Laurana and Kendall’s low-key Ridley Creek State Park wedding included a private vow exchange, followed by time spent mingling, sharing a meal, and playing games with the people they love.
Ridley Creek State Park is massive, with over 2,606 acres of Delaware County woodlands. The grounds are only 16 miles from Center City Philadelphia, with a beautiful backdrop for weddings or special events.
Parque offers formal options, including the Hunting Hill Mansion—a large, English-Tudor style mansion with surrounding gardens and a reflecting pond.
Table of Contents:
Intimate Ridley Creek Wedding
Professional Philadelphia Wedding Photographer
Values-Aligned Vendors
Ridley Creek State Park
If you’re interested in having a casual wedding at Ridley Creek State Park, here’s some more information about their pavilion rentals:
- There are six pavilions at Ridley Creek State Park.
- They can be reserved online 3 days ahead of arrival and up to 11 months in advance.
- You can have up to eighty guests.
- The pavilions are dog-friendly (maximum number of pets: 2).
- The park has accessible restrooms.
- Within the park, amenities include fishing, hiking trails, a picnic area with grills, picnic pavilion, and a nearby playground.
- The main entrance to Ridley Creek State Park is Sandy Flash Drive at Gradyville Road.
- At the time of writing this, camping fees for one day are $79 per day or $553 per week for residents of PA.
- Non-residents of PA are $97 per day or $679 per week.
- Rates vary, as there are weekend and holiday rates.
- For large events like a wedding or bringing in a caterer, customers must contact the park for approval.
Professional Philadelphia Wedding Photographer
As I enter my seventeenth (!!) year of photographing weddings, it is surreal to realize I’ve spent nearly half of my life committed to this very niche form of art.
I recently saw someone 20 years into their career ask, “What’s the point anymore?” on a wedding photography subreddit. They didn’t see how one photographer stands out from another. Their post was bride-centric—which, to me, already points to one meaningful difference in how we approach this work. Others echoed that they love the photography, but not the correspondence.
For me, the client experience is the work—whether that means connecting marginalized marriers with more inclusive and accessible vendors, or finding thoughtful ways to accommodate people throughout the process.
Values-Aligned Vendors
Weddings, no matter how intimate, can create connection through intersecting communities. I’m constantly humbled by the humans I get to collaborate with creatively. The clients I work alongside often seek a values-aligned team to help amplify the cause areas that matter most to them. I’m grateful for the folks who continue to make this industry feel energizing, when it could so easily be depleting.
If you’re interested in hiring BIPOC and/or queer vendors, I always provide my list of values-aligned vendors to potential clients to help them connect. Don’t hesitate to reach out for rates and more info!
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