Crystal Cove State Park Engagement Session | Orange County
Orange County weddings and engagement sessions are always fun because I get to photograph at a place I don't usually go to. I was excited to drive to Crystal Cove State Park for this epic engagement session! I enjoy San Diego engagement sessions, but it's always fun to photograph new locations.
Engagement sessions are a great way for the couple to take some great pictures together before the wedding and also help them get used to being in front of the camera. Most of my wedding clients are not used to being photographed, so having an engagement session before the wedding helps them feel more at ease during the wedding. It helps the couple to loosen up in front of the camera and allows the clients to discover their best poses and smiles.
I met with Brice and Anitta at Crystal Cove State Park for their engagement session in the late afternoon. It was a sunny fall afternoon, and the couple was ready to go. It's one of their favorite places to hang out, and they had some locations in mind they wanted to show. They were dressed very stylish, which was perfect for the occasion.
We started this Crystal Cove State Park engagement session using the wooden pathway that leads to the beach. It's a very picturesque place, with classic California vegetation on the side and the ocean in the background. It's the perfect place for walking shots, and Anitta and Brice knew how to do that very well.
We found some benches, and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to get candid shots of the couple hanging out. They sat on the bench and enjoyed the beautiful place we were lucky to be at. Crystal Cove State Park is a beach location, but it also offers some great options with raw nature, a nice variation from beach photos.
We kept going along the pathway, where we got a few more walking shots of the couple. After a quick outfit change, we headed back to the beach. I wanted to get a few photos from the top of the cliff and, of course, end the afternoon on the sand, getting some oceanside photos.
Crystal Cove has some high cliffs that are perfect for engagement sessions. The ocean in the background and the sun getting low are the perfect setting for a romantic portrait. Those were some of my favorite shots from the entire Crystal Cove State Park engagement session.
The sun was setting quickly, and we took the path to the beach for our final location. The lighting was perfect, and Anitta and Brice were excited to be close to the ocean. It was the perfect end for a beautiful Orange County engagement session. Thanks, Anitta and Brice for a great time at Crystal Cove State Park, and I can't wait for their Grand Tradition wedding!
About Crystal Cove State Park Engagement Sessions (Orange County)
Crystal Cove State Park is a stunning location for an engagement session in Orange County. Located north of Laguna Beach, it's an ideal setup for any photography session. Laguna Beach tends to be a popular location, so there's usually a lot of people around. Crystal Cove is a more secluded location, with plenty of parking available during the last hours of the day. There weren't many people around, especially by the beach, which is a plus when photographing an Orange County engagement session.
Crystal Cove State Park offers a variety of locations to explore for the engagement session. The wooden trail that leads to the beach works incredibly well for walking shots. With typical California vegetation on the sides and the ocean in the background, this wooden trail is a dreamy location. There are a few benches on the way that allow for sitting-down shots, which are not usually easy in beach settings.
The bluff overlooking the ocean is also a must-stop when photographing Crystal Cove State Park engagement sessions. It's a high cliff covered in low vegetation that creates dramatic shots with classic ocean vibes. The white sand beach below has that classical California vibe, making it the perfect place to end Crystal Cove State Park engagement sessions.
Crystal Cove State Park also has a historic district, where you can take a shuttle, with fully restored beach cottages, but we opted for the more rustic, raw scenario that it offers at the beach, bluff, and trails. It might be an interesting area to explore the next time I come for a Crystal Cove State Park engagement session, but I honestly feel like the locations we used are hard to beat.
I always recommend to my clients that engagement sessions end at sunset, so we can take advantage of the best possible lighting. It's the 'golden hour' you frequently hear about when the subject is photography.
Please notice that Crystal Cove State Park engagement sessions require a lot of walking. The wooden trail leads to a pathway to the bottom of the bluff. So, it might not be the ideal location for someone with mobility issues or who doesn't feel like walking much for the engagement session. Also, take a pair of comfortable shoes for the walk. Aside from that, I feel like Crystal Cove State Park is an amazing location for any Orange County engagement session, and one I recommend.
Click here for more information about Crystal Cove. You can also find a few Orange County weddings I photographed below:
