A Date in the West Village

It was a beautiful early fall day in New York City’s West Village when I met Jess and Brody for their engagement photos. We had been talking for a few months, both about their upcoming Otesaga wedding and how to put this particular day together. An engagement session that looks effortless usually has a lot of thought behind it, and that was true for this day. We considered 20 or more dresses before landing on the white Gal Meets Glam number.

As a wedding photographer, I love helping couples prepare. Getting them in front of the camera before the wedding not only allows us to establish a better relationship, but it puts their mind at ease about being photographed.

Jess and Brody knew the West Village well. It was home to a few favorite haunts, and well as the bar where they first met. When Brody surprised Jess by asking her to marry him, friends were waiting to celebrate in the West Village. When it came to finding engagement photo ideas and sourcing the story that would ring most true to them, it was easy to see where we should go. Framing the photos around a date gave everyone a sense of why we were there and where to go, which included a walk around the neighborhood and a stop in at the restaurant Aria.

Neighborhood Walk & a Drink

The neighborhood was quiet. Just outside of the Spotted Pig was a beautiful building covered in ivy. We started there and ended up over at Aria for a drink by the window. It is a simple enough plan, but one that worked better than even I could have imagined. One of my favorite images of the year was taken during this session. The black and white image below won Belle Lumieré End of the Year Awards and won for the BW category.

Telling Your Story

One of my favorite things about engagement photos is the way they can be better than you ever imagined. You don’t think this time will be as meaningful as it is. Everything leads up to the wedding, but there is so much happening in those decision making months. It’s only through looking back that moments grow in meaning. It’s my hope that you will have engagement photos to represent the beginning of your story. A love story that you never get tired of sharing. That’s how I feel about it anyway.