Danielle and Dea- A Franklin Institute Wedding in Philadelphia

By: Rebecca Richman

Danielle and Dea were married this past Fall at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. They were really such a fun couple to work with and so unique. Danielle grew up in a Catholic family and Dea's family is from Libya and was raised Muslim. We had so much fun planning this multicultural wedding, we were able to weave in elements from each culture into their event and their ceremony was one of the most touching and moving ceremonies I've ever witnessed. It was a true blend of two families and cultures and could not have been more perfect under the starry sky in the planetarium of The Franklin Institute.

This event would not have been possible with the incredible wedding professionals we're blessed to work with. Thank you to all involved and enjoy these incredible images by Jacquelyn Poussot of Danielle and Dea's special day!

Franklin Institute
Frog Commisary
Jacquelyn Poussot
Reverend Susanna Macomb
Papertini
Animus Music
Beke Beau
Amanda D'Andrea
Night Kitchen
City Rhythm, BVT
Inzi Productions
Synergetic Sound and Lighting
Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants (for the invitation stationary)
Stephanie Pryor Designs (for the reception stationary)

Danielle had the idea to take her girls to Parc to have a celebratory toast of champagne. I thought this was such a cute idea and make for great pictures!

Stunning floral work by the Papertine crew.

This is the setup for one of the most moving and beautiful ceremonies I've ever witnessed. The tray was for a portion of the ceremony called the Nejma in which the children in the bridal party carried the tray containing candles to symbolize light, eggs for fertility, a knife to keep away the evil eye and to protect the couple from harm and finally a mirror that in ancient times the bride would carry into the street in front of her to "catch a star". The tray was presented to the bride and groom and then all of the guests participated in a star wishing ritual. They were all asked to look into the planetarium sky and select a star that they would then make a wish on for the bride and groom.

We hired MiddleEastern musicians to play for the ceremony and also for the cocktail hour.

Yummy, yummy. Danielle had the idea to serve hot cider as guests returned from ceremony. The meal was also incredibly important to both families. We used Halal meat to respect Dea and his family's culture and we also had some family favorites on the menu like baklava.

The idea behind the cocktail hour decor was inspired by a middle eastern marketplace. The escort cards were tags that were strung from these displays. Love how creative Tanti got and the colors really pop!

After guests were invited into the reception they were invtied to participate in a hand washing ceremony before dinner was served. The staff went around to each table to pour lavender scented water over each guests hands.