An Artsy La Peg Wedding Filled With Wildflowers and Smudge Sticks
She's a buyer for Urban Outfitters, he's the co-founder of an art collective, and the day is just as stylish as you'd think.
Photography by Love Me Do
What do you get when a co-founder of the Space 1026 art collective weds a buyer for Urban Outfitters’ home department? An artsy exchange of vows among wildflowers and smudge sticks in Old City, that’s what. Captured by Love Me Do, this summery La Peg wedding is further proof that URBN employees know how to pull off an effortlessly stylish celebration.
Caroline Cunningham wasn’t exactly warm and fuzzy when a friend interrupted her crossword puzzle to introduce her to Max Lawrence in Rittenhouse Square, but that didn’t matter. “She was standoffish to me, and that’s what attracted me to her the most,” Max, a co-founder of the Space 1026 art collective, says.
The Queen Village-based pair were friends first, with a romantic relationship unfolding organically as they explored the city together, meal by meal. (Burgers were a particular favorite.) Deciding to spend forever together, however, happened on a quiet night of dining in: Vacationing on Portugal’s Algarve coast, the two headed back to their rental after picking up a simple meal of fruit, cheese and bread at a local grocer. “After setting out our dinner, I looked up, and Max was down on one knee,” remembers Caroline, a buyer for Urban Outfitters’ home department. “The rest is history!”
Eleven months later, the duo wed in an art-inspired celebration on a clear summer day. Photos of the groom’s parents, who had passed away within weeks of each other a month earlier, were on display throughout the reception space, as were single peony blooms in simple glass jars. (The pair just caught the tail end of the growing season.)
Come dinner, the wall separating La Peg and the FringeArts theater opened to reveal long dining tables tucked underneath a dramatic overhead trellis of elaeagnus vines and cafe lights. Guests dined family-style on New York strip steak and grilled salmon at simply adorned tables. Locally foraged smudge sticks made with mugwort and sage were given out as favors later on, and the couple commissioned their cake topper from Philly miniaturist Mackenzie McAlpin. (The two flowers in Caroline’s bag represent Max’s parents.)
A minor crisis — Caroline’s wedding band fell out of the best man’s pocket right before the ceremony — wasn’t enough to keep the joy and merriment from moving forward, and luckily, a guest later found the band outside.
“Max ended up proposing with it again that night!” Caroline says. “It was the perfect way to end the evening.”
THE DETAILS
The Venue & Catering: La Peg at FringeArts | Photography: Love Me Do | Florals & Event Design: Matthew Muscarella for Terrain | Event Coordinator: Philly DIY Wedding | Bride’s Gown: Anna Maier | Hair & Makeup: Stephanie Kaczmarski of Bobby Mack & Co. | Groom’s Attire: The Suit Store | Rings: Bario Neal | Cake: Nutmeg Cake Design | Music & Entertainment: Philly Music Lab (ceremony); The Bachelor Boys Band (reception) | Transportation: Philadelphia Sightseeing Tours & Transportation | Favors: Volva Botanica | Chairs, Flatware & Linens: Party Rental Ltd. | Invitations: Design by Philly DIY Wedding; Printed by Casa Papel
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