Looking for the best NYC engagement photo locations? Check out this guide with more than 40 unique and romantic locations!

New York City is full of amazing spots to take photographs. It seems like you can’t take 20 steps in any direction without finding a new inspiring angle on the city! I’ll be updating this list over time as I get the chance to have sessions in more parts of the city, but for now I want to show off just a handful of the amazing places I’ve already gotten to work at!

All of these places are classic NYC engagement photo locations…

and will be a really great backdrop for your engagement session. Whether you’re a NYC native or a transplant, who doesn’t want to show off the city with their photos?

NOTE: For most of these locations you may want to have your session closer to sunrise to avoid large crowds! Many of these spots are iconic tourist destinations (and for a good reason, since they’re all so beautiful) which can lead to there being large amounts of people around during the day!

Lastly! If you want gorgeous NYC engagement photos like these then click here, or scroll to the bottom of this page to contact me!!

1. Bow Bridge

Bow Bridge is one of the most iconic places in all of Central Park! Built in 1862, this Victorian-era bridge spans 60 feet across the Central Park Lake and connects Cherry Hill and the Ramble.

Being a romantic meeting point both in real life and in movies, Bow Bridge gives a perfect location to enjoy a moment, overlooking the row boats as they glide gently along the lake. It’s perfect for a proposal, a first kiss, and engagement photos!

Bow Bridge gets its name from its graceful arc shape which resembles that of an archer’s bow. It’s the oldest cast-iron bridge in Central Park, and is the second oldest cast-iron bridge in the entire United States. It was designed incorporating elements of Gothic, Neo-Classical, and Renaissance design! This whole location is a photographer’s dream – the color palette of greens in all the wildlife, cream and tan along the bridge, and white or blue of the sky really set you up for some beautiful portraits!

Note! Since this is such an iconic and popular spot, try to get there around sunrise to avoid large crowds. Otherwise you’ll need to wait for thin gaps in the rush of people to get in the spot you’d like!

2. Bethesda Terrace

Located in the heart of the Park, Bethesda Terrace is found at the north end of the long, tree-lined mall. The Terrace is a popular destination for relaxing, people-watching, and admiring the architecture and the scenery. At the center of the Terrace stands Bethesda Fountain, one of the Park’s most iconic works of art and most famous spots for movies and television!

One of the benefits to having your engagement photos at Bethesda Terrace is the variety you can accomplish with just one location! There’s massive staircases, landings where you can see the majority of the terrace (like in the photo above), and multiple tunnels adorned in over 16,000 tiles that transport between the upper and lower parts of the terrace! And you don’t want to miss this – there’s bathrooms here. Shocking, we know! Access to public restrooms makes this a perfect location to plan to swap outfits at! Where else in New York are you going to be able to do this without a popup dressing room? So convenient!

Head to 72nd on either the Upper West or Upper East side and head towards the center of the park! You can’t miss it!

3. A Stoop (Sorry to be vague, haha. Just look around for 3 seconds and you’ll see a nice one!)

This is one of those spots that’s not really a spot… does that make sense? It’s more about trying to find a place that captures the vibe of a scene you really only see in New York! Where else has streets lined with beautiful townhomes and buildings with picturesque stoops you just want to hang out on? Okay.. maybe a couple places. But we all know it’s mainly associate with NYC! When heading out for this session we didn’t even have an exact spot in mind for the stoop location – we knew we’d just find it! And we did, in basically two seconds. So maybe plan to walk without aim for a little bit between locations of your engagement session! Find a stoop you like and make it your own for a moment! (Just be sure to be respectful of any residents just trying to live their lives!)

4. The Subway

Another spot you just kinda have to find (but also they’re obviously everywhere) is down in the subway! This is probably one of those obvious NYC engagement photo locations, but I’ve still gotta include it. It’s likely you’ll need to go through one of these just to get from location to location as part of your engagement session, so why not keep the session going for just a little bit? We love the vintage vibes you can get down in the subway so much that it just feels like each photo should be in black and white. This is another spot where you want to be extra sure to be mindful of locals and tourists just going about there day! If you feel you couldn’t take photos at a given spot because of crowds or available space then just hop on the train in the direction you’re heading and try again at another stop!

5. Brooklyn Bridge

With some of the best views of the Manhattan skyline, Brooklyn Bridge is maybe the most iconic NYC structure! Plan on going to the High St subway stop in Brooklyn and then heading to the bridge – walking from Brooklyn into Manhattan will give you the absolute best views of the skyline since you’ll be as far away as possible! This is another spot you definitely want to try to beat the crowds on. Sunrise is a must!

