Hailey and Griffin’s Pre-Wedding Photoshoot in Lisbon | An Intentional And Romantic Experience in Lisbon
Highly intentional romantic photo experiences in London, Lisbon and beyond [link]
Article Summary
This article showcases a pre-wedding photoshoot in Lisbon, reframing it as an "intentional experience." It follows a couple's journey through iconic Lisbon locations, detailing how the photographer's guided process helps them connect deeply amidst the demands of wedding planning. The piece argues that a photoshoot can be a powerful tool for presence and intimacy, not just for creating beautiful images.
Today I’m sharing with you Hailey and Griffin’s Romantic and Intentional Pre-Wedding Photoshoot in Lisbon.
As soon as I got to meet Hailey and Griffin through my onboarding process I knew they were both introvert individuals. Their idea of a perfect date night was to snuggle in the sofa watching their favorite TV show -— which, honestly, is the absolute best date night indeed! Besides that, none of them felt particularly comfortable in front of a camera (which is something very common and absolutely natural!).
Both from Canada, they got engaged in Europe so when they knew they would be travelling to Portugal to attend a friend’s wedding they decided this would be the perfect time to get their own pre-wedding photoshoot in Lisbon. After all, they could use a break from the stress of planning their own wedding.
It was September which meant high season was still in full bloom — aka, Lisbon streets were very busy.
Now, if you are an introvert like Hailey and Griffin you surely know how intimidating it is not only to be in front of a camera but also to be in front of a camera surrounded by complete strangers everywhere. And that’s where my expertise comes out to play!
How a Lisbon Photoshoot Became an Intentional Experience
Step 1: choosing the right route
For a photoshoot to become an intentional and transformative experience, it is of the utmost importance that my couples feel honored, respected and relaxed during their experience and Hailey and Griffin were not exceptions.
Based on their personality traits I offered them 3 available routes to choose from. Each having it’s onw perks:
Option 1 was the most iconic but also the busiest of them all, allowing little to no privacy;
Option 2 was the most private but featured a more modern part of Lisbon, not offering the “historical European city vibes” Hailey and Griffin were looking for;
So they went with option 3 which offered the privacy of option 2 whilst featuring Lisbon’s heritage.
The route is important because it will define the entire vibe of the experience. Not only that, it will determine how comfortable the couple feels throughout the entire time which will have a major impact in everything else.
Step 2: intentional questions to foster intimacy
Intimacy (noun):
a state of close, personal, and familiar association with another person, characterized by feelings of emotional closeness, connection, and support.
Hailey and Griffin are both high-achieving individuals with high-demanding careers. For couples, this combination often means that they live very busy lives where time and energy to dive deeper into their relationship on a daily basis might not be as much as they wished it was.
With that in mind, I prepared some strategic questions to ask Hailey and Griffin during their experience. These questions are not to be answered to me but rather between each other. Some were specifically for Hailey to answer, others for Griffin but the goal was only one: to allow Griffin and Hailey to forget about the world around them and create a universe of their own, immersing themselves into their love and bond.
Step 3: hands-on curated exercises to deepen connection
This is probably the part I love the most about these experiences. It is amazing to plan it and then even more amazing to watch my couples bloom while putting it into practice.
Hands-on curated exercises designed specifically to deepen Hailey and Griffin’s connection made a major difference in their experience. Before these, they were still very much shy. But afterwards, their love was just so raw and impossible to hide it was as if watching a flower bloom.
Considering their introverted personalities, I planned a written exercise. This allowed them to be 100% honest and raw without fear of being judged (by me or someone else) as well as protecting their privacy which provided them a safe opportunity to simply express themselves, freely.
The ambiance was intimate and their love was almost touchable. I don’t recall how long we stayed there because that was not the point. I didn’t want them to hurry nor feel pressured so after snapping some images from this moment I simply let Hailey and Griffin alone to enjoy their moment.
Being a facilitator of intimate relationships is knowing when to be present and when to retrieve myself from the space so the couple can immerse themselves into the moment, fully.
In the end, Hailey and Griffin didn’t return home with just pretty pictures to look at but rather with new memories to remember, an experience that changed them and their communication, that offered new information and tools that they can now use for the rest of their lives when balancing their high-demanding careers with their eagerness to spend quality, meaningful and intentional time together.
These images will forever remind them of a chapter of their lives worth revisiting, over and over again. And one day will be their legacy, the images that they can use to tell their children and grandchildren all about that special time when mum and dad were engaged and lived a one of a kind experience in Lisbon.
If you too want to live an experience to call your own, something that lingers, that goes beyond pretty pictures, that has the ability to deepen the bond you already share, this is the first step.
I’ll see you on the other side, where magic happens.
To Hailey and Griffin: thank you for allowing me to capture the beautiful, strong and inspiring love that you share. May this chapter of your lives be filled with joy and laughter for many many years to come.
With love and gratitude,
Patrícia
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FAQ:
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An intentional photoshoot is a guided experience designed for deep connection, not just for taking pictures. I (the photographer) act as a facilitator, creating a space where you (the couple) can be present with each other without the usual distractions, resulting in authentic and meaningful images.
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Iconic locations for a Lisbon pre-wedding photoshoot include the historic streets of Alfama, the scenic views from a Miradouro (like Senhora do Monte), the architectural beauty of Belém Tower, and the vibrant energy of the city's tiled facades.
Your route will be defined by your own preferences and personalities. Rest assured that I’ll take into consideration all of that when presenting you your custom route options.
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A pre-wedding photoshoot offers a chance to escape the stress of wedding planning and create a dedicated "connection appointment." It allows you to create a set of beautiful, authentic images that celebrate your relationship before the big day.
For Hailey and Griffin this experience also allowed them to use some of their engagement photos in their wedding invitations giving their guests a bit of context into their own story as a couple.
About the Author:
Patricia Nunes is a couples photographer, experiences designer and the creator of the "Intentional" newsletter. She specializes in helping discerning couples build more intentional lives and relationships, using expertly guided photography experiences as a powerful tool to facilitate profound connection.
Lisbon, London and beyond.
