The first time I met with Katie + Phil to talk about their wedding, I knew this would be a dream wedding for any Philadelphia wedding photographer. Plus, these two are a really special couple. Their love of family and each other is so strong it’s like a thing you can reach out and grab. When I met them in Sea Isle over the summer for their engagement session, they welcomed me with wine and introduced me to most of Katie’s extended family. And then most of that extended family watched and hollered from the beach house balcony while I photographed Katie and Phil on the beach.
Katie and Phil were married at the Loews Hotel on New Year’s Day. I let them know right off the bat that if they hired me as their wedding photographer, we were going to crash the Mummer’s Parade and do some strutting. You can’t get married two blocks away from City Hall on in Philadelphia New Year’s Day and NOT crash the Mummer’s Parade, right? Well the reality of it was so much better than any of us had imagined.
After a brief first look at the hotel, we took off for the parade, battling traffic in a bid to get as close to the parade route as we could in the party bus. Once we realized we could probably walk the few blocks faster, we were off and running. Katie was a total trooper, and ran several city blocks in her wedding heels. Once we slipped between the barriers along the parade route with the blessing of some of PPD’s finest officers, the crowd went nuts. The cheers and shouts of congratulations were deafening, and the Mummers were more than happy to have Katie and Phil strut with them for a bit. I can’t think of a better way for a Philadelphia couple to kick off a year – and a marriage! And I can’t think of a happier Philadelphia wedding photographer than me that day.
But that was only the beginning of their wedding adventure – they weren’t even married yet. High atop the 33rd floor of the Loews Hotel, Katie and Phil were finally able to say their ‘I Do’s overlooking the twinkling city lights of the Philadelphia skyline. And then after a bit of drinking and dancing, it was up to the actual rooftop for a few more nighttime portraits.
It’s going to be hard to top the first MKP wedding of 2016, but by golly, we’ll try!
Nice photos….I like your photos….