This Classic All-White Wedding Spans Two Philly Art Museums

Photography by Marie Labbancz

Lyndsay Hoy and Vincent Nguyen don’t waste time: After mutual friends introduced them in the summer of 2012 (Lyndsay had moved to the area to do her anesthesiology residency; Vincent was doing his internal medicine residency), the pair promptly started dating, and just two years later, Vincent was primed to propose. Not one for an extravagant gesture (“I had told him in the past that I didn’t want a big, public proposal,” says Lyndsay), the groom popped the question in their kitchen before they headed to dinner at Barclay Prime. After, they gathered with friends—Vincent had tipped them off beforehand—for apple pie and champagne. 

Both physicians with grueling schedules, the pair knew efficiency was key to pulling o their vision—as was allotting themselves 18 months to plan. With Vincent hailing from Oklahoma and Lyndsay from Illinois, it didn’t seem fair to choose one hometown over the other, so the two agreed on Philadelphia.

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They enlisted event planner Gina Sole to coordinate all the details (“My dad actually found her online,” laughs Lyndsay) and sleuth out a location that would be a unique destination for out-of-town guests. After a friend suggested the Rodin Museum, Lyndsay was immediately enamored of its dramatic architecture and French landscaping—but then met with sour news: It only accommodated 60 for a seated dinner. Lyndsay toured another Philadelphia Museum of Art property, and a new vision fell into place: The couple would have their ceremony at the Rodin, then shuttle the 137 guests to the nearby Perelman Building, where the reception and festivities (like traditional taiko drummers) would follow.

After surveying table blueprints for the Perelman Building, the couple chose a single table that seated 137 guests. It was outfitted with custom mirrored tabletops, a oral hedge and candelabras, with vases of orchids interspersed throughout. The couple enlisted Two Paperdolls to emblazon their invites with a muted image of the Rodin, wrapping them in gold twine. They also eschewed traditional wedding cake, opt- ing for a croquembouche served alongside Key lime tarts, lavender shortbread, dulce sea salt tarts and strawberry pavlovas. In keeping with the color scheme, Lyndsay zeroed in on lavender gowns in two styles for her four bridesmaids.

Design firm Evantine festooned the Rodin entryway where the ceremony took place with garlands of white flowers. Lyndsay, a longtime admirer of Carolina Herrera, says there was no question whose wedding gown she’d wear—but she was torn between two contenders: a sleeveless lace-and-silk variety with a dramatic train, and a streamlined lace confection with a plunging V neck. The former proved ideal for the ceremony; she donned the latter for the reception.

For the ceremony, the bride and groom knew they wanted to celebrate an honest depiction of marriage—a partnership capable of combating all sorts of adversity. Together, they pulled passages (including one from the New York Times’s Modern Love column “The Wedding Toast I’ll Never Give”) that family members and their officiant read aloud. “We’ve been through a lot,” says Lyndsay. “We wanted it to be a realistic depiction of who we are and what we believe in.”

VENDORS
Venue: The Rodin Museum and Perelman Building of the Philadelphia Museum of Art | Photography: Marie Labbancz | Event Planner: Gina Sole | Catering & Dessert: Starr Catering Group | Florals & Decor: Evantine Design and Nicol Floral Design (flower wall) | Bride’s Attire: Carolina Herrera | Makeup: Beke Beau | Hair: Flawless Finish Artistry | Bridesmaid Dresses: Joanna August | Groom’s Attire: Indochino | Stationery: Two Paperdolls (Invitations); LoveLeigh (Save-the-Dates) | Music: Jellyroll | Transportation: Trolley Works

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