Nick and Emma are an Australian couple living in the UK, and they came to Bordeaux in late October on a trip that was itself a surprise. That morning, Nick proposed to Emma on the steps of the Palais in the Jardin Public. By the afternoon the excitement had worn off a little, and they were calmer and ready to enjoy the rest of the day together.
We met again later that afternoon at their hotel, the Burdigala. It already felt easy between us by then, as we’d spent the morning together and talked loads in the lead-up to the trip. They came down into the lobby smiling, still going over the morning and already talking about wedding ideas (Santorini came up more than once).
I’d sent them a few images from the morning before we met and they loved them, which helped straight away. Nobody was nervous, so we just headed out and enjoyed the walk.
We walked from the hotel towards Place de la Bourse, chatting as we went. These walks are really important because they give you time to relax, talk properly and stop thinking about what you should be doing in front of a camera. We talked about their plans, about living abroad and what it’s like to make a home somewhere new, and I told them a bit about moving to France myself and still finding my feet here.
Place de la Bourse is a good place to start because it’s a big space without the feeling of being watched by people. We kept it relaxed and took a few photos as we went, more as a warm-up than anything. Lots of laughing, very little self-consciousness.
From there we wandered through the city. I gave them the odd bit of direction, but mostly I just let them chat and get on with it. They were holding hands or touching pretty much the whole time, which made my job very easy.
We finished on the Pont de Pierre as the light dropped away. By then they were tired in a good way and looking forward to the evening. They had dinner booked and more celebrating to do, so it felt like the right time to stop.
Thinking about a proposal or engagement session in Bordeaux?
Nick and Emma did both on the same day. My guide to planning a surprise proposal in Bordeaux covers how the proposal side works, here are the best places to propose in Bordeaux, and my proposal and engagement page has what’s included.
If you’re thinking about it, even loosely, drop me a message below.