Yesterday, as the sun began to set over Coronado Beach, casting golden hues across the soft, undulating dunes, Katie and Nick made their way towards the dunes. The sound of gentle waves lapping against the shore created a serene backdrop as Nick guided Katie along the sandy dunes. This is one of their favorite San Diego beaches, a place filled with shared memories and moments that made their relationship grow. As they reached a secluded part of the dunes, Nick paused to get down on one knee in a spot where he had arranged a small area with soft blankets, a few candles, and a bottle of champagne nestled in a basket with flowers. It felt intimate, a world away from the bustling beach.

What a magical time and place, this past week in Tahoe with Elle and Sandy was! This amazing couple invited me up this past week to share in one of their most meaningful spots and I am so grateful that they did. We made our way up to stunning view of the whole lake and on the way passed through a beautiful meadow and through the woods. These spots are Elle and Sandy’s playground, they both mountain bike daily through this area when they are up here with friends and family.

Josh and Stephanie’s La Jolla proposal yesterday was gorgeous. Their sweet friends were there and they set out the cutest blanket, flowers and champagne for these two. Although the first spot they had set the blanket, a rouge wave came and drenched half of it and knocked over the flowers. But they got their with plenty of time to clean up and find a better spot. Stephanie had no idea what was coming, in fact when Josh brought her lunch today she was grumpy with him! And then when they took an Uber in and the first ride got cancelled and Josh was sweating. The sun was setting and he didn’t want to mess up the perfect shot.

Jack and Laura had a perfect end to their summer. Jack planned an amazing dinner out in Cardiff by the Sea and a romantic walk on the beach, which turned into the biggest surprise for Laura. He got down on one knee and she said YES!!! So many happy tears and big smiles. And the sunset in Cardiff showed off as their back drop, the perfect end to a perfect day.

Kevin’s proposal yesterday to Camille was so sweet and exciting! Their family and friends gathered to celebrate the summer, and the fact that these two got jobs set up for post graduation. And the cherry on top of the celebration was Kevin’s surprise proposal. Kevin and I conspired to make it a complete surprise, and with the help of his mom Jan we snuck me into the house (mostly undetected). I hid on a balcony up above everyone at the party and waited for the big moment to arrive, and it did not disappoint. Camille was so shocked she let out the biggest shout (it may have included some cuss words) and then went straight in for a kiss. 100% a yes!

This sweet couple have perfected the art of the snuggle. They did such an amazing job yesterday afternoon, I had the best time getting to hang out with them! The afternoon was glorious and the breeze was pumping. Which was perfect for all the gliders soaring by! We spent our short amount of time together checking out the waves, the tiny naked people down at Blacks beach and giggling at each others jokes.

Yesterdays engagement session at Balboa park with Sam and Justin was so fun! Sam and I used to work together forever ago, and it was a little reunion! It was so amazing to see how far she has come and how wonderful her chosen partner is. Justin and Sam are a sweet couple, a perfect compliment to one another. While Sam was a bit nervous about getting these pictures done, Justin did an amazing job of being the calm and guiding force of the session. And the pictures came out so well! I am so excited to be your photographer and I can’t wait for you to see the rest of these photos. :)

This early morning session with Michelle and her husband made me fall in love with Balboa Park all over again. While it was tough for all of us to be up that early and be happy about it, it really is the best time to be in the park. Especially this time of year. We did see some early risers out doing yoga or on walks but for the most part we got to run around the park together, alone with wide open spaces behind us. Michelle and her husband celebrated their 6th wedding anniversary together this year and I feel so lucky to have been chosen to be the photographer to capture this sweet couple. Their Christmas cards this year are going to be extra cute. ;)

Yesterday’s surprise proposal at Sunset Cliffs was so exciting! I had anxiety all day leading up to it, just like Drew did I’m sure. I think with everything going on in the world it felt so good to take a minute to focus on nothing but excitement and love. Jess and Drew arrived a little later than I was expecting because everyone and their mother was trying to get to sunset cliffs for the sunset. Once they arrived I moved into position trying to be a sneaky sneak and not draw attention to myself.

Yesterdays moody skies made for an amazing backdrop for Megan’s surprise proposal to her girlfriend Katie at Coronado Beach. This year has presented its challenges for all of us but for Megan (and I’m sure Katie) it’s been lots of obstacles in the way of her proposal plans. This was the third iteration of planning for Megan’s proposal (her original plan was to propose on a trip to Maui this spring which got cancelled because of Covid). But with the help of her friend Ryan, Megan was able to execute this final plan, and luckily for me I was chosen to capture the surprise. Even with the rain clouds nothing was going to stop this day from happening. And the joy of a proposal is always contagious! Everyone walking by cheered congratulations and I couldn’t stop smiling the whole time we hung out!