Attention all lovers of fairy tale brides, Leilah + Jason’s “Wow Factor” themed wedding is the fairy godmother of all weddings! Century old Cathedral church complete with stained glass windows and marble decor…bubbles and 12 doves released as the bride and groom walked out of the church (seriously!!!)…a reception at the Cescaphe Ballroom in Northern Liberties in Philadelphia…and wait, here is the best part: TWO Lazaro wedding gowns. Sparkling, glamorous and full of grandeur – and they lived happily ever after…Enjoy!
Leilah + Jason | September 1, 2012 | Philadelphia, PA
The Ceremony
Our ceremony was held at Saint Rita of Cascia Catholic Church on Broad Street in South Philadelphia. The cathedral church is over 100 years old with beautiful stained glass windows and gorgeous marble decor. The life of the15th Century Saint (from Cascia, Italy) obviously inspires and attracts all the worshipers and visitors to her Shrine. We had the Fairmount String Quartet play during our ceremony. Their music was so beautiful and heartfelt and really set the mood for our fairytale wedding. We also had 12 doves released after the ceremony was finished as Jason and I exited the church walking down the stairs outside. It was one of the best moments of my life seeing all my family and friends blowing bubbles and cheering for us and seeing these amazing doves released. All I can say is, it was breathtaking.
The Reception
Our reception took place at the Cescaphe Ballroom in Northern Liberties in Philadelphia. If I could describe our reception in two words it would be “Wow Factor!!” This over the top wedding venue features a warm and inviting lounge area with a 35-foot-long bar, an outside brick courtyard with bar and hibachi grill, a separate hors d’oeuvres and cocktail room, and a grand ballroom that features a 30-foot-high bar, elegant chandeliers and a grand entrance staircase leading from the cocktail area. My guests are still talking about how it was by far, the best wedding they have ever been to in there lives and how amazing the food was. I’ve never eaten so much lobster tail in my life!
Leilah’s Dress Search
I fell in love with Lazaro when I first started looking at wedding dresses. His creativity combined with how formal his gowns were, absolutely won me over from day one. I had it in mind from the beginning that I was going to pick a tulle ball gown. I was having a fairytale wedding and that’s what the princess was supposed to wear. However, things came to a halt when I tried on a second Lazaro gown and fell in love with it. It was not a ball gown at all but a tight, form fitting trumpet gown that had the most intricate beading on the bodice. It reminded me of old time Hollywood. It was stunning. I struggled for weeks over which dress to pick and finally I decided that I needed them both. They both described the two different sides of my personality. I wore the first for the ceremony and the beginning of the reception (cocktail hour) and I changed into the second gown when we were introduced into the ballroom as Mr. and Mrs. I stayed in the second gown for the remainder of the night and boy was I glad I made that decision. It really was a dream come true.
How Leilah Felt in Her Wedding Dress(es)
The three words that best describe how I felt in my wedding dresses are “Fairytale Princess Bride” because that’s how I felt. I was speechless when I wore those gowns and felt absolutely gorgeous. I wouldn’t have changed one thing. Having the two gowns and changing during the reception really added to the “wow factor” concept of my wedding. Guests were so surprised. It added to the grandeur of the event and because my second dress was just as formal as the first it wasn’t tacky or more casual at all.
Why Leilah Decided To Sell Her Wedding Dresses
From day one, my husband and I thought we were going to do a trash the dress photo shoot, probably with my first dress (the tulle ball gown). After I wore those gowns I changed my mind though. I couldn’t bear to destroy them. I wanted another lucky bride to feel as flawless as I did in them. Everyone deserves to have that feeling, especially on their wedding day, and to ruin that breath-taking gown for a photo shoot would have been a crime. I decided to sell my gowns for that reason.
