You know how there are some magical cities that you visit and your heart is immediately stolen? Everything from architecture to history fascinates you. Now for me, that’s Central Park in New York City. I’m a Philadephia Wedding Photographer, but any excuse to have me hop over to this beautiful and wondrous city, I am in! Thankfully, New York City is not that far away from Philly, so plenty of my couples either live or visit NYC pretty frequently. Emily and Gio live in New Jersey, so it only made sense that we capture their love story in the city that played such a huge role in building their story. Their Fall New York City Engagement in Central Park was filled with romance, laughter, and maybe a little champagne…

Emily + Gio’s Love Story

Gio and Emily back in 2014, during their first class in college together. Towards the end of the semester, their connection was like a magnet and they began dating. They went through the entire college experience together and after four years, both of them moved home after graduation. Enduring the drive between New Jersey and Long Island for three years was tough, but they made it! Eight years after they began their relationship, Gio popped the question during a family vacation to Chicago. Now they are planning the wedding of their dreams and spoiler alert: I’m photographing it!

Fall New York City Engagement in Central Park with Emily + Gio

When it comes to getting your New York City engagement photos done at Central Park, it’s all about choosing the right location. Regardless of how much you may try, there will be a ton of people no matter where you go. So keep that in mind when deciding on whether or not you want a New York City engagement session in Central Park. It was the middle of October and the Fall foliage was in full swing. Leaves were shades of orange and green and began falling off their trees slowly covering the ground. To some it may look like clutter, to us, it was just beautiful.

Central Park Engagement Photos at Bow Bridge, The Pond & Bethesda Fountain

We began their Central Park engagement at Bow Bridge. Built in 1862, Bow Bridge spans 60 feet across Central Park Lake. Given its history and views of the city highrises, it is a must-see spot if you want to get some breathtaking Central Park engagement photos. Next up was The Pond and the Bethesda Fountain. Both are heavily populated areas, so be prepared especially if you’re weary of PDA in public! Emily and Gio moved swiftly in front of the camera and basically were like models, which made these photos even more spectacular but also my job easy! Huge shoutout to both of their outfits as well! Emily looked amazing in her neutral peach-toned midi dress and freshly styled blowout by Up and Out Beauty. Gio was paired in a simple gray suit and pants which complimented Emily’s attire perfectly.

Emily and Gio quickly embarked on their journey of doing a mid-session outfit change to something a bit more casual. They even brought along some champagne and champagne glasses to embark on a celebratory engagement toast that I think we can all say was just what they needed. To switch up the feel for the last bit of their engagement session, we made our way to some of the surrounding local areas to get a more cozy and homey feel to their engagement photos. The ultimate way to end their New York City engagement photos, and look incredible while doing it.

Counting down the days until these two tie the knot this November at The Heritage Club at Bethpage!

Tips For A New York City Engagement Session in Central Park

At a glance, getting these New York City engagement photos in Central Park may look like a piece of cake. However, that’s because it takes plenty of experience to head into such a crowded place and execute your desired result perfectly. If you want a New York City engagement session in Central Park, listen up! Here are some helpful tips that will be necessary to know, to be able to conquer a Central Park engagement session flawlessly.

• The Best Season For Your NYC Engagement Photos: Fall is the busiest season for Central Park engagement photos, so be aware that there will be a ton of people out especially if you’re not one for PDA
• Focus on Weekdays: Aim to take your Central Park engagement photos on a weekday! There will be slightly fewer people/crowds which means fewer distractions.
• Best Time Of Day For Your Central Park Engagement: If you want to have as few people as possible in your photos, aim to take your Central Park engagement photos in the early morning
• Locations For Your NYC Engagement Session: Try and only pick a handful of spots for your engagement photos. Central Park is HUGE and it can get very overwhelming very quickly. Sticking to a few spots eliminates the stress while still getting stunning photos

New York City Engagement Photo Inspiration

Maybe you’re really leaning towards having a fabulous New York City engagement session! Here are just a few examples of other New York City engagement photos that I’ve done that can serve as the perfect New York City engagement photo inspiration.

Danielle and Will’s Central Park Engagement in New York City

Angela and David’s Central Park Engagement Photos in NYC

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