“I love his big heart, the fact that he is there for me no matter what, and the fact that he makes me laugh even when I’m mad at him.” At the end of the day, what more can one ask for? I enjoyed being On and Dor’s Santa Barbara Courthouse photographer for their engagement photographs. We lucked out with a quiet day at the Courthouse, filled with sunshine, warmth and love.
The two were introduced by a mutual friend and have been inseparable ever since.

I asked On how he proposed to Dor:

“I had his friends set up a party celebrating something or another and made him a short video celebrating our time together. At the end I was on one knee with a small box in my hand. He said ‘yes’ immediately!”

I asked both of them what they love about each other, and here is what On had to say:

“How silly he acts and how much he likes to make fun of me. I love how much his personality simply clicks with mine and how we end up laughing so hard we can hardly breath.”

When I asked Dor what he loved most about On, he replied:

“I love his big heart, the fact that he is there for me no matter what, and the fact that he makes me laugh even when I’m mad at him.”

Are you ready for your own adventure with this Santa Barbara Courthouse photographer? Whether at the Courthouse or any other location, I would love to hear from you! Reach out at info@karendphoto.com!

Weathering the cold to capture this Brighton Bandstand engagement session in England? Check! Armed with hand-warmers, scarves and love, we wrapped up (no pun intended) Miriam & Rich’s three-part engagement session at Brighton Beach. The day was a great roundup of nature, woods, architecture and the beach, creating an epic variety of photographs for the two.

If you missed parts one and two of this series, be sure to check out the first part at Devil’s Dyke by clicking here and part two at the Sussex Ouse Valley Viaduct by clicking here!

I asked the couple what they love about each other…

From Rich:

“Me and Miriam are true partners in life, no matter what the situation. I know that Mims will be by my side and we will get through it together. She’s an incredibly generous and caring partner, who is also my absolute best friend. There’s no other person I would rather spend my life with. Waking up next to her gorgeous face is a pleasure I’m forever grateful for.”

And what does Miriam love about Rich?

“I think one of my favourite things about our relationship is that we really are best friends, as well as totally in love with each other. He is my favourite person in any situation and I will always have more fun if he is there. I love how completely weird he is and that he doesn’t judge my weird ways. He makes me want to be the best version of myself whilst constantly laughing, feeling safe and totally loved. I am so excited for our future together.”

What does the couple have planned for the future?

“We are actually off on a huge adventure to travel around Southeast Asia for about 9 months. This means we have just quit our jobs and will be spending a big chunk of our savings on this. Wedding planning and the wedding itself will have to be delayed until we’re back home. We are so excited for the next year of travel and adventure together. The fact we now get to do this as an engaged couple is incredible. I (Miriam) am a huge planner, so not being able to plan the wedding straight away is tough. However, it means that I have something to look forward to on our return. And what’s the rush when we have the rest of our lives together!”

Through every step of the day, from Devil’s Dyke to the Ouse Valley Viaduct to the Brighton Bandstand engagement finale, our day was filled with adventure, love and fun!

—

Engagement Ring: Marrow Fine

Makeup: Jennifer Kayleigh

Hair: Chloe Cook

If you’re looking for a photographer to follow you around the world and capture your love story, reach out via e-mail, Info@karendphoto.com.

If you’re looking for a unique location for photographs, these Sussex Ouse Valley Viaduct photos hit the mark! We happened upon this location thanks to Miriam’s hairdresser, and couldn’t have been happier with it. We lucked out with a bright and sunny day, which allowed us to explore this spot for Miriam and Richard’s engagement photographs. If you missed part one of this series, be sure to check out the first part at Devil’s Dyke by clicking here!

While the golden shots were taken in the viaduct’s arches themselves, we’d be remiss not to include photos of the magnificent viaduct’s architecture from afar. The structure was completed in 1841 and was quite impressive to behold from both near and far.

We did our best to stay warm for our Oust Valley Viaduct photos. From Miriam…

“Due to it being winter (and extra cold!) in England most of our attire choices on the day-of were around making sure we would be warm enough! This included multiple layers of clothing, big scarves and winter coats (which we both ended up breaking that day). I really love the way we both look so cosy. You would never know I had hand warmers down my bra, hahaha.”

