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!

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!