“I’m so in love, every time I look at you my soul gets dizzy.” Jaesse Tyler
Quite possibly our favorite engagement session of all time. Katherine came to me with the idea of the Philadelphia Lantern Festival a few months back and you better believe Haley and I’s eyes lit up at the idea. But we had no idea how magical the event would really be…
Winston and Katherine met in college through their friend Peter, a soon to be groomsmen in their 2018 summer wedding. They don’t quite agree on when their first date was. Katherine thinks it was the first time Winston asked her to lunch at a sandwich shop. Winston thinks it was a few days later when they went to dinner for the first time. Katherine considers herself the more introvert of the two and spent her time quietly listening to the chatty guy across the table. She was nervous, but Winston’s outgoing personality had a way of calming her nerves.
They have experienced a lot through their relationship; family trips, long distance years, moving to NYC together and a whole lot of good times. Their relationship is playful yet grounded in support for one another’s dreams and aspirations. Their cat, Autumn, dog, Rey and their friend group are amongst their most important things in life.
So on a warm June evening, Haley and I made the trek to Mohnton the perfect location for over 11,000 lanterns to be released into the sky just hours later. The sold out event was a bustle of activity from moon bounces, delicious carnival cuisine, a DJ that kept the party going and a variety of lawn games. The price of admission came with the cutest smores box, complete with a lighter for the lantern and a mini sharpie to write the wishes on the lantern.
We embraced the crowds as Winston and Katherine literally danced amongst the mob. The warm sun slowly set and with it, the temperatures dropped and a slight breeze kept the heat at bay. As dust approached we gathered around one of the hundreds of fire pits and ate a few too many smores (they probably blame this on the fact that I COULD NOT stop taking photos). The whole night felt relaxed, casual and inspiring.
And then it was time to light the lanterns…
I’m known to make sweeping dramatic statements, but truly, I have never witnessed something so magical. Amongst the flurry of making sure we were getting plenty of images, we looked up and took in the site. 11,000 lanterns soaring into the sky, flickering against the dark backdrop…it was magic in the truest form.
Winston and Katherine, THANK-YOU for such a fabulous evening. For not only coming up with the most EPIC idea but for being so fun and easy to hang with. We are insanely excited to continue to document your love story.
– T & H
Second Shooter: Haley Adair
