From Fairmount to Manayunk to Point Breeze to Fishtown, Center City to South Philly and the suburbs beyond, Philadelphia is a city rich with history, culture, and pride.
Philadelphians love their home and will take any chance they can find to share that love with others, including at their weddings! If you’re planning your wedding in the Philadelphia area and searching for inspiration for incorporating your Philly pride into your big day, look no further. Here are some of our favorite ways we’ve seen couples add a Philly touch to their wedding day!
Catering, Extra Philly Style
It’s not a Philly affair without some classic Philly fare! Talk to your caterer or your venue if you want to infuse your wedding menu with quintessential Philadelphia. You could serve warm soft pretzels from Philly Pretzel Factory as an appetizer, delicious cheesesteaks and hoagies for the main course, and water ice from Rita’s for your sweet dessert – or any other combination of whichever Philly foods you love. It’s your wedding day; fill your menu with the foods of Philadelphia that make your mouth water and your city pride glow.
Philadelphia Wedding Portraits from Broad Street to Rittenhouse
There are so many amazing and historic landmarks in a city as beautiful as Philadelphia and any one of them will offer the perfect backdrop for your wedding portraits. A picture on Broad Street with City Hall in the background is always a classic Philadelphia wedding portrait. Don’t forget about the gorgeous Swann Memorial Fountain located in Logan Square, or Center City’s Rittenhouse Square, planned by William Penn himself. There is always the ever-iconic Art Museum and its famous front steps. Remember – before your big day, make sure you’ve acquired any permits you might need from your portrait location!
E-A-G-L-E-S! Incorporate Philly Sports Teams in Your Décor
Philly pride shines perhaps the brightest when it comes to our sports teams. Philly sports fans stand tall as one of the most passionate fanbases in the country. If your closet is brimming with Phillies jerseys and you’re seated every autumn Sunday for the Eagles, bring that enthusiasm to your wedding day! Sprinkle some Kelly green into your color palette, offer your guests Gritty-adorned favors, or name your signature drinks after your favorite teams to bring that Philly sports charm to special big day.
Yo, Adrian, Philadelphia-Themed Impersonators!
Ever wanted Benjamin Franklin at your wedding? BVTLive! can make that happen with our Character Impersonators! We offer Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross, and Rocky Balboa impersonators who will interact with your wedding guests and bring your Philadelphia wedding to the next level. A unique entertainment option, our costumed event performers will make your day stand out among the rest and add a touch of both excitement and that distinct Philly charm.
Lovely LOVE Sign Ideas
The City of Brotherly Love has plenty of love to go around, so consider adding the iconic LOVE sign, located in Philadelphia’s LOVE Park, to the décor of your Philly wedding! While you can always include a smaller-scale version of the LOVE sign itself anywhere in your decorations, don’t be afraid to be creative: a LOVE wedding cake topper, for example, will add the taste of Philly to your wedding cake, and a beautifully carved ice sculpture of the sign can bring an air of sophistication and fun. Any way you want to involve the LOVE sign on your wedding day will be perfect so long as love is in the air.
Dress Code: Kelly Green and Flyers Orange
There is, of course, a certain dress code at weddings, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bend the rules a little to show love to your city on your big day. Under that snazzy tux, grooms can wear a pair of socks for their favorite Philly icon, like the Eagles or the Italian Stallion himself Rocky Balboa; a pair of themed cufflinks is another subtle way for grooms to show their Philly pride. Brides, consider adding a ribbon with meaning around your bouquet – like red, green, or orange for our amazing sports teams! Or don a pair of Philly-themed sneakers at your wedding reception, so you can dance the night away in style!
A Philly Landmark Wedding
Do you love the Phillies or the Eagles so much you wish you could get married at Citizens Bank Park or Lincoln Financial Field? You actually can! There are many Philadelphia landmarks and fixtures around the city that host weddings, including the Bank and the Linc. If you loved visiting the Franklin Institute growing up, or the hustle and bustle of Reading Terminal Market, you can hold your wedding or reception at both venues! And really, what could be more perfectly Philly than saying ‘I do’ in the Franklin Institute’s observatory or on the hallowed field of our high-flying Birds?
The Soundtrack to a Philadelphia Wedding
When our founder Kurt and our band Jellyroll played at the White House in 2008, they brought the sounds of Philly to D.C., staying true to themselves and the city they love. Whether you want to sing along to the theme song of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, get pumped up with the Rocky theme, or rock out on the dance floor to the Phillies’ official unofficial song Dancing on My Own, a Philly-inspired twist to your wedding reception playlist is sure to get everybody movin’ and groovin’! Each of BVTLive!’s incredible bands has a list of Philly songs on their page, and they can learn up to four songs for any wedding if there’s a song you’re dying to hear at your wedding reception.
Our Shining City Skyline
Is there any sight prettier than the Philadelphia skyline lit up at night? How about that skyline on the welcome sign at your wedding? Including the Philly skyline – with its towering skyscrapers and historic buildings – into your wedding décor will bring a touch of Home Sweet Philly to your special day. On your wedding favors, baked into your desserts, or made into the background of your seating chart, the city’s skyline will be instantly recognizable and give your wedding day the Philly atmosphere it deserves.
Travel in Style with the Philadelphia Trolley
Your wedding day may require some roaming between your ceremony location, photo spots, and reception venue, so arrive in style! The Philadelphia Trolley Works offers Victorian style trolleys available for wedding day transportation for your bridal party and wedding guests. A Philadelphia wedding deserves the perfect Philadelphia transportation, and these gorgeous trolleys are a fun way to get from place to place on your special day.
Bonus: they make for a wonderful background for wedding portraits, too!
Book BVTLive! for your Philadelphia Wedding Entertainment!
BVTLive! knows Philadelphia is full of passionate, dedicated folks, and we love our city just as much as you do. We’ve served the Philadelphia community for nearly 40 years, providing the best live entertainment for weddings and corporate events, and even for the Eagles, Phillies, and Flyers themselves!
If you’re planning your wedding in or around Philadelphia, come to a live wedding band showcase to see our bands in action, or contact us to see how we can help make your special day as wonderful and stress-free as it should be. The best way to add a Philly touch to your wedding? Working with a tried-and-true Philly company like BVTLive!
Blog Contributed by: Kate O’Neill
Follow us on Instagram: @bvtlive
Follow us on YouTube: @bvtlive
Follow us on Linkedin: BVTLive!
Check out our Wedding Wire: https://www.weddingwire.com/biz/bvtlive-bands/452c02158c3de43b.html
Check out our The Knot: https://www.theknot.com/marketplace/bvtlive-bands-chadds-ford-pa-751692
Check out our ZOLA: https://www.zola.com/wedding-vendors/wedding-bands-djs/bvtlive
Kurt Titchenell
Guided by his experience as the bandleader of Philadelphia’s top band, Jellyroll, and President of BVTLive!, Kurt Titchenell has kept dance floors packed and created unforgettable memories for thousands of events nationwide! Widely acclaimed as an entertainment expert, Kurt and BVTLive! have earned the most prestigious accolades in the industry. Most notably were two Jellyroll performances at The White House. Kurt's dedication to the success of every event is evident through his passion for creating the ultimate party experience. As President of BVTLive!, Kurt is committed to making your event a success.