a phiLOVEdelphia story: Making an Entrance

Cocktail hour ended with the sounding of a bell (or xylophone...my memory is fading) and it was time to get the party started!!

Jellyroll started with some upbeat music for introductions, bringing many guests to their feet and ready to dance. The parents were up first.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

The hosts of the evening, Turkey Mom and Dad, entered to "Crazy in Love"

Mr. Turkey's parents were introduced with "Can't Turn You Loose"

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Cocktail Hour in the Cassatt Lounge (and Garden)

While Mr. Turkey and I took a quick stroll around the square and checked out the reception space, our guests were settling in at the Rittenhouse Hotel's Cassatt Lounge and Garden for cocktail hour.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography, unless otherwise noted.

My beautiful cousins - G, L and M

Turkey Dad (middle) and some of his friends

Some of Mr. Turkey's family take advantage of the outdoor space

a phiLOVEdelphia story: The Vision Comes to Life

I absolutely love the posts where you see all the little (and big) details come together at a wedding. You've recently seen Doe, Elk and Porcupine's days brought to life...and, if you don't mind, I'll take you through the Turkey details!

Whether still in the planning stages or already a Mrs., you understand the hours of planning and coordination it takes to come up with a theme and design for your big day. Along with the photos below, I will link back to the inspiration and vision that has been shared during my time blogging for the 'Bee.

However, before we get to the photos, I must give credit where credit is due. It was approximately nine months before our wedding that we booked our florist / event designer, Evantine. They, along with the staff at the Rittenhouse Hotel, are 100% responsible for taking our ideas and bringing them to life on May 12th (you know, while we were primping). Mr. Turkey and I cannot possibly thank them enough.

With that, I'll stop teasing (although we did give you a sneak peek) and get to the good stuff. Warning - lots of photos ahead!!

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography, unless otherwise noted.

The escort card table gave guests a first look at our colors and flowers

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Moments After We Wed

So, the Turkeys had made it official and with that declaration of Mr. and Mrs. came an excitement in the air that I can’t quite describe. We stood in the wings of the church and watched our friends and family exit, heading to the celebration that we had carefully planned for 14 months. The fun was about to begin!

The original schedule called for a couple more family pictures in St. Patrick’s including grandparents. However, between all our excitement and some quickly departing relatives, we went with the flow and headed out of the church towards the Rittenhouse Hotel.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Husband and wife!

a phiLOVEdelphia story:...Gonna Get Married!

When I left you, Turkey Dad and I were about to make our trip down the aisle.

I honestly can't remember a thing going through my mind as we walked. The nerves (and tears...and cursing) of Friday night had passed.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Love how MIL Turkey is looking at Mr. Turkey and Aunt J is looking at Turkey Mom

I was all smiles (and carrying the bouquet too high)

When we reached the altar, Turkey Dad hugged me and then Mr. Turkey, whispering in his ear before returning to his seat next to Turkey Mom. 

Mr. Turkey won't tell me what he said!

Now, although our ceremony was personal and all readings were chosen with care, it was fairly traditional for the Catholic Church.

I am more than happy to share the texts of our readings, music choices and vows with you all, but for those taking the self-written route, there are many more eloquent and creative Bees that have come before me (most recently, Elk shared her ceremony; there's also the frequently referenced Cherry Pie post).

So, in lieu of words, I will share the remainder of our ceremony with you all in images.

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Going to the Chapel...

With all the photos done, it was time to get out of the heat...and into the church!

All photos* are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Our church, St. Patrick's

When guests arrived, they were greeted by cousins M & G, given a program and escorted down the aisle.

Programs courtesy of Two Paperdolls

While being seated, they were treated to a beautiful rendition of  Mozart's "Laudate Dominum" by cousin N.

Grandpa Turkey (and others) looking up at N

Being downstairs in the chapel, the bridesmaids, Turkey Dad and I were able to hear N and WOW, she was amazing.

Some guests asked us where we found the "opera singer" for our wedding

As the mothers were seated, N did a second song, Schubert's "Ave Maria".

SMIL Turkey and her two sons, R & S

I'm surprised Turkey Mom is smiling and not crying - she cries every time N sings

As "Ave Maria" came to a close, everyone took their cue to head into the main church.

