West Village Engagement Session | Emily + Sheikh

West Village | New York, NY

Emily and Sheikh’s engagement session in the West Village felt like a full-circle moment in their love story. On a crisp November day, we wandered through the streets that played such a big role in their story, stopping at some of their favorite spots along the way.  The last of the fall colors still lingered, and that golden late-afternoon light filtered through the brownstones—it couldn’t have been a better setting to capture this season of their lives.

How They Met

Emily and Sheikh met as freshmen at NYU when they both joined the Ballroom and Latin Dance Team. Sheikh signed up on a whim with his roommates during orientation week. Meanwhile, Emily joined as a way to keep dancing in college. They became fast friends, bonding over late-night study sessions and tough science classes.

It wasn’t until junior year that things shifted. Over Labor Day weekend, they spent hours catching up over wine and good conversation. By the time the weekend ended, they both knew—this was something more. Taking that leap turned out to be the best decision they ever made.

The Proposal

After nearly a decade together—including long-distance dating while Emily was in Philly—Sheikh proposed in the sweetest way.

Here’s how Emily shared the story with me:

“While we were long distance (August 2022 through January 2024), Sheikh took the bus or train down from NYC to visit me almost every other weekend, as he had more flexibility in his schedule than I did. One [weekend], in June 2023, he suggested that we make reservations for dinner at a steakhouse. While we have gone to steakhouses for dinner in the past, we usually save that sort of thing for holidays, birthdays, or other special events. Because we were also both in school at the time we were trying to save money, so I couldn’t understand where this request was coming from until I started to suspect that he was going to propose.” 

“The night of, in typical fashion, I couldn’t find anything in my closet that I wanted to wear or felt comfortable in and I was just going to put on some jeans and leave it at that. Sheikh was insistent that I wear something dressier. In 8 years of being together, Sheikh has never told me how to look or what to wear, so this was incredibly out of character. He was also pacing a lot that night and very nervous as I was getting ready, all confirming my suspicions. So I abided and found a dress.”

“As we called an Uber to take us to dinner, he called me onto the small deck that my place has and said I had to go see what our dog was doing. It was sunset, our home is on a hill, and our deck faces West so we often get beautiful sunsets off the deck. As I walked out, he was behind me, and when I turned around, he was on one knee.”

“I genuinely don’t remember what happened after that, but I obviously said yes, and we made our way to that steak dinner to celebrate.” 

An intimate proposal, just the two of them as the sun set—exactly the way they wanted it to be.

Their West Village Engagement Session

For their engagement session, it only made sense to go back to where it all began. A crisp fall evening, NYC pizza, and a walk through the streets where their story began.

We started in Washington Square Park before Emily and Sheikh changed outfits. From there, we took a quick walk over to NYU, reminiscing about their time on campus. 

Just around the corner, we made a stop at Joe’s Pizza, because what’s an NYC engagement session without a slice? Emily had been missing New York pizza since moving to Philly, and this was the perfect excuse to grab one.

As the sun dipped lower, we wandered through the brownstone-lined streets of the West Village. Evenings like this are why I love engagement sessions—two people, in the moment, laughing and enjoying each other. We wrapped up with an iconic NYC taxi photo, the perfect way to end the day.

Their Briarcliff Manor Wedding

Emily and Sheikh are getting married this March at The Briarcliff Manor, a venue that reflects their style—classic, intimate, and elegant without feeling overdone. Emily is most excited for that moment when she finally walks down the aisle toward Sheikh. Sheikh can’t wait to celebrate with incredible food and all their favorite people.

After spending the afternoon with them, it’s so clear how much these two just get each other. Their wedding day is going to be such a fun, heartfelt celebration, and I can’t wait to capture it all.