Highway 1 Archives

Juliane & Mason’s Point Lobos engagement in Carmel was super charming and laidback. I met these two earlier this month while I was staying in the Big Sur area for a wedding. We squeezed in just enough time between sessions for their engagement portraits.

We originally planned to meet at Pfeiffer Big Sur State Beach along Highway 1, but the park closures from the Soberanes Fire interrupted most of my weekend plans. As a back up plan, we settled on Point Lobos Natural Reserve…which again, didn’t feel anything like settling.

Monastery Beach Engagement: Carmel-by-the-Sea

The reserve doesn’t open until 8 a.m., so we met at Monastery Beach down the road to kick off our time together. We sipped on hot coffee and discussed their mutual love of triathlons and the story of how they met. Juliane and Mason have a natural chemistry that translates so easily into photographs.

Portraits at China Cove

After the gates of the reserve opened, we piled back into the car and drove inside. China Cove was on my bucket list for years, so we headed straight to the south end of the peninsula first. The water at Point Lobos is even more tranquil and luminescent turquoise than the pictures online.

The scenery around the surrounding cliff areas and little forest grove near the entrance is breathtaking. This place is incredibly picturesque. After so many visits up north, I can’t believe it took me this long to visit! I would love to photograph another Point Lobos engagement soon!

I’m honored and excited to start working out the details of their destination wedding in Cancun, Mexico next year. Congrats you two!

If you loved this Point Lobos engagement session, be sure to check out Jem and Peter’s Sutro Bath engagement in San Francisco or Jessica and Jeff’s Day Before portraits in Garrapata.

I credit Kaitlyn and Matt’s intimate wedding in Big Sur as the one that started everything for me.

Matt and Kaitlyn are high school sweethearts. After moving in together, they took the next step and got engaged. Instead of an elaborate proposal, they decided to wear rings in unison up until the wedding day. Nothing over the top…that’s not them.

Kaitlyn and I quickly dreamed up places for her and Matt to elope to. First, there was Canada, then Iceland, then Scotland. Finally, they settled on a magical place a little closer to home: Big Sur.

Intimate Big Sur Wedding

Kaitlyn and Matt invited our immediate family members to join them for a private ceremony in the redwoods. Kaitlyn asked our best friend, Marissa, to officiate. With only 13 of us as witnesses, it was the perfect size for an intimate wedding in Big Sur.

Kaitlyn and Matt ventured up a few days early to settle into our incredible yurts at Treebones Resort and scout ceremony locations. The mile-high redwood trees and delicate green clovers at Limekiln State Park made it an instant winner.

It was overcast and lightly raining the morning of the wedding…always a sign of good luck. I woke up early to take in the beautiful view. I was a little stressed at the thought of trying to be in a wedding while also photographing it.

Looking back, I don’t think I would have had it any other way. It wasn’t easy, but I’m incredibly proud, and even more emotional, to share these images of my sister and brother-in-law’s day with you.

Congratulations you guys, you two were meant for each other. I’m so happy to see my family continue to grow!

Kaitlyn and Matt’s wedding is featured on Intimate Weddings. Check it out here.

After a quiet morning of preparation, Kaitlyn and Matt shared their first look on a cliff overlooking the coast right by their yurt. We made a quick trip to the beautiful, organic garden on the grounds before shuttling ourselves in three different cars to Limekiln State Park.

Ceremony in Limekiln State Park

The bridge was closed for maintenance, so we found ourselves balancing on a log to get the other side. When the path through the forest opened up…it was straight out of a fairytale.

Kaitlyn and Matt exchanged vows by a small creek, surrounded by the people they love most. I dropped the camera for a second to step inside the ring-warming circle.

After lots of hugs, we planned to meet up with the rest of the family later at Nepenthe for their celebration dinner. We frolicked in the forest for a bit longer and made our way to a top secret location on the bluffs for more photos, courtesy of Matt. It was perfect and breathtaking.