Alexa + Carmine | New York City Proposal | Long Island Wedding Photographer
Surprise Engagement Session | New York City
What an amazing experience with Alexa and Carmine! Whenever anyone calls and says something like, “I’m going to propose, but the experience going to be a little different,” I’m already in.
Carmine proposed to Alexa on a helicopter - right over the Hudson River as we circled the Statue of Liberty. He worked very hard to make sure this experience was going to be perfect for Alexa, and his plan was executed flawlessly.
One of the things I enjoyed about working with this couple is how I was part of the entire experience - from the planning stage to the proposal to the photo session we had after.
This surprise had a lot of moving parts. I had strict instructions not to call or text. Right after Carmine took Alexa’s dad to lunch to share the news with him, he came over to my house, and we walked through the whole day.
On the morning of the proposal, I went to lower Manhattan to get ready. After scouting out a few locations for a post-proposal session, I met with the fantastic people from HeliNY. Carmine had chartered the entire aircraft, and he asked me to meet briefly with the company to make sure that everyone knew that the proposal was a secret and to square away a few logistics.
Carmine and Alexa arrived about 30 minutes before our flight, and I sat a few feet away from them as an uninterested tourist. In the couple glances I was able to steal, I felt really excited to be part of the moment that was about to happen. Being part of an event that someone remembers for the rest of their life is special, and I take a lot of pride in capturing the moments that become part of their family’s story.
Carmine had told me that he was going to propose during our first stop - the Statue of Liberty. Right after we passed over Governor’s Island, I saw him trying to get Alexa to look away so that he can prepare the ring. The moment she turned back around, he had a beautiful, custom designed ring ready to show her, and he asked her if she would marry him! It is really a special experience to be part of a moment with such genuine emotion, and the images created become images that are shared with generations down the line.
After our session, we took a walk through Battery Park and then up the esplanade by the Hudson River. I gave them space to enjoy the moment, and we stopped to capture images throughout.
We then went to Tribeca for some more images in a different setting.
It was such a wonderful experience working with both Alexa and Carmine. They have an amazing story to tell of their engagement, and they have some great imagery to go along with it!
