This Classic Center City Wedding at The Lucy Had a Tropical Twist

Steve Schneider and Bryan Wood took portraits in Center City and were wed at The Lucy. Photo by Love Me Do Photography

Center City weddings are perfect because of their prime location, and the opening of Cescaphe’s The Lucy in 2019 expanded the neighborhood’s venue offerings. One local couple threw their big day at The Lucy, and they brought a tropical spin to the glamorous 19th century-inspired space on Broad Street, with its gilded chandeliers, chevron wood floors and mezzanine. See highlights from the celebration, photographed by Love Me Do, below.

Though Steve Schneider and Bryan Wood first met at a Stonewall Sports kickball game, more serious interaction was benched until a serendipitous Tinder swipe a year later. At their first date at Catelli Duo, an Italian restaurant in Jersey’s Voorhees Township, one drink quickly turned into three. The conversation? Effortless. The attraction: mutual.

One year after that, Steve sent Bryan on an Amazing Race-themed adventure through Philadelphia. The trail led Bryan to sentimental spots like the couple’s favorite dog park and the LOVE statue, where three of Bryan’s childhood friends were waiting with the final clue. It read: “The halfway point between our past and our future, named after the person who helped write the Declaration of Independence.” When Bryan reached the Ben Franklin Bridge, he found Steve standing in the middle with a ring.

“I immediately began crying,” Bryan remembers. “Then I said yes to the easiest question I have ever been asked.”

At their spring wedding at The Lucy (Cescaphe’s first venue in Center City, by the way), a friend read a passage from Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark case in which the Supreme Court deemed state bans on gay marriage unconstitutional. The 240 attendees then raised toasts with rosé cocktails named after the amendment that paved the way for same-sex unions in the first place. Each groom was escorted down the aisle by his mother. 

Featuring the Philly skyline on their save-the-date was a no-brainer for the couple. “This is where we met, where we got engaged and where we now live,” Bryan says. Their formal invitations nodded to the reception’s geometric detailing and neutral color scheme. 

The couple brought a playful touch to their formal venue with protea and monstera. A balloon installation created by Papertini’s Jackie Burke was a popular spot for selfies. Dinner tables were numbered in script on clear acrylic signs. At some tables, hexagonal glass jars served as temporary terrariums. An ice sculpture of local skyscrapers anchored a selection of cannoli, fruit tarts, éclairs and other sweet treats. Steve and Bryan designed their vanilla chocolate chip wedding cake themselves.

Guests slipped well-wishes into a card box custom-made to resemble the couple’s Graduate Hospital rowhouse, and the grooms slipped into something a little more festive — matching white tuxedo jackets from Damari Savile — before their first dance to “Is That Alright?” by Lady Gaga. “Subtle differences in their jackets — like a shawl lapel for Bryan and a peak for Steve — helped the grooms stand out while complementing each other perfectly,” says Alyssa DiMarcantonio Scheier, the Damari Savile designer who created the couple’s wedding-day looks.

Officially Mr. and Mr., the newlyweds jetted off to Thailand for their honeymoon the next day.

The Details
Photography & Videography: Love Me Do | Venue: The Lucy | Event Coordination, Catering & Cake: Cescaphe | Florals & Balloons: Papertini | Lighting: Beautiful Blooms Events | Tuxedos: Damari Savile | Makeup: Seth Barton-Roberts | Music: SCE Event Group | Invitations: The Paper Trail | Save-the-Dates: Minted | Card Box: Mulberry Lane Folk Art

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