Mr. Turkey shares a final moment with Best Man / Brother M

The bridesmaids cheered me (and the marriage) on

The extra "boost" from my ladies made me feel very excited and ready for the long (uneven) walk to my groom. When "Pachelbel's Canon in D" began, so did the processional.

D was the first one down the aisle

We had chosen Pachelbel's Canon because although there was not a separate song for my walk with Turkey Dad, the song lent itself well to a lovely organ "swell" for our entrance. Oh, and it was another homage to "Father of the Bride".

Beautiful women, all in a row

With my veil and dress poofed and laid flat by MOH J (and Father M - seriously, he was like a priest / DOC), all Turkey Dad and I had to do was wait...

...and, left together, right, right together, left

What were the moments like before your walk down the aisle?

*Minimal editing done by me - to blur our last names for privacy

Miss a Turkey recap? No worries...links below!

Recaps Commence with a Trailer Video

The Day Before the Day

We Rehearse!

Views at the Vesper (our rehearsal dinner)

Favorite Guest Photos

A Quiet Morning

Getting Lovely (with Law & Order)

How We Felt

The "Somethings"

The Time Has Come (for Mr. Turkey)

Gettin' Spiffy

Becoming a Bride

Bridal Portraits (and Some Tips)

A Joyful First Look

Broad Street Beauties

Turkeys Take the Art Museum (Part I)

Turkeys Take the Art Museum (Part II)

Final Photo Spot Before We Wed

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Final Photo Spot Before We Wed

After the Art Museum, we had just one final stop before heading to St. Patrick’s to get hitched. As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Turkey really wanted to attend cocktail hour. This meant getting all the photos done before officially becoming Mr. and Mrs.

You’ve seen pictures of the two of us and our bridal party, but we still had to get some pictures with ones who loved us most – and for the longest – our families!

We decided to do these photos in Rittenhouse Square because of its proximity to both the church and the Rittenhouse Hotel, where everyone was staying (and we’d party a bit later).

You can see on our welcome map just how close everything is (under 2 minute walk)
Photo (and booklet) by Two Paperdolls

Thank goodness the photographers had already scoped out a location for these photos because the park was hopping! There was an arts fair going on, meaning lots of tents…and even more people. They had found a secluded area for our first look, but this spot must have been more difficult since there were more than just two people being photographed. I bet you’ll barely realize there was any commotion as you see these images!

All remaining photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Turkeys Take the Art Museum (Part II)

You’ve seen plenty of Mr. Turkey and me the last couple posts, so now it’s time to move onto the wedding party shots. I haven’t talked a ton about our bridesmaids and groomsmen in this blog (you know, privacy and all), but it must be said that we were incredibly lucky to have the people we did at our side on this big day.

From family to childhood and college friends, Mr. Turkey and I felt beyond honored that everyone made the sacrifices and trips necessary to be part of our wedding celebrations (you have read about all the ladies’ amazing contributions to my fashionista shower and bachelorette). We tried to say thank you to both the men and women at our rehearsal, but the bottom line is that nothing will every truly express our full gratitude.

However, beyond the “mushy” stuff, these people made our day FUN. You’ll see photos of them tearing up the dance floor later, but for now you’ll have to settle with some more traditional pics. I think it will be easy to see why nerves were limited, the day went so smoothly and our resounding memory from May 12^th was pure and simple joy.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Like I said...pure and simple joy

Three Months (and Lots of Thank Yous) Down

We interrupt our recaps to share a brief perspective on the quarter year that the Turkeys have been married. To some it may be a short period of time, but considering the fact that we’ve lasted longer than the Kardashian – Humphries union, I think it’s something to celebrate.

And celebrate we did - with champagne (yes, again) and a red velvet cupcake

It’s been a crazy busy three months. Just the other day I was asking coworkers what happened to June and July…I hardly remember them!

Some highlights of the summer so far (excluding the honeymoon) - from breweries to beaches;
bridesmaid dresses to Baseball Hall of Fame and everything in between

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Turkeys Take the Art Museum (part I)

When I mentioned there was another Philadelphia landmark on our schedule for photos, several readers mentioned the Philadelphia Art Museum* and, well, they were right!

