ELEVATE: A Philadelphia Luxury Wedding Summit
Philadelphia is known for many things: its rich history, its dedicated sports fans, its cheese-and-steak-oriented cuisine, and now, being known as a top-tier destination market for luxury weddings. In recent years, there has been a renaissance of sorts in the Philadelphia events industry. To honor this turning of the tide, “ELEVATE: A Philadelphia Luxury Wedding Summit” welcomed the market’s finest talent for a one-day intensive, filled with networking, learning, and idea-sharing. Brilliantly curated by Caitlin Kuchemba and her team at Fulton Events, and sponsored by media partner PartySlate, the day was filled with inspiration (courtesy of the event’s keynote speaker Josh Spiegel of Birch Event Design), fine dining (courtesy of Constellation Culinary Group), and education (an expert panel comprised of Vanessa Kreckel, Magi Fisher, Robin Ewing, Pamela Rothbard, and Morgan Bedore; moderated by Caitlin Kuchemba). Historic Philadelphia landmark and one of Philadelphia’s top luxury wedding venues of note, the Philadelphia Museum of Art welcomed ELEVATE’s guests, allowing for a preview of their incomparable guest experience…
As the Philadelphia Museum of Art opened its doors for ELEVATE, guests were greeted with coffee from Impresso Coffee (a Philadelphia-based specialty coffee caterer and micro-roastery), and were instantly enthralled by the beauty of the historic venue. To add comfort and even more visual appeal to the allure, Something Vintage Rentals, Vision Furniture Event Rentals, Party Rental Ltd., and Nüage Designs provided furniture and linen rentals respectively. Once everyone was able to enjoy the initial networking and welcoming ambiance, guests made their way to their seats, where they were enchanted by the event design work of House of Catherine, the floral decor of Winsome Floral, coupled with vibrant music from Remixologists, and impeccable lighting and production from Revolution Event Production. Each seat included stationary from the brilliant team at TPD Design House, who were also responsible for the event’s branding. Once everyone was seated, the MC, Artem Lomaz, took the stage (introduction music included of course). Artem’s welcome remarks set the tone for the day, acknowledged all of the creative partners and visions that it took to make ELEVATE a reality, and transitioned to the day’s magnificent keynote speaker, Josh Spiegel, Creative Director of Birch Event Design. After Mr. Spiegel’s enthralling presentation and Q&A, the programmed transitioned to a panel discussion, with each participant taking the stage via personalized introductions. The panel discussion was moderated by the incomparable Caitlin Kuchemba.
Panelists
Vanessa Kreckel: Founder and Creative Director of TPD Design House; a design and creative agency with a global footprint and has been recognized by Vogue, and Martha Stewart Weddings, and Communications Arts!
Magi Fisher: A licensed lawyer (founder of The Artists’ Lawyer) and photographer (founder of Magdelena Studios)! Magi captures weddings and exotic locations, and provides legal counsel for entrepreneurs.
Robin Ewing: Director of Event Sales and Group Services at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center. Robin’s career spans various luxury properties as a director of catering and wedding specialist.
Pamela Rothbard: Editorial Director at PartySlate. Pamela oversees the direction, elevated tone, and production for PartySlate’s content.
Morgan Bedore: Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Creative Development at Elior North America – a contract foodservice company redefining culinary management across the country! Morgan oversees the marketing operations for the company’s dining and attraction brands, including Constellation Culinary Group!
The panel discussion included invaluable advice and exclusive insight for the day’s attendees, and concluded the educational portion of the day. Subsequently, guests were welcomed upstairs – a transition that was marvelously enhanced via music from The Mini Q’s of Addison Artists, for lunch, provided by the renowned Constellation Culinary Group! The day’s festivities were beautifully captured by Afrik Armando and Solidity Films, via photography and cinematography, respectively.
After dining, taking in dessert by Nutmeg Cake Design and cocktails via 13th Street Cocktails, and taking in a private tours of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, guests were picked up by Ace Limousine Service to facilitate the transition to happy hour. Upon arriving at the Four Seasons Philadelphia, everyone made their way, via the waterfall-enclosed staircase, to Jean-Georges for happy hour. Needless to say, ELEVATE: A Philadelphia Luxury Wedding Summit was a day to not only not be forgotten, but celebrated and marked as the event that sparked the Philadelphia luxury wedding renaissance!
