There are so many things that I love about my job, and one of them is all of the opportunities it allows me to travel to new places and hang out with amazing people.  I am a travel bug at heart, so the chance to pack my bags and head to a new place is always exciting!  Jen and Matt approached me with the idea of traveling to New York City to capture their engagement session, and I didn’t even have to think twice about this one!  YES!!  Jen is a Youngstown gal, and she moved to Hoboken, New Jersey five years ago.  With probably the best pickup line of all time, she met Matt during a night out with her friends, and the rest you might say is history.  Jen and Matt have built their life together in the city, and I love that they wanted to capture this season of their relationship in the place they call home.  I have been to NYC several times, but this was my first chance to photograph amazing people here!  We had only spoken on the phone previously, so finally getting to meet these guys in person was so exciting!  Jen has the kind of joyful personality that just makes you feel right at home, and we immediately hit it off!

As we were planning this engagement session, Jen and Matt made a little list of some of their favorite spots around the city that they love.  Since they actually live in Hoboken, views of the stunning Manhattan skyline are right down the road from their apartment!  We started out on the windy pier to take in the views of the city, and then headed to the place where it all began:  Mulligan’s.  A little dive bar that might not seem like anything glamorous, but this is the place where Jen and Matt happened to be on the same night, when Matt spotted her across the room and just knew that he had to talk to this girl.  You’ll have to hear them tell the entire story, but he got her number and the love story began.  From there, we Ubered into New York City and danced on the streets of the West Village, made our way through the crowds at Washington Square, and ended on the steps of a brownstone while a taxi driver rolled down his windows and dedicated a love song to this lovely couple.  Was that a scene out of a movie??  Nope, it actually happened!  So sweet!

Jen and Matt, THANK YOU from the bottom of my wanderlust heart for inviting me to your bustling city to adventure with you and tell your love story.  You two are just incredible, and I am so honored to be your wedding photographer!  Thank you for being troopers in the crazy heat and humidity, and for trusting me 100% during your session, even when standing in front of a fountain with hundreds of people around you feels like anything but romantic!  Hahaha!  You guys are the best, and have given me so many awesome memories from this weekend!  Enjoy just a handful of my favorite portraits!

New York City Summer Engagement Session | Jen + Matt

Her joy is the best!!  Loved hearing them share the story of how Matt proposed!

The Stevens Institute of Technology is in Hoboken, and we found some hidden corners of ivy and sunshine here!  And another great view of the NYC skyline!

Mulligan’s!!

You can’t go to the city without hailing a taxi!

They are like something out of Hollywood, these two.

Washington Square Park  on a Saturday evening at sunset is it’s own kind of crazy!  But Jen and Matt trusted me to create something beautiful for them amidst all the chaos, and I think we pulled it off!

Timeless!