Holiday Season Wedding Proposal

I recently photographed a gorgeous holiday season wedding proposal at Rockefeller Center. The couple came from North Carolina, for a first visit to New York City. It was a memorable week to say the least!

Christmas, New Years and Valentine’s Day are beautiful times for a romantic wedding proposal in New York City, as the city is bright and colorful. Popping the question is always memorable, but using a professional engagement and wedding photographer can take the day to the next level. As you start planning your proposal, keep these tips in mind to make the experience special.

Rockefeller Center Wedding Proposal

Holiday Season Wedding Proposal

St Patricks Cathedral Wedding Proposal

Holiday Season Wedding Proposal

Holiday Season Wedding Proposal in NYC

A Guide to New York Holiday Proposals

1. Choose a Meaningful Location

New York City is full of unique options for a beautiful and memorable proposal any time of year. Still, the decorations and glittering lights create an even more magical experience during the holidays. The most popular times of year to propose are the weeks of Christmas, New Years and Valentine’s Day. Some unique proposal locations include Central Park, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, the Brooklyn Waterfront, and Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan.

However, don’t be afraid to get creative and propose in a place that’s meaningful to both of you. Perhaps you’d like to stay closer to home and avoid crowds? Hence, you may choose to propose in your local park, or on your Brooklyn stoop. After nearly two years of spending more time at home, for example, proposing on your roof, at your neighborhood outdoor cafe, or on your stoop might be the most meaningful location.

Cobble Hill Wedding Proposal

Brooklyn Proposal Shoot

2. Consider Timing

The time of day you propose is crucial to privacy and lighting for photos. Some places in NYC, like Central Park or Rockefeller Center, tend to be crowded. If you’re comfortable having strangers around to witness the proposal, the timing may not be an issue. However, for a quieter experience, you may need to do some research and be flexible. Your engagement photographer can help you plan, making suggestions that account for both crowds and the best lighting for the photos.

Manhattan Restaurant Wedding Proposal

NYC Wedding Proposal

3. Dress Appropriately

It can be a challenge to subtly encourage your partner to dress up for the engagement without spilling the beans, so it can be helpful to plan the proposal around another event. Proposing before a dinner or party, for example, can ensure your partner is wearing something they will be happy to see in the photos for years to come. Ask your engagement photographer for ideas.

Cobble Hill Wedding Proposal

Get help planning the perfect New York holiday proposal from Karen Wise Photography. This wedding, family, and engagement photographer has been named one of the top wedding photographers in the world by American PHOTO magazine. Her work has been featured in publications worldwide, and her experience will ensure you have gorgeous images of this milestone occasion.

Summer Brooklyn Botanic Garden Wedding

Below are some photographs of Samantha and Spencer’s beautiful summer Brooklyn Botanic Garden wedding.

Despite summer heat and humidity, we captured many creative photographs, even in the rain and under an umbrella!

Samantha and Spencer’s July wedding at the Palm House at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was a bit rainy but that didn’t stop them from having a blast. The ceremony had always been planned for indoors, and the cocktails were originally planned for outdoors by the fountain, but it moved inside as some thunder and romantic bolts of lighting were seen.

The bride’s Oscar de la Renta gown was a show-stopper. It was one of the most fashionable haute couture wedding gowns I had ever seen. The bridesmaids dressed in various elegant white dresses, which made the palette unique and bright.

Summer Brooklyn Botanic Garden Wedding

Brooklyn Botanic Garden weddings are stunning. The BBG is a lush garden oasis within the bustling borough of Brooklyn. There are endless naturally picturesque backdrops to use. Some of examples of flowers in bloom at the BBG are peonies, magnolia trees, cherry blossoms and rose garden. The Japanese maple trees are stunning all year round. This was truly one of my favorite Brooklyn Botanic Garden weddings.

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Brooklyn Botanic Garden; Patina Events; Hotel: The Conrad; Event Planner: DMEvents and Design; Hair + Makeup: Samantha Jacofsky;Videography: NST Pictures; Fashion Styling: Stacie the Stylist; Gown: Oscar de la Renta

Brooklyn Family Photographer

Life moves quickly, especially for families with children. One of the best ways to preserve precious memories for yourself and future generations is to invest in a Brooklyn family photographer to do a family photography session, and fall is the perfect time to do it. Here are some past fall sessions I photographed in Prospect Park, and in neighborhoods around Brooklyn:

Brooklyn Family Photographer

Windsor Terrace

Here’s why you might want to consider booking a family session this fall season.

Children grow up quickly, and families evolve. Photos encapsulate precious, fleeting moments in time. These pictures provide eternal reminders that your family can look back upon for decades to spark memories and emotions. They’re also valuable pieces of family history that you can share with grandkids and great-grandkids.

While selfies can also capture special moments, they’re not the same as professional family photographs. Professionals have the training, experience, and high quality equipment to ensure everyone in the family looks their best. They’ll capture creative portraits of you and also your newborn, but also capture candid shots that highlight your family’s genuine joy and love for one another, and the fleeting moments.

Newborn Photographer Brooklyn

Here are some of my favorite images from recent newborn sessions in Brooklyn and Manhattan. They never get old to me, as each baby is so unique. I love baby swaddling blankets and styling newborn photo shoots. The last image is of my sweet baby Henry at 3 days old, wearing one of my hand knit baby hats.

Newborn Photographer Brooklyn

Newborn Photographer NYC

Behind the Scenes on a Styled Wedding Photo Shoot

Take a look at this video made behind the scenes on a styled wedding photo shoot. It’s no easy feat planning a wedding, nor planning a styled wedding shoot.

