Adrienne & Joel’s Philadelphia Engagement Photos session started off at the very top of the Hyatt at Bellevue, on the balcony of their restaurant XIX. Many of our Philadelphia wedding brides get ready at this hotel and we photograph it, so it was awesome that the staff was accommodating enough to allow us out on their balcony to create some images. Right outside of the hotel, downstairs, we took some Superman/Clark Kent style photographs in an old phone booth. From there, we wandered around downtown Philly, scoping out new areas to create in. It was a pretty hot day, but Adrienne and Joel were total champs and were smiling and joking with us the whole time. At the end of their session we were all about to get into our cars when a drum line came down Broad Street. We just had to create just a few more photographs with all of them! They were great about it and were dancing while drumming around Adrienne & Joel in a circle. We can’t wait to see them again at their wedding in September.
The Hyatt at Bellevue is one of Philadelphia’s most iconic historic hotels, built in 1904 and standing tall at the corner of Broad and Walnut. XIX sits on the 19th floor, and if you have never been up there, the views of City Hall and the Philly skyline are genuinely breathtaking. It is the kind of spot that makes engagement sessions feel like a real event rather than just a checkbox before the wedding.
Philadelphia is one of our favorite cities to shoot in. The mix of old architecture, wide sidewalks, hidden alleys, and the constant buzz of real city life gives couples so much to work with. Adrienne and Joel were naturals from the first frame, laughing and moving through downtown without a shred of self-consciousness. When the drum line came rolling down Broad Street near the end of the session, it felt like the city was throwing them a party. We stayed a little longer than planned and it was absolutely worth it.
If you are planning a Philadelphia wedding or engagement session, we would love to show you what downtown Philly looks like through our lens. Check out our guide to the best Philadelphia wedding venues for more inspiration on locations across the city.
