WEDDING BLOG

Jenna and Brian weren’t trying to please anyone else when they planned their wedding; they wanted their big day to be a true reflection of themselves, so they were married by an Elvis impersonator who also performed live music during the cocktail hour. Jenna and Brian said “I do” at The Valley Green Inn, which they chose because of its beauty and quaintness. They settled on a retro and vintage vibe with an added cherry blossom twist; they wanted to incorporate Japan into the wedding because it was where they got engaged. They even gave out tea bags of Japanese Sencha tea as wedding favors, and just before the reception Ian Shiver of Viva Love Photography captured some gorgeous portraits of the couple in the woods surrounding the inn.

The Couple:

Jenna and Brian

The Wedding:

The Valley Green Inn, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I definitely went for a 1950’s retro look. I always knew that’s what I wanted. I had my wedding dress custom made from Dolly Couture. I also had my shoes custom made from Shoes of Prey.com. They were aqua leather, with a leopard fur platform. I had to get the leopard in there somehow!

The most memorable part I think was seeing the look on my mother’s face when she saw that our officiant was Elvis. No one knew, only us and my sister. The guests were totally shocked and loved it.

The most important part for us was that we didn’t make it about someone else just to make family happy. We wanted it to be a complete representation of who we are, and not go overboard.

Everything pretty much was DIY. Too much actually. I made TONS of paper flowers out of coffee filters. I dyed and assembled them all by hand. It was a lot of work, but they were really pretty. My mom helped me make an arch out of branches that looked like cherry blossom trees. I made my own bouquets/boutonnieres from fake flowers. Since I’m a graphic designer, I designed my own invitations and place cards.

Processional – Love Me Tender by Elvis
Recessional – Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order
First Dance – International You Day (Acoustic) by Tony Sly

Many thanks to Ian Shiver of Viva Love Photography for sharing Jenna and Brian’s The Valley Green Inn wedding with Junebug. For more Philadelphia wedding inspiration, head over to Bridget and Andrew’s luxe jewel tone wedding at the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center!