From Friends Exploring Big Sur for Fun to Their Big Sur Elopement
I met TJ back in 2018 when my best friend George introduced me to him and Gabe (of The Howards Film Co). We were a little crew of young photographers who just wanted to go out and take photos, create content, try whatever trends were popping up on Instagram, mostly from all of those travel influencers and stuff. We were chasing likes, scouting all around Big Sur, finding new locations for fun and different photos, and even experimenting with a bunch of different editing styles. It was a fun time of being young, naive, and doing anything to get the shot, including taking burst shots and having to cull through thousands of photos just to find 5 that we liked 😂 (of ourselves, obviously).
Elopement Day
TJ reached out to me asking if I'd be able to capture their day. Their besties Nadeen + Gabe (please checkout their websites because they're also my friends and incredibly talented photographers / videographers) were a part of their wedding so they couldn't capture their day at the same time (even though we did tradeoff during portraits).
It was so beautiful! They chose a beachy location in Big Sur where we got to get our feet in the sand. It was a windy and cold day, which worked in our favor because the beach was completely empty! It made for the most intimate ceremony with their families and best friends.
But like I said...it was windy! We quickly captured family portraits along with some couple's portraits then headed into Carmel Valley hoping to find some sun at Bernardus Lodge.
And Gina was an absolute champ in the cold! She was freezing but wanted to do any- and everything for the photos, so she toughed it out while along the coast and then hopped in the car to warm on our way to the valley.
Bernardus Lodge is the Perfect Backdrop for Couple's Portraits
We hoped and prayed for sun in the valley and were so happy when we pulled up to Bernardus Lodge! It was sunny, warm, and not windy at all. It was exactly what we were hoping for!
They took some time to relax a little, say hi to their families, and do any necessary touch-ups since the wind at the beach was aggressive. There was still time before their lunch reception at Lucia, the amazing restaurant on property, so TJ + Gina decided they wanted to explore the gardens and take some Couple's Portraits.
We walked through the lavender fields and into the Rose Garden, stopping along the way to capture all of the different angles. The gardens were lush and full, with an insanely gorgeous view of the mountains. We also ventured into the vineyards for our final location of Couple's Portraits and the vines were still in full bloom since this was right in the middle of summer. We played with veil shots, did some idividual portraits, and lots and lots of this beautiful couple.
Check out just a handful of sneak peeks from Gina + TJ's Big Sur + Bernardus Lodge Elopement below 🥰
Carmel By-The-Sea Engagement Session
