I love when I get to do something I’ve never done at any previous engagement session. In the case of Kaylene and Nils’ Monterey engagement session, the new thing was running barefoot in the Pacific Ocean.

We covered a lot of ground in this engagement session, starting in their backyard, where they’ll be having their wedding reception. From there we headed to Monterey’s iconic Fisherman’s Wharf, with their dog Badger in tow, who was a prominent part of most of the engagement photos. We looked out onto the bay, peered in a candy shop window, tried out the photo booth, and ate some of the best caramel corn I’ve ever had.

From the Wharf we headed to the beach where Kaylene & Nils will be getting married. The Pacific Ocean is notoriously cold in Northern California, but felt refreshing on that bright, sunny day.

Speaking of sun, I should mention that we enjoyed some of the best Monterey weather you could ask for. Monterey, while it is a famously beautiful location, is also famously foggy, and many times it’s draped in grey, even when it’s bright and sunny only a few miles away. No grey this day: Gorgeous weather at the end of February.

After the beach, we made a quick pit stop at their house to drop off Badger and change into dry clothes, then headed off to Big Sur. At Garrapata State Park, we were presented with one of the finest examples of a Big Sur sunset you’d hope to see.

It was a super fun day with a super fun couple, and I can’t wait for their September wedding.