Wow. Where to begin! To put it short, Joelle and Andrew's wedding at the Stotesbury Mansion in Philadelphia was such an incredible way to end and begin a decade. Joelle had been to many of her friend's weddings, therefore, she knew exactly how she wanted to celebrate her wedding day. She wanted her guests to enjoy themselves in an amazing venue surrounded by rich history. She and Andrew wanted to enjoy their guests in a cocktail style wedding with very few formalities. They wanted people to connect, laugh, love, eat, and drink. And finally, in the long standing New Year's Eve tradition, they wanted to watch the ball drop together and celebrate such a momentous occasion with a kiss that will undoubtedly be remembered forever! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Wedding preparations took place at the always classy Westin Hotel in Center City Philadelphia. Joelle and Andrew had a very low key getting ready portion of their day. One of the sweetest things occurred that I had never seen before. Joelle's lovely mother is an amazing stylist and had been doing Joelle's hair her entire life...so it was only fitting that mom would style her hair for the wedding. It was incredibly sweet and moving. We then hopped in a shuttle with a quick pit stop at Joelle's father's former place of employment. I LOVE sentimental touches to a wedding day.
We arrived at the Stotesbury Mansion and Joelle and Andrew had their first look on their grand staircase and we followed that with some portraits around the mansion until it was time to officially tie the knot. The ceremony was short and sweet and intimate and meaningful.
And then the party...oh the party! It was amazingly classy and Joelle and Andrew had something planned for everyone. It started off with another first for me...Joelle's father was a DJ, so he took to the microphone once again to announce the wedding party and his daughter and new son. That was pretty damn cool! After just a few formalities, guests mingled, chatted, danced, hugged, laughed, and had a blast. We had the opportunity to step outside for some wedding photos in the immediate area and Rittenhouse Square. Finally, Joelle and Andrew were surrounded by their family and closest friends to ring in the New Year, New Decade, and New Life together. It was a truly remarkable evening!
