Kate + Mike’s Engagement Session – It’s amazing how we can be strangers one minute and long lost friends the next. But that’s kinda how things worked out between Kate, Mike, and myself. They walked into a jewelry store in Downtown Santa Barbara a few months ago and walked out not only with their wedding bands but also my info (all thanks to my good high school friend Lia, who works at the store and actually got married last month; congrats and thanks Lia!).

I met Kate and Mike a few days later and by the end of the meeting, was their photographer for their wedding this August in Santa Barbara :). They met each other not too long ago at a place called Creekside Bar and Grill, where they LOVE to squar dance! We ended the e-session there, and guess what? It was actually Kate’s birthday as well (this past Sunday) and all her friends were waiting at the bar for the party to start! So HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kate! What an honor for me to photograph your e-session on your b-day!

Kate is a retail manager for a clothing store and Mike is a recruiter for the military. Safe to say, they’re both making the world a better place by helping people dress better and finding the best of the best to protect this country :). This past Sunday, I drove up to Santa Barbara for their e-session. And I’m not going to lie, I was pretty dead tired and was hoping I could muster some energy to keep up with K + M. But I got a huge kick of adrenaline as soon as I saw them and the last thing on my mind was resting!

We had the chance to shoot inside Granada Theater, a historic place right in Downtown SB. It was great having the entire theater to ourselves. Afterward, we trekked down to a “secret” beach location in Goleta. We went up a path that took us to an amazing view of the SB coastal line and ocean. The scenery was truly beautiful and serene, just like the love between Kate and Mike. The way they looked, laughed, hugged, and kissed one another was simply perfect. Only Mike could make Kate that happy, just like how only Kate could bring the silly, funny, and soft side of Mike :).