Winter Engagement Session in Central Park: Timeless Romance in January

Maggie and Tyler at the Lake in Central Park, with The San Remo towers on the Upper West Side skyline

For good reason, the budding flowers of spring, the lush green of summer and the vibrant foliage of fall are more popular engagement photography backdrops than a blustery winter day. But Maggie & Tyler were excited to be newly engaged and didn’t want to wait. They were also planning a New Year’s Eve wedding, so taking engagement photos in January wasn’t at all that intimidating for these two. First we went to the iconic Bethesda Terrace where they bravely shed their coats for a few shots, then we walked over to Bow Bridge and documented some romance with coats on. We finished up at Tavern on The Green where we didn’t really take photos so much as down some libations to get us warm. The timeless styling of their looks reminded me of scenes of Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford in front of The Plaza in The Way We Were. The soft gray winter light truly brought out something beautiful in these two.

Maggie and Tyler in the warmth of Bethesda Terrace Arcade, Central Park - those iconic Minton tiles providing shelter from the January cold

There's something about winter engagement sessions that most couples overlook in their rush to wait for better weather. The light in winter has a quality I can only describe as forgiving - soft and even, with none of summer's harsh shadows or the unpredictability of spring. Central Park in January empties out in a way it never does the rest of the year. The crowds thin, the tourists retreat indoors, and suddenly you have Bow Bridge nearly to yourselves. There's an intimacy that emerges when you're cold together, when you're huddled close not for the camera but because you need each other's warmth. The bare trees reveal the bones of the landscape - the architecture of the park itself becomes visible in ways the lush foliage obscures. And there's something romantic about choosing to be outside in the cold, about the deliberate decision to mark this moment rather than wait for convenience. Winter asks something of you, and couples who say yes to that tend to show up differently. More present. More willing to be vulnerable. More themselves.

A kiss on the Bethesda Terrace steps - where the architecture is as romantic as the moment

Warmth and light in the Bethesda Terrace Arcade - Maggie and Tyler finding shelter from the winter cold

Bethesda Terrace is one of my favorite spots in Central Park any time of year, but in winter it reveals itself differently. The ornate stonework and carved details that get obscured by summer foliage stand out against bare branches and gray sky. The arcade underneath provides not just architectural beauty with those famous Minton tiles, but actual refuge from the wind. We started there because I knew we could duck in and out of the cold, warming up between shots while still getting that grand, romantic Central Park feeling. From there, Bow Bridge was inevitable - it's perhaps the most iconic spot in the entire park, and in winter, with the mist rising off the lake and the Central Park South skyline soft in the distance, it feels like stepping into an old film. The cast iron railings, the gentle arch of the bridge, the way it frames the city behind you - it's pure magic. We finished at Tavern on the Green not so much for photos as for survival. By that point we'd been outside for over an hour and the cold had seeped into our bones. Hot toddies and laughter in a warm room felt like the only logical conclusion to our winter adventure.

A stolen kiss on Bow Bridge with the Central Park South skyline disappearing into the winter mist

What struck me most about Maggie and Tyler was how effortlessly elegant they were. Maggie's white pleated dress with the dramatic bell sleeves, Tyler's classic camel and navy - they looked like they'd stepped out of a 1970s film. There was something about the soft neutrals and clean lines that felt both completely contemporary and utterly timeless. When I watched them together on Bow Bridge, I kept thinking of Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford in The Way We Were - that same kind of classic, understated romance. They were planning a New Year's Eve wedding, which made perfect sense for them. There's something about couples who choose threshold moments like New Year's Eve - they understand symbolism, they're drawn to beginnings and transformations. They weren't interested in a big production or an over-the-top celebration. They wanted intimacy, meaning, and a party with their closest people as one year became another. That sensibility showed up in everything, including their willingness to brave January in Central Park for engagement photos. They trusted the process, trusted the aesthetic, and showed up fully even when it meant being cold.

Maggie and Tyler on Bow Bridge as the sun begins to set over Central Park South

There's a particular rhythm to shooting in winter that I've come to love. You have to work quickly, but not frantically. You need to read your couple's comfort level constantly - watching for the moment when cold shifts from invigorating to miserable. I've learned to find the warm pockets: the arcade at Bethesda, the sheltered side of Bow Bridge, anywhere the wind can't quite reach you. I keep sessions shorter and more focused. There's no lingering, no endless wandering. We move with intention from spot to spot, and somehow that urgency brings out something beautiful. Couples are more present when they're cold together. There's less self-consciousness, more genuine closeness. They hold each other because they need to, not because I've asked them to. And there's something about knowing you'll warm up together afterward - that shared reward of hot drinks and the glow of having done something slightly challenging - that bonds people. Winter engagement sessions aren't for everyone. But for couples like Maggie and Tyler who are willing to say yes to the cold, who trust that the soft gray light and bare trees will be worth it, the results are always more intimate and honest than I could have orchestrated any other way.

Lost in each other by the Lake - the kind of moment that makes you forget about the cold

Maggie and Tyler returned to celebrate their New Year's Eve wedding at the Garden City Hotel. View the complete wedding gallery here.