Even with the usually “perfect” So Cal weather, there’s still times when it can be unpredictable.  Stephanie and Shannon drove all the way from their home in Clovis for their Laguna Beach engagement session, so we were determined to make it work no matter what!  Luckily, the weather turned out to be beautiful, and we even got the cloudy sky bonus which made for some awesome photos!  If you’re looking for engagement photos with a classic California coastline (rocks, cliffs, palm trees) then this is your spot.  Take note of Shannon and Stephanie’s outfits.  Clearly they read my “how to prepare for your engagement session” email!  I included a few spreads from the custom guest book I created for them.  These guest books are definitely the #1 most sought after product amongst my brides, and they’re a big hit at the wedding.

This is the metallic photo cover that wraps around the entire outside of the guest book.  There are also several other options including fabrics and leathers.

I have lots of cute phrases that can be included to help give your guests a little inspiration to write something creative.  Stephanie had some special quotes that she wanted incorporated into the layout as well.

I always love seeing what people write on this page of the guestbook…

 

Outfit #1…

Va va voom!

Such a happy photo…You wouldn’t know that the reason Shannon scooped up Stephanie into his arms was to save her from the crashing waves!

 

This is one of Stephanie’s favorites, so we did a similar shot on their wedding day.

My fab hubby, Chriss, maned the off camera flash to create this pretty, soft light.  While I love shooting with natural light whenever possible, there are definitely times when a little flash really makes a big difference.  You would never be able to see this awesome blue sky without it.  It would look more like a washed out, white background.

 

This is why Laguna Beach is so popular for photography…

Using flash can be tricky (especially off camera).  Most newbie photographers are not educated in this practice, and are even scared of using flash.  If done correctly though, flash photos can be soft and pretty, not harsh and washed out.

 

Last photo of the session!

 

The tide was coming up and Shannon got a little more wet than he was bargaining for…Sorry Shannon!

Keep an eye out for some spectacular images from Stephanie and Shannon’s Tivoli Too wedding in Laguna Beach.  Stephanie wore a really unique wedding gown with patterned fabric accents :)