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Philadelphia Engagement Proposals| Katie and Rachel

The right to love and marry who you want isn’t something Paparazzi Proposals takes for granted, and we’re thrilled to have been given the privilege of capturing so many LGBT engagement proposals. One of our favorite moments was this past weekend, when Katie surprised her girlfriend, Rachel, with a scavenger hunt, leading to the moment where Katie dropped down on one knee.

If you want to view the full gallery from Katie’s exciting proposal, click here! Read below for their romantic love story, which started online and was sealed at the place where they had their first date.

Katie and Rachel met online. Rachel lived in Central New Jersey and Katie lived in Philly. After about a week of talking via text, they mutually decided to meet. Despite the distance, Rachel packed a bag and went to Philadelphia for the weekend.

“Ironically, Rachel was the only girl I met online who was not from Philly- but on the contrary, she lived 2+ hours away…and with her parents. She was also the only girl who I didn’t immediately cut off contact when the topic of actually meeting came up…After about three weeks of non-stop texting, phone calls and facetiming, I invited her to Philly for the weekend. So much for a casual first date?”

Rachel was drawn to Katie’s sense of humor, along with her beautiful red hair and blue eyes, which roped her in immediately.

“Since our very first conversation, I’ve been laughing at all the crazy stories Katie has to tell.”

For Rachel, there wasn’t one specific moment when she thought Katie was the one. It became more of a feeling over time that became all encompassing. Suddenly, she just couldn’t imagine her life without Katie.

“Now, even on the hard days, I know that there’s no one else that can understand, support, and love me the way Katie can. Everyday I look forward to coming home from work just so I can see her smile and hear her laugh – that’s how I know she’s the one.”

Katie knew Rachel was the one when she went out to drinks with an old friend, eating tacos for Cinco De Mayo. Earlier that day was the first time she had ever seen Rachel cry, which was over a job she hadn’t gotten. She remembers thinking that she never wanted to see Rachel upset again and always wanted to be there for her.

Realizing this later on randomly over drinks and dinner, she couldn’t help but blurt out, “I’m going to marry Rachel. I don’t know when or why or how…but I’m positive that I will.”

On their first official date, Rachel and Katie walked around Philadelphia & stumbled across these beautiful secluded gardens, located right around Independence Hall. They sat on a bench for hours just talking and taking in the beautiful weather & scenery.

“I had no idea that this place even had a name until about a year later when I saw pictures of it online. It took me a few minutes but I immediately recognized the setting…and came to find out it was a historical site called The 18^th Century Gardens. I chose to propose on the first of the month… where we had our first date- as it is symbolic of many more ‘firsts’ to come as we journey into this next step of our lives together.”

Katie purchased the stunning engagement ring from DeFino and Campagna Fine Jewelry.

If you want to start planning your own romantic proposal, check out some of our favorite ideas. And if you want a daily dosage of love in your life, make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!