I’ll take you through the fun process of how I go about planning engagement photos. Let’s use this lovely engagement session in Midtown to demonstrate the results.

I do engagement photos with every couple because it’s just that important. It’s not just an ice breaker. I find it suuuper helpful. Read my post Why You Should Do an Engagement Session for more about that.

So anyway, this is how planning starts for your engagement photos: I ask VERY specific questions. Obviously I want to know how you met or got together in the first place and what you enjoy doing as a couple. I also want to know your level of interest in the arts. For example, if you have any artistic gifts or hobbies; if you like to visit museums or collect art books; if any of your parents are photo enthusiasts, etc. And I have a few other questions that are more about photographing you.

Then based on your answers I think of locations and potential outfit ideas. And your answers also give me some clues about how to work with you, how to photograph you.

NYC Midtown Engagement Photos

Ok, so how do I plan for engagement photos when the bride is Trinidadian (Trini), the groom’s background is Swiss, and they spent lots of time together in midtown? Oh and she loves Japanese Anime! And he proposed to her in Bryant Park. And they met at grad school in Midtown.

We decided to start in regular street clothes at the NY Public Library. Then they changed into beautiful Indian outfits (authentic!) and we went to Bryant Park. They actually got engaged right there in the park so of course we got some great photos at that spot.

engaged couple indian clothes bryant park

rose colored engagement ring biracial couple

Multicultural Engagement Pictures

OK, so we’ve established their multicultural background. But this lovely bride is a fierce competitor of video games and loves Japanese anime! One of her favorite places to hang out is this Japanese bookstore called Kinokuniya right across the street from Bryant Park. It goes without saying that we went there. She gave me a mini tour of the store (we didn’t go on every floor though) and we checked out some of her favorite genres of anime. So global culture-wise we have Trini, Swiss, American, Indian, and…… Japanese 🙂

biracial couple engagement photo midtown

Times Square for some engagement photos

Since their old grad school is in Midtown NYC, they’d spent a lot of time walking through Times Square. It’s such an eclectic neighborhood, there was no shortage if interesting little nooks and crannies for pictures.

And all this began in just the planning stages for their engagement photos. Even though Midtown is not a unique, hidden location, these photos are unique because we wove in their unique story.