Wedding bells may be in your future and whether or not you’ve started planning, there’s one section in the City of Brotherly Love that wants to become a one-stop-shop for all future brides and grooms.
After a year and a half of uncertainty, especially for couples looking to tie the knot, the East Passyunk neighborhood of South Philadelphia is now dedicated to making all Philadelphians’ “dream wedding” happen. Home to over 160 independently-owned businesses, this charming district features retailers and services offering floral arrangements, dance classes, hand-crafted wedding rings, and bridal attire all within blocks of each other, making for easy and efficient wedding planning.
“The wide range of wedding-focused businesses on East Passyunk Avenue have managed to make it through the pandemic and are now seeing a bright road ahead,” said Adam Leiter, Executive Director of East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District in a statement. “From planners, to dress shops, to jewelers, to florists, and event spaces, the surge of upcoming celebrations are poised to have a tremendously positive impact on small businesses who were desperately impacted in 2020.”
The first step to any engagement is a ring, and for that, Sermania Jewelry (1719 E. Passyunk Ave.) is there to help. Specializing in hand-crafted, custom engagement rings and wedding bands for nearly four decades, this neighborhood jeweler offers a variety of diamonds and gemstones and a mixture of precious metals, plus an array of new metals from earth-friendly refineries. Sermania offers appointments online for couples to sit down with artisan jewelers and husband-and-wife co-owners Joseph and Janice Sermania to discuss crafting the ideal engagement ring and wedding bands.
Down the road, one of the city’s most popular and notable bridal boutiques is also open for business to help couples say yes to the dress. Owned by Carolyn Zinni, Carolyn Zinni Bridal Salon (1725 E. Passyunk Ave.) offers an assortment of gowns handpicked by Zinni from top-tier designers all over the world including Sophia Tolli and Martin Thornburg. Appointments are required and can be reserved online to check out everything the boutique has to offer.
And what would a wedding be without the botanical bells and whistles of a ceremony? According to the release, from bouquets to boutonnieres, ceremony creations to centerpieces – Creations By Coppola (1724 E Passyunk Ave.) is overflowing with fresh flowers tailored to fit each and every wedding aesthetic. The Philadelphia-based florist offers a wide selection of top-quality flowers and an expert team of floral designers who carefully craft the client’s dream design. Wedding consultations are booked by appointment only and can be made online as well. For the dance portion of the ceremonies, Society Hill Dance Academy (SHDA) (1919 E. Passyunk Ave.) offers wedding dance lessons for brides and grooms-to-be, personalized according to each individual budget and timeline. Since opening in 2002, SHDA and the in-house expert instructors have worked with thousands of couples to perfect the highly-anticipated first dance.
In addition to dance lessons, the expansive venue overlooking East Passyunk Avenue is an ideal space to host different events spanning from bachelor and bachelorette parties and even wedding receptions.
Planning in itself can be a feat that is a bit overwhelming to undertake, and for that reason, The Utopia Collective (1914 E. Passyunk Ave.) is focused on event planning and design for special occasions. The team at this establishment offers a variety of services spanning from rehearsals and parties, cocktail hour, engagement parties, wedding ceremonies, and more.
Lastly, for wedding glam, Beautiful Brides Philly (1613 E. Passyunk Ave.) offers on-location hair and makeup services for brides, the bridal party, and engagement photos. An award-winning service, owner Dana Persia can bring the salon to your home, wedding venue, hotel, etc. for a “stress-free, intimate appointment prior to the ceremony.” Appointments can be made online.
For more information on East Passyunk and everything the district has to offer wedding-wise, visit visiteastpassyunk.com