It’s been a few years since we shot this Brooklyn styled wedding photo shoot but it continues to be an inspiration for me.

I photographed this Brooklyn modern winter styled shoot with the following talented New York vendors. I remember how much work it was but also how inspiring and fun it was too!

Couple: Actors Abbi Crutchfield and Luke Thayer, who are really married to one another!

Photography: Karen Wise Photography

Event Planning and Event Design: Ang Weddings and Events

Flowers and Event Design: Rountree Flowers

Video: Love in Progress

Makeup: Lindsey Jones Makeup Artistry

Paper Goods: Regas

Dress: Angelo Lambrou via Gabriella New York Bridal Salon

Shoes: Aruna Seth

Headpiece: Sara Gabriel

Catering and Dessert Table: Naturally Delicious + Viva Max Kelly

Jewelry: Paris via Mark Ingram Bridal

Grey Bridesmaid Dress: 57 Grand

Red Bridesmaid Dress: Thread Design

Rentals: Broadway Party Rentals

Venue: 280 Washington Street, in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn

Published in Vogue Magazine

I pinch myself when I remember the time I was published in Vogue Magazine!

A few years back, a writer from Vogue India called to interview me. She requested I send wedding photos to go along with her story. Vogue chose to publish two photos from a local and destination Indian wedding. I love them both. One image was of Priti wearing her Louboutin slippers on the morning after the big wedding celebration. I love this image because she stood on a step at the Lake Palace waving goodbye to all of her guests wearing a flowing silk robe and these elegant kitten heeled slippers. Priti demonstrated elegance wearing these shoes but if you look really closely you can see a chipped painted toenail which reminded me of the jam-packed week of partying and dancing every night away. My very first destination wedding was this wedding of Priti Paul and Jaouad Kadiri in India and I will never forget it.

Publishing an image from Udaipur, Rajasthan, and then one from a garden wedding in New Jersey was also apropos. Many Indian families immigrate to American and hope to keep their customs and traditions. Also, after this big Indian wedding in Delhi/Udaipur, I was asked to shoot many local ones. Neha is depicted in the second photograph in her New Jersey home, she fidgets with her earring nervously and with anticipation as her guests are about to arrive. Neha was visiting extended family in India when she saw the copy on a newsstand and brought the magazine home for me!

Some venues where I’ve photographed Indian weddings are: The Ritz Carlton in Palm Beach, Pleasantdale Chateau in NJ, Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan, Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, and The Greenbrier in West Virginia. Other locales include: Birmingham, Long Island, Connecticut, Delaware, The Dominican Republic, and other international destinations.

Brooklyn Engagement Proposal

Morgan pulled off a great Brooklyn engagement proposal, Cody had no idea!

The couple had just arrived from Virginia to visit their friends in NYC. On an unassuming Wednesday in June, Morgan invited Cody to visit their old neighborhood in Brooklyn. They had always loved Cobble Hill Park, and he knew that Cody would appreciate visiting it. The park faces a narrow, quiet and secluded street with historic carriage houses on it, they would often sit with their coffees and wonder what it would be like to live in an old carriage house.

Morgan came up with a proposal plan and he contacted me to secretly photograph the moment inside Cobble Hill Park. We spoke a couple of times on the phone before the big day, as he was nervous and wanted to go over the plan a few times to make sure it would go smoothly. He got in touch the morning of, as well as texted me on their way to the park to ensure that I was in place with my camera when he popped the question.

Because the park was a little bit crowded that day, there was an elementary school graduation in process when I got there, I hid out with some other parents holding cameras and pretended I was one of them. I put my bag down on a bench that I was reserving for them and that I thought would feature the carriage houses in the background. I waited for them to arrive. Once they arrived, I let them have my bench, and they sipped their coffees while I spied on them from the graduation location! I knew it was about to happen when Morgan put his coffee down on the ground…

Brooklyn Engagement Proposal Shoot

Brooklyn Engagement Proposal Shoot

Father’s Day Family Sessions

June is here; take a look below at some Father’s Day family sessions photographed in and around Park Slope, Brooklyn. I love photographing precious portraits of dads and families with their kids. The one film shot of Chandler and my 9 month old son Henry in Ogunquit, Maine makes my heart melt!

Brooklyn Stoop Portraits

Brooklyn Family Portraits

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since the pandemic started. On April 7, 2020 I created Brooklyn Stoop Portraits, a project photographing Brooklyn family portraits of local friends and neighbors.

Please check out my new webpage for Brooklyn Stoop Portraits, where you may see a recap of the year in stoop portraits. The neighborhoods in which I shot these sessions include Park Slope, Fort Greene, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill, Red Hook, Bushwick and Bedford Stuyvesant. I also photograph these outdoor family sessions on the Brooklyn Promenade, Brooklyn Waterfront and in Prospect Park.

Spring sessions have started again, and compared to last April, there is much less fear in the air. Many of us have been fully vaccinated, including me! Although we are still wearing masks, and keeping socially distant, there is more to feel grateful for this year. Soon we will get to see grandparents, friends and family who live far away. We have a president who has already helped get this economy going again while vaccinating millions each day.

Feel free to book a family session now to document your family’s milestones. Let’s create new memories and celebrate new beginnings!

Book A Wedding or Family Session!

Holiday Season Wedding Proposal

1. Choose a Meaningful Location

2. Consider Timing

3. Dress Appropriately

Summer Brooklyn Botanic Garden Wedding

Brooklyn Family Photographer

Newborn Photographer Brooklyn

Behind the Scenes on a Styled Wedding Photo Shoot

Published in Vogue Magazine

Brooklyn Engagement Proposal

Father’s Day Family Sessions

Brooklyn Family Portraits

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