On a lovely Sunday afternoon, we met up with Erika & Julian for their engagement session. As I mentioned in my last post, this was the 2nd weekend in a row we shot at the colorful Santa Monica Pier, and I loved the challenge of getting creative with new spots and perspectives. Erika & Julian also brought along something that made their session extra unique - their adorable dog Shep! He was ridiculously cute and so full of energy and I loved photographing all 3 of them!

Erika & Julian will be getting married in …wait for it… New York City next year, and it will mark our first out-of-state wedding! I am honestly SO in love with NYC and hope it will be the first of many amazing weddings there to come! :)

       

I was so excited when Kelie contacted me for their engagement session! They had not yet set a date or location for their wedding, but wanted to do a session around the colorful Santa Monica Pier. Scott and I have shot at the pier quite a few times (this was in fact the first of 2 in 2 weeks!) but I loved the challenge of finding new spots and putting new spins on old ones. And of course, Kelie & Kaare’s personalities and love created a session that was so uniquely them. I adore when a location reflects who a couple is, and I really think the bright pier and the calm beach was THE perfect backdrop for their chill yet ridiculously fun personalities!

My favorite shots of the day? The ones with the cotton candy! In all our SM pier shoots, this was the first where we incorporated this delightful (yet sticky) treat.

       

We loved spending the afternoon with Tina & Sam! Tina is full of energy - vivacious, lively and all smiles. Sam is her warm and easygoing counterpart. And together they fit just perfectly - like puzzle pieces, like peanut butter and jelly, like frosties and fries - and it was a joy watching them interact in their element and getting to know them better before their wedding day. I love when couples trust us to do our thang and run with our style during sessions, but I also love when they throw in some fun ideas of their own. Tina was full of great ideas that really personified their session - and there was one particular one at the end that was definitely a first for us! :)

We started off in downtown LA and then headed west to Santa Monica to finish up the session at the pier. Tina & Sam - we had so much fun and can’t wait for your wedding next month!

Loved her flowy, ethereal dress - it was perfect for the session!

And a surprise at the end… just as we were finishing up the shoot, Tina pulled a switcheroo and asked if she could snap a few of us! It marked the first time Scott and I have had a client take our photo and as you can see, we definitely have some practicing to do and awkwardness to dissipate before we can work it like all our couples do on the other side of the lens! *sheepish grin*