Wherever you have your session, but especially at Brooklyn Bridge, you may want to consider bringing backup shoes for walking! The bridge is a little over a mile long and if your photographer has specific points along the bridge they usually like to working at then it may be worth swapping shoes really quickly to get from point to point! Be sure to consider the time it might take to swap – weigh out if it’d be worth it for you! Click Here to see more photos from Brooklyn Bridge!

6. The Met Rooftop

Another spot that offers an incredible skyline view is the rooftop at The Met! This location (as well as the rest of The Met, which is incredibly friendly toward photographers) is really just epic for engagement photos. This spot is especially amazing in the fall, where the sun will always be from the South. That means that at basically any part of the day, including noon, you can get a beautiful backlight instead of a harsh direct light coming from the front! Plus, NY state residents can pay what they wish for admission!

7. The Temple of Dendur (The Met)

This is another spot at The Met that’s simply incredible. I don’t know any other spots anywhere near this in NYC! There’s gorgeous window light all day long, it’s massive, and for being a big tourist attraction it’s not very hard at all to get photos without people in the background!

8. 91st Street Garden

91st St Garden is super famous and you probably won’t even recognize it! If you’ve ever seen the classic movie You’ve Got Mail then you’ve seen this spot. It’s (spoiler alert) where Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan get back together at the very end! This garden is perfectly maintained by a huge team of talented volunteers for as much of the year as the weather allows!

9. A Citi Bike Rack

Citi Bikes are all over the city and they’re such cute spots for some very New York engagement photos! If you’re wanting to find a spot to really capture the feel of NYC in your engagement photos then you’ll have to hop on a parked Citi Bike real quick!

10. The Lawn at the Central Park Conservatory Garden

This is SUCH an under the radar spot! It’s towards the very Northeast corner of Central Park, right off of 105th! It’s rare for it to be busy so it’s easy to get photos without many people in the background. And it’s beautiful!

11. The Stairs at the Central Park Conservatory Garden

This is another beautiful spot within the gorgeous and under-appreciated Central Park Conservatory Garden! It’s on the Upper East Side right off of 105th! This is another really great option for NYC engagement photo locations!

12. Main Street Park

Just like the Brooklyn Bridge, you’ve got a great view of the Manhattan skyline from the Main Street Park!! This is a great spot if you’re looking for a really fun spot for your NYC engagement photos!

13. Pebble Beach

This is another spot along the water at Main Street Park, closer to the Manhattan Bridge! There’s still the amazing view of the Manhattan Skyline, but you also get a super unique angle with being so close to the water! Where else in NYC can you walk along a pebble beach with a view of the whole FiDi/ Two Bridges skyline??

14. Snug Harbor Gardens (Staten Island)

Another spot that’s unlike anything you’ll find in Manhattan is the Snug Harbor Gardens! Accessible by the free Staten Island Ferry, which runs every 20 minutes from Whitehall Terminal, this location is so. unique. Entry is totally free and there’s so many places to take beautiful engagement photos!

15. Jack’s Wife Freda

This is such a cute restaurant in the heart of soho! Swing by here right after you’ve finished taking engagement photos in front of all the designer stores along all the beautiful cobblestone streets!

16. Pinebank Arch Bridge

This is another one of the many gorgeous bridges in Central Park!! Obviously the streets don’t all run through the park, but for reference it’s located at about 62nd between 7th and 8th!

17. Bethesda Terrace Arcade

The Arcade at Bethesda Terrace is well known for its intricate design and murals! “Designed in the 1860s the Arcade features a stunning tiled ceiling with more than 15,000 colorful, patterned encaustic tiles from England’s famous Minton Tile Company.” [centralpark.com]

18. Bethesda Terrace Arcade Grand Staircase

This sort of photo will only be achievable right after sunrise, as Bethesda Terrace quickly fills up with tourists and locals throughout the day! But if you’re willing to get up super early you can get some incredible photos using the arches of the arcade as framing! And, as a bonus perk, there’s public bathrooms right here that are open most of the year during daylight hours! So this can be a good spot to go to right before outfit change! This is one of my favorite NYC engagement photo locations!

19. Grand Central Terminal

Can you even think of a more classic spot in NYC than Grand Central Terminal? This would be the perfect spot to take engagement photos if you love a classic and elegant vibe!! And, black and white photos are killer here! Click Here to see more Grand Central Terminal Engagement Photos!

