It's a bird, it's a plane, no it's...MY CLIENTS DOING THEIR FIRST DANCE.
This wedding was featured on NBC10 Philadelphia, but the video below was made by StoryTellers Productions.
Melissia and Will (or #willissia2018, as social media tells it) approached me last winter with one goal in mind: having their wedding at the Philly School of Circus Arts. Both of them are students there, and they're a part of the tight community there. Naturally, the school was kind enough to let them use the space.
I won't lie, I would've been depressed if they hadn't picked me as their planner.
They already had quite a few vendors from their neighborhood- Meg from Nutmeg Cake Design is actually an instructor at the school! Vault and Vine had created the bouquet Will had used as part of his proposal, and they made the centerpieces, bouquet, and boutonniére for the wedding. A videographer from the school, Jay Ko, joined in to film the ceremony.
From there, we picked up several of my favorite vendors- Alex Medvick (of Lady of the Lake and Tardis shoots fame) was their photographer, and StoryTellers (formerly ZIMM Productions) brought the videography team. Day By Day, Inc, created cupcakes to complement the cake and macaroons that Nutmeg brought.
CAKE. Need I say more?
My favorite bartending team, Kema and Lauren, were fantastic. They created three signature drinks- The Bearded Lady, The Ringleader and The Acrobat. We chose three different kinds of food- bibimbap from Seorabol, American BBQ from Deke's, and sushi from Whole Foods.
When it came to attire, we were in a bit of a jam. Most of the budget was going in different (more fun) directions, so I sent Will over to The Black Tux to see if he could find a stylish outfit that also would hold up to twisting and sliding on a rope. Thanks to the folks over there, he did- and at an extremely reasonable price.
And he made it look good.
Melissia's outfit was slightly more challenging, but the moment I realized where her head was at style-wise, I took her straight to BHLDN to try on one of their skirts. Seriously, if it wasn't white and pricey for a normal skirt, I'd own one. It's so floaty and pretty! She snagged a gold top to pair with it. The outfit went right over her performance outfit, designed and made by the Queen of Ruffles.
And now, on to the show. Literally.
The ceremony was designed to be a true performance. All of the performers came from Airplay Entertainment, and most of them are friends with the bride and groom. First came a duo trapeze act called "Catching and Falling",
followed by a duo ground acrobatic performance.
After Melissia and Will said their vows, they needed a little time to change and prep, so a professor friend came up and did a lecture on Oxytocin, the chemical in the brain associated with love. Melissia's a physician's assistant, and Will's a medical researcher at Drexel University, so this little lecture fit their personalities perfectly.
And then they did their first dance. I can't describe it, so here it is!
Once the performance was done, we launched into cocktail hour. To distract from the massive move my team was doing, we had an incredible number of performers. An aerialist pouring wine (Dionysus would be proud, I think). A magician of such a level that the owner of Airplay is impressed. A tight-rope walking station. A learn-to-juggle station. A fire dancer. When the circus comes to town, they don't play around!
After dinner, a friend of the couple- Luna- popped out with a table and did a contortion act.
Post-performance, Chris Ward (The Other Wedding DJ) turned the party up for a bit, and then down to make it more of a lounge feel. There was a table full of board games, too. Melissia and Will aren't big dancers, so this was a great way for them to end the evening.
To complete the circus feel, we added touches throughout the day to complete the overgrown circus feel. People were welcomed at the door with popcorn and cotton candy. They created a runner of Catana Comics to go down the center of the table. We also had the Barnum Animal Crackers as favors!
And now that I've rambled on (SO MANY VENDORS), here's a ton of pretty pictures!
Melissia and Will, thank you so much for trusting us with your exceptional wedding. From all of us here at Events By Merida, we wish you all of the best in your lives together, and we love you!
Merida