Some engagement sessions are all about finding somewhere beautiful.

Others are about going back to where your story began.

For Declan and Meadhbh, that meant spending an afternoon wandering through some of the places that have shaped their relationship. From Belfast City Hall to the Palm House in Botanic Gardens, with a stop at Darcy’s where they had their first date, this engagement shoot felt more like a walk through their story than a photoshoot.

From Trampolining Club to Forever

Declan and Meadhbh first met at Queen’s University Belfast, at the PEC trampolining club. They started out as friends before things slowly grew into something more, officially getting together in April 2019. Like so many couples, COVID threw a few challenges their way, spending almost a year long distance before Declan moved to Plymouth in 2021. Meadhbh joined him the following year and together they spent two years building a life in Devon before moving back home to Northern Ireland in August 2024 to start a new chapter.

Then, in May 2025, during a trip to the beautiful Greek island of Paros, Declan proposed on the beach at sunset. Not a bad spot for it, eh??

Starting at Belfast City Hall

We kicked things off at Belfast City Hall. It’s one of those places that never really goes out of style for engagement photography in Belfast. The architecture is iconic, the gardens are always looking their best and it gives couples a chance to settle into the shoot before we head off somewhere quieter.

Declan and Meadhbh were so easy to photograph. No awkward posing, just plenty of chatting, laughing and generally forgetting there was a camera there. Which is exactly how we like it.

Back to Where It All Began at Botanic Gardens

After City Hall, we headed over to Botanic Gardens. This place means a lot to these two.

Back when they were students at Queen’s, they’d spend hours around campus, studying together in the McClay Library before escaping outside to Botanic Gardens whenever they needed a break. So coming back here for their engagement shoot just made sense.

The Palm House is one of Belfast’s best known landmarks and one of our favourite places for engagement photography. Built in the 1840s, it is one of the earliest examples of a curved cast iron glasshouse anywhere in the world. Today it is home to tropical plants that have been carefully looked after for generations.

There is something quite fitting about photographing a couple surrounded by things that have been nurtured and cared for over time. Great relationships don’t happen overnight either.

A Very Warm Visit to the Tropical Ravine

From there we made our way into the Tropical Ravine. And when we say tropical…

We mean tropical.

The thermometers inside were reading around 37 degrees and we are fairly sure it felt even warmer than that. Great for the plants. Less great for photographers carrying cameras around. Still, it was worth every drop of sweat. The light, the greenery and the atmosphere inside make it one of the most unique places for engagement photos in Belfast.

An Unexpected Detour

The original plan was to grab a few photographs outside Queen’s University Unfortunately, Q-Con happened to be on that day. The place was absolutely packed with incredibly talented cosplayers.

While we have huge respect for the costumes and the effort that goes into them, Tj used to be a cosplayer herself (at one point even a professional Harley Quinn cosplayer!) It is fair to say that having superheroes and anime characters wandering through the background wasn’t quite the romantic vibe we were aiming for.

So we changed plans. One of the best things about engagement shoots is being able to roll with whatever the day throws at us.

Back to Darcy’s

Instead, we popped into Darcy’s. It was the perfect backup because it wasn’t really a backup at all. This is where Declan and Meadhbh had their very first date.

They told us they both love cosy pubs with character, mood lighting and somewhere you can happily lose a couple of hours chatting. It turns out their first choice was a good one. A massive thank you to the staff at Darcy’s for being so welcoming and letting us take a few photographs inside. We really appreciate it.

Sundays, Seaside Villages and LEGO

One of the things we ask every couple before an engagement shoot is simply what life looks like together. The answers are often much more interesting than wedding planning.

For Declan and Meadhbh, Sundays usually start with coffee and pastries from a local café. They love wandering around little seaside towns, finding independent cafés and pubs, collecting postcards and fridge magnets from every slightly tacky gift shop they come across, building LEGO together and discovering somewhere new whenever they can.

And when Northern Ireland inevitably does what Northern Ireland does best and starts raining, you’ll usually find them curled up on the sofa watching films together.

Those are the things we wanted this session to feel like.

Not posed.

Not perfect.

Just them.

Looking Ahead to Beech Hill Country House

Next up is their wedding day. They’ll be getting married in church before heading to Beech Hill Country House for the celebrations, and if this engagement session is anything to go by, it’s going to be such a brilliant day. Congratulations again, Declan and Meadhbh.

Thanks for bringing us back through the places that tell your story. They’re always our favourite kind of engagement sessions.