From Sanibel Sunrise to Ice Cream Laughs: Matt + Courtney’s Engagement Session

When I first met Matt and Courtney on April 24th, we were all bright-eyed and ready for their sunrise beach engagement session in Sanibel… except, well—sunrise had other plans. We all rolled up at 6:00 AM thinking we’d be racing the sun. Turns out the sun didn’t clock in until 6:55. So we had a solid 50 minutes to laugh at ourselves and bond over our collective early-bird fail. Off to a great start for their Sanibel engagement photos. Courtney is a server at a local Cape Coral restaurant and showed up with the kind of bright blue eyes and sweet smile that instantly put you at ease. Matt—tall (like 6'2" tall), clean-cut, and a pilot for American Airlines—had that look of total admiration for her the whole time. The way he watched her, smiled at her, gently held her hand—this wasn’t just love, it was real connection. You could feel it. We explored the area around the Sanibel Lighthouse for their engagement shoot, which gave us those dreamy, golden-hour vibes. The soft morning light, the peaceful beach, and the laughter between them made this Sanibel Lighthouse engagement session feel like a scene from a movie. After the beach, we took a spontaneous trip to The Magic Bus Ice Cream Shop on Sanibel. The shop owner was so kind and let us take some unique and fun photos inside. This added such a playful twist to their Cape Coral engagement session—ice cream, quirky vibes, and all the sweet in-between moments that made it feel like them. Courtney called Matt her best friend, and it shows. They teased, danced, and shared the kind of laughter that makes my job easy. At the end, they mentioned how I made them feel relaxed and comfortable—and that my “light personality” helped ease the nerves. That right there is the best feedback I could ask for as a Cape Coral engagement photographer. Matt and Courtney, thank you for letting me be part of this early morning adventure. Your Sanibel Island engagement session was one for the books—and I can’t wait to see what your next chapter looks like. Love like yours deserves to be seen, felt, and remembered.