to wait to see what their future brings (hopefully a dog as we know Jana wants!)

To see all the Photographer Picks click HERE

Thank you to all the vendors who made this day possible!

Reception: The Merion
Caterer: The Merion
Cake: The Merion
Video: Hi Focused Videography
Flowers: London Creative
Music: All Axcess Entertainment
Wedding Dress: Alfred Angelo

To see all the Photographer’s Picks click HERE

Thank you to all the vendors who made this day possible!

Coordinator: Ashley Robinson from Mendenhall Inn
Reception and Ceremony Mendenhall Inn
Caterer Mendenhall Inn
Cake Mendenhall Inn
Video Video Gems
Flowers Bloomsbury Flowers
Music DJ Mario Rocco
Hair and Makeup: Ooo La La Makeup Studio (302) 622-9425

We love working at the Franklin Institute! Between the lighting and the high ceilings, there’s always a touch of drama that when added to the romance creates an unforgettable atmosphere. The elegance of the location and the high fashion of everyone present makes us feel like we’re in a movie, watching all the beautiful people dance and enjoy the union of a wonderful couple. With easy and natural smiles this couple was a joy to photograph. We are so grateful to be able to document the love between two people!

To see all the photographer’s picks, click HERE

Thank you to all the vendors who made this day possible! We could not have gotten a lot of the gorgeous images we did without your help!

Ceremony St. Mary Magdalen
Reception: Franklin Institute
Caterer Frog Commissary
Cake Frog Commissary
Flowers Valleygreen Flowers
Music Synergetic Sounds
Hair and Makeup Christine, contact at cmcb26@yahoo.com

Raj and Steph met in college at the University of Delaware through shared friends. They didn’t know how one another felt until later, but each thought there was something special about the other and couldn’t quite put a finger on it. It wasn’t until after Steph graduated that Raj made his move! After meeting up several times at different reunions with friends, the two finally went out on their own.

Steph and Raj have been dating since May 14, 2005. After traveling back and forth between Livingston and Greenville for a year, Raj was accepted to Georgetown’s MBA program, and Steph decided to go, too. The two lived in Arlington, Virginia, for three-and-a-half years. It was there they adopted their crazy black lab mutt, Mollie.

Raj popped the question in December 2011, right after the move. It was two days before Christmas and they were wrapping gifts for their many nieces, nephews, and cousins. They were almost done, but there was still one box left under the tree. Steph just wanted to be done wrapping and didn’t think anything of it. But suddenly Raj was down on one knee.

See HERE for the Photographer’s Picks from the wedding.

As usual, a big thank you to all the vendors who made this day possible!

Coordinator: Pastore Events
Reception: Grounds for Sculpture
Caterer: Chez Alice
Flowers: Dahlia
Music: Philly Event Group
Hair and Makeup: Beautiful Brides Philly
Dress by Dere Kaing
Shoes – RSVP
Bridesmaids Dresses – Liz Fields
Jewelry – Elsa Peretti Diamond by the Yard necklace by Tiffany’s
Rings and Diamond Stud Earrings by Blue Nile
Bangles borrowed from Raj’s mom.
Invitations – Wedding Paper Divas

From the Bride:

My husband Matt and I met on New Year’s Eve 2008 in Wilmington, Delaware. We both had no other plans that evening for New Years, so Matt decided to join his brother, and I decided to join my sister, which was coincidentally at the same private party. Little did I know that by the end of the night, my brother-in-law was going to introduce me to my future husband. We instantly hit it off, and a few days later he called and asked me out on our first date! Everything with us quickly fell into place, and it was as if we had known each other for many years.
Almost exactly three years later, we had another memorable evening on a cold January night. Matt and I decided to go to Longwood Gardens one Saturday to see the winter light show. It was a bitter cold night (probably the coldest night so far that year) and it had snowed a few days before. Everyone who knows me understands that I am not a fan of cold weather or winter in general. I would much rather be at the beach in the summer heat than in the cold or snow. We walked around and checked out the outdoor lights, but since it was so chilly we had to limit the amount of time we spent walking around outside. Of course I wanted to leave due to the extreme cold, but Matt insisted we explore the main fountain garden. Finally I agreed, and we trekked through the snow to the center of the garden. After a few minutes, Matt told me how much he loved me…then got down on one knee in the snow and asked me to marry him. I was completely shocked, but of course I wholeheartedly said yes! Later that evening, Matt revealed to me that he intentionally waited to propose to me during the height of winter so that he could give me a reason to love the winter weather again. He was absolutely right, and now I always think back to that amazing moment whenever I start to feel down about the cold winter months. We were lucky enough to have our wedding photographers (MK Photo) capture some amazing photos of us at the exact location of our engagement during Longwood Garden’s light exhibit the following winter.
When planning our wedding we knew that we wanted to have a romantic outdoor ceremony and reception. Matt and I both share a love for nature, so we knew that we wanted to find a location that represented that shared passion. We absolutely fell in love with our venue, Greenville Country Club. We instantly felt the historical house and beautiful estate was the perfect setting to begin our life together. Luckily, the rain held off until after our ceremony, and we were able to enjoy the beautiful backdrop of the garden space. Even though we were getting married on the official first day of fall, I decided against using traditional fall colors for our wedding. Instead, we incorporated monochromatic shades of purple and aubergine to our venue with various arrangements of hydrangeas, roses and orchids. I wanted the space to feel romantic, whimsical and vibrant. To add to the romantic and cozy feel we also used plenty of floating candles and votive clusters throughout the tented reception. For extra splashes of color, my florist used colored vases and glass hurricanes that I had collected over the past year on some of the tables, and the perimeter of the ledge framing our reception space. In the end, our wedding turned out to be everything that we had dreamed. From our outdoor garden ceremony to our reception of dancing under lit Japanese lanterns, everything was perfect to us. We could not have asked for anything more for our new beginning as husband and wife.

If you’d like to see the photographer’s picks, look HERE

A big thank you to all the wonderful vendors that made this day possible!

Reception Venue: Greenville Country Club
Video: www.aovproductions.com/ AOV Productions
Flowers: Quill’s Bunches
Music: Tom Barrett Disc Jockeys, LLC
hair and Makeup: Gloss Salon