Lauren + Moe: A Dog-Friendly Engagement Session at Hotel Whitby, NYC

Stacie Stine
Aug 11
3 min read

Lauren and Moe are two of the kindest humans-- so easy going and so SO in love. I don't know if you're ready to scroll because you're going to absolutely fall in love with their elegant and moody engagement session.

A Dog-Friendly Engagement Session (Meet Hudson!)

Hudson, Lauren and Moe's sweet little belly-rubs loving dogg, is in LOVE with them. And their dog-friendly engagement session at Hotel Whitby is one of the sweetest most romantic engagements I've had the honor of photographing in a long time (I WILL ALWAYS BE SMITTEN WITH THE DOGS, Y'ALL). They knew they wanted Hudson to be present for part of their engagement photos, so they booked a room at Hotel Whitby in NYC and turned their hotel stay into a session. And then, when Hudson had been a very good boy and taken so many photos in his cuty bow tie, we took a car to Central Park to snag some photos in the Shakespeare Garden. Keep reading for a full run down of their session....

As a photographer, I'm honestly SO excited I get to photograph their wedding too because Hudson is a real gem and I was going to be sad not to get to see him again. But it turns out, he'll be attending the wedding too. Did you know you can hire dog attendants for your wedding day? I know it can be stressful thinking about your dog adding some extra crazy energy to your wedding day, but that's exactly why there are now dog-sitters, working to care for your dog as you focus on being present on your wedding day.

Engagement Photos at Hotel Whitby, NYC

Lauren and Moe prioritized engagement photos in their hotel room at The Whitby so Hudson could be a part of the magic. And I just have to say, I LOVE how these turned out. I love how we were able to get buildings surrounding them and also, Hudson completely smitten with them on the bed.

Hidden Gem: Hotel Whitby's "Ancient Subway" Event Space

The hotel even let us sneak down to one of their event spaces in the basement and we were able to take some really cool photos in what I am calling "ancient subway" room. The room really looked like the ruins of an ancient subway station, it was very cool.

Central Park's Shakespeare Garden + Variety Coffee

And because romance is just a crosswalk away in New York City, we went over to the Shakespeare Garden in Central Park for some romantic garden photos and then hit up Variety Coffee for a little cafe vibes afterward. If you know me, you know I LOVE the Shakespeare Garden. It's one of my favorite gardens in the city and it's one of my favorite places to take photos. There's almost always something blooming in that garden once the spring starts and the Autumn ends.

Why I Don't Rush Engagement Sessions

Something I like to communicate with every couple before we take photos together is that creativity is at it's best when it isn't in a hurry. You may give me a list of all the places you want photos at in the city, but I will almost always prioritize the feel of the photos and whether or not you're having fun over whether we've ticked off every location on your list.

There's nothing fun about being hurried just to get landmark shots. When we rush through things, we don't necessarily give you time to just be yourselves or to be silly. We don't give you time to stand across from one another and share your gratitudes with one another. These are things I LOVE about the sessions I do with couples-- I want you to connect with each other like you would on any other date night.

Do you try to rush through your date nights?

It's tempting in New York to try to do it all, but I think what's best is when we don't try to do it all, we just show up for one another, grateful for how far we've come and ready to hold the one we love. This is my goal with every couple I work with. And if you are really prioritizing several locations, then I'll shoot straight with you how much time we will really need for that, becasue more than 2 locations often means you'll need to book a 3 hour session.

Thinking about a hotel room engagement session with your dog in NYC? I'd love to help you plan one — reach out here.