Josh DeHonney is one of the most prolific wedding photographers working in the Delaware River Towns today. Follow him on Instagram and you’ll get a daily dose of love injected into your feed. He regularly posts images from engagement and pre- and post-wedding shoots, often in celebration of the featured couple’s anniversary or some other milestone. (Yes, he’s that thoughtful. Credit the Canadian in him.)
What distinguishes DeHonney from so many of his peers is his uncanny ability to capture intimate and vulnerable moments in settings that seem absolutely tailormade for them. Honestly, big-budget movies don’t get it as right as DeHonney so often does.
With Valentine’s Day coming up, we asked him to share his most romantic spots around the DRT – for a quiet conversation, a sunset stroll, or even a proposal. Here’s what he came back to us with.
Goat Hill Overlook
The drive from downtown Lambertville to Goat Hill Overlook is just a couple miles, but it’s straight up. Once you arrive there, it can feel like you’re on top of the world.
“This is easily one of the best perspectives in the area, with sweeping views of the Delaware and New Hope and Lambertville,” DeHonney says. “The scenery is breathtaking year-round, but the fall is when you’ll find the biggest crowds.”
He recommends one of two lookout spots, a rocky overhang for the adventurous among us and an opening further along the hiking trail with ample room for spreading out a blanket.
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
More than 700 native plant species grow throughout Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve, which is nestled in a hilly nook of Pidcock Creek Valley. About four-and-a-half miles of trails meander through forest and meadows.
“The paths are long and tree-lined, which makes it easy to feel like you’re getting lost in nature for a little while,” DeHonney says.
Solebury Orchards
“Solebury Orchards is a classic apple orchard. Set back from the road, it’s almost like it’s in its own world,” DeHonney says. “It can get busy on the weekends, especially in the fall. But it’s easy to choose your own adventure here among the long rows of apple trees, many of which seem to lead to a different mesmerizing view.”
Downtown Hopewell
“In an area filled with so many great walking towns, Hopewell is maybe my favorite. That my favorite pizza place, Nomad Pizza Company, is there certainly doesn’t hurt its cause,” he says.
Beyond the dining scene and quirky shops, DeHonney is drawn to the town’s architecture, which includes prime examples of colonial, Italianate, Queen Anne, and “foursquare” styles, occasionally within the same building. (“People liked to mix and match, and older houses were often renovated or expanded,” reads a description for a recent walking tour.) The large homes and small streets give Hopewell a quintessential small-town feel.
Tyler Gardens
Newtown, PA
Located on the campus of Bucks County Community College in Newtown (less than a 10-minute drive from the Delaware), Tyler Gardens is a beautiful artifact from a more enchanted time. (That time being 1931.) Dramatic stone walls and staircases surround a meticulously manicured four-tier garden.
“If I had somehow had the opportunity to propose to my wife again,” DeHonney says. “I’d do it here.”
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