I’ve been excited for Lisa & Nick’s Cescaphe Down Town Club wedding since we did their Getting to Know You session. They are simply awesome and a dream to work with. I started the day with Nick at the Omni Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. I photographed him with my favorite black and white Acros 100 film while he was getting ready and did a couple of portraits with him in the groom’s suite. Lisa got ready at the Hotel Monaco with her mother, sister, and niece. I love that blue wall for doing some quick portraits of Lisa before we left for the first look.
We did their first look right across the street from the Hotel Monaco at Franklin Court. The bridal party was photographed on the steps of the Second National Bank before we ran into some very unique tourists and had some incredible photobombs. Before we headed over to the Downtown Club for their ceremony and reception, we had to get some shots with their gorgeous dog.
Ceremony & Reception: The Down Town Club
Bride’s Dress: Philly Bride
Bridesmaids Dresses: Bijou Bridal
Makeup: Ursula’s About Phace
Hair: Richard Nicholas Salon
Florist: Beautiful Blooms
DJ/Band: Jelly Roll
As gifts for all his groomsmen, he picked different superhero cufflinks for them.
About Cescaphe Down Town Club: Tucked into the historic Public Ledger Building across from Independence Hall, the Down Town Club is the most old-Philadelphia venue in the Cescaphe portfolio. The Ledger ran the country’s oldest daily newspaper from this address starting in 1924, and the club itself was the original lunch spot for the building’s editors and bankers. The grand staircase, marble columns, and chandeliers still feel like that era. Couples get sweeping views of Liberty Bell Center and a chef-driven menu that runs through Cescaphe’s in-house kitchen. The historic backdrop pairs especially well with classic film stocks like Kodak Portra.
Being that Nick is a huge Game of Thrones fan, he also got his groomsmen Hand of the King pins to wear on their lapels, which was awesome.
Photobombed by this awesome guy!
Cescaphe Down Town Club Wedding Ceremony
Their ceremony at Cescaphe Down Town Club had an amazing view of Liberty Place. They had some amazing custom details at the reception, including a custom Yankees cake as well as a Game of Thrones cake. Lisa & Nick’s reception was an absolute blast. To add to the fun, they used our new custom Jordan Brian Photo Booth that all their guests loved and we had running the whole night. They had the one and only Jellyroll with bandleader Kurt providing entertainment for the evening. I’m always blown away by how amazing they are. They are so good that I get too nervous to talk to them at dinner.
Lisa & Nick have an amazing album we designed to tell the story of their day. I absolutely love working with this couple and I wish them nothing but the best in the future.
Why a Cescaphe Down Town Club wedding works on film
Lisa and Nick wanted their day shot with a heavy lean on black and white film, which is exactly the kind of wedding the Down Town Club was built for. The marble, the chandeliers, the heavy wood paneling, none of it needs help from saturated color. I ran Acros 100 with Nick at the Omni and switched to Portra 400 for Lisa at the Hotel Monaco, and the look held together beautifully through the reception.
Vendor recap
- Reception: Cescaphe Down Town Club
- Bride getting ready: Hotel Monaco
- Groom getting ready: Omni Hotel Philadelphia
- Film stocks: Fujifilm Acros 100, Kodak Portra 400