These two also fit another trend I’m noticing among our couples: they are both confident, highly intelligent people. They see each other as soulmates, but they are far from codependent. They share a lot in common, but they still maintain their own strong sense of individuality. They are each other’s best friend. It just warms my heart to see such genuine, sweet people in love!

Esther and Joe live on the north shore and love to take weekend walks between Manly and Shelly Beach.  They even got engaged during one of their normal morning walks, when Joe stopped at the side of the footpath and proposed, taking Esther completely by surprise.  After they told us this, we knew that this spot would be the perfect place for their pre-wedding photo shoot! We lucked out with an extremely warm day—one of the very last of the season. We started amongst the trees near Shelly Beach to stay out of the hot sun for awhile.

Joe told us that he loves sepia-toned images. Jeff and I normally don’t process our images in sepia tone, but we wanted to do some especially for them. I have to say, I’m really digging it! We might have to do more of these now and then!

We asked Joe what he loved most about his bride-to-be, and one thing he mentioned was her beautiful, striking eyes.  I can sure see why. They are incredibly striking and gorgeous!

I can see why these two love strolling along the pathway between Shelly and Manly beach! The relaxed beach vibe here is pretty special. Here is Esther’s beautiful ring, sitting atop one of the little metal sculptures that line the pathway. This is right around the area where Joe popped the question!

We saw this unusual giant flower tree on the side of the road and had to stop for a photo beneath it!

We took a quick drive up to North Head for a few more pictures in the late afternoon sun.

I just love these photos here in the grass. Did I mention Esther’s eyes are amazing?!?

Back down to the beach we went for some sunset shots.

We ended the session right back at their exact proposal spot!

With the sun below the horizon and the beautiful twilight light bathing Manly Beach, Esther and Joe were just as keen as we were to hop over the fence, scramble over the rocks, and finish up with a panorama of the beautiful view! Click on the image to below to “enhance”.

Esther and Joe are getting married by the sea in just a few short months. Congratulations to you guys, and we can’t wait for your big day! Leave a congratulatory note below for Esther and Joe, and tell us which is your favourite image of these two lovebirds!

Minnah and Phil are polar opposites in some ways and just alike in others. Phil loves to cook but hates washing up, while Minnah prefers the opposite.  He likes documentaries and UFC while she prefers American TV sitcoms. On the other hand, they both love nights in, sharing a meal and enjoying their new home together.  They love to play games with each other, especially Words With Friends, but they both admit to cheating! Phil even claims Minnah has resorted to cheating at thumb wrestling. Haha!

There were a lot of fun and colourful murals around Cockatoo Island when we visited.  We wandered to the upper part of the island and found some more really neat spots, including these interesting old silos.

Yes, they are adorable together, but I think what makes me smile the most is that you can tell Minnah and Phil just adore each other. It’s so sweet the way Minnah smiles at Phil and the way Phil stares lovingly at his bride-to-be. Awww!

As we wandered around all the old buildings, we happened upon this empty room and the first thought that Jeff and I both had was that it looked like a room meant for dancing! Minnah and Phil got right to work practicing their first dance:

It was actually a pretty hot day for this shoot!  We stopped for a bit in the shade of these lovely Frangipani trees.  It’s been so wet this summer that I’ve hardly noticed them this year, but these two trees were fully in bloom and smelling amazing.  Love this shot of the two of them on the bench!

This building had one of the only staircases on the whole island that wasn’t fenced off somehow. Loved the light in this spot!

Whenever we suggested to Phil that he should run or jump, he was always up for it.  Man, he can jump really high too!

Shortly after the photo above was taken, enroute to the ferry pick-up point, we nearly got attacked by a bunch of seagulls! Yes, seagulls. I have never seen a seagull that angry until that day.  Apparently we got too close to a nest hidden behind a giant mural and they started dive-bombing us.  Jeff nearly got a photo (or nearly got his camera lens scratched, or his eye pecked out) and we all ran a little faster towards our ferry.  Hah! We took the ferry over a few stops to Balmain, where we walked to Ballast Point Park for a few sunset shots. Similar to Cockatoo Island, Ballast Point Park has a few interesting industrial-looking features and definitely some nice views. Minnah and Phil decided it was time to break out the giant lollipop that they had brought along. Haha!

