FAQs

Question

Where is the wedding?

Answer

We are getting married at Old St. Joseph's Church, the Jesuit parish of which Katie is a member. The reception is at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts (PAFA) is the first art museum and art school in the United States. It is known for its collection of American Art including many works by Benjamin West, Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and Mary Cassatt.

Question

Where should we park?

Answer

There is no reserved parking at Old St. Joseph's Church. There is often 2 hour metered parking available nearby, and there is relaxed parking during weekend services, see the link for instructions. https://oldstjoseph.org/about-osj/directions-to-osj/ There have been cases of parishioners being towed even when parked in the appropriate location with the appropriate sign, especially if they have arrived early; our general rule of thumb is that if there are more than two cars parked in the relaxed parking zone, you are unlikely to get towed. You can also park in the parking garage at the reception, and take a cab to the ceremony. There is a parking garage adjacent to PAFA at 150 N. Broad Street. Cost is typically $8/hr or $36 for 24 hours.

Question

Can I walk from the church to the reception?

Answer

Yes, if you are wearing comfortable shoes.

Question

How did you meet?

Answer

Short Answer? In medical school, at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. Long Answer? We actually met at Jefferson's "Second Look" day for accepted medical students. Katie was working at Jefferson at the time as a microbiology/immunology research technician, and spent some time talking after the day with two students who went to college together. One of those students happened to be Alex.

Question

When did you get engaged?

Answer

Which time? :). Alex initially proposed on Valentine's Day 2017; however, the ring hadn't arrived yet. So he re-proposed on February 23, 2017. He proposed a 3rd time with a new, custom ring on March 8, 2019, and we finally had dinner at the same restaurant as our first date, which had been Alex's plan for the proposal all along.

Question

Where did you get your wedding bands?

Answer

We made them for each other! We spent an afternoon at a workshop in West Philly, where a metal worker taught us how to make them. (This is her website: http://michelejudge.com)

Question

Where is your honeymoon?

Answer

St. Martin/ Sint Maarten! We are looking forward to spending 5 days after the wedding relaxing in the sun! If anyone has any suggestions, sent them our way (kzurbach@gmail.com)! We plan to go on a bigger trip to Portugal in then next year or two, but wanted to do something that wasn't quite so far away, since we only have 6 days of vacation after the wedding.

Question

Is there transportation to the ceremony and the reception?

Answer

There is not designated transportation to the ceremony or the reception. It is a little over a mile from the ceremony to the reception- the walk would take you through Old City and around City Hall, and there will be ample time between the ceremony and the reception to walk, if you like. If you'd rather not walk, taxis, Uber and Lyft are abundant in Philadelphia and it should take less than 10 minutes to travel by car between venues. The hotels listed in the travel section are all less than a 10 minute walk from the reception.

Question

What is the dress code?

Answer

Formal Attire. For instance, a floor-length gown, a fancy cocktail dress, a tuxedo or a formal dark suit.

Question

What is a group gift?

Answer

Some more expensive items on our registry are marked "group gifts." This means that you can contribute what you like towards one of these gifts, and when the full price of the gift has been contributed, the gift will be marked as purchased and shipped to us compliments of everyone who contributed.