Our next Editor’s Choice Award goes to Finley Catering’s Crystal Tea Room! 

In the historic Wannamaker building in Center City, the Crystal Tea Room is the largest banquet hall in Philadelphia. Operated by the Finley Catering family, this venue makes a perfect space for a wedding. The Crystal Tea Room combines rich history and elegance. Their sparkling crystal chandeliers emulate the Tea Room’s luxurious style. Before entering the ballroom, however, guests will enter through the Crystal Tea Room’s soaring atrium. Even in the heart of Center City, the indoor conservatory provides an “outdoor atmosphere.” Complete with greenery and natural light, the atrium’s refreshing feel welcomes guests into the historic venue.

Along with the beautiful venue, Finley Catering provides culinary expertise. With many years of experience, the Finley Catering team provides an extraordinary experience for couples. They work with couples from start to finish to provide exceptional meals and services to make any wedding go as smoothly as possible. 

We spoke with Michelle Finley from Finley Catering, who gave advice on how to book the perfect wedding venue. 

When booking a venue, Michelle encourages couples to focus on finding a space to fit you and your guests comfortably. If the invite list if full of “out-of-townies,” couples should look for a venue close to hotels for easy transportation. Luckily located in the heart of Center City, The Crystal Tea Room partners with a variety of highly acclaimed Philadelphia hotels.  

Her second piece of advice is to make sure couples view venues in person and speak with a coordinator.

With so many details involved in wedding planning, couples need to feel confident in their venue and planners. As a family business, Finley Catering strive to make couples feel like a part of the family as well. By taking a personal approach, their planners work with couples for every step of the wedding planning process. Michelle explains, “Finley Catering prides ourselves in taking care of everything from the all encompassing venue space to over 43 years of catering expertise, allowing you to enjoy the first day of the rest of your life with ease.”

In addition to their venue and catering expertise, Michelle gave us some insight to popular trends the Finley team has seen recently. One of their favorite trends is “late night snacks.” If couples opt for an after party, Finley Catering can bring is soft pretzels, hot sandwiches, and have even provided a “donut wall” for guests. Another trend they have seen is the use of sparklers. Veering away from the traditional, couples can enter the venue with four foot sparklers to truly make a grand entrance. With Finley Catering’s services, anything is possible for your special day. 

Congratulations again to Finley Catering and their gorgeous venue, the Crystal Team Room. 

Special thanks to our media partners Allure Films for sharing this Crystal Tea Room video with us. 

Special thank you to our media partners at Philip Gabriel Photography for all of the lovely photos. 

Click here for more wedding inspiration and information up on our blog!

To visit the Crystal Tea Room’s page, follow this link to our directory.