A Whimsical Mid-Century Garden Party Wedding at the Maas Building
The couple posed with the February 2023 issue of Philly Mag because the groom really loves ... hoagies.
Emily Saffron donned a vintage dress from the late ’30s or early ’40s. Evan Wickersham carried … the February 2023 issue of Philly Mag, because he loves hoagies. The photographer also thought the cover fit the day’s retro vibes and used it as a prop. / Photography by Jackson Grant Weddings
Ask Emily Saffron and Evan Wickersham to describe their April 2023 union, photographed by Jackson Grant Weddings, and they’ll say it was a “mid-century spring garden party.” It was also the culmination of a 10-month engagement preceded by a two-and-a-half-year relationship.
The pair met on social media in January 2020, and the chemistry was immediate. “We knew pretty early on we wanted to spend forever together,” Emily, an inventory and operations specialist at Fishtown’s Emily Chelsea Jewelry, says. “About six months into dating, we went ring-shopping.”
Emily and Evan, a copywriter, live in Pennsport, and their celebration at the Maas Building — an industrial arts-and-culture space and event venue in Kensington — was full of retro charm and sentimental touches.
The unplugged nuptials allowed guests to focus on the big moment free from digital distractions.
The couple wanted their courtyard reception to feel “not too casual, not too fussy, not too traditional,” says Emily.
The signature cocktails (Tuna’s Tonic and Ace-d Tea) incorporated their cats’ names. In lieu of a bridal party, their dads gave speeches during dinner; the reception playlist was composed of disco tunes from the 1970s, punk rock tracks from the ’90s, and club music from the early 2000s. They also had a cookie table — a Western Pennsylvania tradition in honor of Emily’s upbringing. “Family members bake cookies for the newlyweds,” she says. “They’re served with dessert, and guests take them home as favors.”
An eclectic mix of vintage and modern plates served as place settings, including Dapper Animal-style plates from West Elm. The couple’s table numbers resembled Pantone color cards, and in a playful touch, repurposed children’s animal figurines served as escort-card holders.
Spring arrangements of butterfly ranunculus, anemones, tulips, foxgloves and more blooms were placed throughout the venue.
For the bride’s bouquet, florist Jackie Small sourced blooms from the Philadelphia Floral Guild. “She absolutely nailed the ‘I grabbed wildflowers out of a sprawling field’ look I wanted,” Emily says.
THE DETAILS
Photographer: Jackson Grant Weddings | Venue: Maas Building | Day-of Coordination, Floral Design & Invitations: Jackie Small (flowers sourced from Philadelphia Floral Guild) | Catering: Pera Turkish Cuisine | Doughnuts: Federal Donuts | Suit: Indochino | Wedding Bands: Emily Chelsea Jewelry (bride); Hephaestus Rings (groom) | Hair: Kay Walborn at Barnet Fair | Makeup: Mariel LaBouliere | Officiant: David Bova (Emily’s godfather)
Published as “Emily & Evan” in the Summer/Fall 2024 issue of Philadelphia Wedding.
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