Gay Prom: The Tale of Sophia & Adri’s Fabulous Celebration of Love

Feb 20

Photography by Theo

When your couple refers to their wedding as “gay prom,” you know you are in for a good one. Adri and Sophia wanted to create a space for themselves and their guests to loudly, proudly, and unapologetically celebrate queer love. For anyone who didn’t get to be their true selves at their actual prom, this was to be the “prom” they wish they had.

What better place to have a “prom” wedding than a literal high school gym. Sophia and Adri hosted their wedding at Bok, an iconic Philly institution that is an old, vintage school turned into a multifunctional community space. The couple exchanged vows and hosted cocktail hour on the rooftop terrace, which has an unbeatable panoramic view of the city. Then, guests moved down to the retro gymnasium for the reception - complete with bleachers, gymnastic rings, and of course, a disco ball.

Every detail of this day was intentional, thoughtful, and representative of Sophia and Adri as a couple. They met at a birds-of-paradise-themed party, so of course that became a motif of the day. We based the color scheme off of the tropical plant, which was beautifully conveyed through the tablescapes, wedding party outfits, florals, and even Sophia’s iconic dress (shoutout to Kinfolk Bride, which is located in the Bok building!) Of course, they were flanked by birds of paradise trees for their nuptials. Their attendants even carried single stem birds of paradise blooms as a nod to their origin story.

We transformed the gym by colorblocking the tablescapes and florals. For the linens and napkins, we included multiple monochrome combinations from their palette. Then, we adorned the tables with stunning, sculptural, contrasting florals created by Texture Florals (also a Bok resident!) which made the reception space come alive.

The celebration was filled with many personal touches - think custom-illustrated doodles of the couple, branded matchbooks, a custom invite suite from Peach Wolfe, a vintage photo booth that shot out customized photo strips, custom jewelry and bags from local Philly vendors, and a dear friend of theirs singing live for the ceremony processional. Honeysuckle provided delicious cuisine that was a nod to Adri’s Haitian heritage. DJ Jamz created bespoke mixes for their special songs (their first dance was an iconic mashup of Dog Years and Be Alright) and kept the dance floor packed all night long with the couple’s favorite music.

The day was captured beautifully by Theo Nash and Meet Cute Films. Theo is a queer Philadelphia wedding vendor, who brought their warmth and positive demeanor while photographing the wedding. Mia of Meet Cute films bases her videos off of 90’s romcom vibes - she meets with the couple prior to the wedding day to do When Harry Met Sally-style interviews that are later included in the final cut.

One of the highlights of the night? The surprise drag performance from legendary Philly queen, VinChelle. She got everyone hyped with her numbers and started a dance party that will go down in history.

Vendors:

Planning, design, and coordination: @sunburstsandstardust

Photo: @theonash

Video: @meetcutefilms

Florist: @textureflorals

Venue: @buildingbok

Caterer: @honeysuckle_restaurant

DJ: @djjvmz

Rentals: @partyrentalltd

Glassware: @citrinetablescapes

Signage: @knockoutlettering

Furniture lounge: @rosiereventrentals