Vintage Elopement-Style Philadelphia Wedding by Adachi Photography: Amber + Louie

Amber and Louie are certainly not your average traditional couple. Knowing that they definitely didn’t want a “150-guests type” of wedding, they set out to create exactly what they wanted: a romantic, elopement-style wedding with only their parents & siblings, and several details of vintage glam. Quirky, artistic venue? Check! Vintage dress? Check! DIY minimalism? Check! Simplicity and intimacy? Check! And the real deal – a love for the ages? Definitely check! Thankfully, Adachi Pimentel of Adachi Photography was there to catch every single moment.

Bride: Amber Massaquoi
Groom: Louie Massaquoi
Occupations: Accountant | Project Scheduler
Wedding Date: 10.20.2012
Location: Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens

From Meeting to “I Do” ….. “We met in college on my birthday; it was friendship at first sight. After dating for a year, he’d proposed while we were still in college. I answered his question with a question, “Do you know what marriage is and what it requires? Now is too soon.” We continued to date and cohabit, becoming parents the fourth year of our relationship. After growing up together and transitioning into a family, we just knew our union was ready to be sealed by God. His official proposal was a heartfelt “I can’t live without you, please say you’ll spend the rest of your life with me.””

Planning an Intimate Wedding ….. “In a city where lavish weddings are the rule of thumb, we sought out a celebration of our union that reflected our mutual character and put the focus completely on the love we have for each other, our family, and urban Philly. We chose back-to-basic features for our wedding, keeping it laid-back & intimate. Our venue, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (casual and completely non-traditional, like us), a beautiful outdoor courtyard museum of mosaic artwork by local artist, Isaiah Zagar, was the one detail of our wedding we refused to compromise in the planning process. We’ve loved visiting South Street (where the Magic Gardens is located) on many occasions during the course of dating and wanted a fun, unusual backdrop for our vows, one we’d be able to marvel over for years to come, knowing Adachi would be our photographer. A lover of vintage classics and funky, modern designs, it wasn’t easy for me to match my tastes to just any bridal gown. I wanted my dress to be short with a good amount of retro charm without being trendy. I wanted timeless. I found the dress I was looking for two days into a vintage boutique/consignment shopping hunt just blocks from our venue. I chose my mother’s favorite color, navy blue, as an accent to compliment the colorful hues of the Magic Gardens for a chic and classy finish in our photographs. A DIY-minimalist a t heart, on the day of our wedding, I styled my own hair and made my own flowers as well as Louie’s boutonnière. Our reception, was held at the Love Lounge in Miss Tootsie’s Restaurant Bar and Lounge.” 

Most Standout Moment ….. “Vendors, shoppers, tourists, and passersby wishing us a long life together and offering compliments to our look, was one of our favorite memories of our wedding day. It’s not everyday you see a bride and groom strolling hand-in-hand on South Street.”

{You Make Loving You So Easy}

He loves ….. “He loves my loyalty to our friendship and my willingness to do whatever it takes to please him.”

She loves ….. “Aside from him being a man of his word who always keeps his promises, I love that he is so much fun to be around. He can always make me laugh or get me excited when I am, otherwise, calm and laid-back. I’ve always been in love with his zest for life and spirit for taking advantage of exciting opportunities.”

Vendors

• Venue-Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
• Reception Dinner Location- Love Lounge at Miss Tootsie’s RBL
• Dress-Philly AIDS Thrift
• Bride’s Shoes-Neiman Marcus
• Groom’s Suit/Tie-Burberry
• Makeup-C. Perez of Bobbi Brown
• Photography- Adachi Pimentel of Adachi Photography
• Rings-Bario Neal