What do a romantic Bethesda Terrace engagement session in Central Park and a hole-in-the-wall pizza shop have in common? Well, they just so happened to both be the PERFECT engagement session locations for Briana and Carmen.
My amazing couple drove all the way from their home in Utica, New York to Central Park for their engagement session (that’s almost 4 hours by the way!) because they had a very specific vision for their photos. Briana and Carmen were beyond excited to travel to NYC with me though, they knew their dream photos were about to come to life in the city!
Central Park Engagement Photos
Our original plan for the day was a Bethesda Terrace engagement session at sunrise, but it ended up being a mid-day session and the sun was blazing down! Luckily, Briana and Carmen’s amazing attitudes made this shoot so much fun. Something I adore about Briana and Carmen is how go-with-the-flow they are. We dreamt up their perfect engagement session in Central Park but didn’t dream up how crowded it would be…we kind of forgot how busy NYC can be during Memorial Day Weekend (oops!) But, the crowds didn’t deter Briana and Carmen from completely soaking in this time and staying present. We were accompanied by hundreds of people, families, couples, and city-goers enjoying the park, it was hard to find spots that weren’t packed! But, the busyness of New York City ended up adding to the magic of this shoot. Everything in the park felt so alive. The grass was green, the trees were full, people were soaking in the sun, it was beautiful!
We wrapped up their Bethesda Terrace engagement session and almost called it a day for photos. Then, when I mentioned grabbing a bite to eat (hoping to snag some Sugar Fish sushi), that’s when Carmen’s eyes lit up. He started going on and on about this “one pizza place in the West Village, John’s of Bleeker” and insisted that we HAD to try it. Remember that hole-in-the-wall pizza shop I mentioned earlier? Well, this is the part of the day where that comes in!
Candid Photos at a Pizza Shop
As a born and raised (central) New Yorker I have self-titled myself a pizza connoisseur. Basically, I know good pizza when I see and taste it! I knew I had to take Carmen up on his recommendation and put John’s of Bleeker to the test. As we headed to the West Village Briana told me ALL about Carmen’s obsession with this pizza spot. She mentioned that every time he goes into the city he MUST grab a pizza from John’s and Carmen made sure to chime in with “it’s the best pizza in New York!” Once we got to John’s we placed our orders and hung around for a bit. We were chatting when I caught a glimpse of the perfect couple photo: Briana and Carmen enjoying a piece of John’s pizza together right on Bleeker St.
Now, I know we had technically wrapped up photos for the day but I couldn’t help myself! I whipped my camera right back out and captured the essence of Carmen enjoying a pizza from John’s and Briana admiring him in his absolute element. It ended up turning into a mini pizza shop shoot and was SO CUTE. They enjoyed their pizza and let their personalities shine through. Sometimes engagement sessions (or photoshoots in general) can feel tense and stiff, which is why I loved seeing these two in their absolute element! Let me tell you, this pizza absolutely brought out Briana and Carmen’s fun and laid-back side!
After enjoying the pizza we were ready to head back home. Briana and Carmen were kind enough to order me a large cheese pizza for the road and I have to admit… it WAS SO GOOD. I enjoyed bites during the drive, and even had enough for my husband to try once I got home! Sessions like this are always so much fun and leave me with the biggest smile on my face.
Briana and Carmen’s Bethesda Terrace Engagement Session on Film
Film developed by PhotoVision
Looking to book a Bethesda Terrace engagement session or couples shoot in Central Park? Reach out, I’d love to capture these special moments for you!
