Christina and Dennis are a seriously fun couple, so it figures their VUE on 50 wedding in Philadelphia was a seriously fun day. I had loved working with them on their engagement session at FDR Park, and by the time their wedding morning rolled around I was already excited to get started. My second photographer was with me all day, which mattered more than usual since we were splitting between two hotel suites, the Cathedral, City Hall, and the top of one of the tallest buildings in the city.
They both had prep rooms at the Embassy Suites on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, which has one of the best skyline-toward-the-Art-Museum views in Center City. The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul is right across the street, so the whole morning logistically was easy. We did a few photographs out on the balcony, although I am genuinely afraid of heights so I tend to hug the wall and let the second photographer get closer to the railing. That fear was going to come back into play later in the day at fifty floors up, so I was already practicing.
The ceremony was at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, which is one of the most striking interior spaces in Philadelphia. Brownstone-and-marble Roman exterior on the outside, a domed nave with a rose window and Italian marble altar on the inside. It seats well over a thousand, so even a 200-guest wedding feels spacious and held by the architecture. Because both families were staying at Embassy Suites directly across 18th Street, the bridal party basically walked over. No shuttle, no traffic, no schedule pressure.
I have seen a lot of unique reception music setups, but theirs was the most fun in a while. A two-person live act, singing and playing live instruments with backing tracks running underneath, switching between guitar, keys, and percussion all night. At one point Christina and Dennis got up to do a live keyboard solo while their guests sprayed them with water bottles for effect. Total chaos, total joy, the photographs from those few minutes are some of my favorites of the whole night.
Christina and Dennis are simply fun, light-hearted, easy people, and that comes through in every frame. We built a heirloom album to tell the story of the day from start to finish, and they ended up with two pieces of wall art from the portrait session. One frames them in front of City Hall, the other was made on the open balcony at the top of VUE on 50 with the entire city stretching out behind them. I wish them every good thing.
About VUE on 50
VUE on 50 sits on the fiftieth floor of the Loews Philadelphia Hotel at 1200 Market Street, the former PSFS Building. PSFS was the first International Style skyscraper in the United States when it opened in 1932, and the giant red PSFS letters on the roof are still a Philadelphia landmark. The reception space itself is two open-air observation decks plus the Vista Room, with floor-to-ceiling glass on three sides and panoramic views of the Delaware River, the Ben Franklin Bridge, City Hall, and the skyline to the west. Capacity is roughly 250 seated, and the original art deco lobby downstairs makes for a beautiful arrival moment. Pro tip from shooting here: the open balconies face east and west, so plan your portrait window for golden hour about thirty minutes before sunset and you get warm side light on the couple plus the city lighting up behind them. Bring layers in winter, it is fifty floors of wind exposure up there.
Hotel: Embassy Suites
Ceremony: Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul
Reception: VUE on 50
DJ: The Insiders Band
Bride’s Dress: Sposabella
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul
VUE on 50 Wedding Reception
The Vista Room at the VUE on 50 venue was where their reception took place. It is an amazing location if you want views of the entire city and not so amazing if you are afraid of heights like myself ;) After photographing them at City Hall we went to the bottom of the building venue where they have this cool fountain and park. We went up 50+ floors to shoot on the front and back open balconies. My legs were definitely shaky up there but I tried to focus to create some awesome work for Christine and Dennis.
The sunset at VUE on 50 weddings are breathtaking and photographs don’t do them justice!
Planning a Philadelphia wedding? See the full guide to the best Philadelphia wedding venues for more skyline, ballroom, and hotel options across Center City. If you love this wedding, you may also like the Hyatt at the Bellevue wedding a few blocks south on Broad Street.