Woodsy Location - Pacific Grove, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Patty + Maurilio

Patty + Maurilio are such an amazing couple, and I’m over the moon that they booked me for both their engagement session and their wedding.

These two lovebirds met when they were young, and their friendship slowly developed into a gorgeous romance.

Patty loves Maurilio because of his big heart. He always helps everyone, and he’s very friendly and soothing to be around. I definitely felt that during our session! Since it was their first time having professional photos done, Patty was a little nervous, but Maurilio was so sweet and coaxed out tons of giggles.

With Patty laughing, we were able to snap so many awesome photos! Just look at how they radiate happiness and love for one another! I can’t get over it.

Maurilio loves Patty because she’s a woman of great values. She’s trustworthy, cares for people just as much as Maurilio does, and is a good listener.

With such similar values and a long history of commitment, they make each other stronger and have become an amazing team.

Their first official date was a homemade meal at Maurilio’s house. This couple really loves the beach, so an ideal date night for them would be to eat dinner there.

Maurilio proposed during a family gathering in his house, in the beautiful flower garden. He asked his sister to take a picture of them, and when Patty turned around, there he was, on one knee!

It’s such an honor to document their next step of the journey. For our engagement session, we went to a woodsy location in Pacific Grove. They brought two outfits, and by the end, they were posing like pros!

Thanks so much for choosing me as your engagement and wedding photographer! I enjoyed documenting your love story, and I wish you all the best as you finish up wedding plans. See you soon!

Garland Ranch - Carmel, CA & Asilomar State Beach - Drew Zavala Photography - Adrian + Laura

Adrian + Laura loved their friend Maria’s wedding photos so much that they instantly contacted me when it came time to book an engagement photographer. I didn’t find out that Maria referred them to me until we had our consultation call. It was such a great surprise!

I absolutely love it when amazing clients refer me to their friends! Adrian + Laura were both so sweet, and I was so excited to work with them since they knew Maria! It was great to hear all about them and their vision for the session.

Laura + Adrian are huge Disney fans! Laura is a preschool teacher/aide, and Adrian works for Goodwill as a hiring manager. They care for others so much, it’s easy to see how they ended up together.

A huge goal I had for this amazing engagement session was to capture their kind hearts! We definitely succeeded. With just one smile, you can tell what gems Adrian + Laura are.

We went to two fantastic locations: Asilomar State Beach, and Garland Ranch. Asilomar State Beach is a go-to of mine. Sunny or overcast, this beach never fails to give a stunning backdrop for my clients. Laura + Adrian were no different!

The weather was bleak and overcast, and it even started to drizzle a little bit, but man! They weren’t phased by it at all!

I was a little bit worried because we hit some traffic on the way, which made us lose some light. But we made it to the beach in time and were quick with the light that we had. We definitely got some winners!

Laura + Adrian did a great job coordinating their outfits. They perfectly followed my portrait session style guide and combined their colors beautifully. They took so much care with every detail!

During the session, I made Laura + Adrian super comfortable in front of the camera, warming them up with movement shots and then throwing in a little posed moment when they were ready.

Laura + Adrian were so ready to smile! The engagement session couldn’t have gone better. I loved every second of it. It was great to meet you two, and I wish you the best with all the wedding plans!

Pinnacles National Park - Soledad, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Sal + Gaby

Sal + Gaby are huge outdoor junkies. They’ve even started converting a van into a camper! I have been following their progress for awhile now, since Gaby posts updates through Instagram. It’s so cool to see their dream coming together!

Because they love being in nature so much, I can’t think of a better place for their engagement session than Pinnacles National Park. We headed out before sunset to make sure that we had enough time to hike up.

I should have brought hiking boots. It was a good thirty-minute hike up to one of the peaks, so we got sweaty (at least I did, haha). Sal + Gaby are definitely way more experienced than I am with this stuff.

We set off at a good pace so we could make it to the peaks in time. There, the light was amazing, and we still had a decent view of the surrounding areas. It was key that we captured the gorgeous trees and surrounding mountains.

I used the Sunseeker app to help keep track of the sun, and with careful scheduling, we had just enough time to hit all of Sal + Gaby’s must-have locations. There were plenty of edges and viewpoints that made for stunning backgrounds.

During all that hiking, we also got to know each other, and that was a real treat. Sal + Gaby are super easy-going and flexible, the sort of people who emulate a fun and calming vibe. They have a great sense of adventure, as expected of a pair who are about to be on the road a lot.

We discovered that we live literally four blocks away from each other. How crazy is that? I loved their sense of humor, too. They have an inside joke using their favorite weird masks. Sal’s is a Bigfoot mask and Gaby’s is an alien one. They totally owned it!

Sal + Gaby came prepared with two outfits. Since we were out in the middle of nowhere, they changed behind some big boulders when it was time for formal outfits.

There was so much joy and laughter during your engagement session, Sal + Gaby! You two are medicine. I love your outlook on life, and I can’t tell you how happy I am for you two.

Here’s a big congratulations on your upcoming marriage! I can’t wait to see what life brings for you two. I’ll be eagerly following your van conversion!