Proposal at Miradouro das Portas do Sol | Emily & Emiel
I don't think Emily stopped smiling for the next hours.
In fact, if there was a moment where she wasn't smiling, laughing, staring at her ring, staring at Emiel or doing all four simultaneously, I must have missed it. Which, honestly, feels like a pretty good review of a proposal.
The thing about proposal photography is that people tend to focus all their attention on the question itself. The planning. The location. The nerves. The ring. The logistics of somehow keeping a life-changing secret from the person you're travelling with while simultaneously acting completely normal. All of those things matter, of course, but they're only part of the story. The proposal itself lasts a matter of minutes. What happens afterwards is where the real fun begins.
Emily and Emiel had travelled from Amsterdam to spend a few days exploring Lisbon together. It was their first time in Portugal and, like most people arriving in Lisbon for the first time, they had plans to wander through the city, eat a lot of natas and see where the streets decided to take them. What Emily didn't know was that Emiel had a slightly different agenda for the morning.
The proposal took place at Miradouro das Portas do Sol, one of the most iconic viewpoints in Lisbon and one that I recommend constantly for couples considering a proposal in the city. Some proposal locations are beautiful because they're private. Others are beautiful because they're dramatic. Portas do Sol works because it feels unmistakably Lisbon. The rooftops of Alfama stretch down towards the Tagus River, the city behind them in every direction and there is something incredibly special about standing above one of Europe's most beautiful capitals while asking one of the biggest questions of your life.
The proposal itself was lovely, but once the nerves disappeared and the reality of what had just happened began to sink in, the entire atmosphere changed. Suddenly there was no secret left to protect, no timeline left to manage and no proposal left to worry about. There were simply two people who had just got engaged in Lisbon and were having the absolute best morning imaginable.
The funniest part, however, was that Emily had absolutely no idea who I was. As far as she was concerned, I was simply a friendly tourist who had offered to help take a few photographs at the viewpoint. Considering I was standing there pretending to be extremely casual while secretly photographing one of the biggest moments of their lives, this was probably the best possible outcome. It wasn't until after the proposal that I properly introduced myself and explained that no, I hadn't randomly appeared out of nowhere and yes, the entire thing had been planned for weeks. I let them have a moment, to talk, to let it all sink in.
Afterwards, we started walking.
One of the reasons I love photographing proposals in Lisbon is that the city naturally lends itself to wandering. You don't need to jump in and out of cars or spend the day travelling between locations. Some of the most beautiful places in the city are connected by a short walk, which means the session never feels forced. Instead of moving from location to location, it feels like you're simply exploring the city together and occasionally stopping because you've stumbled across another beautiful corner.
We made our way from Portas do Sol towards Santa Luzia, which remains one of my favourite parts of Lisbon. Between the tiled walls, the bougainvillea, the viewpoints and the endless little corners that somehow look like they've been designed specifically for photographs, it's almost unfair how beautiful that stretch of the city is. Every few minutes we found ourselves stopping because there was another spot worth exploring, another view worth admiring or another excuse for Emily to look at her ring and laugh.
The city looked particularly good that morning, which was fortunate because the weather had spent the previous day doing its best to make everyone nervous. Heavy rain had swept through Lisbon, but by the time we met the skies had completely cleared. The storm had left behind darker cobblestones, richer colours and the kind of soft, clean light photographers become slightly obsessed with. Everything looked fresh. Everything looked brighter. Even the city seemed to be in a good mood.
By the time we reached Sé de Lisboa, it genuinely felt less like a photoshoot and more like spending the morning with two people who happened to have had a very exciting start to their day. We talked about travel, Lisbon, Amsterdam, where to find the best natas, possible wedding plans and all the practical realities that follow immediately after getting engaged. The adrenaline was still very much present, but it had evolved into something softer. The initial shock had faded, replaced by excitement and the growing realisation that what had started as a city break was now going to become one of those trips they talk about for the rest of their lives.
What I love most about this gallery isn't necessarily the proposal itself, although it was a beautiful one. What I love is how much joy exists in every photograph. These images don't feel formal. They feel light and spontaneous. They feel like two people who are genuinely having fun together, which is probably my favorite thing to photograph.
There is a tendency within the wedding industry to make romance feel very serious. I think we sometimes forget that falling in love is also supposed to be fun. Getting engaged should be exciting. It should involve laughing halfway through conversations because you're still processing what just happened. It should involve looking at your ring every few minutes. It should involve wandering around a city with absolutely no ability to focus on anything except the fact that you're about to marry your favourite person.
Looking through these photographs now, that's exactly what I see.
I see two people who arrived in Lisbon expecting a holiday and accidentally ended up with a fiancé, a ring and a wedding to plan. I see sunshine after rain, beautiful viewpoints, endless conversation and the kind of happiness that makes everybody around it feel a little happier too.
And honestly, if you're going to get engaged somewhere, it's hard to imagine a better way to spend the day than wandering through Lisbon with your brand new fiancé and nowhere particularly urgent to be except brunch.
If you're planning a surprise proposal in Lisbon, considering Castelo de São Jorge, or simply looking for a good location, check my page about Planning the Perfect Surprise Proposal and check the Best Proposal Locations in Lisbon and nearby.
I'm always happy to help couples create an experience that feels genuinely true to them as much as I do to photograph happy stories.
You can get in touch to start planning your proposal in Lisbon by clicking in the “plan your proposal button”. See you soon!