A rehearsal dinner is a great way to settle into your wedding weekend. You can connect with loved ones and breathe in a more low-key moment before getting pulled in different directions on your wedding day. These documentary-style photos of Jessica and Will’s rehearsal dinner at Barbuzzo shows that this event is worthy of being part of your wedding story.
Barbuzzo: A Rehearsal Dinner Venue in Center City
Barbuzzo is a Mediterranean restaurant in Center City Philadelphia. It was a great venue to kick off Jessica and Will’s wedding weekend. This restaurant specializes in wood-fired pizza and pasta dishes. Jessica and Will treated their guests to meatballs, but it’s easy to imagine wedding guests passing artisanal pizzas around the table. Since Barbuzzo is also a bar, you can treat your guests to some incredible cocktails to accompany their meals.
A good rehearsal dinner should feel welcoming and encourage people to circulate and connect. So many people are seeing each other for the first time in ages. Others are meeting for the first time. Barbuzzo was a great space for Jessica and Will’s community to connect. Warm wood details make the intimate space inviting.
One of the perks of having a rehearsal dinner (or even a wedding) at a restaurant is that the decor is set for you. Barbuzzo’s aesthetic is organic and minimalist. Jessica and Will embraced that with simple tablescapes. They incorporated white florals and greenery in small arrangements to bring a little wedding energy to the space.
Would you like to see other Philadelphia restaurants that could be perfect for your rehearsal dinner? Check out these posts:
These restaurants vary in terms of cuisine and decor, but they all have an intimate, inviting feeling. You’re sure to find a venue that feels just right for your relaxed evening.
Jessica and Will’s Rehearsal Dinner
As soon as Jessica and Will’s guests arrived, they grabbed drinks and began to enjoy each other’s company. Guests settled into intimate conversations around the warm wood tables and mingled at the bar. Everyone took their time catching up with old friends and getting to know new ones. Without the pressure of a wedding timeline, people could soak up the casual, spontaneous moments.
Jessica and Will used their rehearsal dinner as an opportunity to do some speeches and give gifts as well. If you don’t love the idea of all eyes on you during toasts on your wedding day, having them at your rehearsal dinner can be a good compromise. You still get the emotional experience of hearing from your loved ones but in a much more intimate setting. Jessica and Will enjoyed listening to family members’ speeches and giving gifts with plenty of time to linger and connect.
Documentary Wedding Photography
A rehearsal dinner can be a good time to get more casual group photos and portraits, but it really lends itself to documentary style photography. In cases like this, I strive to step back and take in the whole story unfolding around me. Jessica and Will’s interactions are part of that but so are their guests.
Using a documentary approach, I got to blend into the background a little more. People quickly forgot there was a camera around. Jessica and Will can look back on this gallery and see interactions that wouldn’t necessarily happen at a bigger reception with the pressures of formal portraits and a timeline.
Since this was a laid-back evening, people were laughing all through dinner and speeches. People were just so excited to celebrate Jessica and Will. Everyone ate up every moment of the speeches. You can see how happy Will and Jessica are in their smiles. That’s something that you can’t stage. Documentary photography was the perfect way to preserve those moments.
If you’re on the fence about photography coverage for your rehearsal dinner, remember that this is part of your wedding, too. Maybe it’s the most intimate part where your closest family and friends will also be present. That’s worth documenting so you can relive it years from now.
Are you looking for a photographer to document your wedding celebrations? I’m a Philadelphia wedding photographer specializing in documentary and candid photos on film. Get in touch with me here!
