We present a formulation of the coupling of vector multiplets to N = 2 supergravity which is symplectic covariant (and thus is not based on a prepotential) and uses superconformal tensor calculus. We do not start from an action, but from the combination of the generalized Bianchi identities of the vector multiplets in superspace, a symplectic definition of special Kähler geometry, and the supersymmetric partners of the corresponding constraints. These involve the breaking to super-Poincaré symmetry, and lead to on-shell vector multiplets. This symplectic approach gives the framework to formulate vector multiplet couplings using a weaker defining constraint for special Kähler geometry, which is an extension of older definitions of special Kähler manifolds for some cases with only one vector multiplet.