philadelphia- city of historical venue love: The Franklin Institute

As promised, I present a series of posts {breaking them up thusly for my own sanity as well as readers' attention spans} recapping the Philadelphia venues we visited. These were generally chosen for their quirky coolness or historical relevance, and we visited in one whirlwind day downtown with as many interested parties (and opinions) as could fit in one minivan.


First up...


The Franklin Institute:


Did I ever mention how nostalgia is part of my sorta-theme? Imagine, if you will, hosting your wedding in one of your most favorite places to visit from your childhood. A place all about history, science, puzzles, games, Benjamin Franklin, really large movies, and school field trips. I present to you that place for most Philly kids...

a ceremony under the stars in the Planetarium!

cocktail hour in the hall of science

Ben Franklin overlooking a massive celebratory banquet in Franklin Hall

As soon as Marc said he was interested in a city wedding, I looked up the Franklin Institute. They really have their sh*t together {pardon} when it comes to hosting events. There's a rooftop option overlooking the city for an outdoor ceremony {LOVE!}, a couple classic banquet rooms that were getting set up for a businessy conference presentation when we were visiting:

{source}

Then of course, the reason I wanted to check it out in the first place: the ability to play in the Hall of Science during cocktail hour!! 


It. Was. Awesome. The problem? We just knew off the bat, given the base numbers for renting the spaces we wanted, that we'd bust our budget. Franklin Hall would swallow our 200ish guests whole in its vast echoing space while the other rooms were too small or plain. And then, Marc liked the Planetarium for the ceremony while I insisted in the rooftop deck despite its obvious {windy} flaws.


We didn't actually bother to contact their exclusive caterer, Frog Commissary Catering, to get more concrete numbers. But I have a feeling we would have gotten along swimmingly (hehe) when it came to menu creativity and brainstorming. Overall, I give them 2 thumbs up. I mean... how can I be mad at Ben Franklin for charging so much to host a wedding? He's given us soooo much!!!


Has anyone else picked- or considered- a favorite place from childhood for their wedding? I like how it could represent how we would enter into our marriage wide-eyed and open to learning from each other, and learning through life together.