A Calafia Beach Engagement That Ended in the Ocean

Elle and Justin’s engagement session at Calafia Beach felt VERY them. They’re both surfers, they love being outside, and the beach has been part of their relationship since the very beginning. So naturally, we had to end this one completely soaked.

These two actually met while working together as dentists and quickly realized how much they had in common.

“We worked together as dentists for awhile and learned that we have a ton of the same interests like surfing, video games, working out, etc. We decided to ‘hang out’ and go surfing at Trestles beach. The hangout went well so Justin asked Elle on an official date the next weekend for dinner! The rest is history!”

What Should You Be Prepared for at a Beach Engagement Session?

Beach engagement sessions are gorgeous, but my biggest advice is to come prepared to embrace whatever the beach gives us!

Plan on being barefoot. Plan on getting a little sandy and dirty. Your hair might blow around in the wind, and that’s okay. I actually LOVE a little wind because it creates movement and keeps everything from feeling too perfect or posed.

I also recommend bringing as little stuff with you as possible. The less we have to carry around, keep track of, or move from spot to spot, the easier it is for us to explore and follow the light.

And California coastal weather loves to keep us guessing. It could be warm and sunny, freezing cold, completely overcast, or somehow all three during the same session. We’ll work with whatever shows up.

Most importantly, come ready to have fun and be a little spontaneous. You might climb on rocks, run barefoot through the sand or, if you’re anything like Elle and Justin, decide to jump into the ocean fully clothed at the end. 😂

The best beach engagement photos usually happen when you stop worrying about staying perfectly clean and just go with it.

We always love when couples choose engagement locations that actually feel connected to their lives. Elle and Justin spend so much of their time near the ocean that a San Clemente beach engagement session just made sense.

Their idea of a perfect Friday night says pretty much everything: “Our perfect Friday night together is a sunset beach walk/run, homemade dinner, going out for Yogurtland, and a movie or videogaming at home.”

We wandered around the cliffs at Calafia Beach, played in that gorgeous golden California light, and kept everything relaxed and natural. This is the same approach we bring to natural wedding photography and documentary style wedding photography. We’ll give you direction, find the good light and help create opportunities for beautiful photos, but we also want you to have space to be yourselves.

Getting married? We’d love to capture it for you! Skip to our contact page to check availability.

Can Engagement Photos Feel Candid and Unposed?

YES, and these two took it to another level.

Toward the end of the session, Elle and Justin were completely game to get in the ocean. Not just toes in the water… they went IN, head to toe, clothes completely soaked. WE LOVED IT.

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It’s exactly what I love about candid wedding photography and the effortless feeling we bring to our natural wedding photography, too. As a California wedding photographer, we want your photos to be beautiful, but more importantly, we want them to feel like you.