Nontraditional Wedding at Martha Philadelphia

May 18, 2024

Christina and Sam knew that they wanted something different for their wedding. Instead of a lot of formal fanfare, they wanted the evening to feel like a party. They started with their wedding venue. Martha Philadelphia provided the perfect laidback, modern setting for this wedding.

The happy couple poses outside of Martha Philadelphia

Martha Philadelphia: A Nontraditional Wedding Venue

Martha is a bar and restaurant in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. Known for its hoagies, pickles, and cocktails, Martha isn’t your typical wedding venue. The restaurant includes an indoor bar with tables along one wall. The patio is a definite highlight. Strings of market lights hang over the tables. Tall fencing and landscaping gives the space the feeling of being tucked away from the world.

A sign with the text "MARTHA" hangs against a sky with scattered clouds, mounted on a metal arm extending from a brick building in Philadelphia.

Martha Philadelphia's charming restaurant featuring flower arrangements by Bird Seed Florals.

A Philadelphia bride getting ready for her wedding day, surrounded by makeup and hair styling tools.

The bridesmaids look on laughing as the bride gets ready

If you’re looking for a restaurant wedding venue that can accommodate a ceremony and reception, definitely check out Martha. Christina and Sam had their nighttime ceremony on the patio. Between the bar indoors and outdoor dance area, there was enough space for all of the night’s events.

The beautiful wedding details at Wm. Mulherin’s Sons.

Bride getting ready for her wedding day at Wm. Mulherin’s Sons hotel

The bride and groom prepare for their first look at Wm. Mulherin’s Sons hotel.

The couple reads their vows to each other during their first look at Wm. Mulherin’s Sons hotel.

Left: The bride and groom laugh at each others vows. Right: A Philadelphia Bride poses with her bouquet by Bird Seed Florals

The groom opens his gift from the bride before their wedding at Martha Philadelphia.

The couple gets into their transportation to head to their Philadelphia wedding

If you’re thinking about getting married at Martha, here are a few things that are helpful to know.

Your photographer will need to get to the venue before sunset for those golden-hued detail photos. I headed to Martha well before Christina and Sam’s ceremony to ensure that I could document these gorgeous arrangements by Bird Seed Florals.
Martha doesn’t offer sit down dinners. They do roaming receptions. They put the food out, and guests are able to wander around and graze.
Even though Martha has capacity for up to 100 guests, you’ll be more comfortable keeping it around 75. A good rule of thumb is to take the maximum number of guests a venue allows and invite 75% of that number. You’ll have an easier time moving around and enjoying the evening.

The bride says hello to her nephew outside of Martha Philadelphia.

The couple's niece and flower girl walks down the aisle at their Martha Philadelphia wedding.

The bride lovingly hugs her dad after he walks her down the aisle.

The couple laughs during their ceremony at Martha Philadelphia

The bride and groom's dog acts as the ring bearer, bring their rings to them at Martha.

The couple celebrates with a first kiss at their ceremony.

The bride and groom pose with their dogs at their Philadelphia wedding.

The bride admires her bridesmaids colorful dresses.

Christina and Sam’s Modern Wedding

Martha Philadelphia was the perfect wedding venue for Christina and Sam. In one of our early conversations, Christina told me, “I’m excited for this day to really be about us… I’m really just hoping everything goes smoothly and people have a lot of fun! We wanted this to feel more like a party and less like a traditional wedding.” The whole wedding was authentic, energetic, and perfectly tailored to Christina and Sam.

Friends of the bride and groom dance joyfully at their Philadelphia wedding

The groom chats with guests at cocktail hour at his Philadelphia wedding

Wedding guests pass drinks around at Martha Philadelphia

Plates of delicious food and drinks on a table set for a wedding at Martha.

Christina and Sam were especially excited about the band, Snacktime. They had a feeling this band would turn up the energy. They were right! Their guests took to the dance floor and hardly left, even for dessert.

When I asked Christina and Sam what drew them to my work, I knew we’d be a good fit. Christina said, “I love how fluid they are, and I’m obsessed with film! We aren’t into very posed pictures so I appreciate that you capture real life.” That combination of film, flash, and candid photos captured the atmosphere of their wedding so well.