We Are Absolutely Swooning Over This Ethereal Floral Installation

The colorful hanging installation at Isher Gill and Eric Au’s Glen Foerd wedding was enchanting. Photography by John Barone (main); additional details by Carly Landolt

There are floral installations, and then there are floral installations. And here in Philly, there are plenty of florists with a skill for such designs. What else we’re seeing right now: Baby’s breath taking over some recent weddings, like one Lake House Inn celebration — and the Glen Foerd wedding you see here. The colorful poofs of florals (not just baby’s breath) added magic and whimsy to this summertime event. John Barone (the couple’s main photographer) and Carly Landolt (the detail and decor photographer) snapped the blooms — and beyond. Fall in love with all of them below.

For most couples, the upheaval of planning a COVID-era wedding is unbearably stressful. But London-born Isher Gill and Ambler’s Eric Au were used to high-pressure situations. After all, they met during their first (infamously tough) year of law school, back in 2013. The Temple students bonded during study sessions and started dating before the term came to a close.

Four years later, Eric proposed in Rittenhouse Square, and the couple, now both attorneys, began preparing for their wedding. Then came the aforementioned COVID upheaval, with postponement (their initial date, June 13, 2020, was moved to July 3, 2021) and guest-list cutting (they went from 200 attendees to 140; most of Isher’s family lives internationally and couldn’t travel).

Isher’s sangeet, a traditional Indian pre-wedding celebration, was canceled as well, though she plans to reschedule. Despite all of this, the pair remained upbeat. Says Eric, “If it’s out of your control, let it go.”

Their Big Day — an enchanting affair at Glen Foerd, a historic estate perched on the banks of the Delaware River in Northeast Philly — captured this energy and optimism.

The speeches were memorable. (“The whole room was laughing and crying,” says Eric. “A healthy roast is always fun.”) Eric and Isher still hadn’t nailed their first-dance choreography by the Big Day. But when they took the floor to “Dancing in the Moonlight” by King Harvest, they pulled it off.

The decor was a heady mix of grandeur and whimsy. For the seating chart, guests’ names were handwritten on mirrors affixed to a greenery wall. A neon sign bearing the bride’s and groom’s names hung over the bar. 

And Belovely Floral Co.’s ethereal pink, purple and green installation, made with 1,780 stems of flowers (tinted baby’s breath, white and tinted hydrangeas, dyed-pink limonium and dyed-pink-and-purple plumosa, among other blooms), seemed to dance above the reception’s head table.

“I was shocked when I walked into the spaces,” says Isher. The end result of a year of planning and waiting and finally saying “I do” was, well, magic.

THE DETAILS
Photographers: John Barone (main); Carly Landolt (additional details) | Venue: Glen Foerd | Planning/Design: Sara Murray of Confetti & Co. (event designer); Grace Mycek of Jamie Hollander Gourmet Foods & Catering (day-of planner) | Florals: Belovely Floral Co. | Catering: Jamie Hollander Gourmet Foods & Catering | Bride’s Gown: Liz Martinez from Spina Bride | Bridesmaids’ Attire: Amsale from Brideside | Hair & Makeup: Aleksandra Ambrozy Makeup & Hair | Groom’s Attire: Canali from Boyds Philadelphia | Entertainment: Jellyroll of BVT Live | Cake: Bredenbeck’s Bakery | Invitations: Minted | Calligraphy: Charlie Whiskey Design | Videography: Pat Taggart of Tag Visual | Officiant: David Murphy | Mobile Bar: The Roving Bar

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