Wedding Spotlight: Meet the Pedens
When someone who’s coordinated over 50 weddings plans her own, you know it’s going to be good – and Alex and Brian’s wedding day at Pen Ryn was nothing short of magic. As our beloved wedding coordinator and operations manager here at Divas, Alex has helped bring so many couples’ dreams to life. But this time, it was her turn to soak in every moment. From the intentional timeline to the personal details tucked throughout the day, Alex approached her own celebration with the same heart, expertise, and eye for detail she brings to every event she touches.
Alex and Brian’s story begins in 2016, at a summer camp run by Just Children. “I was home for the summer,” Alex said, “and that was Brian’s full-time job at the time. My little sisters went there, so Brian actually knew my family before he met me.” Though they stayed loosely connected afterwards, it wasn’t until 2017 that she made the first move – “on Snapchat of all things” – and the two went on their first official date. By January 2018, they were officially a couple – and nearly five years later, Brian popped the question (ironically while she was in the hiring process for Divas!). Since then, Brian, a Bensalem native, and Alex, who proudly claims both South Jersey and Philly roots, have built a life together in Northeast Philly, just a few miles from the venue where they’d eventually say “I do.”
On a brisk winter day during their venue search, something unexpected happened. “Pen Ryn was one of our last tours and very low on our list. We both were counting it out before we even got there, we thought it was too close to home, and I didn’t feel like it was a good area for guests and hotel options.” But the moment they stepped out onto the frozen riverfront grounds, everything shifted. “It was really beautiful. We had an amazing tour and loved everything they had to offer. Overall, we wanted a venue that had a great cocktail hour, and space for our guest list (250!!), and Pen Ryn had both.”
That same sense of ease and confidence they felt during the venue tour carried into the wedding day itself. Alex was determined to truly be present and just unplug – and thanks to meticulous planning, her trusted Divas team, and an arsenal of preferred vendors, she was able to do just that. “I truly wanted to shut my brain off and not have to problem-solve really anything at all,” she said. And she meant it. “If you ask my family, they’ll probably say that I didn’t actually do that, but if you ask the Divas that worked my day, I hope that they say I did.”
Alex spent the morning getting ready with her crew, sipping champagne and staying relaxed (despite a surprise bridge opening that delayed a few of her Jersey girls – classic). Meanwhile, Brian was counting down the minutes to their first look, which turned out to be one of Alex’s favorite parts of the day. “I wasn’t nervous at all through the morning, just excited to get to that point,” she said. “There were so many times I wanted to literally just show him my dress.” That sweet, intimate moment between just the two of them was everything – and made for some of their favorite photos of the day.
The ceremony itself was held inside Pen Ryn and kept incredibly personal: a cousin played violin as guests arrived and during the processional, while another cousin officiated. As their unity ritual, Alex and Brian combined beach sand from their favorite shore spots with a colored sand that matched their wedding palette. The entire setup was warm, meaningful, and uniquely theirs.
Because they chose to do a first look, most of the portraits and family photos were wrapped before the ceremony – freeing them up to actually enjoy the rest of the celebration. “Brian wanted to fully be a part of cocktail hour to enjoy that food,” said Alex, “so I knew we needed to do the majority of our photos before the ceremony.”
The party kicked off with the full cocktail hour that Brian was so determined not to miss. Then once guests made their way into the ballroom, the celebration flowed seamlessly into a seated dinner and a night full of dancing. To accommodate their plans, Alex and Brian opted for a buyout of the venue – which allowed for extra setup time and a full room flip between ceremony and reception. “We wanted everything all in one space,” Alex shared. “And having worked at Pen Ryn, I knew [the buyout] was necessary, especially since I had so much decor, namely candles, to be put up in all the spaces.”
The space had been beautifully transformed – warm, welcoming, and full of personal touches. The energy stayed high all night long, with Alex and Brian right in the middle of it all. A choreographed first dance they had practiced in secret became a highlight of the evening. “I know Brian was nervous about it,” said Alex, “but he knocked it out of the park!”
Another memorable moment came near the end of the evening, when the couple revealed their live wedding painting by Adelle Marcero – something many guests hadn’t even realized was happening in real time. “When we saw the final product, and then she laid it out and our guests got to see it as well, it was amazing,” said Alex. “We loved it and have since gotten it framed and have it hanging – it’s something our guests still ask us about six months later!”
Every detail was thoughtful without feeling overdone. More unique touches like signage and custom cocktail napkins featuring their cats (shoutout to Clementine and Cow!) made the decor truly meaningful. Alex kept the signage simple by design. “I didn’t want a sign for literally everything,” she said. One of her favorite keepsakes is their signature drink sign (courtesy of Alex’s best friend and wonderful vendor, Tori Vilk), which now sits proudly on their home bar cart – a lasting reminder of their special day.
When asked what advice she’d give other couples planning their big day, Alex didn’t hesitate:
- Plan the wedding you want, not what your family or friends want, the day is about you and you are probably paying for most of it!!
- Make a guest list before you see any venues.
- No one is actually going to care about the colors or decor as much as you, so go with your gut of what you like. I promise that people aren’t talking about the gold charger plate instead of the black charger plate like you think they are.
After helping countless couples make their wedding day visions come to life, Alex finally got to experience her own perfect day full of joy, intention, and just the right amount of sparkle.
Congratulations again, Pedens!
Vendors:
Venue: Pen Ryn Estates – Belle Voir
Photographer: Hillside Film & Photo
Videographer: The Neskes
Florist: Torresdale Flowers
DJ: Harry & DJ Apex – In The Mix Event Group
Photo Booth: The Best Philly Photobooth
Hair: Lisa Kerper & Keeley Baker
Makeup: Taylor McCarthy & Natalie Nigro
Live Painter: Adelle Marcero
Signage: Tori Vilk
Cake: Stocks Bakery
Dance Lessons: Brilliant Dancesport Studio
