Everyone knows the touristy highlights, like viewing the Liberty Bell and racing up the Rocky Steps...
As much as our big day is a celebration of our commitment to each other, in a way it is also a love letter to the city where our story started to unfold. Whether or not you are part of the 80% of guests traveling from out of town, we hope you find this curated list of our lesser-known favorites to be a helpful guide.
Most people are familiar with the iconic LOVE sculpture that is situated in its namesake park in Center City... but did you know there's one located at the University of Pennsylvania? In the heart of campus on the corner of 36th, Locust, and Woodland Walks, you will find a ground-level replica that makes for a perfect photo op. If you look closely, you might even spot the piece of Sarah's soul that went missing when she attended grad school there.
When Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956, her wedding dress instantly became one of the most recognizable of all time. The gown now lives at the Philadelphia Museum of Art amongst an impressive collection of works from artists such as Van Gogh, Renoir, Duchamp, Picasso, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, and more.
The Victor Cafe is a Philly institution where you'll dine on top-knotch Italian fare punctuated by live opera singing – your waiter for the evening could even be one of the performers. Not only was this the location of Adrian's Place in Rocky Balboa (2006), but it was also where JC and Sarah had their first official dinner date following lockdown in 2021.
Philadelphia is home to one of the nation's first and largest public mural programs. One of its most popular projects is Steve Powers’ A Love Letter For You. Composed of a series of 50 rooftop murals from 45th to 63rd Streets along the Market Street corridor, the murals collectively express love from a guy to a girl, from an artist to his hometown, and from local residents to their neighborhood of West Philadelphia.
Philadelphia's Italian Market is the oldest continuously operating outdoor market in the country, and it now boasts restaurants and retail outlets from a rich mix of cultures. While you're there, you can pass by the St. Thomas Aquinas church where Rocky and Adrian were married in Rocky II (1979).
Love is cheesy... but cheesesteaks are serious business. If you want to cross this off your bucket list the right way, skip Pat's and Geno's and head straight to John's Roast Pork in South Philly. Not only is this JC's favorite place for cheesesteaks in the city, but it is also where he introduced Sarah to them for the first time.
Did you know that some historians believe pretzels are behind the saying “tying the knot” when referring to marriage? While you're winding through the stalls in Reading Terminal Market, make sure to stop for one of these Philadelphia staples.
Love is sweet... and it doesn't get much sweeter than Isgro Pastries. Just follow the bakery's mouthwatering smell to the 1000 block of Christian Street, where JC's great grandfather lived after he immigrated to the US from Italy at the turn of the century. There you'll find cannolis filled to-order, ricotta cookies, sfogliatelle, macaroons, rum cake and so many more Italian confections.