When asked how Rich proposed, here’s what he had to say…

“The planning of the proposal is a story in itself. The location was chosen when a friend and I were wandering Covent Garden looking for such a place. When I saw the hotel’s breathtaking rooms I knew this was the place I would ask Mims to marry me. The ring was chosen from Mims’ favourite jewelry brand, Marrow Fine. This one-of-a-kind ring was put on the website and within 24 hours I had made the purchase. The ring is Miriam all over. I then sent my sister to fly from London to San Fransisco to pick it up on quite the journey. 

On the day of the proposal, we arrived at the hotel in Covent Garden to find they had upgraded us to a beautiful suite. From there, we visited a Swedish bakery for pastries (Mims is Swedish), and went to the west end for a musical. For dinner we visited our favourite Covent Garden restaurant and then went back to the hotel.

During dinner, the hotel had decorated the room with red balloons, from which 20 photos were hung of various moments in our relationship. At this point Mims still had absolutely no idea (I don’t know how). After walking all around the room (and moving away from where I had positioned the camera to film) I brought her back to the front. My hands and voice were shaking in tandem. I got down on one knee, told her I wanted this to continue forever and asked her to marry me. She said yes, and immediately went for the ring.”

Part three of this series, which takes place at the Brighton Beach Bandstand, is now live, check it out here!

—

Engagement Ring: Marrow Fine

Makeup: Jennifer Kayleigh

Hair: Chloe Cook

If you’re looking for a photographer to follow you around the world and capture your love story, reach out via e-mail, Info@karendphoto.com.

When I tell you Miriam and Richard’s engagement photographs, chemistry and locations were EPIC, I’m not exaggerating. So much so that I’ve had to break down their day into three separate posts. Up first is their Devil’s Dyke engagement photos (the rest are linked below!). While the weather turned out to be even colder than usual (thanks, England!), we did luck out with some beautiful sunshine (although these two light-up every room they walk into!).

So how did Miriam and Richard meet? From the couple…

“We met at work, and at the time both of us were in other relationships.  After about two years, we started to get closer as friends. Then, with the help of A LOT of alcohol and a romantic first kiss in a car parking lot, we realised it was certainly more than friends. We then spent most of our time on the phone or texting. We were speaking to each other constantly, and seeing each other as much as we could. Things progressed quickly, and as they say, the rest is history…”

How did we land on the locations we did for Richard and Miriam’s Sussex engagement photoshoot? More from Miriam…

“We tried to think of areas of natural beauty nearby. This actually turned out to be quite tough–Cons of living in England and it being the coldest December in quite a few years! We thought of a few locations that reminded us of the city we live in or somewhere we went for a lot of walks when dating. On the day-of my hairdresser suggested somewhere totally random, which had some incredible architecture. Those photos with the viaduct turned out amazing, so I am so happy she suggested it! But if Karen is taking the photos, it really does not matter where you are. A lot of the photos we love the most were taken in a car parking lot, but somehow she made it look amazing!”

(Images of said parking lot above and below! And the link to the amazing viaduct photos can be found at the end of this post.)

This fantastic ring has a unique story (more about it in the next blog!)–to quote Miriam…

“The only thing I wanted to make sure appeared in the photos was my beautiful ring, because it is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen!”

While we really had to bundle up for Miriam & Richard’s Devil’s Dyke engagement photos in Sussex, England, this location really offered a diverse number of backdrops, to make their photographs truly unique.

Up next:

Part two of their engagement photographs, featuring the Ouse Valley Viaduct, click her to check it out.

Part three, featuring the Brighton Bandstand and Brighton Beach, check it out here!

—

Engagement Ring: Marrow Fine

Makeup: Jennifer Kayleigh

Hair: Chloe Cook

If you’re looking for a photographer to follow you around the world and capture your love story, reach out via e-mail, Info@karendphoto.com.

Light, love and weather came together perfectly for this Santa Barbara engagement photography photoshoot. John and Jenna came ready to show off their affection and love for the camera, I came ready to get extra creative, and together we captured some really lovely photographs. How did the two meet? From Jenna…

