Weddings can be full of distractions. If you want to focus on your family and friends over decor and other details, a restaurant wedding can be the perfect way to go. In February, I got to photograph Jess and Peter’s beautiful Royal Boucherie wedding. Their intimate celebration featured handcrafted details and incredible food with their favorite people.

A Royal Boucherie Wedding

A Royal Boucherie wedding is Old City elegance come to life. Deep blues and dark woods fill the private dining room. Tall windows fill the room with inviting light during the daytime. You could spend ages just wandering around looking at the carefully curated details. 

There are multiple spaces available for use for weddings at Royal Boucherie. Jess and Peter held their ceremony and reception in the Parlour Room, the restaurant’s private dining room. In warmer weather, you can hold your ceremony or cocktail hour on the Garden Patio. Lush ferns and hanging plants fill this narrow covered patio. It has more of a garden aesthetic than the rest of the restaurant.

A Royal Boucherie wedding is ideal for smaller celebrations like Jess and Peter’s. The Garden Patio has capacity for 25 guests seated, and the Parlour Room has capacity for 40 guests seated. That’s perfect if you’re hoping to spend time with all of your guests on your wedding day. Costs start at $5,000 for a private space or $16,000 for a restaurant buyout. 

When you plan a Royal Boucherie wedding, you get to plan an Old City celebration. The restaurant itself is located on South 2nd Street between Chestnut and Market. It’s just steps from countless hotels, museums, squares, and restaurants. Your guests could happily spend an entire weekend without ever leaving the neighborhood.

A Wintery Brunch Celebration

Before heading to Royal Boucherie, Peter and Jess chose to do portraits in Old City. There are so many stunning spots in the neighborhood that the possibilities feel endless. Even in the middle of winter, the gardens and historic buildings create amazing backdrops. In Old City, you can focus on connecting with your people on your wedding day. The aesthetics are already taken care of for you.

We headed to Royal Boucherie for Jess and Peter’s wedding ceremony. The patio isn’t the warmest option in the winter, so Jess and Peter had their ceremony in the private dining room in front of the fireplace. They included their parents in their unity ceremony. You could feel how moved everyone was.

Since Jess and Peter opted for a morning Royal Boucherie wedding, their guests enjoyed a three-course brunch. The menu highlighted the foods that the restaurant is most loved for: cozy French-inspired cuisine. Guests couldn’t get enough of the food or the amazing wine and cocktails served at the gorgeous wood bar.

Jess brought an extra special touch to this wedding by making her own wedding dress. I love to sew, so I’m always excited to connect with marriers who are willing to put so much care into a one-of-a-kind piece like this. Jess’s dress design was classic. It worked well in the elegant setting of Royal Boucherie.

A Nontraditional Approach to a Wedding

One of the things that made Jess and Peter’s Royal Boucherie wedding so special was that it was the first of two parties they held. An August reception at the Duportail House followed this February brunch. It gave Jess and Peter the best of both worlds. They got to have a very intimate ceremony and meal with their families. In August, they got to party with everyone else. It’s a perfect example of why you should ditch traditional ideas of what your wedding “should be” and do what you really want.

I really enjoyed seeing everyone for the second reception in August, too! They’d had time to look at the photos from February, and we got to reminisce about the first, more intimate celebration. 

As someone who got married at her neighborhood library and held her reception at her favorite restaurant, I’m all for doing your wedding your way. If you want more ideas on how to make your wedding less traditional and more you, check out this blog post.

Are you interested in having me photograph your wedding? I’m a Philadelphia wedding photographer who will document your wedding with photos that feel like you. Inquire with me!