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Veil Gone Wild : Art Museum Edition

The Art Museum is another special Philadelphia location for the Turkeys - I've been a Young Friend member for numerous years and our first "fancy" event together was a gala honoring the opening of their Cézanne exhibit.

Since you've seen a lot of our mugs so far, I've posted the top 12 couple shots at the museum (to commemorate our wedding date of May 12th). Trust me, this was a serious exercise in restraint...and editing.

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Broad Street Beauties

After the first look, it was time for bridal party photos.

There are many beautiful locations around Philadelphia to take photos - from the parks (Rittenhouse Square, Washington Square, LOVE Park) to the historic sites* (Old Christ Church, Elfreth's Alley, Carpenter's Hall) to the landmarks (30th Street Station, Art Museum, Boathouse Row). Between our engagement session, rehearsal dinner and wedding day, many of these places were on our "list".

However, there was one place that was a "must do" from the very beginning of our engagement - Broad Street and City Hall. So iconic, so "Philly"...even Mr. Turkey agreed it was the perfect spot for pictures!

In fact, with our original venue, we were thrilled with the opportunity to be right on Broad Street. Mr. Turkey and I made plans with Gabe to do bridal party photos there before cocktails and then have just the two of us sneak out at the end of night with the lights of the city around us.

But as you recall, our story took a bit of a turn and we changed venues. No longer were we on Broad Street or anywhere close enough to pull off a nighttime shot. But we were able to find room in our schedule for the day to make a stop here for photos. And it was totally worth it!

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Photos like this make me so happy we had a city wedding...U-Haul and all

a phiLOVEdelphia story: A Joyful First Look

It was decided very early on that Mr. Turkey and I would do a first look.

First, we live together, so any "bad luck" worries were out the door. Second, our wedding ceremony was late (6:30pm).  And, finally, one of Mr. Turkey's only requests (throughout the entire planning process) was to attend the cocktail hour.

So, based on the Turkey-created schedule for the day, we had ample time to do photos before officially becoming Mr. and Mrs.

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

Totally unplanned, but in holding my veil, I have a pose like the Rittenhouse statue

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Bridal Portraits (and Some Tips)

So...I was dressed, but we still had time before our first look. Now, bridal portraits weren't anything I seriously considered (heck, I didn't even have a list of requested shots), but in following the instructions given to me that afternoon...well, they happened!

If you know me, you know I'm not big on solo shots. I'll usually grab someone to join me and have been known to photoshop others into my pictures. Earlier this year I even tried to convince my coworkers to do a group headshot (fail). Blame it on years of posing solo for Turkey Mom.

We were dancing to "Car Wash" - the towel was my prop

I tell you this and share the below images to help other brides who might be nervous about this part of the day. You saw that the photos I loved most from our day were not posed or forced at all...so it would seem only reasonable that portraits would be my least favorite. However, this was not the case.

Just like during our engagement session, Gabe made me feel incredibly comfortable. Despite the fact that I had no idea where to put my hands or where to look, he helped me through the process and made it less awkward. I say less because, don't get me wrong, it was still slightly uncomfortable being the only one photographed (thank goodness the girls were doing their own photo shoot).

So, I'll do my best with the photos to share with you what I was told to do and you'll see just how easy it is to have the fancy bridal portraits. Model I am not. I simply followed basic instructions (and had a fabulous photographer).

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Becoming a Bride

Our recaps have taken to us when Mr. Turkey is about to head down for the first look. However, we'll back up just a little bit, since, based on what you've seen so far...I'm not even dressed!!

After capturing all the little details, it was time for my dress' close-up. Even now, almost three months post-wedding, I am still incredibly obsessed with my wedding dress. Thank you, Edgardo!

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography*.

From stuffed to FREEEEEE

There are plenty more solo dress shots, but I'll spare you and keep the majority to myself! But warning: this post does have lots of photos ahead!!

a phiLOVEdelphia story: Gettin' Spiffy

If the girls got lovely, then I suppose it was up to the guys to get spiffy.

As you all know, the men have it a whole lot easier. Even their schedules for the day were less detailed than those for the ladies.

Men's schedule - some details edited out

I realize there's a pretty strong possibility that all these schedules were thrown out and the guys just texted each other before arriving. However, everything went off without a hitch, so whatever!

All photos are by Philip Gabriel Photography.