“We worked together and with a helpful “nudge” from a few of our coworkers we finally hung out. Our first date was to Six Flags and it was about 4 hours in before John even knew it was a date. I sure didn’t think being 10 years younger that I would have to put the moves on HIM! Haha ;)”From Jenna, “John is from New York and a big Yankee fan! I liked being able to incorporate his NY roots while on the beach in California. Also, I just think he looks adorable in a baseball cap.”While I offer cues to help my couples relax and look natural in front of the camera no matter their comfort level, it’s always a welcomed touch when couples feel comfortable with each other (and me!) to be spontaneous with one another. John really nailed it not only with this twirl, but also with silly faces (and a few unexpected behaviors, ha!) that made Jenna burst out laughing, creating that magic between the two. As we were walking to the beach during this Santa Barbara Engagement Photography session, I saw an opportunity to get creative and play with the light. Finding new spots, new poses, and new ways of seeing things ensures that every couple has images that are unique to them. Engagement photography is about so much more than just capturing two people in love–it’s a great time to get creative, slow down, enjoy the moment, and be able to capture photographs distinctive to the couple, based on their personalities, love story and engagement session location. I spent a few minutes setting up these shots, creating the dust and light effects, and capturing the moment. I swear I could have left J&J there, and they would have been perfectly content snuggling together, basking in the sunlight, without a care in the world. Saying they ‘fit’ together is quite the understatement.  “Our spot had the perfect combination of greenery and beach scenery. We love the beautiful path through the trees and flowers that leads out to the beach. Absolutely gorgeous at sunset!”

I couldn’t agree more!How did John propose?

“We were supposed to go to Europe during the summer to visit my family in England, stay a couple of days in Paris, and take the train down to Italy to go to Venice, Rome, and Sicily. Unfortunately COVID-19 had other plans! Little did I know that John was actually planning on proposing in London on September 1. I’m a big Harry Potter Fan, and September 1 is the day that the Hogwarts Express leaves for Hogwarts each year. I was completely unaware that John had to completely reimagine his proposal – all while being quarantined together in a 1 bedroom apartment! After a shelter-in-place summer of spending almost every minute together, September 1 rolled around and I was blown away by the most thoughtful, elaborate proposal I could have ever dreamed of. John recreated our Europe trip right here in the Santa Barbara area, complete with even a train ride from Carpinteria to SB (London to Paris), and a boat ride around the harbor (Venice, of course!). Our European tour ended at Franceschi Park (Rome) at Sunset. There waiting for me was my Hogwarts letter that I’ve wished for as long as I can remember. This Hogwarts letter was a love letter from John asking me to marry him. When I finished reading it, he was down on one knee. After I said yes my whole family jumped out to surprise me. To have my parents, sister, and grandmas there to celebrate that moment with us is something I’ll always cherish. It was truly the best day of my life and as I’m writing about it now I have a giant smile on my face!”Hearing Jenna & John’s engagement story really didn’t surprise me–From the time we’ve spent Facetiming and during our engagement session, it’s quite obvious John will do *anything* to make Jenna happy. What are the two most looking forward to on their wedding day?

“Since our families live 3,000 miles apart from each other, we’re so excited for them to meet and share this day with all of our loved ones in one place.”Here’s to making the most of every moment and living in the present!

When you know, you know! And when you get asked to join two lovebirds on a trip to Costa Rica to document their love in the gorgeous landscapes this country has to offer, you say ‘absolutely!’ (Pre-Covid, of course). Maisa and Gui’s La Fortuna Costa Rica engagement photography photoshoot started off at the Arenal 1968 Trail. We scouted this location and were all in awe with the view–I mean, really, an active volcano is pretty spectacular–we just knew we had to start off their Costa Rica engagement photographs here!This location had 360° of gorgeous views–with these two especially, there was no such thing as a bad angle. While the drizzle came and went throughout the day, the wind really added that special flare to Maisa’s beautiful hair, making this La Fortuna Costa Rica engagement photography photoshoot extra romantic.Always remember to take in the views, particularly when traveling.

Maisa was marveling at the view, taking it all in, when I asked Gui to softly call her name. She turned around, and we created this magical photograph together.

True laugh out loud moments are the best 💕 Maisa and Gui were so easy to photograph, being so laid-back and comfortable not only with each other, but also with themselves. It made for an effortless day of just capturing what these two do best together–Adventure and have fun while doing it!After wrapping things up at Mirador Volcán Arenal, we headed back to our hotel, and discovered this amazing pathway. Costa Rica’s beauty is truly everywhere. It may have been drizzling, but that didn’t stop Maisa and Gui from snuggling up and enjoying the moment.Stay tuned for more engagement photographs from our next stop on our Costa Rica trip–Monteverde, Costa Rica, a major ecotourism destination known for its’ cloud forest!