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Updated Mar 06, 202512 Creative Places to Take Your NYC Engagement Photos
Have a New York moment with your engagement shoot.
Photo: Gabriel Pevide | Getty Images
Whether you're making a visit or live in town, NYC engagement photos are always a good idea. The beautiful vibrant city provides hundreds of moods and backdrops to capture your love. From the gorgeous gardens of Central Park to the skyline views of skyscrapers, you can find one (or many) locations to include in your pre-wedding portrait session.
Once you find an amazing photographer for your engagement shoot—we recommend checking out The Knot's Vendor Marketplace to find a great fit—and take into account the average cost of a wedding in NYC, begin to mark down some locations you might want to visit as they snap pics of you and your spouse-to-be. Ahead, see 12 of the best places in NYC for engagement photos.
Central Park
You truly can't go wrong taking engagement photos at Central Park in NYC. The 843-acre oasis in the concrete jungle features tree-lined pathways, beautiful fields, fountains, ponds, a zoo and even a waterfall. While the natural backdrops are beautiful, Bethesda Terrace—famous as the location of Chuck and Blair's wedding on Gossip Girl—is also a favorite for taking engagement pictures. Since the park is large, make sure to map out a few landmarks for photos before heading to your engagement shoot.
Grand Central Station
While it may be the site of the daily commute of thousands, there's something magical about the architecture of Grand Central Station. Built in the Beaux-Arts style, the stairways, high curved ceilings and celestial ceiling lend a charming and historic quality to NYC engagement photos. While the busy crowds of the station never stop, try to avoid rush hour photo sessions to make sure you have enough room to take some great portraits in the building. While making your way to the station from another engagement photo location in NYC, consider riding the subway and taking a few film shots en route.
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Times Square
Times Square might be a native New Yorker's least favorite part of the city, but it's hard to deny that it makes for an iconic backdrop. Head to the center of Times Square to capture you and your partner surrounded by all the bright lights and billboards of 42nd Street. Pro tip: try to be strategic about what advertisements serve as your background so you aren't surprised with the photos later.
Washington Square Park
Down in Greenwich Village at Washington Square Park is one of the best NYC engagement photo locations downtown. A gorgeous arched monument sets the tone for the space as well as the beautiful fountain at the center of the rounded square. While you can take photos in this central location, we also love the small shaded pathways along the grass knolls lined with benches to take some more intimate shots.
Hudson River Greenway
Take a walk along the Hudson River and take photos with beautiful water views at the Hudson River Greenway. Not only do you get great shots with a dreamy backdrop of the river, but you also can capture views of New Jersey across the way. If you want to balance those views with some more natural, grassy scenery, there are little park inlets along the greenway as well.
Brooklyn Bridge
One of the most iconic spots to take engagement photos in NYC is on the Brooklyn Bridge. Located between Manhattan and Brooklyn, this historic bridge is a favorite spot for engagements, elopements and other meaningful moments (like Miranda and Steve's reunion in the Sex and the City movie). Take in those city views as your backdrop as well as the beautiful structure of the bridge's beams and architecture.
The High Line
Want to have a Chelsea NYC engagement photo shoot? Head to the High Line to walk along the art and garden-filled elevated walkway. Covering 1.45 miles, the High Line offers plenty of different city views of the West Side. While shoots on the High Line look great year-round, we particularly love it during the fresh blooms of spring and summer.
West Village
If brownstones and cobblestone roads call to you, head to the West Village for an engagement shoot in the streets. A stroll through the neighborhood in any season makes for a picturesque moment. Enhance your photo session by stopping for an Aperol spritz outside Bar Pisellino or sitting on the stoop of a beautiful building for a romantic kiss with your spouse-to-be.
New York Public Library
Engagement photos at the New York Public Library are never a miss. The historic building has gorgeous alcoves in the entrance and staircases inside that perfectly frame a great portrait. Big readers might even love to take snaps amongst the warm wood interiors shelving thousands of love stories.
Soho
The wide streets of Soho are a favorite for NYC engagement photos. While the area is filled with some of the most exciting designer stores, the light cobblestone streets provide a pretty environment to snap some photos. Make sure to catch this neighborhood on a sunny afternoon during the week to avoid too many tourists on the sidewalks.
Your Neighborhood
Live in New York City? Stroll around your neighborhood for an engagement shoot that reflects your stomping grounds. Sit on your apartment building's stoop, take pics as you cross the street on your block or take snaps amongst the florals in front of your local bodega. Getting to mix the street scenes of NYC with something so personal to you both as a couple will make the photos even better.
A Favorite Bar or Restaurant
Along those same lines, sit at the bar of your favorite restaurant or grab a slice at your go-to pizza spot in the city. Those action shots of you and your future spouse enjoying a drink or bite at a NYC hot spot will help capture the vibrancy of the city and your vibes together on date night. Just make sure to ask the staff if they're fine with you grabbing a snap.
