I had the absolute joy of photographing D and M’s engagement session in gorgeous San Diego, California, and let me tell you—it was a total dream! These two are such dear friends. We first met a few years ago in Florida, and even though life has taken us to different corners of the country—me in New Mexico and them soaking up the sun in Southern California—we’ve stayed close. That made this session feel even more special! We’d been chatting about doing their engagement photos for a while, and this end-of-summer trip was the perfect chance to make it happen.

Southern California has all the warm sandy beaches for your ceremony and trendy postnuptial drinks spots you could want…BUT that’s just the tippity top of the (desert) iceberg! You’ll also find: sand dunes, slot canyons, islands, and stargazing! SoCal has so much to offer the couples that want to venture off the beaten path and the couples simply want to venture to a quiet spot to catch the sunset.

You already have some of the pieces for your elopement: the love of your partner, the bravery to do something different for your wedding day, and the desire to create memories, not just photographs. The next step is picking a location. A great place to start is by simply imagining your wedding day. Is there an ocean breeze, the sounds of waterfalls, or the smell of juniper? Are you dusty from dancing in desert sands or are you wet from skipping rocks into the ocean waves? If any of these ring true for you then Southern California could be the perfect place for your elopement.

Here, let me show you a few spots!