Philly Garden Wedding at Cairnwood Estate
Magic was in the air on this sweet couple’s wedding day at Cairnwood Estate. Or should we say florals were in the air? The couple took “Garden Wedding” to a whole new level! With a European style venue, and stunning florals blooms at every corner (don’t forget to look up!) from Faye + Renee Floral & Event Design. This Pennsylvania wedding is beautiful from start to finish and these gorgeous photos from Tree of Life Films & Photography are the proof. Also, because we’re all suckers for a good love story, I’m sure we’ll all agree that this love story will be our new favorite holiday romance!
From the bride, Jackie: Ivan and I met through a mutual friend while we were both living in San Francisco. I had known this friend for only a couple of weeks when she insisted that she had the perfect guy for me. As the weeks went on, she continued to tell both of us that we had to meet. She eventually gave us each other’s phone numbers to set up a blind date. This was right as the holidays were approaching, so we put our first date on the calendar for two weeks out, following a crazy, busy work week and Ivan’s trip to Pennsylvania to visit family. The week leading up to Thanksgiving we texted nonstop. It felt as if we had known each other for years, even though technically we were strangers. On Thanksgiving day, we both found ourselves in San Francisco. (My family is local, and Ivan was flying out the next morning for his trip home.) We decided to meet up for a casual, post turkey drink and the rest is history. We knew instantly that this was something special. So much so that I even spent Christmas in Pennsylvania with his family! (yep…3 weeks later!) We love that our first date was on Thanksgiving, we are always reminded of how thankful we are to have found each other.
After a couple years together in San Francisco, we decided that it was time for the next chapter in our lives and moved back to Ivan’s hometown, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. With the gorgeous, historic grounds of the Bryn Athyn Cathedral, Glencairn Museum and Cairnwood Estate right down the street, we really didn’t even consider any other venue for our wedding. Ivan has a lifetime of memories at all three buildings, so we were excited to create new memories together in the place that we now both call home.
After deciding on the venue, the amazingly talented Faye + Renee helped us design the wedding of our dreams with their vintage rentals and floral expertise. We wanted to create an overall aesthetic that was unique to us as a couple. We kept things classic and elegant for the Ceremony and Cocktail Hour, letting the stunning architecture of the buildings take center stage. For the Reception, we wanted it to be bright and fun! We played off of Cairnwood’s peach exterior with an abundance of florals in pink and coral tones. We really wanted it to feel as if we brought the garden inside!
Oh. Em. GEE! Is this real life? Faye + Renee Floral & Event Design pulled out all the stops and truly brought the garden inside with this floral masterpiece.
This beautiful lace Sareh Nouri wedding gown left no creative stone unturned. To say we’re obsessed is an understatement!
Um, excuse me. THIS IS GORGEOUS! Don’t mind us as we’ll just be staring at this beaut for the rest of the day. Faye + Renee Floral & Event Design truly outdid themselves with this one.
The day of the wedding was magical! The weather held out long enough for us to get some beautiful shots with the wonderful Tom and Jennifer of Tree of Life Films & Photography. As we left the ceremony, it was as humid and rainy as it could possibly be, but we didn’t care! We danced the night away in complete bliss. My advice for any couple planning a wedding is to not stress over the possibilities that are out of your control. During the planning process I would have thought that terrible weather would have been enough to ruin the day, but it wasn’t. By the end of our wedding everyone was a hot, sweaty mess, and it was perfect. We wouldn’t change it even if we could! It was the best day of our lives.
We simply cannot get enough of garden weddings so after you’ve read their love story a few more times (We sure did!) we know that you will love this Spring Garden Wedding Inspiration.
Link to wedding video by Tree of Life Films & Photography
Wedding Vendors:
Photographer + Videographer: Tree of Life Films & Photography
Venue: Cairnwood Estate
Floral, Event Design + Furniture Rentals: Faye + Renee Floral & Event Design
Wedding Dress: Sareh Nouri
Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Bridesmaids Dress: Lulus
Hair: True Beauty Marks
Makeup: Cheekadee
Paper Goods: Ashley D Studio
Catering: Karen Spire Catering & Events
Cake & Deserts: Be Well Bakery
Band: Pop Philly EBE