Danya and Joseph, or as many Philadelphians may know them as “Philly Food Fo Real”, well they’re engaged! Alison Leigh Photography captured the most endearing photos of this couple, as they truly show their personalities in this super cute engagement session. These photographs scream summer-time-fun as this dynamic duo hit up Spruce St. Harbor for some much needed drinks, food, and a little hammock love. In celebration of their new beginnings, there’s definitely a lot of smiles, and joy vividly portrayed, and we just can’t get enough of this LOVE!
From the Photographer: “Danya + Joseph in Philly’s most treasured attractions. The two LOVE exploring new foods all around the Philly area and are actually the owners of Philly Food Fo Real Instagram account. [Danya moved here about a year ago from Chicago. Joseph was currently living here working for Sun and Earth, a local natural cleaning manufacturer in King of Prussia, PA. They both LOVE food , and noticed that Philly was missing some serious food recognition in the Instagram sphere.] Their handle was hosted, food pics were snapped and before they knew it, Philly Food Fo Real had become one of the most populated foodie handles on Instagram showcasing some of the most delectable food in the City of Brotherly Love. Together, we bounced around all over the city. We started off having cocktails at La Peg before heading over to Race St. Pier. We then walked over to Spruce St. Harbor Park to listen to a really upbeat jam band while relaxing on a hammock for a few minutes. Our session ended by taking a stroll through Society Hill. It was quite a busy session but nonetheless a TON of fun be-boppin around the city. “
How they met: “We met abroad. We were on the same program, and were traveling together and with each other 24/7 for a long period of time. We got to know each other really well!”
From the Bride-to-be: “He keeps me calm, happy and makes sure I always have a smile on my face. You know, “you can tell the character of a man by the smile on his wife’s face.”
How he proposed: “We went out to dinner with our friends at Twisted Tail. One couple was “feeling sick” and left dinner early. But really what they were doing was going to our house to set everything up. They met with Joseph before dinner and got all the supplies they needed. I walk inside from dinner to find the whole place lit with blue tea light candles. Everywhere, the table, the spiral stairways, the floor. He leads me upstairs but on each of the steps are a little trinket of my favorite things. Reeses peanut butter cups, my favorite sports team tank, hot cheetos, a miniature whale piggy bank (my favorite animal), and at the top of the stairs leading into our bedroom were a half dozen of my absolute favorite donuts (Beiler’s), with one that said “Marry Me?” on it. He then got down on one knee and proposed. It was perfect. I was in shock.”
(Have you started wedding planning) If so, how has your experience been so far?
“I have started! It’s been actually pretty smooth. The Knot has been my best friend, as well as my friend who just started her own wedding planning company, Taylor from Amelia Cole Events. She’s been such a help, and I can’t wait until she takes over everything once we are 6 weeks out. We just had our engagement party, and it got us both so excited for the real thing!”
Inspiration for engagement photos: “We just wanted to have a good time around Philly. We both are not from here, but we live here and we are still exploring the city. So I picked places that we aren’t so familiar with but knew we would have a fun time. I knew La Peg was a beautiful space and right near the water, so we started there. There’s a great view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and the Delaware River from the outdoor patio, plus it’s a really fun and beautiful space. We sipped on our favorite drink there (tequila with an orange slice), and played some bags. After there, we went across the street to take some photos on Race Street Pier. Spruce Street Harbor Park was next, and SO fun. We lied on hammocks, listened to live music and ate some mini Federal Donuts. After that, we finished up near Head House Square on Pine and 2nd Street, in front of the beautiful red brick buildings on the cobble stone streets. It was a wonderful experience, and Ali, our photographer made everything go so smoothly. We had so much fun and she was great at facilitating the session without making it awkward!”
Vendors | Photography: Alison Leigh Photography |