When I first moved to Philly in 2010, I was fresh out of college, ready to change the world one student at a time as I began my service with Teach For America. As much as I put on my “I GOT THIS” front during those long, intense days of training in unair-conditioned classrooms, I honestly don’t think I would have gotten through that summer without the group of friends I made. Carly was one of those friends.

Even now, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Carly (and she will probably kill me for saying this but it’s true!) is how cool she is. And it’s not just because she can rock a multitude of tattoos and a bold red lip. She’s extremely smart, incredibly creative, funny AF, and not to mention one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met. We instantly hit it off, enjoyed many nights on Lucy’s dance floor (#RIP) with our girlfriends, and have experienced ALL of the things throughout our 20’s.

Take the above ingredients of Carly and simply remove the tattoos and bold red lip. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees and voila! You’ve just created David (who also happens to be an unreal cook and huge fan of #GBBO, hence the cheesy recipe lingo)! David joined our TFA Philly cohort a year after us and that’s when Carly + David’s love story began. From the halls of Boys’ Latin to the streets of South Philly, these two cool kids have shared their love all over Philly, which is what they wanted to capture in this past weekend’s shoot. This power couple will be making moves to DC in the near future so it was important to them to celebrate the amazing moments they’ve shared in the City of Brotherly Love while they are still here. From West Philly’s Clark Park, the rooftop parking garage of Whole Foods on South Street, to underneath the tracks of the L in Fishtown, we soaked up as many of Carly + David’s favorite views with the sun shining all day long. It’s a shoot I’ll never forget and I am so grateful they chose me to be a part of this chapter in their lives.

To Philly, with love

Carly + David (+ Rach)