Proposing with the San Remo Backdrop
Alex reached out to me in early fall sharing that he was excited to hire a NYC proposal photographer to propose to his girlfriend, Abby, on their December trip to New York City. He knew that his now-fiancé LOVES New York, and he wanted her to feel like their proposal was straight out of a rom-com. Alex wasn't sure how to plan a surprise proposal, and I was more than happy to share my photographer expertise with him! After sending him a few location options, Alex decided on a popular proposal spot in Central Park near the Bow Bridge with a view of the iconic lake and San Remo in the background.
The couple arrived in NYC on Friday night and on Saturday afternoon, Alex led Abby to the center of Manhattan and they walked around Central Park. He told me that he had tried to keep his cool as he brought the ring through TSA security at the airport beforehand, and he was doing his best to act casual the hour or two leading up to the big moment.
After walking by Bethesda Terrace and crossing the Bow Bridge, Alex and Abby made their way to the proposal spot while I was secretly following their location on Find My Friends (an app that is a proposal photographer's best friend). I quickly and politely asked any nearby tourists to clear the area for just a few minutes for their special moment, and as expected, they were excited to watch the moment unfold nearby.
They took a few minutes to gaze out at the beautiful Central Park lake. Then when Abby was not paying attention, Alex got down on one knee and poured his heart out to her. She immediately burst into tears and that rom-com, picture-perfect moment was absolutely achieved. She was thrilled to say "yes" to spending forever with him.
The Post-Proposal Engagement Shoot
I let Alex and Abby have their intimate, tearful moment before introducing myself as the surprise photographer and offering Abby a few tissues. I explained that we would spend the next 40 minutes doing a fun post-proposal engagement session in the surrounding areas of Central Park. I let them know that this was THEIR time, so if they wanted a minute to just breathe or call family/friends to just let me know. They had officially entered the "fiancé fog" where you're in shock and disbelief but also so sure of yourself all at the same time.
Alex & Abby walked through different parts of the park, including the Bow Bridge, Bethesda Terrace, and the Mall while reminiscing on how far they had come in their relationship and I captured all the emotion. The couple had actually gone to high school together but didn't know each other well. (Can you imagine being in high school and someone telling you that your future spouse was in the same room as you but you didn't even know them?!) Fast-forward a couple years, she moved to California for a year. Alex was good friends with Abby's sister and some of her close friends back home in Ohio, so they ended up on the same group FaceTime calls. At this point, they started to get to know each other from afar. She then moved back to Ohio and they started dating after a year of long-distance build-up.
They were both ecstatic and the surprises weren't over yet. After their engagement session, Alex whisked Abby off to another part of Central Park, where their family and friends were waiting to surprise them with congratulations! This was such a magical, happy day for a beautiful couple that reminds me why I love to capture proposals.
