Erin and Brian’s engagement session is full of laughter, smiles, and tons of warm vibes! Brittney Raine photographed these illustrious moments that exemplify pure engagement glee and a chic celebration. Vesper Boat Club served as the perfect backdrop to this elegant day fete, with its serene ambience and majestic view of the city. Thereafter this couple transitioned into a more casual vibe for a nice stroll down Addison and Pine Streets with their adorable fur baby. Romance is in the air for these two, and their enchanting session brings a lovely breeze of happiness.
About Erin & Brian: “Erin & Brian met at Farmer’s Cabinet on a wintry Philly night where they bonded over their love of baseball, IPA’s, and skiing. Brian recounts the moment he first saw Erin, with a huge smile on her face, as love at first sight.
Erin was born and raised in San Francisco, but moved to Philadelphia for medical school. Brian is from New Jersey and was in law school when the couple met. Since dating, they have both graduated and started their careers in Philadelphia: Brian at a law firm in Center City; Erin as a current medical intern and future Ophthalmology resident in the city.
Brian was initially living in South Jersey and would drive into Philadelphia each Friday to spend every weekend with Erin & her pup, Riley, who he quickly adopted as his own. After a year and a half, the couple moved in together in Graduate Hospital and Brian & Riley have made Erin jealous with their morning cuddle sessions ever since!”
From the bride: “Brian & I have been together since the day we met and I always knew he was one of a kind – someone for me to hold on to! But I still recall the day that I knew he was the man I was going to marry. It was a Monday and I had just started my general surgery rotation as a med student and Brian had just finished taking the bar exam in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey. All he wanted to do that day was relax. Unfortunately, we had taken Riley to the beach over the weekend and she drank too much salt water. Brian and I weren’t living together at the time, so even though I knew she was feeling bad when I left for work, I had to leave Riley alone in the morning. By mid-day, I got a call from our dog walker that Riley was acting very lethargic and I decided that she needed to go to the vet immediately. I called Brian in a bit of a panic and without a moment’s hesitation, he hopped in the car, beating me to the vet’s office. I had to return to the hospital to finish my day, so he took her home with him and watched over her all day and night in case she had a seizure. That was the day I realized that Brian was the perfect partner for me in life and that we made an incredible team.”
“Before Brian & I moved in together, I used to live on Pine Street and every night I would walk Riley down Addison Street so I could enjoy the Christmas lights. My parents are very into Christmas and the decorations remind me of home.
On New Year’s Eve, Brian took me out to eat at Giorgio on Pine, where we had our first dinner date together. He brought our best bottle of wine from our most recent trip to Napa. Since we had decided to get engaged before my Ophthalmology residency match in early January, I knew something was up! I was so nervous throughout dinner, I couldn’t even taste my food. Afterwards, Brian suggested we go out for drinks to Pub & Kitchen, where we had one of our first dates. At this point I was basically a wreck – two of our earliest date spots in one night (?!) As we walked that way, he made an abrupt turn to take me down Addison Street. Immediately I knew this was it and all of my nerves vanished. It was still before midnight when he got down on one knee in the middle of the street, so we got to ring in the New Year as an officially engaged couple and share the happy (though not surprising!) news with our families.”
Engagement shoot details: “We had our engagement shoot on the same day that I graduated from Medical School – it was an overwhelmingly happy day for us to say the least. I wanted a private spot with great views of the city, so we reached out to Vesper Boat Club, who were nice enough to rent us their space for the photos. I brought a bottle of champagne that was a gift from Brian’s sister so that we could toast. Then, we scooped up Riley for some photos on Addison Street and along Pine Street– it wouldn’t have been the same without our fur child, after all.”
Wedding: “New Year’s Eve now has a special place in their hearts, but the holiday is about to get even sweeter for the couple – Erin & Brian are planning their wedding for New Year’s Eve, 2017, at the Ritz-Carlton in Lake Tahoe, California.”
Vendors | Photography: Brittney Raine Photography | Venue: Vesper Boat Club, Addison Street & Pine Streets | Bride’s dress: Ted Baker | Bride’s shoes: Manolo Blahnik, Tory Burch | Groom’s outfit: Brooks Brothers |