A wedding wit’ photos at John’s Roast Pork in South Philadelphia

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something ... with fried onions?

It’s not every day that a bride and groom in full wedding attire show up outside John’s Roast Pork, the sandwich destination in South Philadelphia, with photo crew in tow.

Owner John Bucci was doing paperwork in his office over lunch hour Friday, April 9, when he spotted Jennifer Tran and Eric Griffin outside posing for photos — she in a champagne gown, holding a bouquet of white flowers, and he in a French navy suit, tie, and boutonniere. Bucci shot a photo through the window — gotta feed the social media! — and then stepped outside.

Tran thought it would be a good idea to stop at John’s — the couple’s go-to for a sandwich fix — before their ceremony at the Horticulture Center in Fairmount Park. Great Philly-theme visual: light lunch to take the edge off.

But as they mingled with waiting customers on Snyder Avenue, they learned that because of the pandemic, John’s does not accept walk-in orders, only call-ins. (A takeout window should be ready in four weeks, it turns out.)

Bucci and his wife, Vickie, joined the well-wishers, took more photos, and fixed the ordering problem pronto. “We didn’t even know who he was,” Tran said. “He said, ‘I’m John,’ and whips out a marker and starts writing [our order] on a piece of paper.” He made the sandwiches himself: American wit’ onions, plus fries.

That’s how you cut the line at John’s, cuz.

Tran, 37, handles marketing and communications for the PIDC, the city’s public-private economic development corporation, at the Navy Yard. Griffin, 38, who goes by Griff, is a founder of Mobile Outfitters in Manayunk. They have been together for 12 years.

Tran and Griffin shared their sandwich on a picnic table. “I knew I had to eat super carefully, and there’s no easy way to eat cheesesteaks very carefully,” said Tran, who festooned the strapless Watters’ ball gown with paper napkins and hoped for the best. “It would not go well with ketchup, which was our biggest fear,” Griffin said. The dress escaped damage.

The photographer, Carina Romano, and videographer, Amanda Jaffe of LoveMeDo, captured everything and shared their own sandwich.

“In the 91 years of John’s Roast Pork history, this is one of the best moments,” said Bucci, who almost spoiled a surprise. After he proudly posted the event on the shop’s popular Facebook page, the couple texted him in a panic.

Turns out, they were about to elope. They had planned to be married on April 9, but the pandemic had forced them to downsize. Then they just decided to get married. “None of our friends, none of our family knew about it,” Tran said. “This was a day for us.”

Bucci deleted his post, restoring it after the couple told everyone. By then, they were on their way to a weekend trip to Charleston, S.C.

“We’re not sure what the future holds,” Tran said. “Our friends have been asking if we’re going to do anything, but we don’t want to commit to anything. Whatever it is, John and his wife have to come. This was a really nice touch.”