South Street Seaport Engagement Session | Carly + Ronny
South Street Seaport | New York, NY
I met up with Carly and Ronny on a beautiful (and unexpectedly sunny!) afternoon in early May for their engagement session in South Street Seaport. After a week of nonstop rain and a forecast that didn’t look promising, we made a last-minute call to move their session up, and it was definitely the right one. The sun was shining, the breeze off the water kept us cool, and the moment we got in our cars to head home, the skies opened up again. It could not have worked out better!
How They Met
Carly and Ronny met in January 2021 on Hinge, just as things were starting to open up again post-COVID. Their first date was dinner along the Hudson River in one of those plastic dining bubbles. It was freezing outside, but they talked nonstop the whole evening.
“Due to Ronny’s work schedule, we didn’t see each other for a second date until March,” Carly shared, “but we talked every day and our connection continued to grow.” By the end of that summer, they made it official and have been together ever since.
The Proposal
Ronny planned a proposal in Carly’s hometown of Croton-on-Hudson, and somehow managed to keep the whole thing a surprise. “We were planning to spend Labor Day weekend with my parents for their birthdays, but my best friend who still lives locally kept pressuring me to meet for a walk along the Hudson River—even though it had started to rain!” Carly said.
Thankfully, the skies cleared just in time. With her best friend and her husband acting as “random” bystanders, Ronny pulled Carly aside and asked her to marry him. Then, in true movie moment fashion, Carly’s college best friend and her boyfriend popped out from behind a bush. “It was so special to have my two best girlfriends there,” Carly said. “We celebrated in the park with champagne and then went to my parents’ house, where both of our families (siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins!) were waiting to celebrate. It was an amazing and extremely special day for both of us.”
Their South Street Seaport Engagement Session
This session was such a fun one to photograph. We started off walking the cobblestone streets in the shopping district, then made our way to the pier for views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River. We wrapped up with a few more classic downtown shots near Fulton Market. Downtown Manhattan was the perfect backdrop for these two. Carly lived there for the first few years of their relationship, and Ronny would drive over the bridge every weekend to see her. So many memories started here. It was so special to bring their engagement session full circle.
When I asked what they love doing together, Carly said, “We love to try new restaurants in NYC—our favorite being 4 Charles, which was one of the toughest reservations to get!” They also love traveling, catching Yankees games, taking quick trips to Atlantic City, and shopping or seeing movies on the weekends. “My favorite tradition that we’ve started is our city Christmas date—hitting all the Christmas markets in NYC, finding a fun themed Christmas bar or restaurant, and seeing the Rockefeller tree.”
They both describe each other as playful and kind, and you can feel that in every interaction. Ronny said, “Carly brings out the best in me,” while Carly shared that Ronny has “an amazing talent of calming my worries and helping me see things from a completely different point of view.”
Their Spring Wedding at The Lannin
I’m already counting down the days until Carly and Ronny’s wedding next April at The Lannin on Long Island. The venue itself is beautiful! But what makes it even more special is the fact that it’s built on the same property where Carly’s parents got married back in the 1980s. How sweet is that?
Knowing their story, their love for family, and the personal meaning this venue holds, I have no doubt their day will be full of joyful moments and thoughtful touches. I can’t wait to be there to document it all!
