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Hi, I'm Adrienne, a Wedding and Engagement photographer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  I photograph a timeless kind of love for the classic and elegant couple and enjoy sharing the stories of my wonderful clients through images.  I believe in a life built on love, always planning the next adventure, and growing old together.
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June 9, 2017

Stephanie & Chris | Colonial Dames Society Wedding Philadelphia

I adored Stephanie and Chris’ classic spring Colonial Dames Society wedding in Philadelphia! Stephanie and Chris had their minds set on a wedding with simple elegance, which was traditional and historic with an intimate feel.  They wanted it to reflect their love for each other and their city that they met and fell in love with. It was perfect! These two are just so sweet and welcoming and I loved spending both their engagement session (see more here!) and their wedding day with them.  I am so excited for you to see their wedding and the love they have for each other!

Colonial Dames Society Wedding Photography in Philadelphia, PA

What do you love most about each other?

“I always tell people that the thing that I love most about Chris is that he is just so completely pure of heart. He is genuinely kind and well intentioned all of the time and it’s incredible to me. You know, you see everywhere lately that we should all *actively set an intention* to incorporate small “random acts of kindness” into our everyday lives. Chris just does this naturally. Perhaps what’s even most beautiful to me is that he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it.  This is just the way he lives his life. To be on the receiving end of such love and kindness on a daily basis is *truly* the best thing in the world. ”

“I love most that Steph is true to herself and doesn’t try to be anything else. She understands herself in a way that is genuine and confident. She knows what is important to her and places value in those people and things, refusing to get caught up in the “little things.” When I overthink a situation, which happens far too often, she is there to remind me what is truly important. I feel incredibly lucky each and every day to share my life with her.”

Colonial Dames Society Wedding in Philadelphia, PA

Colonial Dames Society Wedding in Philadelphia, PA

Colonial Dames Society Wedding Portraits in Gardens

Colonial Dames Society Wedding in Philadelphia, PA

Colonial Dames Society Wedding in Philadelphia, PA

Colonial Dames Society Stairs in Philadelphia, PA

How they chose The Colonial Dames Society and Old Saint Mary’s Church

“Frankly, we just started searching through the Philadelphia wedding scene through WeddingWire, The Knot, Instagram…and came across Colonial Dames Society (our reception site). We both knew that we wanted a smaller wedding that felt intimate and uniquely ours. We weren’t looking for a big ballroom, a country club, or a traditional event/reception hall. When we found Colonial Dames – it just felt right! We were pleasantly surprised to discover that this hidden gem is located less than a 5 minute walk from where we live. When we went to tour it and our search stopped there – we loved it! We began to check out all of the photos for the tagged location on Instagram (and this is where we discovered Adrienne and her beautiful work!)

Next came the church.  We were both raised Catholic and getting married in the church was important to us and our families – we were thrilled to discover that Old Saint Mary’s had our date open.  We love the intimate feel of the church and also the rich history of both the church and its neighborhood – Society Hill. Together, our church and reception sites fit our theme perfectly.  They highlight two of our favorite classic Philadelphia neighborhoods (Society Hill and Rittenhouse), are rich in historical charm, and are intimate and warm.”

What are you looking forward to most on your wedding day?

“I think the moments that I (Steph) am looking forward to most are the first look and also walking out of the church when we are officially husband and wife. I’m not going to lie, I do not like being the center of attention at all (except of Chris’s attention – that’s one of my favorite feelings), so, the first look, and any other time during the day that we can steal away for just the two of us, will be highlights and much needed *pause* moments for me. That being said, in keeping our wedding small, we are truly celebrating alongside people who really know and love us.  I am looking forward to sharing our day and our home with our guests, as well. And also – eating the cake :) Doesn’t that go without saying though?”

Their Colonial Dames Society Wedding

“We have a few words in mind that we want to characterize our wedding – simple elegance, traditional and historic, intimate, and reflective of love for each other and for the beautiful city that we met and fell in love in and call home together. Admittedly, I (Steph) was never the girl that thought about her wedding, kept Pinterest boards, or had grand visions. Don’t get me wrong – I *knew* that I wanted to get married, but I also feel strongly that those details pale in comparison to how totally overwhelmed I feel (in the best possible way) by the fact that I get to marry my favorite person in the world. I also think it’s impossible to think through those details without the most important piece at the center of planning – the couple!

When Chris and I got engaged, it just became obvious that what we needed was something that reflected us. It needed to be beautiful and timeless, classic, simple grace, well organized but *never* over the top (yuck), and it needed to feel warm and intimate.  We went with navy and ivory as our colors (I know- who am I – May wedding with no pinks or lavenders?!) You’ll notice that the styles – dresses, flowers, etc. are classic and not at all trendy. I will fully acknowledge that there are so many beautiful wedding trends right now (it’s truly overwhelming!!), but, I’ve come to understand my taste and knew I wanted to look back on the day and love it forever. Thankfully, Chris didn’t have any strong feelings about incorporating a lot of bright colors or pastels ;)”
Colonial Dames Society Wedding in Philadelphia, PA

Colonial Dames Society Wedding Reception

The special details

“We are going to name each table after a street or neighborhood in the city. In effect, then, as our guests arrive (most from out of town)our intention is to give them each “a key to the city,” and share our home with them! We will also have small chocolates as favors that are printed with the traditional Philadelphia “LOVE.” I wouldn’t say that we wanted a “theme” for our wedding, however, we did want something that felt authentic and reflected the beauty around us – this feels like a nice, though subtle way, to share our home with our guests.”

Colonial Dames Society Wedding in Philadelphia, PA

Adrienne Matz Photography is a wedding photographer based in the Philadelphia area serving PA, DE, & NJ Weddings!

SEE MORE RECENT WEDDINGS:

Second Photographer: Aaren Lee Photography | Reception: Colonial Dames Society Philadelphia | Ceremony: Colonial Dames Society Philadelphia | Cake: Nutmeg Cake Design | Cake Topper: Everlaser | Dress: Lovely Bride | Makeup: Shimmer & Spice | Hair: Ariel Katrina Hair | DJ: Ambiance DJ | Florist: Natural Choices Flowers | Caterer: Day by Day Catering |

  1. Parker says:

    One of my favorite things about your wedding photography is how easy it is to tell that the couple is head over heels in love! Yes, the Colonial Dames Society is gorgeous and so is everything about this wedding, but the emotion is what really gets me! Beautiful photography!

  2. Colonial Dames is one of my favorite venues in Philadelphia! Love love the way you photographed this wedding, Adrienne.

  3. Julia says:

    Your photos are so beautiful and bright! I love how the bride and bridesmaids wore sneakers!! :)

  4. Tonya says:

    They look so great! Colonial Dames looks amazing and the way they decorated was gorgeous.

  5. Keara says:

    I love how you interviewed the couple and used their answers throughout your post! Your photography is stunning. You truly captured the beauty of their wedding day!

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