Un Mariage de Centre Élégant de La ville

Laurie & Chris
November 10, 2007
Sofitel Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Web Site

The Sofitel Philadelphia hotel blends French elegance with American style - providing a refined environment for upscale weddings. This sophisticated downtown Philadelphia hotel serves as the cornerstone of the new French Quarter, just steps from Rittenhouse Square, the Convention Center and nearly all of Philadelphia's most historical attractions.

Beginning with a fantastically beautiful ceremony in the Sofitel's Paris Ballroom, Laurie and Chris' wedding day was a day of splendor. The contemporary look and feel of the ballroom naturally lent itself to a truly elegant affair.

A string quartet provided the music as the ceremony took place, followed by a decadent cocktail hour set to the classical music emanating from the skilled musicians.

After the guests were invited back into the transformed ballroom, Laurie and Chris' bridal party entered the room, standing by the edge of the floor as the new bride and groom shared in their choreographed first dance.

Immediately following the bride and groom's first dance, the friends and family filled the floor for the second half of the newlyweds' dance, a cha-cha set to Michael Buble's song "Everything".

After dinner, Laurie and Chris elected to share in a uniquely French tradition. Instead of cutting the cake, they decided to "crack the croquembouche". A croquembouche is a French dessert, a kind of pièce montée often served at weddings. It is a high cone of profiteroles (choux filled with pastry cream) bound with caramel, and usually decorated with threads of caramel, sugared almonds, chocolate, flowers, or ribbons.

Instead of using a knife to cut the dessert, they used a bottle of champagne to smash the top of the pyramid, allowing both the bride and groom to pluck one of the profiteroles from the stack to feed one another. It is a very entertaining site to see and it's one you will only see at a French facility like the Sofitel Philadelphia.

I must mention, the banquet staff at the Sofitel Philadelphia is in a league with the finest facilities around, rivaled only (in my opinion) by the Hotel du Pont. Their impeccable attention to the flawless presentation of a wedding celebration is not remotely common. I greatly look forward to my next opportunity to provide wedding entertainment direction at this exquisite location!

Congratulations, Laurie and Chris!

Click here to see some photos from their event!

Agenda

6:00 PM-6:25 PM Ceremony

6:30 PM-7:25 PM Cocktail Hour

7:30 PM Grand Entrance
Parents: "The Love Boat" by Paul Williams & Charles Fox
Bridal Party: "SexyBack (Pokerface Remix)" by Justin Timberlake
Bride & Groom: "You Shook Me All Night Long" by AC/DC

7:30 PM First Dance
"You And I" by Michael Bublé

7:40 PM Toasts

7:55 PM-9:30 PM Dinner

8:20 PM Bride & Father Dance
"Somewhere Over The Rainbow/What A Wonderful World" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

8:25 PM Groom & Mother Dance
"In My Life" by The Beatles

8:30 PM-9:00 PM Open Dancing

9:55 PM Cracking Of The Croquembouche
"Born To Be My Baby" by Bon Jovi

9:35 PM-11:30 PM Open Dancing

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Laurie & Chris' comments about their wedding entertainment: "Steve was probably the most fantastic entertainer I have ever heard at any event. He was fun, energetic and made a point to make sure everyone had a great time. My goal was to have a fun party and I think Steve was a big part of that. Thanks so much!"