20. 42nd Street by Grand Central Terminal

The striped road right outside of Grand Central Terminal gives such a cool look to any engagement photos taken here!! And you’re so close to a bunch of other great locations, such as Bryant Park, the main branch of the New York Public Library, and Times Square!

21. New York Public Library Main Branch

Construction for the main branch of the New York Public Library (the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, on 42nd Street) started in 1897 – and you 1000% get the sense that this is one of those old buildings from when they really went above and beyond with craftsmanship and design! Even for this being just one “spot” there’s so many places to take photos here. These steps, the other steps, the fountains, by the lion statue, inside. It’s an incredible location!

22. Brooklyn Bridge Park

This is the cutest little park right along the water in Brooklyn, right by the Brooklyn Bridge! It’s generally empty in the mornings so you’ll have the whole place to yourself!

23. Pier 1

Another one of NYC’s fabulous engagement photo locations with a water and skyline backdrop! Go there early in the morning and you should have it all to yourself!

24. Washington Square Park

This fountain is famous, and you’ve probably already considered it for one of your NYC engagement photo locations!! Washington Square Park is a hugely popular spot for engagement photos – which means, like a lot of the other places I recommend, you should get there right after sunrise to avoid all the crowds! Check out more Washington Square Park engagement photos here!

25. NYU Law Building

During the warmer parts of the year the NYU law building gets covered in beautiful ivy! Such a unique spot for some engagement photos. And it’s right by Washington Square Park, so it’s really easy to get photos at both locations!

26. Charlton Plaza

This little park on the corner of Charlton & 6th in the heart of Hudson Square is the perfect location for some early morning engagement photos! Not only is it really pretty in itself, but you’re also right by lots of other familiar spots, such as Sullivan St, Washington Square Park, and Broadway!

27. Sullivan St (SoHo)

This NYC Engagement Photos Location holds a special place in my heart! The first time Madison and I visited NYC to photograph a wedding at Fort Tryon Park, we stayed in a friend’s apartment on Sullivan Street! The intersection of Sullivan and Spring is very photogenic with beautiful crosswalks and great light at almost any time of day!

28. Brooklyn Bridge Park

Don’t just stick to taking photos with the bridge itself at Brooklyn Bridge Park! You can also take a little break by sitting on a park bench for some close up snuggly photos!

29. Roosevelt Island

Roosevelt Island has lots of great NYC engagement photo locations and is very relaxed and quiet! With few cars and people around (all day, too!) it’s very easy to get photos without many distractions in the background! It’s a beautiful place to walk, explore, and find moments for photography! Check out the full blog post with these Roosevelt Island engagement photos!

30. The Sanctuary Roosevelt Island

The Sanctuary at Roosevelt Island isn’t just an awesome NYC Wedding Venue – it’s also an incredible location for engagement photos! Go there to check out the skyline view of Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhood and take some photos! Check out the full blog post with more The Sanctuary Roosevelt Island engagement photos!

31. Manhattan Viewpoint from Roosevelt Island

The southern end of Roosevelt Island has a large hill which gives you the perfect view of the Manhattan skyline! It’s even better at night since all of the lights of the city turn into bokeh in the background of your image, which gives a really neat and vintage vibe!

32. Roosevelt Island Tram

The tram is a must! It’s the same cost as a regular subway ride ($2.75 currently) and is just another awesome way to experience Roosevelt Island, while getting a super unique perspective on Manhattan!

33. Summit One Vanderbilt (AIR: TRANSCENDENCE 1)

Summit One Vanderbilt is NYC’s newest observation deck, and the third highest at 1,020 feet! What makes it so special is the many different experiences offered on the three floors! On the first floor (Air: Transcendence 1) you’re surrounded by mirrors on the floor, ceiling, and rear wall, with 270 degrees of windows looking South (towards downtown Manhattan), East, and West (both towards opposite sides of midtown). You’ll have the most unique background ever as everything is constantly changing as people move around! Tickets are $39 each and you’ll definitely want to buy them ahead of time as slots can sell out! Check out more Summit One Vanderbilt Engagement Photos!

34: Summit One Vanderbilt (AIR: TRANSCENDENCE 2)

On the second floor of Summit One Vanderbilt you have the opportunity to get this gorgeous image with all of downtown Manhattan in the background! By the time you’re over at this area most of the crowd of people has spread out so you won’t need to wait as long to take a turn with the view! Totally check it out when you’re having your session there – it’s on the Southwest corner of the second floor! Check out more Summit One Vanderbilt Engagement Photos!

