Christine Agnello and Scott Ellis first met through mutual friends in September of 2010, but it took seven months for the pair to officially become a couple. Three years later, Scott popped the question on the rooftop of the house that he and Christine share. Once she said “Yes!” the future Mr. and Mrs. began planning their dream day in Philadelphia, leaning largely on their own expertise and the team of vendors they had in place. “I didn’t have a wedding planner at all, so I took on all of the planning and coordinating myself,” Christine says. “It was stressful because I wasn’t sure if my vision would come together, but all of my vendors exceeded my expectations!”
With the Fairmount Park Horticulture Center locked in as their venue, Christine and Scott invited 150 guests to join them for a colorful fall wedding on October 10, 2015. “We loved the rustic feel of getting married in a greenhouse and that we had the option have the ceremony outdoors if the weather was warm,” the bride says. Their day went off without a hitch, and thanks to Lauren Fair Photography, we can take a look inside this adorable duo’s poppy-hued party!
Mint, green, and gold are Christine’s favorite colors, so it was only fitting that the couple’s Wedding Paper Diva’s invitation suite featured the three bright hues. To further commemorate their date, Christine and Scott had a rustic wooden sign created with their wedding date. It served as the perfect backdrop for photos of the bride’s beautiful engagement ring and the duo’s wedding bands.
The bride got ready with her ‘maids in low-key fashion: The ladies relaxed with glasses of champagne while having their hair and makeup done, giving Christine the perfect chance to show off her “something blue” manicure.
Christine admits she never had a “magical” dress shopping moment during which she knew she had found her gown. “I just kept going back to the store and trying on the same dress over and over again until one of my best friends said, ‘If you’ve tried it on this many times, I think this is the dress,'” the bride says. The off-white lace style featured an open back and fit Christine like a glove. Although she was meant to complete her look with a pair of blue pumps, she made a last minute decision to wear a pair of comfortable Toms instead. “The heels were sinking into the mud during photos, so I switched to my blue Toms and wore the whole night!”
Her final touch was a bright bouquet of dahlias, succulents, billy balls, and eucalyptus, as well as an all-white flower crown — the latter of which almost didn’t make it to the wedding. One of Scott’s groomsmen was tasked with picking up the wedding flowers, driving the bouquets to the ladies, and then bringing the boutonnieres back to the guys. While the bouquets arrived without trouble, it wasn’t until the groom’s attendant made it back to the hotel that the bride realized her flower crown hadn’t been delivered. “He didn’t have enough time to come back so he sent it with an Uber driver instead,” Christine says. But the drama didn’t end there. “The driver couldn’t find out house, so he actually just handed the bag with the flower crown to a random person walking on the street. That person just so happened to be my photographer, so it all worked out, but that was stressful.”
Scott wore a blue suit and a mint green bowtie — which he learned how to tie specifically for the big day. “He’s always wanted to learn how to tie a bowtie, so it was really special for him that he learned how to do it for his wedding,” Christine says. His succulent and billy ball boutonniere complemented his bride’s beautiful arrangement.
Christine had two main requirements for her bridesmaids’ dresses: First, they needed to be comfortable, and second, she didn’t want anyone to spend more than they could afford to. “I love the mismatched look, so I gave them a range of blue and green colors as options and let them all find their own dresses,” the bride says. “It was just a coincidence that everyone ended up wearing full-length dresses. I was so happy with how it all came together!”
To tie their looks together, each attendant carried a natural bouquet with the same blooms as the bride’s.
Like Christine, Scott wanted to give his attendants flexibility in choosing their outfits, too. Each guy chose his own shirt, pants, and bowtie, but all wore the same vest, which went well the duo’s rustic theme.
Since the weather didn’t quite agree with the bride and groom, the duo exchanged vows inside the property’s plant-filled greenhouse. At the end of a long aisle, a wooden structure was decorated with draped fabric and a swag of greenery, succulents, and colorful flowers.
On each seat, guests found a paper cone filled with colorful pom poms that were to be tossed once Christine and Scott were officially husband and wife.
The couple decided to write their own vows, which was one of the most special moments of the day for both the bride and groom. “We didn’t know what the other person was going to write and we ended up both saying, ‘My heart is yours forever.’ It was such an amazing moment knowing that we were both thinking the same thing,” says the bride.
Fittingly, the newly minted husband and wife recessed to Colbie Caillat’s “I Do.”
Playing off their greenhouse venue, the bride and groom directed guests to their seats with escort cards that were tucked into mini potted succulents that also doubled as favors.
The greenhouse was transformed for the couple’s evening ceremony. Round tables surrounded the black and white checkered dance floor and a long wooden table was set in the back of the reception for the wedding party. Each table was decorated with blue bud vases filled with flowers.
Over the head table, a hanging chandelier of single-stemmed flowers lent a romantic, whimsical vibe to the space. To designate their chairs, Christine and Scott chose painted “Mr.” and “Mrs.” signs.
The couple’s festive signature cocktail was a mix of gin, lemon juice, and prosecco, and was aptly dubbed “Gin + Bubbles.” Guests dug into a butternut squash and burrata salad as well as short rib and branzino entrées.
The duo selected homey flavors for their blue and white ombré wedding cake: Tiers were made of blueberry buttermilk cake with peach curd and honey buttercream and red velvet cake with honey buttercream.
“Just focus on each other and forget the rest,” Christine, who honeymooned in Signapore and Bali, advises future brides. “It’s not worth it to stress about something that no one will notice. It’s just one day of your life and the best is yet to come. Seriously!”
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Fairmount Park Horticulture Center || Floral & Event Designer: Belovely || Bride’s Wedding Dress: Katie May, purchased at Lovely Bride || Shoes: Toms || Hair & Makeup: Philly Hair and Makeup Co. || Groom’s Attire: Henry A. Davidsen || Engagement Ring: Deborah Finn Rittenhouse Jewelers || Wedding Bands: Safian & Rudolph Jewelers || Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas || Music: CTO Tribeca || Catering: Starr Catering Group || Cake: Saylormade || Rentals: Maggpie Vintage Rentals || Videographer: Willow Tree Films || Photographer: Lauren Fair Photography
Did you love this couple’s wedding? Then check out another Philadelphia celebration in the video below.