Just a Casual NoLibs Engagement Photo Session

Kelsey Robins and Spencer Stokes during their Northern Liberties engagement photo session / Photography by Magdalena Studios

Engagement photos are both a celebration of the proposal — and the wedding to come. And we have our first session of 2025 to continue our Proposal Season coverage, by way of these Northern Liberties engagement photos, snapped by Magdalena Studios in the neighborhood where the couple has built a life together. Read their story below.

The couple: Kelsey Robins, a 30-year-old physician assistant, and Spencer Stokes, a 31-year-old CPA, both of Northern Liberties

How they met: This pair met at a mutual friend’s house on January 1, 2019, where they had gathered to watch the Mummers Parade. They exchanged numbers, and a week later, they had their first date: a 6 a.m. run across the Ben Franklin Bridge. The couple moved together to Northern Liberties in 2021 and have loved building their life there together — becoming regulars in the neighborhood, visiting Pizza Shackamaxon for a slice or The Kettle Black for weekend bagels and coffee. And like any Philly couple, you can frequently find them outside their digs too — at the stadiums, tailgating and rooting for Philly’s sports teams. (Go Birds!)

The proposal story: Kelsey and Spencer dated for more than four years before Spencer surprised Kelsey with a mid-hike proposal, during a trek at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. “We were one of the first visitors to make it to the peak that day,” shares Kelsey, who naturally said yes when he popped the question. The couple ended the hike with a 35-foot cliff jump to “celebrate the next big leap in our relationship,” says Kelsey.

The engagement-session approach: With Magdalena Studios enlisted as their photographer, the couple and their team began working on finding the ideal location, which happened to be just outside their door, in their own NoLibs hometown. “This is where we have spent the majority of our dating and engaged lives together, and the neighborhood carries so many meaningful memories for us,” says Kelsey. They settled on Cherry Street Pier right before sunset for a second backdrop. “Not only is this a gorgeous waterfront view, but also the location of one of our earlier dates — a yoga class on the pier — as well as below the Ben Franklin Bridge as a callback to our first date,” says Kelsey.

The attire: Kelsey and Spencer wanted two different aesthetics. They went for a casual look in their neighborhood, wearing jeans, white sneakers, and shirts. “This helped us feel comfortable, which we think showed through in the photos,” says Kelsey. And for Cherry Street Pier? Something a little more formal and romantic. Kelsey loved her sundress with yellow roses — rather than standard white — which she picked out with her mother. Kelsey’s longtime hairstylist, Mallory Zakrzewski of Gravity in Plymouth Meeting, perfected the bride-to-be’s hair.

The rainy forecast: The couple almost postponed the photo session due to heavy showers, but an hour beforehand, it all stopped, leaving empty, but prettily dewy, streets. “We were the only people who made the trek out to the pier that afternoon,” says Kelsey. “This not only calmed our nerves since we are both rookies to ‘modeling,’ but also created such an intimate memory.”

The wedding plans and honeymoon: In March, the couple plans to say “I do” at the Switch House by Cescaphe in Fishtown. Beautiful Blooms will handle the florals. Among the reasons they chose this location is because of its view of the Ben Franklin Bridge — where their love story began.

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