35. Brooklyn Bridge (But in the rain!)

Besides right after sunrise, going in the rain may be the only chance you have to take photos at Brooklyn Bridge Park without a million other people in the background! Sure, the rain isn’t something you can necessarily control – but if you see that it’s supposed to rain on the day your engagement session is scheduled you may consider going for it anyway! See more of these Brooklyn Bridge Engagement Photos!

36. New York Public Library’s Phone Booth

So… you’re not technically supposed to have photo sessions in the main NYPL branch on 42nd street… But multiple employees told us “just go quick” as we were taking pictures here. So maybe you could try it out!! At least for this epic photo which will take you like two seconds to go take! If you can make it happen I think you’ll love this for one of your NYC engagement photo locations.

37. Ramble Stone Arch in Central Park

Just a little bit inside Central Park from the 81st Street entrance (right by the American Museum of Natural History) is the Ramble Stone Arch! It’s a beautiful spot that’s perfectly situated to get beautiful light all day long. Just keep in mind that it gets pretty busy (like most of these spots) during the day so you may need to step aside to let people past a couple times!

38. Time Out Cafe’s Neon Sign

Time Out Market is right by DUMBO (like the actual street you imagine when you hear DUMBO) and it really shines at night!! At least to swing by for a quick backlit neon sign photo like this! See more of these Dumbo Engagement Photos!

39. Rockefeller Plaza’s Christmas Tree

This is one of my seasonal suggestions for NYC engagement photo locations! If you’re lucky enough to be engaged during Christmas (which is of course the undisputed most magical time of the year) then you should swing by Rockefeller Plaza for some of your engagement photos! The tree makes for an especially gorgeous background!

40. Top of the Rock

Another NYC observation deck – this time probably the most well known! Top of the Rock has gorgeous views of midtown and downtown Manhattan, as well as Central Park on the other side (the less popular side). General (timed) Admission are $40 each, with a $10 additional cost if you’re going during sunset hours! I highly recommend getting the first slot of the day to avoid having as many people around though! Check out more of these Top of the Rock Engagement Photos!

41. Soho

What can I say?? It’s Soho! This historic neighborhood is well known for it’s cobblestone roads and old pre-war buildings! It’s quintessential NYC and a must for your engagement photos! Check out more of these Soho Engagement photos!

42. Transmitter Park (Greenpoint, Brooklyn)

Transmitter Park in Greenpoint Brooklyn is a great spot for your NYC engagement photos!! There’s a couple of piers that give you an incredible view of the East Midtown skyline, plenty of dogs walking around to say hi to, and lots of other nearby spots for photos, especially if you love an industrial / graffiti vibe!

43. Central Park near Cop Cot

From this spot towards the bottom of Central Park you’ve got an incredible view of the Billionaire’s Row skyscrapers! There’s great outcroppings of the huge Manhattan schist rocks, lots of huge beautiful trees, and you’re also insanely close to 5th Avenue & The Plaza for some other iconic locations!

44. West Village

The West Village is one of the oldest and most iconic parts of lower Manhattan! Everywhere you turn there’s very old buildings and gorgeous greenery lining the street. There’s so many options for the West Village that my best suggestion is to pick a spot to meet, then just walk around and see what you see! See the blog post of these West Village Engagement Photos!

45. On a Boat (this is in the Hudson!)

Self explanatory! If you know someone with a boat, or you’re able to find a company that offers boat tours around NYC, you should consider having your engagement photos taken out on the water!

46. Central Park Cherry Blossoms

If you’re luck enough to be engaged in NYC in the middle of Spring, I’d highly recommend heading to Central Park to have your engagement photos taken with the gorgeous cherry blossoms! The cherry blossoms only last a few weeks each year, so you’ll need to act fast when they start blooming. And/or you can look in advance at the Parks Service’s bloom tracker to plan your session date!

47. Central Park Mall

Another one of the many gorgeous spots in Central Park is the mall! This is one of my personal favorite engagement photo locations in NYC. The long paths, the gorgeous trees, the jazz musicians often busking for tips.. It’s all perfect.

48. FDR Four Freedoms Park

On the southern end of Roosevelt Island is the FDR Four Freedoms Park! With an incredible view of the Manhattan skyline and lots of other opportunities for beautiful photos, it’s a great choice for your NYC engagement photos!

49. The RI Sign at the Roosevelt Island Tramway

While you’re out taking your engagement photos on Roosevelt Island, stop by the RI sign at the base of the tramway for a super cute photo!

