American Horror Story Inspired These Magical Philly Engagement Photos

Adam Valone and Brandon Jany’s Washington Square West engagement photos were inspired by American Horror Story. Photos by Carly Landolt Photography

What do an Instagram-famous pug and American Horror Story have to do with engagement photos? Quite a bit, at least for this well-accessorized pair of architects, who unveiled their hauntingly fun theme during their Washington Square West engagement photos. Carly Landolt Photography captured the couple with their fur baby, donning masks (and more) and wielding umbrellas that would bewitch even the cast of “Coven.”

The couple: East Passyunk Crossing architects Brandon Jany and Adam Valone.

How they met: We both attended Drexel University for architecture: Brandon graduated in 2014 and Adam in 2018. We ended up working in Collingswood, N.J., at the same time (for different firms) and ran into each other on the street. We had known of each other through Drexel, but never crossed paths. Sparks flew; conversation began; and the rest is history. We were on again, off again for a bit… but we became official in June 2015, when Brandon took Adam out for his 21st birthday and rekindled their romance in Washington Square Park.

The proposal: Brandon proposed after a lovely evening out in Center City during restaurant week. We had planned on making this the next step in our relationship, so we both brought the engagement rings we’d already picked out together. It was fun and exciting to see who would pop the question first! Brandon wanted it to happen in the exact spot where we had started dating over a year ago and planned it perfectly. He even wrote out his speech on a card, complete with several Lady Gaga references. We decided to have a long engagement and plan the wedding after Adam graduated in June 2018.

The engagement shoot setting: The location was perfect since Washington Square Park is so important to us. We decided that after we got engaged, we wanted to have a fall wedding. Naturally, the engagement shoot needed to be in the fall as well.

The clothes, the props and the theme: The outfits, umbrellas and masks go hand-in-hand with our actual wedding theme. We are huge fans of American Horror Story and basically took inspiration from most of the witches and warlocks on the show. We also love Halloween but didn’t want to have a Halloween-themed wedding. That’s where the masks came into play. Putting our own twist on a masquerade ball seemed like the perfect way to tie all of this together. We have several masks we will be wearing throughout our wedding from New Orleans and Venice.

How the pug played a starring role: We did not even think about doing our engagement session without our pride and joy, Cece. Brandon rescued her in June 2013, and it was one of the best decisions he has ever made. She took an instant liking to Adam as well. We are one happy little family.

Find her on social media and out in Philly: Cece is on Instagram @Cecethepugitect and is friends with a decent amount of famous pugs on social media. Cece will be taking part in #PugsTakePhilly from May 1 to 3.

The wedding: This October at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco.

This story has been edited for clarity and length. Want to see your big moment on this blog? Learn how to submit your engagement or wedding photos to our editors here.

Get more great content from Philadelphia Wedding:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST

Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Philadelphia Weddings' guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.