A Movie-Worth Surprise Proposal in Central Park
As an NYC proposal photographer, I never get tired of watching people say yes to the loves of their lives, and this proposal was certainly no exception to the rule. 6 months before traveling to NYC from Brazil, Ricardo reached out to me on Instagram about planning a surprise proposal in Central Park.
The couple met several years ago through an online connection and kismet had it that they lived just 20 minutes apart from each other. At first, they were just friends getting to know each other and eventually they realized they wanted the relationship to be something even greater, not knowing what was in store for their future together. Their first real date was a riverside picnic and they have been together ever since. Five years after starting to date, Ricardo was beyond ready to propose to his girlfriend.
Inspired by their picnic first date, Ricardo wanted another nature-oriented date to be the center of their proposal. After doing some digging together with Google Maps, we settled on an intimate spot in Central Park near the Bow Bridge right on the edge of the lake with view of the San Reno in the backdrop. It was a busy day in the park, so I had to kindly ask some tourists to clear out of the spot for a few minutes before this sweet moment happened, and thankfully, they were all kind enough to move (and some stayed close nearby to watch!).
This was easily one of the more emotional proposals I have experienced – he had such a long, romantic speech for her as he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. He also presented her with a whole notebook of thoughts that he had as he was getting ready to propose. Claudia is Ricardo’s best friend, and he is so used to telling her his every thought – he had to write those thoughts down to keep the proposal a secret over many months! This was such a heart-melting touch, and I was for sure crying myself (yes, I am a sucker for love).
After giving the couple a few minutes to just take in the fact that they were now happily engaged, I brought them on a walk to do a mini-engagement session on the Bow Bridge, in front of Bethesda Terrace, and more. These new fiances were so clearly over-the-moon that I basically just had to play paparazzi and capture their overflowing love for each other. This was one of those days where I go home absolutely LOVING what I do as a Central Park proposal photographer – seeing how happy they were and knowing that they will have these memories captured to savor forever brings me so much joy.
Thinking about proposing in Central Park? Get in touch with me!
