Nina Lily Photography

View Original

Becky + Mike | Downtown Club Philadelphia Mummers Wedding

Becky & Mike have one of my favorite engagement stories ever. It was early April and Mike asked Becky to take a walk to the park with their dog, Stella. (Stella is a Boston/Frenchie mix... I was in love when they mentioned French Bulldog, but seriously, you can't look into Stella's eyes without completely falling for her! She is such a sweet girl!) Mike is a photographer, so it wasn't unusual for him to bring his camera along. Once they got to the park, Mike asked Becky to take a few photos. - At this point, I have to mention that Mike shoots film; inherently, older film cameras have view finders that you have to look through to compose your photograph. - So Becky picks up Mike's camera, looks through the viewfinder... and notices a note that says, "Will You Marry Me?". How perfect!!!!

Needless to say, I was thrilled when Mike & Becky asked me to document their wedding day. I had a great time collaborating with Mike & Becky on their photography. They trusted my aesthetic and agreed to schedule extra time so that I could shoot some film. The entire day organically unfolded with plenty of time for collaborative portraits.

Becky and Mike both got ready at Hotel Monaco, Philadelphia, but decided not to see each other until the ceremony at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Following the ceremony, they infused plenty of personal touches, including an alone session that took them to many of their favorite Philly spots. Our first stop was South Philly for photos on Becky & Mike's stoop. We headed to Old City for bridal party pictures and then we created some imagery at the El Stop where Mike and Becky meet during their work days. Finally, we headed to the Downtown Club to join the reception. In conjunction with our South Philly tour, was a mural stop to commemorate the Philadelphia Mummers. Mike is a banjo player and is a Mummer; at the time of his wedding, he was a member of the Fralinger String Band. They are AMAZING! Seemingly as a compliment to our mural photographs, Mike and Becky surprised their guests with a performance by Fralinger. I can't describe the energy in the room but hope that the imagery speaks for itself.

Please enjoy this beautiful wedding!