Mission San Juan Bautista - San Juan Bautista, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Nick + Sonia

Nestled in the gorgeous San Benito county lies the Mission San Juan Bautista, which was the perfect venue for Nick + Sonia’s wedding! It was an amazing day, and I’m so happy that we got to photograph it!

The day began at Hacienda De Leal, where the bride and groom prepared for their upcoming nuptials. This pretty spot did the bride justice as she and her bridesmaids prepared for the day! A makeup artist from Nelas Studio and Academy made sure that the bride looked stunning.

As always, I made sure to capture amazing detail shots to help the couple remember the little things. We had some harsh light during this part of the day, but we easily solved that by adjusting our positioning in a way that took advantage of the harsh lighting. That way, we still achieved dreamy photos!

The ceremony was breathtaking! The Mission San Juan Bautista really was the perfect place for Nick + Sonia’s wedding. It was so meaningful for the couple and everyone in attendance!

No one could keep smiles off of their faces! The ceremony went so smoothly, and the happy couple looked straight out of a fairy tale.

After the ceremony, we headed to Casa Maria for the reception, where Oscar By Oscar did a fantastic job conjuring Sonia’s decoration dreams into reality. With soft pinks and whites, the reception table sang of refined luxury.

Central Coast Entertainment kept everyone dancing. This shot is one of my favorites! I placed my camera on a tripod and used a long exposure to create an intentional blur. This dance is called “Vibora Del La Mar,” which is a traditional Mexican dance where the people try to knock down the bride and groom while holding hands and dancing in a line. The dance is super fast-paced, and this photo is worth a thousand words!

The guys in particular had a blast! This is why I love my job. I also love it when my clients are open to creative shots like this one! For a fresh angle, I got on the ground and told the guys to pretend to be in a music video. They nailed it!

Nick + Sonia, your wedding was a day to remember! All of your hard work and planning definitely paid off. Since you gave us a timeline of what was to happen two weeks before the wedding, we were able to squeeze out every last drop of fun!

Thanks for being such great clients. You two are an amazing couple and I wish you both the best in your new future together. Congratulations!

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!

Asilomar Beach + 17 Mile Drive - Pacific Grove, CA - Drew Zavala Photography - Yvette + Kitan

In mid-July, I had the pleasure of photographing a gorgeous maternity session for Yvette, who is an old friend of mine!

I met her five years ago through a mutual friend at Hahn Winery in Soledad, CA. Now-a-days, she and her husband Kitan have their home base in Exeter, so they made the impressive four-hour drive down to Pacific Grove!

We went to two different locations for our maternity shoot: Asilomar Beach and 17 Mile Drive. Both were so perfect for this growing family. At the beach, the sky was painted with a dreamy mist, and at the 17 Mile Drive, we worked with a glorious canopy of trees.

Yvette was a star in her flowing dress. If you’re ever wondering whether to go for patterns or solids, I say go for solids like Yvette! She looked so elegant in this wardrobe choice.

Baby Sebastian won’t be an only child! Big brother Leroy is looking forward to his new role. It’s a big job, but I think he is up to it! Yvette did a fantastic job coordinating all of the outfits. You all look so seamless!

During the entire session, Leroy was so energetic and playful. Some might see all that energy as a huge challenge, but I loved it! With a little bit of encouragement, we channeled all of that energy into positivity!

Energetic kids are always up to mischief, and it’s so much fun to use that to our advantage! During the session, Leroy tried to eat a handful of sand and regretted it instantly. Luckily, I caught a photo of his antics! Yvette told me later that it was one of her favorites. These small moments of real life are what you’re going to miss most.

I made the whole experience like a game for Leroy. I made him run towards me and back again. It was almost like a game of Simon Says! The games helped him relax and focus more on having fun than the camera lens.

In turn, Yvette and Kitan were so sweet during their couples shots. You can just see their excitement at becoming parents again! They were naturals. I’m so happy with how these photos turned out.

What an amazing session! It was an honor to document such a huge milestone for this spectacular family. And now, the wait is over! Baby Sebastian was born on July 29th. Welcome to the world, Sebastian!