Engagement Pictures in Central Park NYC :: Emily & Nick

We're still in NYC here on the blog today! Much as I love the Boston Public Gardens, Central Park might just have the edge as it's so huge with all sorts of interesting structures and bridges and rather fabulous light.

Emily and Nick both went to school at Boston College. Neither of them can really remember the very first time they met, they were in the same group of friends and would often find themselves at the same events.

After always just knowing each other, it was senior year when something changed. Nick embarked on a subtle campaign to woo Emily

The wooing mostly took the form of food. Emily had injured her foot and was on crutches for part of the school year. Nick would bring her breakfast to her dorm room every morning explaining, "She's awful when she's hungry."

Once they'd graduated from BC and it was all official, after a little time working in Boston they moved together to New York City where they enjoyed everything the city had to offer.

One cold, winter evening Emily walked through the door to their home with wet hair, her feet in ski boots and her arms full of dry cleaning for their upcoming ski trip out west.

Spelled out in candles by Nick was "Will you marry me?" The dry cleaning was thrown aside as Emily said yes.

Emily & Nick - after photographing you both in the wedding party of another BC couple (Hey Dani & Mark!) and also our random elevator meet up at another wedding, it was a pleasure to meet up with you both for real and to photograph you in your current hometown. I hope you like these favorites! Lot's more to come! I can't wait to photograph your wedding at the Eastern Point Yacht Club in Gloucester, MA next year! 

NYC Engagement Pictures - Emily + Matt

Last week I found myself in the meatpacking district of New York City to photograph Emily and Matt; their wedding will happen next month at The Barn at Gibbet Hill and I can't wait to be their wedding photographer. Although I have a strict "no drinking for Leah at weddings" rule I'll break the rules at engagement shoots and so we started with a cocktail: 

The meatpacking district was a great location for NYC engagement pictures, we had our choice of industrial areas, cherry blossoms and brownstones and even the high-line: 

Emily and Matt met at a party. They talked late into the night and when it was time to leave Matt chivalrously took Emily across the city in a taxi, kissed her goodnight and took another taxi all the way home. Emily was most impressed.

That chance meeting at the party led to a first date and a very happy relationship.

Emily and Matt both have incredibly busy schedules and Emily was pleasantly surprised when Matt reserved a day in her calendar for a "day of fun and love". The day started out perfectly with relaxing massages and then a cooking class. Emily was surprised when Matt suggested they go for a drive. 

One of the advantages of doing an engagement shoot is that your photographer might suggest pictures in a place that doesn't seem to make sense but when you see them they do! There was a massive construction project in the background here but I knew the illuminated scaffolding would make for an interesting backdrop! 

Emily didn't know where they were driving to but finally they arrived at Blue Hill at Stone Barns where they settled in for a memorable multi-course dinner. Course after delicious course arrived at their table and Emily was surprised when mid-dinner they were offered a private tour. After the tour, Emily & Matt were then re-seated in a private room. Little did Emily know that Matt had pre-arranged for a small video camera to be set up, the video recorded a silver domed platter being brought out and Emily's reaction to the engagement ring that it was hiding!


Emily & Matt - thank you for being so fun to photograph and for showing me a little glimpse of your hometown. I'll see you next month!!!

NYC Engagement Pictures :: SoHo and Central Park :: Jenn + Erik

A couple of weeks ago I went to NYC for a few engagement sessions. I have a number of New York based couples getting married in Boston and often they want pictures in their hometown.

Due to weather/scheduling my plans had changed a couple of times but Jenn & Erik was super flexible about finding time and so we actually did a two part shoot - an hour in the evening followed by an hour in the morning. Which was great not only for different locations/outfits but mostly because I got to hang out with them twice ;) We started at the Mondrian Hotel in SoHo where I was staying. This is my new favorite hotel. We met for a cocktail in the bar:

Let's backtrack. Jenn and Erik actually met when they were in high school. But they weren't in the same high school. They met at an orientation day for UMass Amherst when they were paired up to play billiards. What started out as friendship eventually became a pretty awesome relationship and eventually Erik knew he wanted Jenn to be his wife.

Awesome proposal story: Erik planed dinner, a limo, a friend hiding out with a camera to capture the moment followed by...wait for it..a surprise weekend in Puerto Rico (ummm - top marks Erik!). As the weekend trip was a surprise he knew he'd have to pack a case of clothing for Jenn (something I imagine most guys would struggle with) so he did his research; looking at pictures of Jenn on previous vacations to figure out what clothes she'd want to wear, coming up with a story about how they might visit friends who had a hot tub and so which was her favorite swimsuit?  Anyway, they're out at dinner (Grill 23 no less!) and disaster strikes. Jenn starts to feel unwell. Erik says he call for the limo and Jenn's all "Nah, let's just get the bus home!". Erik was scrambling - sending message to the photographer friend to wait/move/be ready now. Long story short Erik asked Jenn to marry him and Jenn said yes. Hoorah!

Anyhoo - Jenn & Erik were beyond chill about location (Top tip: your engagement pictures are about the two of you. Yup, I'll incorporate the setting into some of the pictures, especially if there's sentimental meaning, but often couples will fall in love with a picture we took in a parking garage or a weird doorway - it's all about the light :) We pooled around one block of SoHo and the entrance to the Mondrian (which is gorgeous) and got these:

What's the saying? Happy wife = Happy life? I think Jenn and Erik will have a very happy life :) 

We then hopped in a taxi and headed over to a park with the most spectacular view of the city just in time for sunset:

The only issue when I photograph in NYC vs. Boston is that I don't have a ton of people I can call on for lighting assistance for night time pictures. Thanks to the wonders of facebook, a great guy names Dmitriy showed up to hold my lights (Megan, a videographer friend put a shout out to her film school friends and Harry offered to help. Harry got stuck in work and so put me in touch with his friend Dmitriy. Gotta love facebook):

It was getting kind of late so we called cut for the day and Jenn & Erik kindly insisted on a) taking me back to my hotel and b) buying me a gin and tonic. Way to my heart ! I'm now likely to work 300% harder on their wedding day ;)

The next morning was still ridiculously hot but we met up in Central Park for some classic New York style engagement pictures:

I always encourage couples to wear their hearts on their sleeves and just go for it. Jenn and Erik took me at my word and just went for it :)

Alrighty, one more and that's all for today.

I had a 17 hour day yesterday and I have 3 engagement shoots and a wedding coming up in the next 5 days so I'm giving myself the rest of the day off today. I plan on only moving to get food or a frosty beverage. I'm staying off the computer. So don't email me. Or I'll be mad at you. Kidding. Not really.

Next up on the blog will be Haley & Josh's stunning oceanfront wedding (with fireworks!), followed by Katherine & Greg's engagement pictures then LeeAnne & Josh's beautiful barn wedding in Maine...Happy Sunday!