An off the beaten path engagement portraits session

I met Sarah way back when…while we were in high school, and we became fast friends. Fast-forward 11+ years later, we have been able to experience many of life’s milestones together. I always say that some of my best memories are with her. So, when her and Morgan decided to tie the knot, I knew the wedding festivities would not disappoint! And I absolutely was correct! The happy couple will be getting married in just few short weeks in BALI, and I get the honor of photographing it! A business and mostly pleasure trip to a gorgeous country on the other side of the world, yes please!

As we have been planning the trip and the wedding, it was evident that we were going to need to do engagement portraits. I personally feel engagement portraits are important for a number of reasons…they are a great way to “warm up” in front of the camera before the BIG day, it is a great opportunity to get to know your photographer better (which helps us to better capture your day!), and they are great for Save the Dates, Thank You notes, party décor, etc.

For Sarah + Morgan’s session we decided to choose a green + intimate setting. They reside in San Clemente (which is a beautiful setting for portraits), but since their wedding photos will be taking place on the beach in Bali, we wanted to do something a little more rural. And we certainly did! We conducted the session on a hiking trail. As you will see, the couple was dressed to the nines and they were definitely troopers as we made our way to the shooting location. (Other hikers on the trail probably thought we looked pretty ridiculous…let’s be honest.) But the snakes, bugs, and heat were worth the trek! The backdrop looked amazing and the couple radiant. In my opinion, it turned out to be a wonderful session!

Below are a few of my favorites from the day. You can view more images (and in high res) by visiting my Portfolio.

Noteworthy:

Location: Off the beaten path on a hiking trail in SoCal
Attire: Since the couple is doing a beach wedding, they wanted their engagement portraits to be more formal, so Sarah wore a gorgeous white and black gown and Morgan a white dress shirt and slacks.
Props: We incorporated the Waterford Crystal wine goblets Morgan’s family bought for them as a wedding gift. We also used wildflowers for some of the shots (flowers are always a great addition to a photo shoot!)
Tips: If you decide you want to do a session in a rural area, bring a change of clothes (and shoes) to get to the actual destination as well as water. Minimize your props/outfit changes so that you don’t have to carry too much on the journey.