creative philadelphia documentary wedding photographers » Venues

Philadelphia Wedding @ Franklin Institute *Mark Gardner and Jeff Dietz

markgardner — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:07:16 +0000

The Chestnut Club Philadelphia

Cindy — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 19:09:53 +0000

The air is very crisp outside so the warmth indoors at The Chestnut Club is not only welcoming but soothing. It is always a blessing when you can shoot inside and know that as a photographer what awaits you is a an aesthetic dream filled with beautiful light, rich textures, amazing detail and a canvas worthy of artistic creation.

Karen and Healy looked ever so posh as they were found lounging and chatting on the corner sofa as we arrived! Their welcoming smiles and generosity exceeded any expectations that we had. Sometimes when dealing with venues and/or owners it can be a crazy kind of dance- ha, ha more like a battle with some fist pumps thrown in for good measure. Not all venues are appeasing to the thought process behind what we as photographers go through in creating visually stunning or provocative imagery. This is not the case with Karen and Healy. Working at The Chestnut Club was truly a delight. Not only did we have full access to the furniture, lighting and such, we also had such beautiful elements to work with that are inherent of the design of the venue. Gorgeous brick walls, interesting chandeliers and super cool furniture to name a few. All of these things provided for the perfect artistic backdrop for our photo shoot. We wanted to do a shoot that showcased a variety of lighting techniques that would be viable for when you are on the go, much like on a wedding day. As a group we find that we are our best resources when it comes to learning and sharing and growing our skill sets. We set out to challenge ourselves and for some of us it was to shoot in a manner that you are unaccustomed to. Such as using artificial lighting or off camera flash or mixed light. Thanks to Karen and Healy for helping to make our endeavor a huge success. Here is a sampling of some images from the day, Enjoy!

Brittany + Toph – Philadelphia Wedding Photography – Nicole Polk

Nicole — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:07:35 +0000

I have lots of wedding stuff to post, so I’ll start it out with Brittany + Toph! You may remember these two from their fun engagement session we did on the rides here. Always a pleasure to work with, I also shot Brittany’s boudoir session this summer. I can’t even begin to tell you how this party rocked on every level imaginable. The band was rockin’ and Brittany’s brother sang a few songs too! Even after a long day, the party was still going strong at the end of the night, they even extended the reception for another hour because no one was ready to go home! Thank you guys for a great day!

Venue: Whitemarsh Valley Country Club
Florist: Valley Green Florist
Dress: Ulla Maija
Shoes: Manolo Blahnik
Band: Vincent James Band Videographer: Well Spun Weddings

Jeff Dietz Photography – 1st Place! ISPWP Competition

Jeff — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:22:05 +0000

I am happy to announce that we have just found out today that 4 of our images have placed in the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers (ISPWP) image competition. What an honor to be named amoung some really amazing photographers. Some of the images in the competition were really amazing. Below are the images that placed.

1st Place – Bridal Party Portrait ( from the wedding of Erik and LeighAnn Erickson at the Highlands, Dallas, PA )

Category: Getting Ready (From the wedding of Jaimo & Betsy Ahn at the Ritten House Hotel, Philadelphia, PA )

Category: Emotional Impact (from the Andrews Wedding)

Category: Bride & Groom Portrait (From the wedding of Kristie & Joel in Allentown, PA shot outside Allentown Brew Works )

www.jeffdietzphotography.com

Erin + Waiel – Philadelphia engagement photography – Nicole Polk

Nicole — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:22:22 +0000

I’m slowly, but surely getting caught up on blog postings! Erin + Waiel were such good sports for their e-session. We must have had the shoot on one of the hottest days of summer, but we didn’t let the heat stop us from a great session. I probably looked a little worse for the wear afterwards, but luckily, I wasn’t the one being photographed. They just let me do my thing and we up for anything I threw at them. I’m sad that I won’t be photographing their wedding at Turbine Hall, but some of my pals in Circle of 8 will do a fabulous job w/o my help! I am happy to be a part of it all in this small way. Here are some of my favorites from the day.

How to have an awesome backyard wedding

Craig — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:23:10 +0000

Yes, backyard weddings CAN be awesome and as good as any top end venue in the world…especially if you have a great yard! Lauren and Josh asked me to be a part of their simple backyard wedding…and if you ask me it was way beyond simple! It was extremely well done and certainly the best (okay only) backyard wedding I have ever shot. Here are a couple of my favorites, and click HERE for the SLIDESHOW of their wedding day…

So how did Lauren and Josh make it so awesome? Fist the backyard was pretty large, about an acre, so that helped. Her parents spent a year making sure it looked amazing as well! Second, amazing caterer, that had a HUGE portable bathroom, and served one of the best meals I have had all year long! So it is possible to have an awesome backyard weddings while having the feel of a high end venue!

To start the slideshow click on the Play icon

To view in full-screen size click on the Full Screen icon

Hotel DuPont wedding photography

markgardner — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 17:38:19 +0000

A truly awesome wedding at the Hotel DuPont shot by Mark Gardner Click below to watch the Day-of-slideshow presented to the Bride and Groom at the reception!

Alyson + Shane – Bucks County Wedding – Nicole Polk

Nicole — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:45:14 +0000

Alyson + Shane had a wonderfully intimate ceremony at the Joseph Ambler Inn this summer. You may remember them from their Italian Market e session. Much like myself and Zach, these two have been together for forever! Though it seems like they can’t remember what life was like before they met, there was absolutely no shortage of love and emotion. Shane teared up a bit during the ceremony and Alyson made it all the way till the best man speech before cracking a tear, but it was definitely there! It was a beautiful day with some beautiful images!

Amy + Josh – Loews Hotel wedding – Nicole Polk

Nicole — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:24:41 +0000

So, I’m finally starting to blog some weddings from this season. This whole summer has seemed to revolve around portraits on the blog! Amy and Josh were married at the spectacular Masonic Temple in Philadelphia. I think this place is one of Philly’s best kept secrets for both weddings and architecture! The place was amazing. The ceremony was followed by a ridiculously fun reception at The Loews Hotel right around the corner in downtown Philadelphia. Amy and Josh just ooze cool, I just love ‘em! Not to mention they have fabulous taste in music! Here are some of my favs from the day…

Sam + Pete – Historic Waynesborough – Nicole Polk

Nicole — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:59:34 +0000

I just realized I’ve never posted highlights or the slideshow from Sam and Pete’s wedding this past fall. With wedding season kicking into full gear shortly, I thought I’d better get my butt in gear! Sam and Pete got married at the Historic Waynesborough in Paoli, PA. It started and ended as a rainy day, but we lucked out with some beautiful weather long enough for pictures and an outdoor ceremony! Sam was a total trooper going anywhere I wanted in the wet grass – before the ceremony! Don’t worry, we didn’t dirty her dress. Always up for anything I envisioned, they were truly a wonderful couple to work with.

venue: The Historic Waynesborough
catering: Jeffrey Miller Catering
flowers: Accents by Michele