Leonard contacted me online and started telling me his and Stephanie’s story. They’ve been living between New York City, Singapore, and Hong Kong and were planning a trip to NYC which Leonard saw as the perfect opportunity to propose to Stephanie. Though he had some knowledge of the city and knew he wanted a more remote location away from huge crowds, he still wasn’t sure where exactly to pop the question…so we started brainstorming.
Being in nature was important, but at the same time he wanted to use a location that was very “New York”…obviously Central Park came to mind and there were a few spots I had recommended we consider that tend to not see too much foot traffic.
We chose a quiet little spot just north of Bow Bridge and Bethesda Fountain along the lake in Central Park. When I knew exactly where the proposal in Central Park will happen the next step was figuring out the best time of day. Generally, this is an hour or two before sunset however this spot was heavily shaded while looking out towards the brighter sky, so my only worry was it will be too heavily backlit as I cannot really set up creative lighting for a surprise proposal.
Everything went perfectly and we even got some cheers from the people boating on the lake in Central Park (that explains Leonard’s fist bump in the air). Right after they shared that amazing moment it was time to take a walk through the park and start their photo session.
During the planning phase Leonard sent me a few photos of themselves so I know what they look like when it comes time to spot them in the park. Looking through those, I saw right away they will not be needing any help from me as far as outfit advice, but that is usually also something I help my clients with.
The session ended right around golden hour and we were blessed with some beautiful light and finished up with amazing photos. Shortly after they had to return to Singapore and Hong Kong and their trip was complete with one of the most amazing memories you can have in NYC – a Central Park Proposal.
Congratulations Leonard and Stephanie!
