Last month, I had the pleasure of capturing Cynthia and Andrew’s Tribeca engagement photos! Since they’ve been living in Manhattan over the past few years and love the city, they knew they wanted to do their session there, too. After considering a few different options, they settled on Tribeca! It’s where they live and it’s the first neighborhood where they’ve shared an apartment together, so it seemed like the perfect fit! Cynthia and Andrew spend lots of time in this area of the city so thought it would be nice to document many of the special locations where they have countless memories – a quaint city park, city streets with unique buildings, cobblestone streets, their very own rooftop with uptown NYC skyline views, and even their favorite pier by the water.
Cynthia and Andrew are planning a 2022 wedding at Indian Trail Club, one of my favorite venues. When I asked them what their wedding vision was, this is what they shared: “We are hoping to plan an elegant, timeless, and, of course, fun wedding! This is one time in our life where we get to bring together everyone who means the most to us and we want it to be a PARTY! We chose Indian Trail Club because we felt it was unique and offered indoor/outdoor options. We love natural light which is also part of the reason we knew ITC was our perfect venue as the reception room is lined with big, beautiful windows that overlook a lake. Our color scheme will include blues, greens, and whites with some modern design elements. We are expecting the day to be one that is filled with emotions and plan to embrace them all. We look forward to being able to look back at photos that capture these raw and special moments and share with our future family.”
I’m so excited to share these Tribeca engagement photos on the blog today! Cynthia and Andrew were so great to work with and I love how their session came together! Check out some of my favorite images below and stay tuned for more engagements coming to the blog soon!
Tribeca Engagement Photos
How they met
“We met in college at Northeastern University in Boston. We had been part of a similar friend group throughout our Freshman year and were even beer pong tournament partners at one point. I can’t say for sure if we won the tournament but we won a few epic games! Looking back at photo evidence of this it’s very funny thinking that we had no idea what the future has in store for the both of us. We started spending more time together the beginning of Sophomore year and we both quickly recognized the connection we had was something special. It felt like no matter how much time we spent together, we missed each other when we were apart. We spent the next few months getting to know each other, referring to ourselves as companions, and officially started dating December 2011.”
Their first date
Cynthia: “I was very excited and obviously tried on multiple different outfits for our first real date. We went to the North End in Boston for Italian food, which was both of our favorite type of food. I remember getting to the restaurant we had planned on going to and not being able to be seated because we didn’t have a reservation. I played it cool and suggested to walk around and find another restaurant since you really couldn’t go wrong in the North End. We ended up having an awesome meal and Andrew is now the king of making dinner reservations.”
Andrew: “I remember being extremely nervous to go on a date with a girl that I knew was way out of my league! My friends were extremely helpful beforehand letting me know that this was the prettiest girl that had ever given me the time of day. I knew the North End would be a good idea seeing as we both loved Italian food. I totally flopped on making a reservation but we got lucky with a table at Riccardo’s where Cynthia ordered chicken parmesan and I was very impressed with her order. She may not remember but I had the lobster ravioli and to this day she still picks out the better entree than me – luckily, she’s willing to share now.”
When they knew they had found the one
Cynthia: “We met when we were so young, so it is hard to recall a single event that made me realize he was the one. Instead, I would say there were a million experiences, both big and small, that led me to realize I could see myself happily spending the rest of my life with him. We have been best friends for the last 10 years and have grown to be the people and partners we are today because of each other.”
Andrew: “Sophomore year in College I saw Cynthia at the gym and I have a flash bulb memory of thinking to myself she’s the one. I had known who she was but I remember my jaw dropping and I pointed her out to my friends and confirmed she wasn’t dating anyone; I knew I was in trouble after that.”
The Proposal
“The day was three years from the day that we ran the NYC Marathon together in 2017. Throughout our relationship we have always enjoyed going for runs together – from our college days in Boston to now living together in NYC. We have done a few races but the NYC Marathon was a major accomplishment for us and was our “best day ever” until the day we got engaged. That Sunday he suggested we go for a run along the West Side and two miles into the run he slowed down and eventually came to a stop (which was concerning because he never stops running, even if he is seriously hurt). When I stopped and removed my headphones he was complaining of sharp pain in his hip and before I could realize what was going on, he was down on one knee. It was out on one of the piers and little did I know his sister and her boyfriend were hiding nearby to take pictures. We went back to our apartment to call family/friends and I was shocked to see the place decorated and our immediate family + a few close friends waiting to surprise me. The little gathering was really perfect and we could not have been happier to celebrate!”
All about the ring
“I had sent some inspiration photos in advance so he knew I liked an oval shape ring and yellow gold. I work as a Physician Assistant in an ICU in NYC and frequently put on and remove gloves. I had expressed my concern for getting gloves caught on a high set diamond and knew I would live in fear of losing the diamond if that was the style he picked out. Fortunately, he picked out a beautiful cathedral setting with a very unique split band, and it couldn’t be more perfect! Also yes, I wear the ring to work!”
One thing they each love about each other
Cynthia: “Andrew is the most driven and determined person I have ever met – there isn’t anything he can’t accomplish that he puts his mind to. He inspires me to strive to be better across all facets of my life. Anyone that knows him would agree that he is incredibly thoughtful and never passes up an opportunity to show love and support to the people he cares about most.”
Andrew: “I’ve always loved and been in awe with Cynthia’s positive energy. She lights up every room she walks into and leaves other’s feeling happy and confident. Due to this, she’s made me step out of my comfort zone in-numerous times and, although I’m sometimes reluctant, I’m always glad she pushes me to open up and be the best version of myself.”
Thank you, Cynthia and Andrew, for these kind words! I’m so glad you enjoyed the experience and can’t wait for your wedding next year!
“Andrew and I were a little nervous for the shoot since neither of us have been professionally photographed before. Alex made us feel SO comfortable and provided clear and easy directions to help create natural and beautiful photos. It was actually a ton of fun and we found ourselves laughing often. I credit Alex for encouraging us to be ourselves and making our engagement session such a positive and memorable experience.”
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Cynthia’s Hair by Shear Bliss
