Carmel State Beach - Carmel, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Ben + Allison

On the first of October, I drove out to Carmel State Beach to photograph Ben + Allison’s gorgeous micro-wedding. It was such an amazing event!

It doesn’t matter how big the wedding is when you love someone the way Ben + Allison do! There was something so special about these two celebrating with only their closest family and friends.

The wedding was flawless. They chose the most perfect spot on Carmel State Beach that had a view of the Pebble Beach Golf Course. This made for some absolutely stunning photos! I’m obsessed.

Both Ben + Allison are excellent golf players, and apparently, Ben went semi-pro! He proposed at the Pebble Beach Golf Course, which is why this gorgeous spot on the beach was such a good location for them. It really ties their story together!

We decided last-minute to climb up to the exact spot where he proposed, and took some stunning photos up there. It was a workout to walk across the sand with all my camera gear, but boy, was it worth it!

Ben + Allison were super easy to work with. I swapped between my 35mm and 85mm lenses to get a variation of close and wide shots. Both are so romantic. I’m glad that I brought them!

The 35mm has been my absolute favorite lately because I’ve learned to frame things so artistically that it seems like you’re there at the session when you look at them. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: don’t rob yourself of amazing photos like these! Hire a pro!

Since Ben + Allison drove all the way from Sacramento, which is about 3.5 hours one-way, they spent the weekend here in Carmel. After the wedding, they all headed to Alvarado Brewery to have dinner with their families.

On the way, we passed their favorite house on the coast. They’ve tried looking it up online before, just to see how much it’s worth, but they can never locate it, so they call it their “mystery house.” I hope they do find it one day, because this couple is so sweet!

Ben + Allison, I can’t tell you what an honor it was to be a part of your special day. I’m so happy for both of you, and I wish you all the best as you run forward in this new stage of life together. Congratulations!

Pine Valley Ranch - San Ardo, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Noe + Maria

Noe + Maria are amazing clients, not only because they chose me to photograph their wedding, but also their engagement! Being able to photograph both is such a meaningful experience for me as a photographer because I get to help craft the visual narrative of your story in a cohesive way. Thanks, you two!

The ceremony happened in Gonzales, CA, and the reception took place at Pine Valley Ranch in San Ardo. Both were stunning locations! Great choice, Noe + Maria!

When my wife and I saw the place, we couldn’t help but smile! This was my wife’s first time shooting with me since her injury, so she was over the moon to help design and photograph the flat lay setup. She did amazing!

Noe + Maria were stars, despite the crazy 114 degree weather! That’s really high for us Californians, but these two kept their cool. Everyone stayed hydrated with cold water and had an amazing time, too!

I can’t praise Noe + Maria enough. They listened so well to us and the videographer. We really appreciated it when they took our advice! It was fantastic to watch them see the benefits of our perspectives as the day unfolded.

We made sure to schedule some portraits with the couple at sunset, and OMG we died while shooting them. The light was to die for, and Noe + Maria were so magical! Maria’s dress was absolutely gorgeous! She found it at Trudy Brides.

The reception was just wild in the best way possible. The drinks were flowing, people danced to the Mexican Banda, and they all had a great time.

The DJ had super bright spotlights on the couple during the first dances, which made it impossible to get good exposure on the whole scene, so I ran over to him and asked if he could turn them off while I got my shots. These photos turned out great!

The lighting in general was tricky during the dance because they had huge video panels that were playing videos and photos. The colors were constantly changing, so we repositioned ourselves to get the best lighting and composition.

Believe it or not, the cake weighed 80 pounds! It almost fell over while they were transferring it from the fridge to the barn, but luckily the day was saved. With the cake intact, the couple dove right in!

I’ll be honest: it took us about two whole days to fully recover from this wedding. Our bodies ached, but it was well worth it! Just look at these photos! Thanks so much, Noe + Maria, for letting us have the honor of documenting your special day. We loved every second!

Morro Bay, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - AJ + Ariana

I was in for a glorious treat on AJ + Ariana’s special day because their intimately-sized wedding took place on a boat! It was my first time taking my camera to a sea session, so I was more than thrilled to face any new challenges that came up!

The wedding party prepared at Front Street Inn & Spa, which was less than a quarter mile from the dock. This made things so easy for everyone involved! The transition from land to boat was seamless.

I can’t recommend Chablis Cruises enough for their amazing service. If you’re looking for the perfect intimate wedding venue, you really can’t go wrong with a boat like this! AJ + Ariana definitely made the right choice. This was a venue to remember!

The captain had to guide the boat in a zig-zag pattern to avoid rough waters, so the lighting changed frequently. We didn’t avoid the rough waves entirely, but that was a part of the day’s magic!

I needed to re-frame the shots consistently while photographing, but good coordination and communication with the captain helped out immensely. I can’t wait to do something like this again!

To combat the constantly-changing environment, it was crucial that I used a high shutter speed on my camera. This allowed us to capture crisp images even though I wasn’t nearly as steady as I am on flat ground!

With just their closest friends and family, the event felt truly intimate. I loved all of their theme and style choices. Atomic Blooms went above and beyond, translating AJ + Ariana’s floral dreams into a reality. This couple put so much thought into their special day!

The sun was actually out, unlike a few months ago during their engagement shoot. During that session, the mist and fog were so thick that we could barely see the horizon.

While that session was also amazing, I’m so glad that the weather was different today so that we could have the chance to capture the waves and Morro Rock in the background!

AJ + Ariana, I’m completely floored by how stunning your wedding was. These pictures are worth a million words! Congratulations, and I can’t wait to see what life has in store for you in the future!