7 couples tied the knot at Reading Terminal Market for a very Philly Valentine's Day

Brett Sholtis, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Feb 14, 2026

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PHILADELPHIA — Tucked in between a fish market, a bakery, and a honey stand, seven couples tied the knot among family, friends and perfect strangers on Saturday.

“It’s amazing,” said Beth Esposito-Evans, who officiated the ceremony. “What could be more Philly than Reading Terminal Market?”

Esposito-Evans, a vendor at the market, said she helped relaunch the “Married at the Market” Valentine’s Day wedding last year after she became an ordained minister.

It’s her second year officiating a group ceremony that blended traditional elements — two couples broke a glass, for example — with plenty of love for the market.

“Love is timeless,” Esposito-Evans said, “regardless of destination or background.”

Reading Terminal Market, located at 12th and Arch streets, is a magnet for tourists and a regular destination for residents. Housed in a National Historic Landmark building dating back to 1893, the market has 72 food vendors, including a produce market, an oyster bar, Pennsylvania Dutch traditional food and a wide range of other offerings.

Fifty-seven couples applied, according to event promoter London Faust. The seven lucky couples selected for the wedding were treated to decor, a violin player and the location, all paid for by Reading Terminal Market.

For bride Daysi Morales, the market is a place full of fond memories. Her father, Juan Morales, worked there as a security guard. He died of cancer in September 2024.

“So there’s a sentimental aspect,” Morales said. “It’s a place where I can feel my dad’s presence.”

In an interview a few days before the ceremony, Morales, 36, and her partner David Skillman, 35, finished each other’s sentences as they told their love story, which started as a Tinder date during the winter of 2021.

They first met at Craft Hall, a sports bar in Old City, chosen because of its outdoor seating that many people preferred during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They decided to go inside anyway, Skillman said, and there the conversation flowed and the connection was immediate. Morales was born in Honduras, he noted, where he had done medical missionary work as a registered nurse.

“I think we dated for a couple weeks, then made [our relationship] official,” Morales said.

They moved in together into her apartment in West Philly, moved to Point Breeze, and in December 2024, got engaged.

But it was around then that Morales’ father Juan fell ill. During one of Skillman’s shifts at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Pavilion emergency department, he provided medical care for Juan Morales.

“David was such a rock, not just for me, but for my family,” Morales said.

For the couple, who now lives in South Philly, there’s also a practical aspect to having a scaled-down, low-cost wedding.

“I want to buy a house,” Skillman said. “And buying a house and having a big wedding aren’t both feasible.”

Morales said she worked for the federal government’s Department of Housing and Urban Development before being laid off last year.

“Especially in this economy, I think micro weddings are becoming more and more popular,” Morales said.

That didn’t stop them from having a special wedding with some of their favorite Philly attractions — including Okie Dokie Donuts, an after-party at Sardine Bar, specialty cocktails, and a cake made by Morales’ family.

“It feels so special, to be in the market where my dad worked,” said Daysi’s older sister Esther Morales.

Morales and Skillman are one of seven couples that participated in marriage ceremonies at the market Saturday.

Faust said “the Reading Terminal team began an outreach process loosely prioritizing those who had strong ties to the market in their love story.” The celebration is free of charge for those accepted.

“We kind of needed something like this,” said groom Joey Kathan before the ceremony. “We’ve been engaged two years.”

Kathan’s bride Megan Keane described them as a “COVID couple” who met on Bumble in Washington, D.C., and bonded over hiking trips before moving to Philadelphia a few years ago.

“This was crazy,” Keane said. “We couldn’t believe we were accepted.”

There were even some last-minute guests of honor. Dorothy and Terry White were at the market yesterday when one of the housekeepers introduced them to Esposito. She asked them to join the celebration.

“We got married here, 21 years ago today,” Dorothy White triumphantly told the crowd.