Fun Long Branch Engagement Session: Courtney and Mik

Palm trees on the Jersey Shore. That’s the whole feeling of this session in one image — a little unexpected, a little dreamlike, and completely charming.

Some couples just belong at the beach, and Courtney and Mike are those people. The second they stepped onto the sand in Long Branch, barefoot and completely unbothered by anyone else around them, I knew this session was going to be exactly what they hoped for.

How It Started

Their story begins the way so many good ones do these days — a swipe, a match, and a first date at Hudson & Co in Jersey City. What could have been just another Tuesday night turned into the beginning of everything.

Ask them what they love most about each other, and you’ll get two answers that say everything you need to know.

For Courtney, it’s Mike’s heart: “He is the most kind and caring person I have ever met. He always puts the needs of others first and is very reliable. I love how adventurous he is and how he is always down to try something new and pushes me to do the same. Mike always knows how to cheer me up and make me laugh. We have the best time together no matter where we are or what we are doing. I think that we are the perfect balance for one another.”

For Mike, it’s the way she makes room for him to be entirely himself: “Courtney is the most thoughtful, patient and supportive person I have ever met. She always cheers me up when I’ve had a bad day… What I appreciate most about our relationship is that I can be 100% my authentic self and know that she loves and accepts me for who I am. She makes me a better person in every way. I’m excited to spend the rest of my life with her!”

The Proposal

Mike is a planner — the kind who designs a ring with his fiancée-to-be in October and then tells her the proposal is coming sometime between February and April, just to keep her guessing.

And guess she did. When they booked a trip to Akumal, Mexico for early February, Courtney had completely convinced herself it wasn’t happening on that trip. Too obvious. Too soon.

Then Mike surprised her with a room upgrade — a penthouse suite with a private rooftop. He’d arranged for it to be filled with rose petals. And there, overlooking the ocean, he asked her to marry him.

They celebrated that night with dinner on the beach. Which, if you know anything about these two, is the most fitting possible ending to the story.

Why the Beach

When I asked why they chose this spot for their engagement session, the answer was simple: “We both love the beach and it was a beautiful location.”

No overthinking it. Just two people who are happiest with sand under their feet and the ocean in front of them. That’s why the palm trees, the salt air, and that soft late-day light felt so right — it wasn’t a backdrop, it was them.

Their favorite things to do together tell the same story: trying new restaurants, long walks, traveling, hiking, and curling up on the couch with a good show. Big adventures and small ordinary ones, equally.

What’s Next

Courtney and Mike are getting married in July 2027 at Fiddler’s Elbow Country Club — and what they’re looking forward to most isn’t a detail or a moment, it’s the people.

“To get all of our family and friends together in one place and celebrate.”

No pets yet, but they left the door open with a very promising “no pets… yet.”

Courtney and Mike, thank you for letting me spend an evening on the beach with you two. I cannot wait for July 2027.

Planning your own beach engagement session along the Jersey Shore? I’d love to hear about it — get in touch here.