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!

San Lorenzo Park - King City, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Nate + Paige

Nate + Paige have been together since high school. How adorable is that? As high school sweethearts, they radiated such a sweet joy throughout our engagement session. It was great to help them celebrate their biggest milestone to-date!

On the day of our photoshoot, San Lorenzo Park in King City was so gorgeous. We had some beautiful back lighting that made the couple just pop! They were so excited to be engaged. What a magical phase of life. Savor it!

The beautiful weather was a welcome change. King City hardly has any overcast days, in comparison to the Monterey Bay Area, so those sunshine rays were beaming all day!

Nate + Paige were so relaxed and easy-going the whole time, trusting my expertise all the way. They followed my instructions well, and had sunny attitudes to match the perfect weather.

Bringing multiple outfits is a great way to add variety to your photos. Nate + Paige brought two different sets, both of which were perfect for the golden sunlight and foliage around the park.

The dog was so energetic and playful! He wanted to run, play, and bark at others. Dealing with puppers can be tough, but Nate + Paige brought plenty of treats to reward positive behavior.

I always tell my clients to let me get the dog’s attention, because if the pup is turning to look at you, that’s when we’ll miss the shot. If you let me call them, I can make sure that everyone is looking at the camera.

After we took the necessary shots, we put the dogs back in the car so we could focus on capturing the love of this couple. Nothing is more precious than these moments!

Prompts are really fun, but I also loved letting Nate + Paige interact in a natural way for some great candid shots. These smiles are so genuine! It’s clear that you two have found your other half.

Congratulations, Nate + Paige! Our engagement session was a blast. Happy wedding wishes to you both, and thanks again for letting me document this part of your story!

Colton Hall Museum + 17 Mile Drive + Asilomar State Beach - Monterey, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Noe + Maria

It was a joyful adventure to photograph Maria + Noe for their engagement session! I brought them to Colton Hall Museum, 17 Mile Drive, and Asilomar State Beach for a variety of fun photos that will last a lifetime.

Maria + Noe met when they were invited to Maria’s cousin’s house to help film a video for a Spanish class. Later, Noe found her on Facebook and messaged her! Eventually, they exchanged numbers and started dating.

For their first date, Noe picked Maria up and they went to the park. Right away, they understood each other’s sense of humor and all of Maria’s nerves vanished!

On Maria’s birthday, Noe told her that he wanted a future with her and that he was taking their relationship very seriously. A month after that, he asked her to be his girlfriend, and they have been together for ten and a half years!

He proposed to her on her cousin’s birthday! After a party at a winery, her cousin said that she had gotten a photographer to take pictures of everyone at the beach. They all stopped at a Starbucks before the beach to use the restroom, but little did Maria know, a videographer was waiting to sneak a microphone onto Noe!

As they approached the beach, Noe began telling her all of the things he loves about her, like the way she is caring, family-oriented, and smart! It all hit her very slowly, and by the time he knelt and popped the question in front of all of her family, she was in shock!

The videographer who filmed their engagement referred Maria + Noe to us for their engagement session! I was so flattered to learn that she had chosen us over a bunch of other options.

One of the places I brought them to was Asilomar State Beach, which is this neat rocky area. Then, we headed to a sandy part of the beach about a quarter mile away. Even though the weather was a bit muggy, that didn’t stop us from getting these stunning shots!

I’ve said it a bunch of times, and I’ll say it again! Wearing solid-colors and flowing dresses to your session like Maria + Noe adds so much movement and depth! One of my favorite shots of the session was when I had them do the “Titanic” pose! This always gets my clients giggling. A good mix of poses and actions brings out the best photos!

This engagement session was so much fun! Thanks so much for choosing me, and I can’t wait to photograph your wedding in September!