Nicole and Michael had a beautiful fall day for their Old Mill at Rose Valley wedding. We started at her parents’ house with preps and details. I don’t always get to take the dress and details outside to photograph, but they had such a cool rustic backyard that went perfectly with their wedding theme. Let’s also not forget they have the cutest flower girl and ring bearers. Make sure to check out their fun Chesapeake City engagement session on the blog from last year.

About The Old Mill at Rose Valley

The Old Mill at Rose Valley sits in the Rose Valley arts colony just outside Media, PA, about twenty minutes from Center City Philadelphia. The building dates to 1789 as a working textile mill on Ridley Creek and was later folded into the Arts and Crafts community William Price founded in 1901. Today it’s run by Conner Catering and reads as one big rustic indoor-outdoor canvas: exposed stone walls, original beams, bamboo groves, and the creek running right past the deck for cocktail hour. Capacity is more intimate than most Philly venues, around 150 for a seated reception, so it photographs especially well for couples who want a small DIY-friendly wedding with handmade details. Ceremonies typically happen at a separate church, then everyone moves to the Mill for cocktails and dinner.

Ceremony: St. Raphael Catholic Church
Reception: The Old Mill at Rose Valley
Florist: Petal Pushers
Makeup: Jamie Quick
Hair: Karen Lynn Salon
Band: Elite Entertainment
Bride’s Dress: Bridal Suite
Invitations: Creationary Shop
Camera/Film: Contax 645 with Kodak Portra 400 and some digital

Bride's wedding dress from the Bridal Suite hanging in rustic backyard Wedding shoes and Creationary Shop invitations Old Mill Rose Valley Bride getting ready at parents house before Old Mill Rose Valley wedding Bride buttoning dress Old Mill Rose Valley fall wedding Bride finishing veil before Old Mill at Rose Valley wedding Bride solo portrait Old Mill at Rose Valley fall wedding Bride final touches before Old Mill at Rose Valley wedding Bridal bouquet by Petal Pushers fall wedding Ring bearers and flower girl with Petal Pushers flowers Old Mill Bridesmaids bouquets by Petal Pushers Old Mill Rose Valley Bride portrait in backyard before Old Mill at Rose Valley wedding Bride portrait full length before Old Mill Rose Valley wedding

Ceremony at St. Raphael Catholic Church

They had a beautiful ceremony at St. Raphael Catholic Church in Hamilton, NJ. I love hearing the sound of a violin during a ceremony, and it’s not always common. The ring bearers and flower girl had custom signs for their grand entrance. Another thing that was great about this church is how much natural light it has. Most churches are rather dark or have funky light because the windows are all stained glass. After about 15 minutes of formals in the church, it was off to the venue to photograph the bride, groom, and bridal party.

St Raphael Catholic Church ceremony processional Ring bearers entering St Raphael Catholic Church Flower girl St Raphael Catholic Church ceremony Bride processional St Raphael Catholic Church Father walking bride down aisle St Raphael Catholic Church Ring exchange at St Raphael Catholic Church ceremony Bride and groom ring exchange St Raphael Catholic Church Wedding ceremony altar St Raphael Catholic Church

Old Mill at Rose Valley Wedding Portraits

The Old Mill at Rose Valley has a beautiful rustic outdoor space with lots of bamboo, trees, and a creek running along the side. It’s a great place if you don’t want to walk around all over to photograph on your wedding day. The creek is pretty to photograph by, but I would suggest brides who get married there bring boots, since it can be treacherous closer to the water. Everything is relatively close and the light direction is great most of the day from around noon to sunset. My style is largely natural light, and The Old Mill is a perfect fit. The bridal party was fun to work with and knew how to have a good time without taking things too seriously, which is how I approach the photo sessions.

Bride and groom by creek Old Mill at Rose Valley wedding Bride and groom infrared portrait Old Mill at Rose Valley Old Mill at Rose Valley bamboo grove portrait Bridal party walking grounds Old Mill at Rose Valley Bridal party group portrait Old Mill at Rose Valley Bridesmaids bouquets by Petal Pushers fall wedding Bridesmaids candid Old Mill at Rose Valley Bridesmaids posed portrait Old Mill at Rose Valley Groomsmen portrait Old Mill at Rose Valley wedding Bride and groom embrace by creek Old Mill Rose Valley Bride and groom film portrait Old Mill at Rose Valley Bride and groom walking bamboo grove Old Mill Rose Valley Bride and groom kiss Old Mill at Rose Valley grounds Bride and groom square crop Old Mill at Rose Valley Bride and groom laughing on Old Mill at Rose Valley deck

Beautiful Details at Old Mill at Rose Valley

Nicole and Michael created most of the details for the reception themselves. They had a custom wooden porch swing built with their initials engraved on it for guests to sign. They had burlap runners. Not to mention their incredible ice cream bar with every topping you can imagine. A vintage wooden box wrapped in lace served as their card box. The centerpieces from Petal Pushers sat on custom slices of wood from a tree. I love unique wedding favors, and they had custom jars of spice for everyone. A tip for couples making custom “Mrs. and Mr.” signs for the sweetheart table: it can fit awkwardly on some chairs, so try installing a small hook on the back so it sits over the center.

Reception deck setup Old Mill at Rose Valley Custom porch swing guestbook Old Mill at Rose Valley Vintage card box Old Mill at Rose Valley reception Burlap table runners Old Mill at Rose Valley reception Centerpiece on wood slice Old Mill at Rose Valley Table setting detail Old Mill at Rose Valley Place setting and favor Old Mill at Rose Valley Custom spice jar wedding favor Old Mill at Rose Valley Table runner and florals Old Mill at Rose Valley Reception table overview Old Mill at Rose Valley

The Reception at Old Mill at Rose Valley

The DJ rocked the entertainment and they had a few really cool things I had not seen before. First, they had an outdoor area lit with beautiful string lights and one of the biggest custom make-your-own s’mores bars I’ve ever seen. They also skipped a cake in favor of an ice cream bar and fed each other ice cream instead. I love taking couples out at the end of the night for a quick 5 to 10 minute night session, and the outdoor string lights at the venue looked amazing with them in black and white. The photographs at the end under the string lights were actually taken with them standing on a slightly sketchy old table that was not being used outside. Thanks again to Nicole and Michael for choosing me to capture your wedding day. Best wishes.

First dance Old Mill at Rose Valley reception First dance bride and groom Old Mill at Rose Valley First dance closeup Old Mill at Rose Valley Bride and groom feeding ice cream Old Mill at Rose Valley Reception dancing Old Mill at Rose Valley Smores bar Old Mill at Rose Valley reception Reception toasts Old Mill at Rose Valley Dance floor candid Old Mill at Rose Valley Bride and groom night portrait string lights Old Mill Bride and groom black and white night portrait Old Mill Night portrait under string lights Old Mill at Rose Valley Final night portrait Old Mill at Rose Valley Custom fabric wrapped wedding album Old Mill at Rose Valley
And their unique custom fabric-wrapped wedding album.

Considering The Old Mill at Rose Valley for Your Wedding?

The Old Mill at Rose Valley is one of my favorite picks for couples who want a small rustic Philadelphia-area wedding with room to bring their own details. For more nearby options at the same scale, see my 12 Best Philadelphia Wedding Venues guide.

Old Mill at Rose Valley Wedding of Nicole & Michael