KIMMEL CENTER HAMILTON ROOFTOP and GARCES EVENTS Present Micro-Weddings-“I Do With A View”

Love is in the air at one of Philadelphia's most picturesque and award-winning wedding venues this Valentine's Day Weekend. Garces Events and Kimmel Center Cultural Campus announce Vows with a View on Sunday, February 13, 2022. This intimate and all-inclusive micro-wedding and vows renewal experience comes complete with two exclusive hours at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts' Hamilton Rooftop Garden (300 S. Broad Street), voted Best of Weddings 2019 and Best of Weddings 2020 by The Knot. For a modern way to say, "I do," this elopement package is a one-day-only event for up to 20 close friends and family members to toast the newlyweds with bubbles and bites from award-winning Garces Events team while overlooking the Avenue of the Arts in Center City. The package leaves the details to the wedding experts at Garces. Vows with a View includes venue, views, officiant, photographer, florist, vows booklet, refreshments and unforgettable memories. Packages and time slots are first-come, first serve in two hour increments starting at 10:00am. Each package is $5,000, plus tax and administrative fee. For more information, visit: www.kimmelculturalcampus.org, www.GarcesEvents.com, or call 267-284-7979.

"It is a pleasure to partner with Garces Events year-round to produce standing-ovation worthy weddings and receptions for couples and their guests; yet through Vows with a View, we present all the exhilaration of a wedding on our Kimmel Cultural Campus," said Matías Tarnopolsky, president and CEO of The Philadelphia Orchestra and Kimmel Center, Inc. "We excitedly welcome couples to our space for this unforgettable experience, since making memories together is at the core of what we do here on the Kimmel Cultural Campus, through moments of connection, artistry, and celebration."

"Garces Events is thrilled to bring back Vows with a View at one of Philadelphia's most iconic wedding venues," said Garces Events Regional Direct Laura Fehrle. "Now, more than ever, micro-weddings are exploding in popularity as a solution that is unforgettable, intimate and accessible. Couples can leave all the details and planning up to our talented team. We want the happy couple to focus on their special day and starting a new life together - and we're here to make it as easy and stress-free as possible."

Vows with a View is the perfect option for all of the newly engaged couples who said yes over the holidays who want to get married on Valentine's Weekend. It is also the perfect solution for those who have been looking for a mid-winter micro-wedding with all the details but without all the long-term planning.

For this year's event, Vows will offer five couples two-hour increments starting at 10:00am, Noon, 2:00pm, 4:00pm and 6:00pm. The package includes a ceremony and reception in one of Philadelphia's most celebrated wedding venues with unforgettable views from both the Hamilton Rooftop Garden and the Balcony overlooking Broad Street.

For each couple, the festivities will start in the Hamilton Garden, where the package will include a microphone, sound equipment, mahogany chiavari chairs with ivory cushions, and neutral ceremony decor by florist Devon and Pinkett. The florist will also provide one petite floral bouquet and one white boutonniere per couple. The ceremony will be officiated by a certified minister from Journeys of the Heart, who will also include a meeting prior to the event. Photographs will be taken and provided by Martin Reardon Photography, who will provide each couple with 50 digital high resolution images following their special day. Vows with a View also will include a personalized vow booklet by Chick Invitations, as a special keepsake from the day's celebration.

Following the ceremony in Hamilton Garden, the couple and guests head to the breath-taking balcony and lounge overlooking City Hall and the Avenue of the Arts for lite bites and a champagne toast provided by Garces Events.

Sample selections will include a sweet and savory station, with Chef's selection of imported cheese, truffle lavender honey, roasted garlic dulce de leche, cherry fig preserves, date walnut cake, red grapes, baguette, seasonal vegetable crudite with green goddess dressing, serrano ham wrapped figs with goat cheese and sherry reduction, Wagyu beef montadito with green chile, idiazabal cheese and romesco, marinated shrimp brochettes with garlic, lemon and parsley, bouchons topped with powdered sugar, and strawberry shortcake verrine with macerated strawberry, shortake and vanilla mousse.

After the short reception, the couple heads out to the Avenue of the Arts for iconic photos with City Hall behind them and in front of the Kimmel Center.

Pricing is $5,000 per time slot, plus tax and administrative fee. A maximum of 20 guests can be accommodated per ceremony. Spaces can be booked by calling Garces Wedding Sales Manager Samantha Gorman 267-284-7979 or emailing samantha.gorman@GarcesGroup.com.

VOWS WITH A VIEW HISTORY

Vows with a View started in 2019 as a way for Kimmel Cultural Campus and Garces Events to lead the industry with the emerging trend of micro-weddings that would grow tremendously in popularity over the pandemic in the last 24 months. The program was also designed to make the venue and package accessible, especially to today's younger modern couples.

