A Colorful, Creative Wedding at the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a punchy palette of bright pink, peach and orange, Kali Ciesemier (30 and an illustrator) and Sam Bosma (30 and an illustrator) pulled off a vibrant garden-party soiree for their spring wedding at the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “We’re casual, personal people who work with aesthetics every day, so it was our goal to reflect that in a fun and intimate wedding in a lovely location,” Kali says. The pair put their illustration skills to work to give the day plenty of personal flair. The invitations and save-the-dates featured hand-drawn florals and self-portraits and, as favors, the couple made blind-contour drawings of all their guests, which also doubled as escort cards. Although the couple kept the ceremony decor low-key so the natural beauty of the garden could prevail, the reception was a celebration of color. “We wanted the room to feel spacious even when it was full of people, so we leaned toward bright colors and simple table settings,” Sam says. The pair brought their vision to life with brilliant bouquets of seasonal florals and fresh fruits that matched the dining room’s cheerful robin’s egg blue walls. The couple took guests on a journey through their relationship with craft beers from each of the cities they’ve lived in together. They also put personalized twists on age-old traditions—in lieu of wedding cake, Kali and Sam served a selection of doughnuts from Federal Donuts in Philadelphia. A tip from Kali: “It’ll be more fun if you just treat it as if you’re planning a big, beautiful party for all your big, beautiful friends. Don’t get too hung up on the details, take a breath, and appreciate the experience.” —Libby MacCarthy