Miradouro de Santa Luzia Proposal | Sofia & Carlos

One of my favorite things about photographing surprise proposals is that no matter how much planning happens behind the scenes, one person always arrives believing they're having a completely normal day.

In Sofia's case, she thought she was simply spending an early morning exploring Lisbon with Carlos while making the most of their trip to Portugal. Carlos, however, had spent the previous weeks secretly planning a proposal, choosing a location and somehow managing not to accidentally give himself away. The couple had travelled from South America wanting to experience Portugal beyond the obvious tourist checklist. They wanted the viewpoints, the food, the atmosphere and the slower pace of life that makes so many people fall in love with Lisbon. What Sofia didn't realise was that she would also be leaving Portugal with an engagement ring on her finger.

When Carlos first reached out to me, he knew he wanted somewhere that felt unmistakably Lisbon. Somewhere romantic and beautiful, but still connected to the trip they were already having.

That's what led us to Miradouro de Santa Luzia.

There are dozens of beautiful proposal locations in Lisbon, but Santa Luzia is one of the most iconic due to the tiles and archway.The morning of the proposal, the city was slowly waking up while Carlos was doing his best to act like he definitely didn't have a ring hidden in his pocket.

As anyone who has planned a proposal will know, that's usually easier said than done. Fortunately, Sofia had absolutely no idea. When they arrived at the viewpoint and stopped to admire the view, what had started as an ordinary morning in Lisbon suddenly became one of the most important moments of their lives.

One of my favourite details from this proposal was the ring itself. Carlos chose a beautiful two-stone engagement ring, often called a toi et moi design, symbolising two people, two stories and two lives coming together. It felt like such a thoughtful choice and made the moment feel even more personal. After Sofia said yes, I let them enjoy the moment for themselves before quickly take a couple more photos of them. Those first moments after a proposal are often my favorite part of the entire experience because the excitement is still fresh, the smiles are completely uncontrollable and every few minutes someone looks down at the ring and starts laughing all over again.

Portugal is such a great place for a new chapter to begin.

If you're planning your own proposal in Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais or anywhere else in Portugal, I'd love to help you create something that feels just as personal.

You can get in touch here, or explore some of my favourite proposal locations in Portugal below.