Courtney and Lip’s engagement shoot was all soft twilight, gentle waves and lots of splashing in the sea. Here are some of my favourites.
I was visiting my sister when she mentioned that her lovely friends Courtney and Lip had just got engaged and they just so happened to live in Porto! Of course I had to ask if they’d like some photos on the beach to celebrate, and thankfully they said yes!
The plan…We’d planned to meet up at sunset, and I already had loads of ideas of dreamy sunset photos. I was going to get there 30 minutes early to scout the beach and find the best spots.
What we hadn’t accounted for was that it was the weekend of São João, Porto’s famous festival, and there was an airshow taking place over the river. So when I left my sister’s apartment to meet my Uber, I found… they’d shut the roads. What… WHAT?!
Getting an Uber turned into absolute chaos and ate up my whole 30 minutes of prep time and then some. By the time I arrived, we’d missed sunset.
…and what actually happenedBut sometimes things work out exactly as they’re meant to. We arrived just in time for blue hour, with the moon glowing above the sea, and honestly, it was magical. Courtney and Lip were so kind and relaxed about the whole thing, and even though it wasn’t what we were expecting but the blue light was so so nice and the shoot had an almost monochrome feel.
We started with a walk along the beach so I could get to know them a little better. Courtney and Lip have been together for six and a half years, and they met on Tinder! Courtney laughed that it’s not the most romantic love story, but what started as a bit of fun quickly grew into a deeply loving relationship, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. Courtney left the UK and they moved to Porto to be closer to Lip’s family - and what an amazing place to be! The two of them were an absolute dream to photograph and I still have so many fond memories of them laughing and dancing in the waves.
Thank you, Courtney & LipThank you so much for letting me into your story and for being so good about my chaotic arrival! Being welcomed into people’s lives like this is one of my favourite things about photography.
Planning your own engagement shoot in Porto or the UK? I’d love to hear from you.
