This was a very special Big Sur engagement photography session, full of aliveness and magic. These two lovebirds have a delightful, playful, passionate connection that showed up so beautifully during this adventurous engagement photo shoot! We had a blast making photos in the majestic redwood forests along the Big Sur River and finished with sunset at Pfeiffer Beach for a quintessential Big Sur experience of primal wildness and beauty on the rugged coast.
If you are planning on having a Big Sur engagement photography session yourself, here are a few tips: The afternoons can be quite breezy throughout this coastal area, so it’s a good idea to have alternate photo locations planned. Wind tends to settle down around sunset time, so start in the woods and finish your session on the open coast. Always be aware of the changing tides and ocean conditions! Work with a photographer how loves adventurous elopements and engagements and knows the Big Sur area well. There are so many hidden gems when it comes to finding places to do epic photography on the Big Sur Coast. A photographer who knows the area well will be able to give you the best options no matter what the conditions are on the day of your photo session. Road conditions and traffic (yes, highway one gets heavy traffic at peak times) varies, so come early, or even the day before your session for a stress-free experience.
For those who can spend extra time before or after their photography session, here are my favorite things to check out.
- Dining and relaxing in – yes IN – the Big Sur River, at the Big Sur River Inn. Grab a salad, burger or a cocktail and enjoy it sitting with feet in the water, on comfortable, sturdy wooden chairs as the lazy river flows by. Excellent fun on any warm afternoon.
- Lunch, dinner or bar appetizers at Sierra Mar, the restaurant at the world-class Post Ranch Inn. Reservations recommended. The number of visitors is strictly limited to ensure the privacy of guests and the quiet romantic vibes. This place will blow your mind with its serenity, beauty, and five-star service. The view from the restaurant cannot be topped!
- My other favorite Big Sur Restaurant is Deetjens Big Sur Inn, just a few miles south of Post Ranch. It’s more of an old-world European inn experience with dining rooms made of rich dark redwood. When dining at Deetjens, one gets the feeling of being in the warm hospitality of a friend’s home. They serve delicious breakfast and dinner, but not lunch.
Now, on to the engagement pictures of these two lovelies, but first here is a quick link to my other engagement photography, elsewhere on my website. If you wish to check my availability for your own Big Sur engagement or elopement photo session you can access my contact form by clicking here or calling 831-687-9069. I would be super stoked to make plans with you for a special photography session on the wild and gorgeous Big Sur Coast! Please feel free to post a comment at the end of this article or share a link to this post with a friend who might like to check out this gallery of engagement photos from beautiful Big Sur.
