A bride and groom kiss outside Royal Boucherie.

Modern Micro Wedding at Royal Boucherie

Royal Boucherie is an Old City wedding venue that combines an elegant Philadelphia aesthetic with incredible food. It’s an intimate space perfect for micro weddings. Caitlin and Eric’s modern celebration featured candid portraits in Old City, a cozy ceremony, and a beautiful dining experience for their guests.

Caitlin and Eric stand in front of a floral installation while a family member does a ceremony reading.

Royal Boucherie

Royal Boucherie’s aesthetic is quintessentially Old City. For weddings, you can rent out a private space called the Parlour Room. Deep blue curtains hang beside tall windows. Natural light brightens the white walls and dark woodwork. Gold mirrors and sconces add warmth to the aesthetic. Some original features date all the way back to the 1830s. This venue feels every bit the elegant Philadelphia experience that it is.

A makeup artist applies bridal makeup in a Philadelphia hotel room.
A bride in a white robe sits in a chair laughing.
A bride looks over her shoulder seated in a white chair beside a tall window.

You might expect understated elegance from an Old City restaurant, but you might be surprised by the charming patio on the second floor. The little room features lush ferns and vining plants strung with market lights. It’s the perfect spot for a small wedding ceremony. You can bring in florals and rentals if you like or skip them altogether in this space. Thanks to the glass roof, you can enjoy the room regardless of the weather. 

A groom ties a tie in a hotel room.
A groom smiles and buttons his coat.
A bride carries a bouquet of white flowers through a Philadelphia hotel.

With a Royal Boucherie wedding, you could go as big or minimal as you prefer with your decor. The venue sets a clear tone that Caitlin and Eric embraced with their decor. They included a floral installation on the patio and lush arrangements of white flowers in the dining room. Paired with antique-style candelabras, it put a modern spin on classic wedding aesthetics.

A Philadelphia bride and groom share a first look in an Old City courtyard.
A bride pours champagne into a groom's cup.
A bride and groom smile at a Philadelphia wedding photographer.

A Philadelphia Wedding Venue in Old City

Royal Boucherie is a great Philadelphia wedding venue for foodies. The restaurant sources its meats locally and makes fresh pasta by hand. Even the cocktail menu features housemade ingredients, including shrubs and cordials. If you want your wedding to feel like the best dinner party you ever attended, take a look at what Royal Boucherie offers.

A bride and groom walk down an Old City sidewalk towards their Philadelphia wedding.
A groom leans against a historic building before his Royal Boucherie wedding.

You might not find Royal Boucherie on many wedding venue roundups because it only has capacity for a small guest list. Its website lists the patio’s capacity as 25 seated. Keep that in mind if you want a patio ceremony followed by dinner in the Parlour Room. Packages start at $3000 but can vary depending on season and day of the week.

Caitilin and Eric climb the stairs to their Philadelphia wedding venue.
A bride and groom walk through Royal Boucherie looking at their wedding flowers.
Caitlin and Eric pose for portraits beside a window in their historic wedding venue.

Royal Boucherie is located on South 2nd Street in Old City. This is such a great area of Philadelphia for a micro wedding. As the oldest part of the city, the neighborhood is full of architectural gems and little parks that make good backdrops for portraits. If you get ready at a nearby hotel, it’s easy to document a first look and portraits just on the walk to Royal Boucherie.

Guests sit on the Royal Boucherie Patio to watch a wedding ceremony.
A bride and groom laugh during a Philadelphia wedding ceremony.

Hosting wedding guests in Old City is easy because there’s so much for them to do over a wedding weekend. The area features boutique hotels amid countless historic sites and delicious restaurants. It’s especially fun for guests who are new to the city and are experiencing its historic charm for the first time.

A bride laughs while a wedding officiant makes a funny face.
A bride and groom kiss at the end of their restaurant wedding ceremony.
A platter of shrimp sits on a table for a wedding cocktail hour.
Family members gather around a bride and groom for a family wedding photo outside Royal Boucherie.

Caitlin and Eric’s Modern Micro Wedding

Even though Caitlin and Eric picked a venue with so many historic features, their wedding photography is very modern. I centered candid photos over posed portraits for their Royal Boucherie celebration. You can see so much of their personalities in their interactions with each other as well as their guests. It’s always a pleasure to photograph a wedding where people are having so much fun. Their photos really feel like a reflection of their relationship rather than a series of predetermined poses.

Direct flash illuminates a candelabra, wedding bouquet, and sign listing wedding cocktails.
Guests drink craft cocktails at a Philadelphia wedding reception.
A wedding guest stands next to a bride and groom reading a toast from her phone.

I photographed Caitlin and Eric’s wedding on a combination of digital and film. Both allowed me to creatively document the emotions at the center of their wedding day in different ways. I especially love the spontaneity and tones that come across in the film photos. Since they’re unedited, 

A guest raises a wine glass for a wedding toast.
A couple laughs with wedding guests at a dining table.
Guests laugh at an older family member's wedding toast.

Film instantly adds a sense of nostalgia to wedding photography too. In a historic wedding venue, you get the sense of being connected to all the people who were there before and the people who will see the photos after. That extra element makes wedding photos especially moving.

A bride and groom lean towards one another laughing in the dining room at Royal Boucherie.
A couple laughs with wedding guests seated at a table.
A bride and groom kiss in a film wedding photo at a restaurant wedding venue.

Would you like to see more small wedding venues like Royal Boucherie? Check out this list of 8 Small Wedding Venues in Philadelphia!