AS ENGAGEMENT SEASON LOOMS, HAVE YOU WONDERED WHERE TO PROPOSE PRIVATELY IN NYC?

So you’re ready to get down on one knee and pop the big question. You have the ring. You have the way you’re going to ask for her hand in matrimony…kind of. So, the only big thing left is the place to propose. Now what? You’re probably wondering whether you should just propose right then and there in your home or maybe in some friend’s backyard. I mean, not everything has to be grand and overly romantic right? Well, you’re not wrong. Not every girl wants a flash mob proposal or proposed through a Times Square billboard but let’s be realistic. You really like your future fiancée. You want to give her an experience that she’ll cherish. That is, after all, the reason why you bought her a ring that you know she’ll like, so why not propose to her in a way that you know she’ll appreciate?

As a photographer, I know that finding the ideal place to propose is hard. It’s not a walk in the park, and when searching up online, you’re bombarded by sites telling you the top romantic places to propose. You have so many choices and yet little idea on where to pop the question. So I thought, why not help out a little. Talk about some beautiful places and give some insights on some locations where people decided to propose to their fiancée’s. Best of all, these places are in NYC, so if you’re thinking of proposing in NYC or are an NYC resident that doesn’t want to travel so far away to propose, then this is the article for you.

Wagner’s Cove – A hidden private proposal option

The first place that I’d recommend is located in Manhattan. It’s no place other than Central Park, specifically Wagner Cove. Wagner Cove is one of Central Park’s “hidden” locations, so you don’t have to worry about a crowd interrupting your proposal. It’s the ideal place to propose to your fiancée if you both want something personal and private. I recommend Wagner Cove because it has a beautiful landscape, it is an actual wooden gazebo which provides a nice secluded shelter with two benches, and is right over the lake. This ideal landscape is one that you’ll find that works in the summer, spring, fall, and dare I say, even winter. It’s perfect for any season. Since Wagner Cove is located close to a lake during the year it has a lot of natural greenery. In the winter, the secluded space sprinkled by snow sounds romantic. In either scenario, please consider hiring an engagement photographer. After all, engagement photos are an excellent way to remember the specialness of your proposal. As I mentioned before, there are two benches and the gazebo provides an excellent array of poses that you can do, whether standing up or sitting down on the benches. Wagner’s Cove is also located reasonably close to Cherry Hill, another beautiful place to take photos in. Cherry Hill is famous for its cherry blossoms that bloom in spring. The background will look fantastic for your engagement photos if you decide to head there next after Wagner Cove.

Don’t stress too much if you’re wondering what decorations you can use in Wagner Cove or want ideas for setting up the proposal. After all, you’re surrounded by natural greenery that you could use to your advantage. You could go for something simple like just dropping to your knee inside the gazebo. If you want an extra something, marquee lettering that says “marry me” and fresh rose petals that form a heart. Perhaps even pack some lunches and have a mini picnic with champagne, chocolate covered strawberries. And of course you can’t go wrong with a bouquet that contains your fiancée’s favorite flowers. Simple or fancy, the point, however, is to make your proposal special and unique to you and your fiancée. Go for what you know will make you feel proud of the proposal and what will make your fiancée happy. Proposing is an important event that you should enjoy and feel nervous about but not overtly so. Don’t stress about the details of decorations, whether the place you’re proposing will look good in photos, what you should wear, or how to pose. All those details should be left for your proposal planners and photographers to help and worry about. You should just concentrate on what you want your significant other to know as you get ready to pop the question.

Don’t be afraid to get help to plan your proposal

You are a very busy person and you want it to be a secret. What to do? That’s exactly what happened to my client, Derek. And now to their story.

Derek, my busy IT client, had contacted me about proposing to his beautiful girlfriend, Sarah. He expressed the desire for it to be “private” and expressed interest in working with a planner and I had enlisted the help of Emely from Sun & Moon Planning. We went through ideas, inspiration pictures and concluded Wagner’s Cove was perfect. Why? It is hidden. Unlike other spots in the park, there is only one path to it and you can tell if you are interrupting a private moment. Interestingly, when I arrived to set up the decorations with the planner a wedding was happening. Derek/Sarah were running a little late. Which leads me to stress that you should please request a permit as it guarantees the space. The couple getting married were lucky that my clients were delayed. If you don’t have a permit you run the risk of being interrupted with someone who has one. You should allow at least 1 month to get the permit approved. This task may be delegated to a planner if you don’t want to worry about it.

Where to apply for a permit: NYC Gov Parks

She saw the ring before he proposed

And tell me how we, Emely, and I had to chuckle when Derek shared that Sarah had seen the ring. Die! Right? At least he had a sense of humor, she found it because “I am a guy.” But happily, she did not know the details, the date nor the location. He could always propose at a McDonald’s he announced. Happily, that was not the case and we had been planning this together for at least a couple of months.

Honestly, I think this happens more frequently than expected. . This is the 3rd time this year, I’ve heard something similar happening and it won’t be the last. So if this happens to you don’t feel pressured into pop the question unceremoniously. You can still keep the when and the where you will propose top secret.

The Moment

About the moment, Derek was nervous and he dropped to his knee at the wrong spot, in front of the gazebo instead of inside the gazebo. I find that this happens often. I don’t blame them, can you imagine the nervousness? Happily, he understood the cue to move into the center of the heart and drop to his knee. What did Sarah think? She said “YES”. And more than that she was delighted at all the thoughtfulness that went behind the proposal. We had a really quick mini photoshoot and I helped her get some social media pictures so she could share immediately. It was perfect for them, it was “private” within such a beautiful NYC landmark. There is nothing more satisfying than helping my client execute such an important moment. Derek & Sarah were all smiles as they left to enjoy the rest of their day. Enjoy some more pictures from their engagement under my couple’s gallery.

I have more insights on secret NYC spaces, so stay tuned, I also have business partners that can help you plan complex designs. Please feel free to reach out if you need help.

Enjoying these heartwarming proposal moments? Dive deeper into my website, enjoy my portfolio for other engagement sessions. Learn about my engagement services. Let’s chat, inquire today!

Creative Collaborator: Sun & Moon Planning