At Ballast Point Park there is an interesting “wall” covered in padlocks, many of them inscribed with wedding dates. How sweet!

There is also a mysterious cement structure with small holes in it, through which I grabbed these shots.

And even after several hours walking and climbing around Cockatoo Island in the sun and riding the ferry, Minnah’s hair was still looking gorgeous, natural and sexy!  I would love to know your secret, Minnah…

Minnah and Phil, thanks for another super fun afternoon! You guys make such a cute couple and will make a very beautiful bride (and groom) come May. We can’t wait!  For all of you reading, do you have a favourite shot from this session, or from the last one? Let us know in the comments!

Marianna and Hernan met in the most glamourous and romantic of locations: Zurich, Switzerland! They both lived there for a time and met each other at a group for newcomers to the city, but they didn’t really get to talk to one another until a chance encounter at a bus stop turned into an hour-long conversation. Hernan decided to ask Marianna to hang out again sometime, but something important needed to be a part of that date: a pastry appreciation test. Three of his family members are all trained pastry chefs, so of course, a lack of pastry appreciation could really be a deal-breaker for the relationship! We couldn’t resist having some coffee and Swiss pastries to start off their engagement photo shoot.

Marianna and Hernan have an inside joke about touching foreheads, ever since they once saw a baby staring people down and bonking his forehead on things in an awkward and hilarious exercise in discovering the world. When they remembered this encounter with the baby during the photoshoot, several minutes of laughing ensued. You guys crack me up!

Goofy faces are a must!  I just love Hernan’s red shoes, they are perfectly suited to his personality.

Hernan mentioned early on in the shoot that he would be keen to run, jump, or climb on things. So he hopped right up into this tree!

After The Rocks, we hopped on a ferry over to Kirribilli. It was such a beautiful day out!

All of us loved the view from this street and thought it was the perfect place for Hernan to try out those jumps he wanted to do.

If you want to know the story behind these great glasses, Hernan proposed to Marianna while wearing them. They thought they were so funny they went out and bought a second pair. Perfect photo session prop!

We had to capture some of the colour of Luna Park!

Great levitating skills, Hernan! Nice choice on the ring, too.

When Marianna and Hernan first met, they were amazed at how much they had in common. After meeting Hernan and seeing them together, we couldn’t agree more—it’s clear these two were made for each other. Congratulations, Marianna and Hernan! We wish you many years of love and happiness (and much continued laughter). Leave your wishes of love and happiness for Marianna and Hernan below!

For three whole years Ben and Manasi’s friends tried to get them to meet, but seeing as they lived in different cities, the nagging fell on deaf ears. But eventually they obliged their friends, and got in touch. The chat went well and so they made plans to meet the next time they found themselves in Sydney together.  I imagine their friends must have given each other high fives at this point (and there might have been a few I-told-you-so’s mentioned here and there). They hit it off and not long after, Manasi began plans to move to Sydney. That was, until a wrench was thrown into the works when Ben was offered a great job in Melbourne. Manasi encouraged Ben to take the opportunity, and so they continued their relationship long-distance. They’ve been planning their Sydney wedding from afar too, and we can totally sympathise. But we know it’s going to be amazing—Ben and Manasi’s families are both from Sri Lanka, and we are super excited to experience their big, two-day Sri Lankan wedding this April!

I love all these photos that we grabbed in the narrow space of Nurses’ Walk.

Non-photogenic? Hah, these two are totally adorable! You can’t tell at all in these photos but Manasi was a bit ill on the day we did this shoot. Um… I sure wish I looked this good when I’m sick!

Looking gorgeous, Manasi!

These two were up for anything we suggested. Sit on the ground? Why not. And it was worth it−I love this set of photos!

