I absolutely loved taking these wedding day portraits at the Guide House Hotel in Philadelphia. This couple had a small micro wedding with getting ready and couples photos at the Guild House followed by family photos and a lunch at Harp & Crown. They planned their day beautifully from hotel and restaurant locations to wedding day looks, from flowers to jewelry. Even with a small guestlist, they prioritized what was important and put together a fabulous wedding day that fit their personal style and included sweet and sentimental elements.
What pretty wedding details! I have to admit, I do love wedding details. I adore their printed invitation and celebration details card. The flower bouquet fit the elegant and chic look they curated for their day. These little touches added care and thoughtfulness that seemed to tie a bow on their beautiful wedding day.
The Guid House Hotel, a 12-room boutique hotel, is a historic Philadelphia location and national landmark that was build in 1851. It is not only designed with an artistic eye but also it is also a building seeped in history that is still preserved and celebrated today. 1906 this building was purchased and became the home base for The New Century Guild, an organization to support women in the workforce. In 1993 the building was named a national historic landmark in recognition of the guild’s history. You can read more about the fascinating history of the hotel on the Guild House website.
The room that this wedding couple booked at the Guild House is called “The Eliza“. It is named after the founder of The New Century Guild, Eliza Sproat Turner. The design choice for the room mirrors Eliza’s deep love and connection to the natural world which can be seen in the botanical prints on the walls and furnishings. I appreciate the research, time, and execution put into the room design. You read about all 12 suites and who they were named and designed after. The Guild House incorporates its history in their modern aesthetic.
The couple got ready separately and planned a “First Look” moment to see each other all dressed up and ready to go for the first time. The anticipation and excitement of the first look on a wedding day is simply the best. After looking at the different possible locations in the hotel, We decided to have the first look moment on the stairs. The leading lines of the staircase seemed to lend itself to the excitement of the moment. It ended up being a fun and unexpected location to see each other for the first time. After the hugs and kisses, we explored the Guild House and found some more fun places for their portraits. This hotel has unique spaces that lend itself to cool photos.
The hotel offers a lounge area downstairs for its guests. As fate would have it, we happen to have it all to ourselves and were able to use the well-decorated space for wedding day photos. Philadelphia is full of wonderful places to stay but not all hotels have pretty places for photos. This boutique hotel is well placed, being right on 13th and Locust, and is an easy walk to many attractions and good food. This couple wanted to do their couples photos inside and they picked a good place to do this.
The Guild House Hotel is not showy from the outside. In fact it is possible to walk right passed this four-story rowhouse without knowing you did. I appreciate the classic and unassuming facade while knowing the history that is behind the doors. The refurbished and carefully curated rooms continue to share the story forward for current generations. The well-preserved building has become a modern “invisible service” hotel but has managed to preserve and share its important history.
The beauty of the space and the story of the building really added to creating lovely Guild House Hotel Wedding Photos for this couple. It is not always easy to find inside spaces that are available to use right in the city for photos and they managed to find just the right space to stay indoors and take photos.
After the couple’s photos at the Guild House were complete, it was off to Harp & Crown(just a few blocks away) to gather with family to celebrate this lovely union. Harp & Crown has a tasty menu of New American Cuisine. The restaurant has a large 32-seat bar and an open and modern dining space. Downstairs, which is where this couple has their lunch reception, there is also a working two-lane bowling ally(yes you heard me correctly!). A fun twist to an intimate family wedding.
Weddings can be big or small, a few hours or a few days! If you are planning a small wedding in the Philadelphia area you may want to check out these links below for more inspiration and ideas. You can see some venue locations that might catch your eye, some restaurants you may not have considered, and details and style that you might like. Enjoy!
Restaurant Wedding Venues in Philadelphia
Small Wedding Planning Philadelphia
Osteria Restaurant Wedding Philadelphia
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