An Ibiza Engagement Shoot: Whitewashed Lanes, Bougainvillea and a Sunset by the Sea
In the shade of a long stone tunnel, Kat and Anand walked hand in hand towards a bright white wall and a deep blue sky. They were two silhouettes in a frame of black. Later they were standing on the rocks by the sea with the sun setting between them. We had only ever heard about the clubs in Ibiza, but Kat and Anand showed us a completely different side to the island.
Ibiza: an island of old town lanes and sunset coves
Ibiza’s old town, Dalt Vila, dominates the port and skyline of Ibiza Town. It’s enclosed by Renaissance walls built between 1554 and 1585 by the Italian engineers Giovanni Battista Calvi and Jacobo Paleazzo Fratin. In 1999 it became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Ibiza, Biodiversity and Culture’. Inside the walls, the streets still follow a medieval maze of lanes, alleys and passageways.
For photographs, Ibiza’s old lanes are a gift. Every turn gives you white walls, old wooden doors, steps, arches and deep shadow, and the whitewash bounces the light around beautifully. Then, as the day ends, the coast takes over, with rocky shores and the sun dropping into the sea.
Whitewashed lanes and bougainvillea
We wandered down sun-bleached steps against an empty sky and along cobbled lanes lined with scooters and plant pots. Then we climbed a steep stepped alley, where Kat stopped beside an old bicycle. Kat wore a blush pink slip dress and Anand a white shirt, which suited all that white and blue perfectly.
Some of our favourite frames are the small details. One catches their reflection in a blue-tinted window beside a painted number four tile. Another has them wrapped up in a dark wooden doorway under a cascade of pink bougainvillea. In a shaded arcade, Anand spun Kat under his arm at the far end, tiny beneath the arches.
Sunset on the rocks
As the sun dropped we headed for the coast. On a rocky shore, with a small island out at sea, they stood silhouetted with the sun bursting between them. Then came the close-ups: foreheads together with the light glowing behind, and Kat laughing with her head thrown back as the sea turned gold. In one of the last frames they stood far out on the rocks, tiny against the sky, while the waves broke in front of us.
Kat and Anand had originally planned an Ibiza wedding, but decided in the end that London, with its incredible variety of venues, was a better choice for them. However appealing a destination wedding is, planning one from overseas can be complicated. When Kat first called us, we could hear how much Ibiza meant to them both, so we suggested a destination engagement shoot instead.
We didn’t know what to expect, but having explored it now, we absolutely loved it. We love shoots like this: learning about a couple as we explore a new place, and hearing why it means so much to them. They make us grateful, not only because we get to take photographs for a living, but because of the people we take them for.
Why we love an engagement shoot in Ibiza
If you’re tempted by Ibiza for your own shoot, here’s our honest advice:
- Old lanes first, coast last. Narrow whitewashed lanes give you shade and texture through the afternoon, and the coast gives you the sunset.
- Wear shoes you can walk in. Lanes like these are all cobbles, slopes and steps, so flat sandals make the afternoon much easier.
- Keep your outfits light and simple. Pale colours like Kat’s blush dress and Anand’s white shirt glow against whitewash.
- A shoot can keep a place in your story. If you love somewhere abroad but your wedding makes more sense at home, an engagement shoot there is a lovely way to have both.
Planning your own wedding or engagement shoot abroad?
Whether you’re marrying overseas or, like Kat and Anand, bringing a favourite place into your story with a shoot, we’d love to hear about it. See more of our destination wedding photography, or get in touch to talk through your plans.
See also: Wedding at Kat & Anand – MC Motors , London.