I am crazy in love with Manasi’s engagement ring. Her emerald cut diamond is to die for! Excellent choice, Ben!

Another one of our favourite shots!

For the last part of our session, Ben and Manasi wanted to change into their traditional Sri Lankan outfits. I absolutely love the sparkle and colour of saris!

Their outfits looked absolutely beautiful in the setting sun.

We couldn’t resist taking another panoramic shot with the beautiful view. Click below to zoom in.

After their wedding this year, Ben and Manasi will finally get to call the long-distance thing quits. They seem super compatible and we couldn’t be more delighted for them! Ben and Manasi, we had such a fun afternoon with you and we can’t wait for your wedding!

Febien and Michael complement each other so well. Febien is like the life of the party— confident and playful. Michael is quiet, calm and collected. But that’s just the two of them in front of the camera. Michael is an entrepreneur and Febien says that deep down, he is the real risk-taker while she plays it safe. Febien made it sound like she would have to drag Michael kicking and screaming to the photo session. But he seemed to be enjoying himself quite a lot!

They wanted to bring along some celebratory glasses of champagne to toast to their new lives together. Cheers to you, Feb and Mike!

Febien was looking radiant with her hair and makeup professionally done. She had also designed and sewn her own dress, made especially for the shoot!  As a wanna-be designer with a barely-used sewing machine myself, I was quite jealous of her talent!

November is one of my favourite months of the year in Sydney. The many hundreds of Jacaranda trees all over the city burst into pure purple bloom. We found this beauty in the park and couldn’t resist taking some shots underneath it (and in it!).

The sun sank lower in the sky and the light turned golden and beautiful.

We stopped for a few shots on these neat rocks, before heading down to the local pier.

And we were treated to a beautiful orange sunset! Perfect.

Congratulations,Febien and Michael! We had a lovely afternoon with you and are stoked to be shooting your wedding!

Febien and Michael met through both of their best friends, who had fallen in love themselves! Michael’s friend thought he would hit it off with Febien, and though Michael was skeptical about the set-up, one day he obliged his friend. The connection was clear, and they’ve been together ever since.

This pre-wedding session was playful, glamorous, and just plain gorgeous! We went to one of my (Erin’s) favourite indoor spots in Sydney for this shoot, The Strand Arcade. The Strand is a Victorian shopping arcade built in 1891, and it is a truly beautiful example of Victorian architecture. The glass ceiling, marble, iron work, and adorable tiny boutiques are not just beautiful to look at, they’re some of my favourite places to (window) shop in. It was a classy setting for a classy couple.

You might think we cheated and hired a model for this session, but nope! Febien was workin’ it like a pro. The light was so beautiful in this building!

Febien’s ring is completely swoon-worthy… love!

These are some of my favourites right here.

Febien was keen on finding a couch for part of their session, and we hit the jackpot with this mustard-colored velvet beauty! Febien’s outfit was the perfect complementary colour.

Febien could so easily switch from being classy and glamorous to fun and goofy!

Love this last image. So romantic!

This is only the first half ofFebien and Michael‘s engagement session. With an outfit change and a trip the park, we’ve got another set of fantastic images coming soon to the blog, so stay tuned! In the meantime, share your thoughts in the comments.

Minnah and Phil found us and booked us before they had even booked a wedding venue. We love their priorities!   We had so much fun photographing them. Today we bring you the highlights from this beautiful afternoon we spent together. So, grab a cold drink and get ready for some dramatic skies, pastel sunset colors, idyllic beaches and of course, an ultra-cute couple!

Minnah and Phil call the Eastern suburbs home, so we thought we would explore the area around La Perouse for their session. I briefly lived in Coogee as a student myself long ago, so I too have a special affection for the beautiful eastern and southeastern beaches. We started off in Little Bay, where we luckily had very few fellow beach-goers and some gorgeous scenery!

Minnah and Phil found each other in a pub in Sydney. Sparks flew, and the rest is history! Who says you can’t meet your one true love in a bar these days? These guys are so cute together. Phil is really good at making Minnah giggle.