50. Aaliyah Weeping Willow Tree (idk that’s just what it’s called Google Maps haha)

This spot is right by Bow Bridge and gives you an incredible view of the iconic San Remo! On nicer days you may get to see paddle boaters in the lake, and you’ll have a beautiful view of the sunset if you go in the evening!

51. Behind the New York Times

Doing the crossword together is such a classic past time, that if you haven’t started doing it with your SO that you need to right away! After you get into the crossword you can sneak a kiss behind the paper 🙂

52. City Hall Park

One of the most stunning, but often ignored, parks in all of Manhattan is City Hall Park! This park is especially perfect for engagement photos in the winter, when there’s a chance of snow! There’s a few evergreen trees that’ll give you the perfect white Christmas in NYC vibe!

53. Bow Bridge (in the rain!)

Grab yourselves a clear umbrella (or book me – I always bring some when there’s a chance of rain!) and head to Bow Bridge for some stunning NYC engagement photos – even in the case of inclement weather! If you can time your photos for the fall as the leaves are changing – even better!

54. Brooklyn Bridge (in the snow!)

Of course Brooklyn Bridge is iconic as it gets – but have you even pictured how incredible it is in the snow? If you can time your engagement photos for the winter, probably around January or February, then you can cross your fingers, hope, and pray to catch a snowy day! See more from this snowy NYC engagement session here!

55. Nearly Any Intersection in FiDi

One of the most interesting pars of Manhattan, FiDi is full of twists, turns, and very old buildings! It’s usually fairly empty in the afternoons and evenings after the majority of people have left work for home. You can get a really unique vibe down here and it’s worth just exploring and seeing what you see!

56. Pier 35 Swings

These swings are so cool and epic for engagement photos! And the view is amazing. Check it out in the next NYC engagement photo location I recommend!

57. Pier 35 Skyline

Here’s the stunning view of the Manhattan skyline from Pier 35! This area is so great. There’s not many places in Manhattan where you can actually get a good view of Manhattan, but this is one of them! You can see the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, the downtown skyline, and Brooklyn to the East!

58. Your Childhood Home in Connecticut

Okay this one is obviously extremely niche… But take it as inspiration that if you grew up in the tri-state area that your childhood home / town may be a great option! There’s so many stunning little towns all around and it’s a shame to not take advantage of them!

59. Park Avenue

What is better than being a Park Avenue princess??? Being a Park Avenue engaged couple. (Maybe. Idk. I’ve written about a lot of spots haha. My brain is slowing down.). Anyway – Park Ave is obviously iconic – and for good reason! There’s lots of stunning buildings around and it’s so easy to get a very New Yorky image for your engagement photos!

60. Freemans Restaurant

Freeman’s Restaurant is a well known and absolutely delicious American restaurant located in the Lower East Side! They’ve got a really intimate bar space upstairs with the coolest booths and lighting for some really moody and unique engagement photos! Highly recommend!

61. “A Native Meadow” in Central Park

This spot in Central Park is located just south of the Mall and Literary Walk, and gives a hint of the Midtown skyline – but more importantly is a beautiful open space great for frolicking and having fun interactions as a couple! The greenery is beautiful from Spring to Fall and during the winter you get an even better view of the skyline!

62. Governors Island Outlook Hill

Look at this freaking view of NYC. Is this not the single best angle on the Manhattan skyline you’ve ever seen? If you think it’s as awesome, and makes as great a background, as I do – then you’ve gotta get yourself on the ferry to Governors Island. It’s marginally more of a thing to get to than some other places.. But for that same reason it’s nearly always totally empty and ready to be the foundation of some stunning NYC engagement photos!

63. Governors Island – Statue of Liberty View

Another incredible view from Governors Island is of the Statue of Liberty! This is just about as close as you can get short of being on a boat or on Liberty Island itself!

64. Cobble Hill

This little neighborhood in Brooklyn is so picturesque! Nearly every corner includes beautiful greenery, architecture, and if you’re there – people!

65. From a Rooftop

If you’ve got rooftop access, try to get an image of you and your partner crossing the street from above!

66. The Library at Cipriani Wall Street

Another one you may need to know someone to get access to.. But if you can swing it, the library at Cipriani Wall Street is an incredible location for your engagement photos! It’s so elegant and will bring a lot of class to your gallery!

Wrap-up

To wrap things up I think it’s safe to say that no matter what your tastes are you’re going to be able to find the perfect NYC engagement photos locations! If you know of any other places that we should try out and add to this list then comment them below! And if you’re looking to have your engagement photos taken then contact us with the button below! We’d love to serve you by putting together the best engagement session ever!