Wondering what it’s like to plan a NYC engagement session? Spoiler alert, it’s amazing. In August I flew out to photograph an engagement session in New York City, and since I did ALLL the research, I figured I’d compile all the things I learned into 1 blog post!

I did so much research while planning that by the time I arrived, I literally felt like a New Yorker. I knew all of the boroughs, exactly where I was heading, and basically had Central Park mapped out in my head. I was READY for our NYC engagement session.

The best part about photographing in NYC? Unlimited options for types of scenery! The toughest part? UNLIMITED PEOPLE (not really, but you know what I mean😉).

When choosing locations for this engagement session, we decided ultimately to stay in Central Park, and then head down to Brooklyn, to photograph in DUMBO. We thought it would be fun to do some contrasting looks and create a gallery with a lot of diversity, that showed several areas of the city (yes, it’s totally possible to get greenery in your images)!

To work around the NYC crowds, you’ll definitely want to start at sunrise – a 5 am wakeup call has never been more worth it. We started at sunrise. The 5 AM wake up call was totally worth it! Sitting in Central Park with complete silence was really unique, and we saw a different side of the city. I was back in the Park (as locals call it, apparently) later in the afternoon, and the crowding was beyond insane. I was so glad we had started at the crack of dawn!

We met up in Central Park and began photographing our way through a few different areas in the park. We started with a city view, moved to Bethesda Terrace and Bow Bridge, then finished our time at the park in Shakespeare Gardens. Wildflowers in the middle of NYC? A dream. Ashtynne, the bride told me that each of the different areas of the park are meant to symbolize different boroughs. How cool is that? I literally love New York.

After leaving Central Park, we took an Uber down to Brooklyn. Technically, the Subway probably would have been similar time-wise, but an Uber was super easy, and dropped us off exactly where we wanted to be. We started in DUMBO, and photographed the incredible skyline with both the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges.

I had the best time at this NYC engagement session, and can’t wait to go back and photograph in NYC again soon!