See that beautiful ring? Phil planned to propose to Minnah by taking her out of town on a surprise trip, but wanting to keep it a complete surprise, he struggled to find a good excuse for an impromptu getaway. One day, after Minnah had a particularly stressful day at work, Phil jumped at the opportunity and suggested they go away for the weekend, and Minnah took the bait!

Phil wanted to propose down by the water’s edge, but was super nervous and struggled to find the words that would bring Minnah out onto a beautiful scenic pier. Suddenly a giant pelican swooped down onto the pier and came to Phil’s rescue! Minnah ran straight over to it without much persuasion—it worked out perfectly. Phil chased Minnah out to the pier, presented this ring, and breathed a sigh of relief when she said, “Yes!”

After we had our fill of Little Bay, we hopped over to La Perouse and had an outfit switch-up. Minnah was looking gorgeous in her colorful breezy summer dress. Phil was looking handsome too!

We found this lovely patch of tall grass and flowers—the perfect spot to get cozy.

Then we hopped over to Bare Island on this beautiful wooden bridge. It is such a nice feature of the area.

Minnah and Phil enjoy fishing trips together, and with all the of fishermen out and about here, I got a sense this was their kind of place.

Phil asked us why we had our cameras pointed at the ground. To capture the beautiful sky, of course!

After a day of uncertain weather, we were treated to a dramatic sunset! Perfect time for a stroll along the beach.

Minnah and Phil, thanks for a fun afternoon. You two seem like a great couple and we look forward to getting to know you more over the next six months! We enjoyed capturing this special moment in your lives and hope you love the images! Let us know which photos are your favourites in the comments.

Jen and Ben go together like two rhyming words! They suit each other so well. Ben makes Jen giggle, Jen makes Ben smile. You can tell how much they enjoy each other’s company.

Sometimes people just seem so suited to the work they do, and Jen and Ben are two of those kind of people. The best word I can think of to describe Jen is kind. She is just kind through and through. You can see it in her smile before she even says a word. She makes her living helping people find work, and it is clear how much she is passionate about what she does.

Ben also is one of those lucky people who has found a career perfectly suited to him. He owns his own company and travels around the world building it up and helping it grow. You can really tell how dedicated he is to his work and to his company. It’s really inspiring to meet people like Jen and Ben, who are really doing what they’re meant to do!

Ben is also a chef by trade, which makes Jen one lucky bride-to-be! Ben has donned his chef hat at 5-star restaurants in countries around the globe and even over international waters aboard cruise ships. One of Jen’s favourite things about being with Ben is having dinner (and sometimes breakfast and lunch) cooked for her all the time. What a lucky lady!

In Balmoral Beach’s little park, we found this really cool tree for some fun shots:

When Ben proposed to Jen, it of course had to involve some serious wining and dining in one of the world’s great culinary hubs. While they were in New York City, Ben instructed Jen to meet him for dinner, where he whisked her up to the Top of the Rock for a very romantic sunset proposal overlooking Central Park. And check out that bling! Nice job, Ben.

Ben began his culinary career as an apprentice chef at the prestigious Watermark Restaurant in Balmoral Beach, now known as Public Dining Room, so Ben has had the fortune of experiencing this spectacular view for many years. It was certainly lovely on this afternoon!

The Public Dining Room has also turned out to be one of Jen & Ben’s favourite places for a romantic night out, so the surrounding area made a perfect backdrop for some romantic moments in front of the lens.

The dramatic sky and peaceful bay made for some lovely panoramas! Click on the panoramas to view them larger!

These are some of our favourites in the last golden light of the day. Not many things more relaxing than a sunset spring-time stroll on the pier.

Jen and Ben, a very big congratulations to you lovebirds! We are SO excited for your wedding. And readers, if you think this location is beautiful, just wait till you see their wedding venue! You’ll just have to wait for the stunning scenery… but for now, tell us which pre-wedding image is your favourite!