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One of Oregon’s best features is it’s gorgeous coast line, which makes it the perfect place to have an Oregon coast proposal. Even when it’s foggy and cold, that just adds to the PNW-esque feel and drama. These two had the most perfect beach proposal with their best friends present—it couldn’t have turned out any more perfect.

So you’ve booked your engagement session—the date is set, the location has been picked and you’re so excited—but how do you pick what to wear?

I like to give all my couples a Style Guide that gives them an idea of what types of clothing and accessories are going to look best on the camera. Generally I recommend looking for items of clothing that offer a lot of movement or flow, textures, neutral or deep tones, and styles that flatter your features. I’m also a big fan of pattern mixing, if you’re feeling bold.

As a lover of fashion myself, I understand the urge to instantly start online shopping for the right dress, jacket, blouse, etc. BUT as a lover of our planet and the gorgeous natural areas we get to shoot in regularly, I’m constantly looking for ways to reduce my footprint, so I always make an effort to shop second hand first.

There’s something about the Oregon Coast that keeps so many of us coming back. Is it the salty air, the powerful waves, or simply the sand that we always seem to take back with us in our shoes? I think it’s a combination of all those things (plus the coffee shops that seem so warm and cozy and the surf shops with coconut scented everything!) but it’s also the memories that we make there with the people we love. From campfires on the beach, to making friends with strangers in small coastal bars, to hiking out to the edge of the peninsula and seeing a whale while your friend tells a pretty hilarious joke about whales in the background. This is why I love taking couples to the coast. So they can make their own memories there or add to their own coastal scrapbook they’ve already started.

One of my favorite places to do engagement sessions (or any session, really) is the Oregon Coast in the summer. We have some unreal looking natural beauty out here, and I also love the way the windy coastline plays with long hair and dresses.

Now, prepare for some serious stokeage! This engagement session included the Oregon Coast, uncharacteristically nice coastal weather, a beautiful and fun couple, pre-session surf and tacos, some off-roading, and did I mention the iconic VW Bus?!

What do surfers and photographers have in common? They both love waking up before sunrise and getting out to the beach.

Surfers love it because it tends to be more calm, less packed and glassier at this time. Plus, nothing quite beats the feeling of being out in the ocean while the sky is turning pink, orange and yellow around you, and the water is reflecting these colors back at you. The pelicans fly by in that majestic way that they do, and you just bob around waiting for the next set to roll in. Complete and utter bliss.

Sure, I shot this at least a year ago and these two are already married and expecting their first baby! BUT I never really got around to showcasing this session the way it deserved. Pacific City always serves as a GORGEOUS backdrop and it brings something different to the table every time. This time, we got the worlds most perfectly placed ray of sun as it fell perfectly between the hills. I remember frantically telling Melinda and Nick that I needed them to run to a very specific place. You lose that kind of light fast, and I’m so glad we got there in time!