A Gay Goth Wedding at the German Society of Pennsylvania
Y’all are always looking for weddings that feel real, authentic, and different; well you don’t have to look any further than this gay goth wedding for some inspiration. Of course, you don’t need to steal the theme itself for your wedding, but you can take lessons from this couple to inspire your wedding planning. Brett and Ed knew they wanted their day to focus on who they are individually and together, and provide the best atmosphere they could for their guests. Every detail was intentional from the venue choice to their attire.
The venue: German Society of Pennsylvania
Located in the Northern Liberties neighborhood of Philadelphia, this location is the oldest German culture organization in the United States that operates as a non-profit. The venue offers multiple rooms that can be rented for your event, is accessible with elevator access on all levels of the building, and they offer transparent pricing on their website. This space is truly a “build your own event” space as rentals are by the day, but you need to bring in your own catering company, vendors, and decor. However, along with your rental, you get access to the building, private parking lot, kitchen, restrooms, furniture that is in the space, and a supervisory event chaperone. While this wedding mainly used the library and auditorium, there is also a Rathskeller (basement) and the Leidy Terrace which is a great outdoor space.
For this wedding to run efficiently, the couple hired Wayside Market as their caterer, as well as Swig Events who offers staffing, coordination, and bartending. Having staffing and coordination is always a great addition so clients can have somebody else in charge of decorating, timing, and coordinating schedules on the day of which allows them to be more present with their loved ones.
The day
I have to admit, I love when couples get ready together, and that’s just what this couple decided to do. Brett and Ed, along with their wedding party and some immediate family members gathered in the venue with a catered breakfast spread (including NA mimosas and Liquid Death) to begin hair and makeup, prepare final touches on their attire, and just start enjoying the day together. There was no grand reveal or formal first looks, and no overly staged photos, they just wanted to remember their day as it was, filled with joy and love, and allowing people to be present.
There was no shortage of attention to detail when it came to their attire: each of their outfits and accessories held meaning to them whether it was from family or something that was just incredibly affirming for them. Brett had a custom tunic made by Joe Taylor over in Europe, along with specific shoes to compliment his outfit. His now mother in law also helped to add lace from his grandmother’s dress to the sleeves and neck line. Ed crafted their attire with a custom kilt, added a suit jacket from Jos A. Bank, and even had a custom chain metal bolo tie made. Each of them also incorporated heirloom family jewelry to complete their looks. There are no rules for crafting your wedding day look other than to look amazing while feeling like your best self.
(If you’re interested in ideas on how to customize your wedding link, be sure to check out my previous blog post).
Like many couples, they chose to have wedding party and family formals done before the ceremony so during the party…they could party!
The Joseph Horner Library lens itself to some amazing photos with the grandeur of bookcases and galleries, surrounded by busts of famous Germans and German - American’s. The library also has many antique wooden tables and chairs that lend itself perfectly to the overall aesthetic of this incredible and historic room. Ceremonies can also be hosted in the library (up to 150 people), however, one thing to think about is moving your guests from the entrance of the venue, up to the library for ceremony, and back down to the auditorium for reception. For this wedding, we used the library for family and wedding party formals, as well as some individual and couples portraits.
The wedding ceremony took place on the stage of the Barthelmes Auditorium where guests could sit at their reception tables and watch with a clear view. They had a close friend officiate the wedding before exchanging personal vows that were incredibly heartwarming. As soon as they processed, guests were invited to mill about for cocktail hour in the same space. Their reception was filled with laughter, tears, moving stories of the incredible people they are, and lots and lots of dancing - clearly inspired by their love of live music and concerts. EBE provided plenty of uplighting to transform the space into what seemed more like a concert venue. Their cake from Dandelion (known for “different” designs) incredibly unique and detailed which even included real fruit.
I hope if you take anything from this wedding, it’s that your wedding should undoubtedly be a celebration of you: you don’t have to follow any industry rules you don’t want to. Your spaces can transform in so many different ways to fit your aesthetic, and if you feel completely welcomed as yourselves, your day will be amazing.
Vendors
Photography: Rylan Lott Photography / IG
Coordination/Staffing: Carly at Swig Events / IG
Venue: German Society of Pennsylvania / IG
DJ/MC: EBE / IG / Frankie as MC
Catering: Wayside Market / IG
Hair/makeup: Danielle Lambersky / Rachel Martin / Devon Mikel
Cake: Dandelion Bakes
Attire: Brett’s custom tunic by Joe Taylor (jmtaylorensemble) / acnestudios / Gucci / All Saints / Jos A. Bank / Macy’s / custom kilt