Chelsea NYC Engagement Photos Inspo with Vintage Style
If you’re searching for an NYC photographer who captures the feeling of the moment and not just the way it looked, this Chelsea couple’s session might be your kind of thing.
Mandy and Zak brought so much vintage charm and undeniable chemistry to this session. We wandered around Chelsea, spotted a celebrity, snapped some Polaroids and a few film frames, and turned an ordinary afternoon into one worth remembering.
Planning your NYC engagement session?
Stick around - I’m sharing 5 tips at the end of this post to help you make the most of it.
Shoutout to Brendon Connors - I love your artwork in the windows, especially the RENT sign.
Vintage-Inspired Engagement Photo Ideas
Some people feel like they’ve stepped out of another time. Mandy and Zak are exactly that kind of magic. With their effortless vintage style, and the kind of chemistry you can’t fake, they radiate a 1960s energy that’s equal parts playful and cinematic.
The Magic of Being in the Same Place at the Same Time
Fittingly, they met the old-fashioned way: completely by chance. Zak was in town visiting from the UK, Mandy just stopping by Mud Coffee for a quick caffeine fix. Zak spotted her and, without missing a beat, asked if he could buy her pancakes. Reader, she said yes. The universe, clearly, had a plan.
Engagement Photoshoot NYC
You may recognize Mandy from this Goodfellas Inspired Wedding Editorial. Since modeling for this shoot, I’d been quietly obsessed with her Instagram stories of her with her new boyfriend. There was something about the way they moved through the world together that felt different, magnetic. And knowing they were in a long-distance relationship made those fleeting glimpses of time together feel even more tender. Every time they had to part ways, my heart ached for them. So when the chance came to photograph them, I knew it wouldn’t be just another session. It would be a little slice of time, captured forever.
Indoor Engagement Photos in Chelsea NYC
We started at Mandy’s apartment in Chelsea, and just as we were heading out, her downstairs neighbor Liz stopped us. She was having trouble with her internet and needed help. It turned into the sweetest detour.
Liz, an effortlessly charming former ballet dancer, was full of warmth and character. Zak sat at her piano and we all loved on her tuxedo cat, Sydney. I wandered around photographing the little corners of her home - books and crossword puzzles piled high, cat-themed trinkets and illustrations, a gorgeous photo of her mid-air in the height of her ballet days, and soft light spilling in through the windows like a painting. We’d stumbled into a little pocket of old New York.
Photo of young Liz dancing, mid-air
Cute little tuxedo cat illustration perched atop the piano
Cat themed trinkets lovingly tucked in every corner
Sydney giving me an apartment tour
Zak gave Liz a hug and a kiss before we left
NYC Candid Engagement Photos Inspo
Once we finished troubleshooting, we headed out to explore the neighborhood, taking photos on a stoop and strolling through Chelsea like we were in our own little black-and-white film.
If you're planning your engagement session in NYC (or anywhere with meaning to you), I’d love to help you bring it to life. → Reach out to start planning
Vintage NYC Engagement Photographer
Zak, ever the showman, pulled out the red notebook he had tucked in his shirt pocket filled with poetry and song lyrics and began dramatically reciting lines as a tour group passed, Scouse accent and all. Mandy and I just laughed, completely entertained. It was absurd and endearing in the best possible way. Zak is pure Mick Jagger energy: unfiltered, unexpected, and entirely himself.
NYC Engagement Photos on medium format Film
I brought my great-grandmother’s Brownie Hawkeye box camera to this shoot and loaded it with film - my very first roll through the camera. I wasn’t even sure if it still worked, so when the scans came back (albeit, a bit underexposed), it felt like a small miracle. There’s something poetic about capturing a couple like Mandy and Zak, who feel like they’re from another era, on a camera that was my great-grandmother’s, then my grandmother’s and now mine. Like the past reaching into the present to hold this moment just a little longer.
An Ordinary Afternoon Turned into a Keepsake
When we returned to Mandy’s apartment later that evening, there was a gift bag hanging on the doorknob. Inside: a bottle of Prosecco and a handwritten thank you note addressed to “The Tech Trio.” We laughed. It was the perfect ending to a day that felt serendipitous from the start.
And Mandy and Zak? Their chemistry is something else. There’s a GIF below that says it all - their glances, their laughter, the way it feels like they exist in their own little world. Photographing them felt like capturing a love letter to New York, to that electric feeling of a new relationship, to the start of something real.
5 Tips for Planning your engagement photos in NYC
1. Choose a neighborhood that means something to you.
Pick a place that feels like part of your story. Whether it’s where you first met, your favorite coffee spot, or your favorite neighborhood to visit - it adds another layer of meaning to your photos.
2. Coordinate, don’t match.
Think about the colors and vibe of your surroundings, and choose outfits that complement both the setting and each other. (Here’s a Pinterest board if you need some inspo.) For Mandy and Zak, the soft blues they wore contrasted beautifully against the warmth of Chelsea’s brick and brownstones.
3. Wear what makes you feel good.
Choose something you feel comfortable and confident in. Your favorite outfit is never a bad idea. Don’t be afraid of color, and bring accessories like a jacket, sunglasses or a fun handbag (a fresh manicure never hurts either). Just skip micro-checks or micro-stripes, which can sometimes cause a funky effect in-camera called moiré.
4. Embrace whatever the weather brings.
I’ve photographed couples in the rain, snow, full sun, and cloudy skies and all of it can be beautiful. This day called for rain, but we got soft overcast skies and a few peeks of sunlight.
5. Be yourself and have fun.
The best photos happen when you let your guard down. I never expect you to know what to do in front of the camera. I’ll always give you direction and prompts, but the magic comes from the way you interpret them - how your personalities shine through, how you move, connect, and show up as a couple.
Want engagement photos that feel timeless and true to your story?
Let’s create something honest, playful, and uniquely you.
