A few months ago, my boyfriend Scott ran into one of his old neighbors growing up, Sarah, at a brewery. They talked for a longgg time, and Scott talked about me being a wedding photographer. Sarah said she had actually been following my work for a long time, and she was going to be a bridesmaid in a wedding I had upcoming! Such a small world! But, then this conversation went further when Sarah referred me to her friend Ann. A few days later, a new wedding inquiry popped up in my inbox from Ann and Michael! We hopped on a video chat and hit it off right away! Soon after, they decided that working together for their wedding was the decision to be made, and so they signed a contract and we started making plans for their engagement session!

Ann and Mike are city people (at the moment at least- when they aren’t spending time on Ann’s family’s sheep farm in Ireland) – so it made sense to do their engagement session near the city. So we did their engagement session at The Cloister’s in NYC. Ann told me that her and Mike love taking long walks together, being outside, and taking day trips to the city or strolling around their hometown of Hoboken, so we decided to make a trip into NYC to go to the Cloister and their surrounding gardens for their engagement session!

We lucked out with the most perfect weather – warm enough that you didn’t need to be bundled up, a beautiful golden glow of a sunset, and barely any wind at all! I couldn’t believe it was December! December here is usually cold, windy, and gray skies like all.the.time.

We started their session near the garden path, and lucky for us, there were actually still some leaves on the trees and bushes (what a few months this has been).  From there, we strolled up to The Cloisters, and took some pictures on the cobblestone path, and near the walkways there. We didn’t actually go into the museum area, but it was beautiful surrounding it!!

And now I’d love to share more of their story with you, because I think Ann and Mike are a perfect complement to each other. Ann’s energy and infectious joy help Mike to take life a little less seriously, and Mike’s drive, determination and unconditional loyalty are able to ground Ann and support her in any endeavour or dream she chooses to pursue.

They met at work in the city, while they both still worked in finance, but shortly after, they both left the field. Mike pursued Real Estate and now works for a firm in Hoboken, and Ann is finishing her last year of grad school for Speech Language Pathology! She graduates RIGHT before the wedding!!

Their first date was at Anthony David’s in Hoboken. It’s a BYOB in Hoboken with the BEST food. Ann told me it was the perfect night! After realizing they were quickly becoming best friends, and inseparable, Ann moved in with Mike in his home in Hoboken.  Now, they love spending time in their city, and love taking day trips into New York City and out to Long Island, which is actually where Mike proposed! As Ann tells it:

“Mike and I love to go out to eastern Long Island. It was a beautiful Sunday and Mike said we should go to Montauk to check out the lighthouse. When we arrived he took a towel out of the car and said he wanted to take a dip in the ocean (he didn’t really, he just wanted to hide the ring box outline in his shorts) so I was very unsuspecting thinking this was just a fun day! We began to walk around for a bit and then Mike finds this private trail and said we should check it out. As we’re walking Mike slows up so I’m ahead of him. He then calls me by my first and last name and when I turn around he’s on one knee – best sight of my life! The Atlantic Ocean in the background and the love of my life proposing. It was the perfect way and day!!!”

I love this story!! And I love how personal their wedding day is going to be as well! Their ceremony will be taking place where Mike’s parents got married at St. Catherine’s Church in Spring Lake, NJ and their reception will be at Shadowbrook at Shrewsbury where Mike’s sister was married a few years ago!! I cannot wait to be a part of the celebration!

Ann and Mike, thank you for letting me tell your story, I can’t wait for the wedding day and to see you guys again soon!! I had so much fun with you, and loved getting dinner afterwards and just getting to know you both. I’m so grateful.