As a traveling wedding photographer, I’ve had the pleasure of capturing some beautiful engagement photo shoots in various locations. However, this one stands out as one of my favorites.

May + Pat contacted me to capture their love at their destination wedding in the Bay Area, California this fall. When it was time to take their engagement photos, they invited me to the bustling city of Greenpoint (a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York), where they live! They wanted a location that perfectly represented their personalities and love story. After some research and scouting, we decided to stick with what feels most like them: the waterfront that overlooked the New York City skyline.

May and Pat wore complementary outfits that matched the surroundings perfectly, each item chosen to represent who they are, their natural style, and feels like what they would wear on a casual Friday night date.

I met them at their apartment complex and I asked them to take me around their neighborhood. They played tour guides and anytime they got excited about their favorite corner café or plant shop, we took a pit stop for some photos.

It truly felt like they were on a date, and I was just third wheeling them!!! Shoots like these are always some of my favorite! I love it when couples can do their thing and I can just capture the moments as they happen. It’s such a privilege and always “feels” like them!

Having photos that feel like “you” is always my goal.

I was thrilled to see how comfortable they were in front of the camera. After all, when you’re in your favorite places with your favorite person, it’s no surprise ;).

We took photos in front of their favorite café, shops they love, the famous Greenpoint water tower, and made sure to capture the essence of the city they love. We even made sure to capture the city bikes in the background, which, May reminded me, was a huge part of their first date!

BUT, it couldn’t be a NYC photo shoot without pizza!!! They ecstatically brought me to their favorite local pizza joint (which was AMAZING, btw), to enjoy a slice. …(No, it wasn’t Sbarro, Michael Scott)

My FAVORITE part of the shoot was when they messily fed each other pizza as we walked over to the Brooklyn waterfront. The sesame seeds stuck to her lips were the main character

We arrived to the waterfront just as the sun was beginning its descent. It cast a golden glow on the entire city, illuminating it in a way that only sunset can. The backdrop was the Brooklyn Bridge and the iconic Manhattan skyline along the East River. The sun was reflecting off the tinted glass buildings, casting sparkles on the water below. Everything was so dreamy and romantic!

After our shoot, May said that wedding planning had been stressing her out a lot lately, but

“doing a shoot and focusing on Pat revived the energy” for wedding planning and got her excited about it again!

On another note, gere’s a hilarious text I got from May after our shoot.