Luxury wedding at a gilded age manor with a custom wedding gown
Inspired by the timeless elegance of the Gilded Age, this wedding features a cinematic estate, a custom-designed wedding gown, and a disco dance party. Yeah, we're just as excited as you are! Keep reading to hear all about this beautiful day and to see more of these dreamy photos by Coryn Kiefer Photography.
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their love story
On the first night of business school orientation, our love story unfolded on the dance floor of Philly's legendary Voyeur nightclub. Susan turned to grab a drink and serendipitously picked up Christian on the way to the bar. After a packed 36 hours consisting of "Cluster Olympics", late-night fried chicken, walks through Rittenhouse side streets, and a mutually anxiety-inducing "run date" along the Schuylkill River, the rest is history. Fast forward three years later, to the marriage proposal at Williamsburg's Water Tower Bar orchestrated by a web of deception entangling family and friends, that would go down in history as the one time Christian has ever truly surprised Susan.
the venue
Entranced by hand-painted ceilings and marble hallways, Susan and Christian forwent their original NYC wedding plans in favor of a historical venue. Their wedding, hosted at the recently restored Elstowe Manor at Elkins Estate, a gilded-age manor just north of Philadelphia, was a beautiful blend of classic elegance and modern luxury. The couple, captivated by the estate's grandeur and the opportunity to have the expansive property to themselves for the entire weekend, infused their celebration with unique and personalized touches. The estate’s vast rebuild was completed just weeks before their wedding, making them the first couple to take advantage of the entire estate’s grounds and the brand-new 150 guest rooms.
the vision: energetic and elegant
We wanted our wedding to be fun, colorful, energetic, and elegant. The venue itself embodies classic elegance and we hoped to bring some of that to the overall wedding itself while making it feel a little more modern and light-hearted. We incorporated a whimsical floral design by Blomst Floral Design, fit for a French country estate. Lush garden arrangements created by using a mix of bright, happy-colored flowers, perfect for a summer wedding, mixed with a variety of greenery. We played with different heights in all the arrangements to create a natural contrast to the formal surroundings at the venue. For the color palette, we went with white and cream tones mixed with pink, peach, orange, and yellow, with light touches of blue.
the stationery
Rich emerald green and slate blue invitations set the palette for the day to come. We love how the stationery designer incorporated some of the venue's stained glass windows into the envelope liner!
the fashion
The bride worked hand in hand with designer Suzanne Neville to create a custom-designed gown. Mixing a modern plunging neckline with classic capped sleeves, Susan's gown was made in Suzanne Neville’s Bloomsbury Cloqué and had a corseted bodice and an A-line full skirt. The bridesmaids dressed in emerald green mix-and-match Jenny Yoo dresses to compliment the original green accents of the estate while the groomsmen donned classic tuxes from The Black Tux. The groom chose classic tux pants and a white Italian Wool Tuxedo Jacket from Bonobos.
the first look
Susan and Christian couldn't miss their opportunity for a Rose and Jack moment on this epic emerald staircase. It was the absolute perfect spot for their first look!
a disco dance party
The highlight of the weekend, and a crowd favorite, was a striking 3-foot disco ball, installed by Illuminaire Event Productions, illuminating the historic library which the bride lovingly called her ”baby.”
- Wedding Photographers: Coryn Kiefer Photography
- Venues: Elstowe Manor at Elkins Estate
- Flowers: Blomst Floral Design
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Aleksandra Ambrozy
- Dress & Apparel: Suzanne Neville
- Band: Sound Society Band
- Wedding Films: Heather Bay Films
- Paper Goods & Calligraphy: 92Sutton
- Wedding Shoes: Dee Ocleppo
- Groom Suit: Bonobos
- Groomsmen Suit: The Black Tux
- Bridesmaid Dresses: Jenny Yoo
- Personal fragrances: The Fragrance Shop
- Disco Ball rental:: Illuminaire Event Productions
- PhotoBooth: Mirrored Memories New Jersey