Fallon and Liam are college sweethearts who, after many years of being together, got engaged last summer. Liam planned a perfectly darling and private backyard proposal, pulling off the surprise in their little corner of the world outside New York City. They’re celebrating their wedding in Fallon’s home state of Maine, but since they’ve called NYC home for a long time now, it felt right to them to have their engagement shoot in the places that are part of their everyday life. So, I hopped on the train from Boston down to the Big Apple to capture this lovely couple in their element.
We met early on Sunday morning in their Queens neighborhood. Despite a cloudy forecast, we were delighted to find little pockets of sunrise lighting peeking between the buildings. Liam and Fallon looked classy in their complementary outfits, Fallon in a skirt with just a touch of flounce and Liam in a bold maroon button down that was followed by a sharp jacket. Their excitement and energy completely overshadowed the fact that we started our session at 6:45AM on a weekend…in February!
The early hour, while putting a real chill in the air, meant that we largely had the streets to ourselves. We traipsed along double yellow lines and through intersections, keeping an eye out for the stray passing car. We even stopped at the fruit stand on the corner of Fallon and Liam’s street where they often shop for produce and last-minute grocery items. It felt truly New York, from the graffiti on the ribbed garage doors to the boxes of mangoes to the sun-lit subway stop framing the backdrop.
For the second part of the session, we traveled to Grand Central Station. Liam, being from Connecticut, has taken the train home from Grand Central many a time and is quite fond of the architecture. Fallon is as well - how could you not be?! Dramatically high ceilings flaunt beautiful green and gold paint detailing, lit by ornate windows and chandeliers dripping with warm lighting.
At the end of our time together, the three of us walked a few blocks to the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue to take advantage of some more quintessential city architecture. Fallon and Liam were totally relaxed on the ornate marble steps, smiling and embracing each other with ease. This session made me all the more excited to photograph their wedding this August!
