Lucy and Michael met while in the peace corps and have made long distance and a crazy lifestyle work ever since. This wedding day was one of the most amazing weddings I’ve ever been a part of. The style reminded me of an elegant French bistro. The florals and the decor were so perfectly matched. Lucy’s wedding gown gave me elegant French boho vibes. The day was full of love and laughter and it is PERFECTLY displayed in these photos!
How did you meet?
Lucy and Michael met in 2014 in Philadelphia, PA while preparing to leave for Sierra Leone with the Peace Corps. Lucy recalls telling a “hilarious” joke that Michael really enjoyed. Michael mostly remembers her smile, but he’s sure the joke was probably funny. They became instant friends and companions while in Sierra Leone, navigating a new country, culture, and language together. Upon returning from Sierra Leone a few months later, they made their relationship official and thus began years of adventure and laughter together.
What is your proposal story?
On November 27th, 2020, while Michael was visiting Lucy in Philadelphia where she was working, Michael asked Lucy to commit to each other for the rest of their lives. He proposed in Rittenhouse Square on a cold, quiet, winter night using his grandmother’s engagement ring. It was a full circle moment in the city where it all began.
Tell us a little a bit about your wedding
Our wedding/design focused on delicate/natural lighting, soft hues, and loose flowers/greenery. All linen and floral arrangements matched the color scheme of pastels with darker accents, like merlot, for depth. What attracted us to Rose Hill Manor was the extensive greenery in the courtyard, the tall windows bringing natural light into the ballroom, and the elegant chandeliers scattered throughout the building.
Tell us about your attire choices.
In line with the theme of the wedding, Lucy wanted to wear a dress that gave off a romantic feel while also making her feel modern and sexy. Ultimately, she chose a dress consisting of modern lace, feathers around the skirt of the dress, and a low back. She wore white chunky heeled shoes handmade in Greece with feathers along the toe strap to match the dress.
Michael wanted his look to be a bit more colorful than a typical black tuxedo. He chose a royal blue tuxedo jacket to stand out from his groomsmen, who wore all black tuxes. The blue was a great color to go along with with Lucy’s fresh summer bouquet. He paired the jacket with a modern tailored pant that sat just above the ankle and black sued loafers.
What was the most important to the two of you while planning? Was there anything that you chose to splurge on or skip?
The most important thing for us was that the wedding showcased our love for each other and our love for friends and family who attended. We wanted everyone to feel welcomed and have a great time. It was important to us that we found vendors that we connected with. We chose to splurge on flowers while saving money by DIY’ing the invitations.
What were your favorite parts of the day?
The entire day was wonderful, from start to finish. One of our favorite moments was each other’s personal vows during the ceremony. We both added a little bit of our own personality to the vows and shared with everyone in attendance why we loved the other person so much. Michael mentioned that he wrote his in a Jiffy Lube while getting his oil changed.
It was really important for us that there was lots of dancing during the reception. Once dinner and speeches were over, we spent the entire rest of the evening on the dance floor with all of our guests. It culminated in a very special moment where all of our friends formed a tight circle around us and sang “Wagon Wheel” while we danced in the middle. It was a totally spontaneous moment that we will always remember.
At the end of the night after all of the guests had left the venue, we were able to have a “last dance” song with just us and the DJ. It was a wonderfully intimate moment for us to reflect on an incredible day filled with love and joy. We danced and sang to “Eyes on You” by Chase Rice and enjoyed being alone with one another for the first time that day.
Tell us about your wedding flowers.
The floral arrangements for our wedding consisted of seasonal flowers like zinnias, gardenias, gerber daisies, delphiniums, roses, and stocks. The flowers were loosely arranged and the flower colors consisted of pastels with darker accents. The pergola within the ceremony space and the second floor banister overlooking the reception space were covered in loose greenery, given off the feeling of an English cottage garden.
Please describe any DIY, handmade, or personal details.
Lucy curated the entire wedding invitation: wording, font, color, invitation jacket, envelope, wax seal of initials, and incorporated a leaf due to Michael’s love of trees. She sourced all of the materials from various company’s and vendors to create a one of a kind wedding invitation.
Throughout the reception ballroom there were pictures of Lucy and Michael over the years. Every fireplace mantel or bookshelf had pictures of them together or with family.
Did you include any family heirlooms or special traditions?
Sentimental details included:
- Groom’s cuff links were his maternal grandfather’s that his grandmother gave him from their 50th wedding anniversary.
- Bride’s engagement diamond was from the groom’s paternal grandmother and the bride’s wedding band was made from the original engagement ring from groom’s grandmother.
- Groom’s wedding band was his maternal grandfather’s.
- Cake topper was from Groom’s maternal grandmother’s 25th wedding anniversary.
- Pin on the bride’s bouquet was the bride’s paternal grandmothers.
- The cake cutter used to cut the wedding cake was the same one used during the bride’s paternal grandparents 50th anniversary party. Also present on the cake table were cake cutters from the groom’s material grandparents 50th anniversary and pictures of all parents and grandparents on their wedding day.
Did any of your wedding pros deliver a standout experience?
Our wedding photographer and videographer were incredible from the start. We connected with Lindsay and Justin instantly and they made us feel so special during the engagement shoot and the day of the wedding. They did an amazing job making us feel comfortable throughout the day while taking pictures and were able to accommodate all of our requests.
Our DJ, DJ Batchelor, provided incredible service. He curated a list of songs that had something for everyone while also taking into consideration our guests song requests. He also made us special t-shirts to remember the day.
