Over the last two years, my love for intimate weddings and elopements has only grown. Emily and Mark’s Central Park wedding was a “true elopement” with only them, the officiant, their one witness, and me. They were such a unique and special couple and I truly felt so honored to get to know them and document this part of their love story. They very much saw their elopement as a natural continuation of their relationship and not a “next chapter”. It was such a dreamy NYC Elopement to be a part of and I can’t wait to share all the gorgeous summer wedding photos here.
Elopement Photographer Review
I always gush when I read reviews from my incredible couples, but Emily and Mark’s has to be one of my all-time favorites. I work extremely hard to capture the exact experience they outline in their review, and it almost brings me to tears watching it come to life for them. As an elopement photographer, I always hope my images tell a complete story in a romantic, candid way. These photos need to represent the day exactly as it happens so you can share them with your family and friends. I was so grateful to be able to capture this day for them exactly as they imagined.
We hired Devin of Mile Square Moments to provide photo coverage of our elopement in NYC, and we highly recommend working with her! The most important thing to know about Devin is how comfortable she made us feel throughout our elopement ceremony and portrait session – which, we must note, marked the very first time we ever met her in person! Devin did an excellent job of getting to know us beforehand through Google Meetings and questionnaires, so she felt like a trusted collaborator by the time we showed up for the ceremony.
As far as actually taking our photos, I should note that my husband and I were photoshoot novices since we didn’t do an engagement shoot, but Devin helped us overcome all of these nerves by getting us to pose naturally and look at ease in front of the camera.
We can’t stop admiring our completed gallery!
Special thanks to Devin for accommodating my quirky request to take pictures at Grant’s Tomb, and for scouting the right angle beforehand to avoid catching any pandemic-related signage in our shots. We chose to work with Devin because she promised a documentary, storytelling style, and she delivered on that promise. Having an intimate elopement with only ourselves and our witness in attendance, it was crucial that the photos told the story of our day without relying on cheesy or formulaic poses. The photos needed to capture our personalities and the spirit of our ceremony, so that we could share them with family and friends who did not attend in person.
Devin achieved this in a timely, professional manner and we are grateful to have worked with her on our elopement!
A Sweet, Modern Engagement Story
I always love to hear the details of an engagement, and some of my couples have surprised me with ultra-romantic getaways resulting in a shiny diamond ring. For Emily and Mark, what I loved about their story was that instead of a surprise proposal, they made the decision to take the next step together. Instead of a surprise proposal, they planned an engagement trip to the gorgeous island of Malta (one of their favorite-ever vacation locations). Before the trip, they picked out rings together and wore them on their right hands until their elopement.
In Malta, they stayed in a hotel overlooking the harbor, visited prehistoric temples and archaeological sites, and enjoyed great food. Emily and Mark are both really into arts and culture and they considered this engagement trip a “weeklong love letter to each other, unplugging from our busy lives and taking the step of committing to our eternal future”. Personally, I just love how seriously they took mutually stepping into their lifelong commitment.
Central Park Elopement
Central Park is a dreamy location for an NYC Elopement. Whether you are looking for nature, history, or a bit of both like these two, it’s an ideal location. True to their romantic nature, Emily and Mark were looking forward to really just taking a moment to pause and celebrate their relationship and the commitment they had already long-held to one another. Their wedding ceremony reflected this perfectly. As usual, Liz from Have Lover Will Travel knocked it out of the park.
Adding Sentimental Touches into their NYC Elopement
After their sweet NYC elopement, we had a chance to celebrate the sentimental touches they included. They brought many important moments from their relationship into their wedding portraits. As you have likely gathered, these two really love to spend time on meaningful touches. Their wedding date was exactly 7 years after their first date (August 12, 2014, & August 12, 2021).
On top of that, they brought a flag from their college where they met to include in their wedding photos. They were friends for two years before they started dating. Naturally, there were a lot of treasured memories made at that school. After that, we took photos near Grant’s Tomb as a toast to their love of history!
A Dreamy NYC Elopement!
After getting to know Emily and Mark, I can’t wait to see what their future holds. Their dreamy Central Park elopement was the perfect NYC wedding day. After 7 years together, these two have traveled the world and enjoyed many rich conversations. They have so much in common, and they just fit effortlessly together. As an elopement photographer, I love to celebrate all kinds of love stories. If you love a good love story, make sure to click the button below.
Vendor Squad
Wedding Bands: Catbird
Mile Square Moments is a New Jersey wedding photography located right here in Hoboken (Mile Square City). If you work with us, you should know that we love getting to know each couple personally. Wondering if we would be the right fit? You might be an MSM couple if you aren’t afraid of getting a little up close and personal in photos (we love natural chemistry and a little PDA around here) but also enjoy a night in binge-watching Netflix. Are you planning a wedding in Hoboken, New Jersey? Beyond? You can contact us here to find out about our photography and videography packages. We are also constantly sharing love stories on Instagram. For more last minute wedding and elopement inspiration, check out this Columbus Square Park micro wedding.