When asked about why the program is so unique and special, Chef Jose Garces said, "Vows with a View is a truly unique event for couples looking to elope that affords them the opportunity to celebrate their love with key elements that make a traditional wedding-mouth-watering food and stunning venue-without the long-term planning. We're eager to bring Garces Events' award-winning cuisine to this year's lucky couples for an unforgettable experience."

Garces Events is the only chef-driven caterer in the city and the exclusive caterer for Kimmel Events, which includes the Hamilton Rooftop Garden, a high tech, multi-purpose space for special events, featuring a 6,200-square-foot hardwood maple floor and breathtaking views of the Philadelphia skyline. Additionally, Garces Events offers their services in nine exclusive unique locations while integrating their impeccable hospitality and award-winning cuisine.

AWARD-WINNING VENUE

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts was selected as a 2020 winner of The Knot Best of Weddings, an accolade representing the highest- and most-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by real couples, their families and wedding guests on The Knot, a leading wedding planning brand and app. This was the third year the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts has been named a winner of The Knot Best of Weddings awards, having received the honor in 2017 and 2019.

In 2020, only five percent of hundreds of thousands of local wedding professionals listed on The Knot received this distinguished award. In its fourteenth annual year, The Knot continues its longstanding tradition of supporting local wedding vendors with The Knot Best of Weddings 2020, an annual by-couples, for-couples guide to the top wedding professionals across the country. To determine the winners, The Knot analyzed its millions of user reviews across various vendor categories, including venues, musicians, florists, photographers, caterers and more, to find the highest rated vendors of the year. These winners represent the best of the best wedding professionals that engaged couples should consider booking for their own unique wedding.

ABOUT GARCES EVENTS: Garces Events puts the exclamation point on your celebration with our passion and expertise for crafting memorable events. Garces Events provides full-service catering and events throughout the Philadelphia region by offering a wide range of venues, ranging from exclusive venues, restaurants, preferred venues, and catering at the location of your choice. Garces Events is led by Latin-American award-winning Iron Chef Jose Garces, and catering menus feature his modern take on traditional recipes.

Garces Events specializes in corporate catering and events, from board dinners to town halls, from breakfasts and breakout sessions, to post-conference happy hours to formal board dinners, and everything in between. Garces Events also specializes in social catering and celebrations, including baby showers, retirement parties, milestone anniversaries, birthday parties, weddings and much more. Exclusive venues like the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus, Kimmel Center's Hamilton Garden and The Academy of Music, offer private and semi-private spaces, chef-curated menus, and a wide range of wine and beverage options. Garces also offers expert drop-off catering at your home, workplace or special venue.

Say I do with Garces Events with a unique venue and package for every style - from the traditional couple to those wanting something more modern and unique. Inquire about award-winning, best of Philly wedding venues with unique vibes and breathtaking views.

Garces Events features a team of professional event staff that will work with you to develop a menu that fits your taste, coordinate with the venue to ensure a smooth execution, as well as provide professional staff to serve and bartend. For more, visit Garces Events online at www.garcesevents.com.

ABOUT GARCES: Garces is a Philadelphia-based hospitality group specializing in personal dining experiences rooted in the rich cultural traditions and culinary vision of renowned Latin-American chef Jose Garces. Taking a heartfelt and creative approach to time-honored recipes and dishes, Garces, in partnership with New Orleans-based Ballard Brands, operates numerous restaurants including Amada, Distrito, Garces Trading Company, Village Whiskey, Volvér, The Olde Bar, Buena Onda, and Amada and Distrito in the Ocean Resort Casino. The group also operates Garces Events, a full-service catering and event division; the Garces Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to Philadelphia's underserved immigrant community. For more information, visit GarcesGroup.com.

ABOUT KIMMEL CULTURAL CAMPUS: Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, our mission is to engage the region's diverse communities with art through performance and education. Our Cultural Campus serves more than 1-million guests per year and includes Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, and SEI Innovation Studio), the Academy of Music, and the Merriam Theater - representing more than 160 years of rich history for the performing arts along Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. We are home to eight esteemed Resident Companies: The Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philly POPS, PHILADANCO, The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Curtis Institute of Music. With nearly 9,000 seats per night, we are the region's most impactful performing arts center, and the second largest in the country. Our Cultural Campus serves as a preeminent and inclusive place to enjoy exceptional experiences that reflect the spirit of our region by cultivating a creative and socially responsible environment where our community shares experiences that are delivered with pride, integrity, and respect. As a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization, we collaborate on, present, and produce a broad range of relevant and meaningful events, we serve as an active gathering space for social and community events, we educate the region's young people through access to quality arts experiences, and we provide support to artists in the creation of new work. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is the proud Kimmel Cultural Campus Season Sponsor.

Read Kimmel Cultural Campus' vision statement, world-view, and mission statement here:
https://www.kimmelculturalcampus.org/about-us/our-story/. Learn more about their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and how it encompasses their mission, co-workers, and programs here:
https://www.kimmelculturalcampus.org/globalassets/about-us/dandireport.pdf

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Garces Events