Mummers get married in a truly unique Philadelphia wedding

I can’t really describe the joy I get from photographing a truly unique Philadelphia wedding. Christine and Ian’s Shangri-LOVE themed wedding is a perfect example of  why I adore them. Their entire day was such a reflection of their joy and passion and creativity, as well as their deep connections with their friends and loved ones. This is the reason we started shooting weddings, and as much as I love the classics, I LIVE for the truly unique Philadelphia weddings.  Give us all the performers, artists, dancers, unicorn brides, weirdos, tatted freaks. Give us the people who love out loud.  For this wedding we teamed up with our friends at City South Films who were super to work with.  I can’t suggest them highly enough, and I hope we get a chance to work with them again in the future.  I’ll post a link to their trailer at the end of this post!

The day began in ridiculously cool spaces, big industrial lofts flooded with natural light and tons of space for the huge bridal party.  As Philadelphia Mummers with the Lobster Brigade, and through Christine’s stunning work as a performer with Setu Tribe, they have an incredibly close community of friends.  I couldn’t help but swooning over the bridesmaid’s dresses, each tied in unique ways, showcasing the ladies individuality as well.  Every bit of their day was either made by their own hands, or they called on the talents of their friends to create a truly unique wedding day.

When Christine and I spoke about the details for her day, she said “I want super sexy, racy photos, and I don’t care who sees”.  Challenge accepted! Her amazing pale pink, beaded gown with side cut outs was absolutely perfect for her in every way, and made for one of my favorite first looks ever at Race Street Pier. (Pro tip! We really sweated getting a permit for the space. Although we ended up not getting asked for it, make sure you apply FAR in advance. It’s a nice peace of mind knowing you’re allowed to be there).  After Race Street pier, our sexy couple got their Mummers on in some fun Broad Street photos.  

Warehouse on Watts was completely transformed by this talented couple and their friends.  There were nods to Christine’s Japanese roots with handmade origami cranes on the tables and  a Japanese wishing tree, in addition to paper lanterns, disco balls and paper parasols. Crystals were a big theme throughout the day, including the Christine’s gift to her girls, beautiful crystal jewelry.  I’ve included way too many photos (and still not enough) of their magical guests and closest friends, and I’m not even remotely sorry about it.  There are those clients who you feel genuinely grateful to be allowed an intimate glimpse into their lives and loves, and this was one of those days.

All photos by Lori Foxworth and Paul Cofield of Black, White and Raw Photography