Lisa & Patrick (Elysium) are an absolutely amazing and fun couple! I was honored to be their Cescaphe Down Town Club wedding photographer. I call Patrick some variation of characters Matt Damon plays because he has a strong resemblance to the actor. They both got ready at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia.
The Ceremony was held at Saint John The Evangelist in Philadelphia. It is a stunning church and the outside views are just as spectacular as the inside. After the ceremony, Lisa & Patrick took their vintage Rolls Royce around city hall and then down to Washington Square.
Ceremony: Saint John the Evangelist
Reception: Cescaphe – The Down Town Club
Bride & Bridesmaids Dresses: Bijou Bridal
Florist: Beautiful Blooms
DJ/Band: JellyRoll
Videographer: Stomping Bread
Washington Square Philadelphia wedding photographs
Washington Square in Philadelphia was not ready for Lisa & Patrick and their awesome bridal party! While we were photographing their a duckboat tour stopped and gave all the groomsmen plastic beaks to play with while we were photographing. We had some great photobombs as we always get in Philadelphia.
About Cescaphe Down Town Club: The Down Town Club has hosted some of Philadelphia’s most-photographed weddings, including a handful of Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers families over the years, which the staff politely never confirms. The room sits on the 11th floor of the Public Ledger Building with windows that frame Independence Hall and the Bourse on three sides. Ceremonies happen up there too, which means guests skip the venue-shuffle that comes with most Center City weddings. The Cescaphe team handles food, beverage, cake, and floral all in-house, and the Ritz-Carlton sits five blocks away, making it the easiest hotel block in the city.
The Duck Tour that passed us graciously gave the groomsmen some gifts to play with.
Cescaphe Down Town Club Wedding Reception
This was the second time I have photographed a Cescaphe Down Town Club wedding since it was renovated and I must say I love the space and what they did to it. The cocktail hour area and main rooms are simply beautiful with amazing views of the city. The main room also had the perfect amount of space for one of my favorite bands to play all evening; Jellyroll! I had one of the best experiences working with this wonderful couple, their families, and friends. I wish them the best……
I absolutely love JellyRoll and they really get the crowd going!
Why couples come back to the Down Town Club
Lisa and Patrick are the second Lisa to be married at the Down Town Club in this cluster of posts, and that is not a coincidence. The Public Ledger Building draws a certain kind of couple, ones who want a Center City wedding without a Center City logistical headache. Ceremony, cocktails, dinner, and dancing all happen on the same floor, the Ritz-Carlton is a five-block walk for guests, and the Cescaphe team handles every vendor in-house. Patrick (who really does look like Matt Damon) and Lisa shot portraits at the Ritz before we headed over for the ceremony at Saint John the Evangelist.
Saint John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist on 13th Street is one of the most photogenic churches in Philadelphia, with stained glass that throws color onto the marble floor in the late afternoon. The exterior on a summer day is just as good as the interior, which gave us a second portrait location without leaving the block. We shot the recessional from the choir loft, which is the angle most photographers miss because they stay near the altar.
Reception flow at the Down Town Club
Receptions at the Down Town Club run on the tighter Cescaphe timeline because everything is on one floor. Cocktail hour spreads through the lobby and library rooms, dinner sets up in the main ballroom, and the band breaks down faster than at any other Cescaphe property. We squeezed in a quick night-portrait session on the building’s outdoor terrace, which gives you Independence Hall in the background and a Center City skyline at golden hour.
Vendor recap
- Ceremony: Saint John the Evangelist, Philadelphia
- Reception: Cescaphe Down Town Club
- Getting ready: Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia