Wine on the beach, walking on the waterfront, appetizers at a fancy restaurant = recipe for a great evening. Also the recipe for Maria and Mark’s Capitola engagement session.

When Maria & Mark told me that they wanted me to be their wedding photographer, I was thrilled for two reasons: because friends of mine are getting married, and because I’ll have the honor of documenting it.

I’ve known Maria and Mark for several years, first meeting Mark during an awesome annual camping weekend. Soon Maria was joining him for camping, and now we’ll soon be joining them at Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitol for their wedding.

We visited Shadowbrook during the engagement session, taking advantage of the lush gardens that cover the hillside grounds of the historic creekside establishment. Then after catching the sunset on a bluff overlooking Capitola’s waterfront, we headed back to the restaurant for drinks and appetizers. Add to those locations some time on the beach, a waterfront jetty and coastal overlooks, and we had an engagement session itinerary full of gorgeous spots.

Check out my favorite photos in the gallery below.