Sometimes love is just one click away! Hollie and Greg met on an interracial dating site. "I was living in Phoenix, Arizona at the time, and Greg was at home in Philadelphia. After flying out to see one another once a month, Greg proposed to me on a visit to Philadelphia," recalled Hollie. Check out their fun and edgy engagement session captured by Sheronda Seawright Photography
Bride: Hollie Dwyer – Account Executive at UPS
Groom: Greg Boyle – Art Teacher in the Philadelphia Public School District
Place of residence: Philadelphia, PA
Engagement Shoot Location: Philadelphia Art Museum & Back alley of the Trocadero Theatre
Engagement story:
He took me to the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology. In the Egyptian Sphinx section of the museum, which is the only museum in the world to feature a significant a portion of an actual Egyptian royal palace. Greg, a part time photographer, duped me into thinking he needed to get at a lower angle to take a picture of her with the temple backdrop behind her. As I walked towards the backdrop, he got the ring out, asked me to turn around to face the camera, and there it was! We shared that most special moment in our lives in as close to an Egyptian palace as we could get with Museum security sharing in the moment!
From the Groom:
One of our main goals with the shoot was to have two contrasting themes. One, being a traditional formal engagement theme, the other, being something very unconventional. For our unconventional theme, we decided on an alleyway behind a club in the Chinatown section of Philadelphia. This was the spot where, as a teenager, I would hang out at after punk and metal shows to meet bands as they were loading out for the evening. In my twenties, it became a place where I was loading my own band's equipment as we opened for touring punk bands such as The Germs and The Subhumans. The alleyway is gritty, painted with a stark red on one wall, as well as graffiti adorning the walls around it. Hollie and I chose a look as if we were going to see a show. We sported jeans, t-shirts from bands we mutually like, while Hollie wore her leather and I went without a jacket to show off my tattooed sleeve. Meanwhile, for our more conventional theme, we worked with our photographer to choose the Water Works area behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Hollie bought a dress for the occasion, and I a suit (Although she advised me to keep it somewhat casual with Chuck Taylors rather than formal shoe wear!) However, the night before the shoot, even our "conventional" shoot took an unconventional turn. As Hollie prepped for the coming day putting on the sequined dress she had bought, we both looked at her in it and thought, "this really isn't you." And as we examined some other options that night, Hollie pulled out her black tutu she had made a few months ago for a party. She put it on, and a few shirts later, we knew we had it! It was edgy, daring, and something that demanded attention when she walked by. Showing up to an engagement shoot in a black tutu, cheetah print shirt, heels and large hoop earrings is certainly something you have to own, and I knew my fiancé was the one to own it!
What makes your love special?
There are many personal things that make Greg's and my love special between us. But I think one of the most special things about it is that years ago, our love would not only be unpopular by societal standards, but downright illegal. Because of the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, not only could we never have married, but we could have been jailed for falling in love. People literally died in this country fighting for equality during the Civil Rights Era, and if it wasn't for their heroic sacrifices, Greg and I could not be together today. Furthermore, because of people like Mildred and Richard Loving, the famous interracial couple from Virginia who took their case to the Supreme Court, we are able to stand here now and be legally married. We are not only grateful to those people in the past who broke down those barriers, but we are also so proud to share our union with the world.
Were there any memorable moments during the shoot?
Oh yes! When we arrived to the alleyway, we were greeted by a seeping, milk-like oily substance that had overtaken the alleyway. We had to work around it, as our photographers had to remain on one side of the alleyway, and we had to remain on the other side. Sheronda (our photographer) had to rely on her zoom lens for close ups, as a tight shot was pretty much impossible without treading into the muck and mire of the milk-ooze. Greg apologized profusely for dragging us there, but Sheronda had such amazing energy. She commented on how many flowers and trees she had shot for engagement shoots, and that this was something that was exciting and different for her. Bless her heart!
What are you most looking forward to about your wedding?
We are most looking forward to sharing the day with family and friends!
Have you started planning your wedding?
Yes, we have started planning. The financial part takes a lot of planning and budgeting, but there are fun parts too! Planning our guest lists, music, and slide show have been some of the highlights of working together on our wedding planning.
Congratulations to the happy couple Hollie and Greg! We wish you a wonderful wedding and marriage.
