Valentine’s Day weekend in Philly’s LOVE Park: Snow, roses, and engagements new and old

With LOVE overhead and slush underfoot,

He pulled out a ring, got down on one knee,

And then popped the question:

“Will you marry me?”

She said yes — a rare moment of romance during an unusually sleepy Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia’s JFK Plaza, better known as LOVE park for its large Robert Indiana statue. The perennially popular destination for proposals, weddings, and lovey-dovey selfies was missing its usual parade of visitors Sunday afternoon, as a messy winter storm and upcoming Super Bowl game kept all but the most determined lovebirds inside.

But Shriket Patel was on a mission.

“The first time I saw the park, I wanted to propose there,” he said.

He and Drashti Narola, both 29, were among the couples who braved the weather to mark a special Valentine’s Day weekend together. They met two years ago through an online class. After six months of texting, he finally asked her out. They recently moved from the Midwest to Harrisburg.

Bystanders gathered around as Patel and Narola approached the LOVE statue. The couple’s photo-ready outfits — he wore slacks and crisp white shirt, she shivered in a sleeveless burgundy velvet gown — and the Ed Sheeran song that abruptly started to play were giveaways that something was about to happen.

As Patel took Narola’s hands, friends rushed over with heart-shaped balloons tied to the end of a champagne bottle, and a hired photographer snapped photos of Narola’s surprised expression.

Friends, family and strangers all cheered as she slipped the ring on her finger and pulled him up for a kiss. Arms linked, the newly engaged couple hurried toward City Hall for more photos before the day got colder.

Patel wasn’t the only one to kneel down at the foot of the statue.

Renas Ramadham couldn’t resist the opportunity to propose to his sweetheart — even though they’ve been married for 15 years. He and his wife, Harim Ramadham, were visiting from Fredericksburg, Va. They posed and laughed as family members snapped their photo to remember the occasion.

A visit to the iconic LOVE statue was high on Angelina and Jayare Echevarria’s weekend getaway itinerary.

The couple, who live in Brooklyn, hadn’t been away from their three children on an overnight trip for years, Angelina Echevarria said. Their friends Vicky and Thomas Rolon, who live outside Newark, joined them for a weekend of visiting museums, dining, and relaxing.

They don’t normally go big for Valentine’s Day, but wanted to do something different this year.

“It’s just a fun day to spend together,” she said.

As pairs and families sporadically stopped by the LOVE statue, Isa Abdul-Wahhab, 9, and his siblings handed out roses and cards to people while their mother stood by.

“It’s about spreading love to people,” Isa said of Valentine’s Day. When asked whether he had a special valentine, he said, “my family.”

The outing was organized by City Kids Random Acts of Kindness, a group that helps youth give back to the community. Over the summer, they distributed hand sanitizer and snacks.

“I actually hate Valentine’s Day,” said Tiera Nichelson, 28, of South Philadelphia, who organized the outing.

So she planned the City Kids outing to make the day about love of any kind — not just romantic love.

After all, it’s what Philadelphia is known for, Nichelson noted: “This is the City of Brotherly Love.”