My First California Adventure: Two Travel Photographers Document San Diego Elopement

Day 1: Traveling from Huntsville, Alabama to San Diego, California

Our travel day went very smoothly! We departed our first flight from Huntsville, Alabama and landed at our layover in Atlanta, Georgia. Later that evening, we took off from the Atlanta airport with our final destination locked in at, San Diego, California. On this 4 hour flight, we watched She's the Man and Ella Enchated. (Talk about girlhood at it's finest.) After arriving in California, we picked our rental car and made our way to the stylish Airbnb in Encinitas. The house attached to the studio-style room was embraced in lush greenery and gorgeous plants creating an oasis in their very own yard. Once settled into the room, we had pizza rolls for dinner and got ready for bed.

Day 2: Exploring San Diego

Our free day to explore consisted of grabbing coffee from Philz Coffee, laying on Swami's Beach, devouring delicious tacos from Sancho's Tacos, shopping around, taking each other's headshots at Terramar Beach, and topped it all off with a mandatory visit to In-N-Out.

The first stop was a top recommendation from the bride and groom, Philz Coffee. We didn't realize this shop did drip coffee only, no espresso. Admittedly, I was disappointed becuase I am an espresso addict. However, after my first sip, I was completely fine with there being no espresso because the coffee was rich in flavor and perfectly creamy. I ordered the "gingersnap" and Amandalyn ordered the "caramel banana brew" and a pistachio croissant.

We took our coffee down to the beach to lay out and enjoy the (almost) sunny weather. Surfers provided us entertainment along with our usual yapping. We took a stroll down the beach and snapped some fun film photos. Despite the clouds and wearing a sweater, I still managed to get sunburnt.

Next up, tacos. Another favorite of the bride and groom's was Sancho's Tacos. This edgy, coastal taco shop felt like a hole-in-the-wall with graffiti on the walls, part of a bus in the middle of the restaurant, and street-style piled high with toppings and perfectly seasoned meat. Amandalyn ordered the "skrimps" taco and "pounder's carnal" and I ordered the "surf & turf" and the "flounder pounder" with a mandarin jarrito to drink.

We returned to the Airbnb to get dressed and ready for sunset headshots at Terramar Beach in Carlsbad. This trip doubled as location scouting for the elopement the following day. Don't let the pictures completely fool you because there were lots of flies and other photographers with clients in the background. The view was absolutely stunning though. Mountains right next to the beach make for an unbelievable picture.

When in Rome (aka Cali)... Our final stop on our free day was the obvious In-N-Out. Funny story, Amandalyn dropped her ring in the parking lot, it landed in the middle underneath the car next to ours, we tried to reach it and failed. I ran inside to see if the employees would lend us a broom to retrieve the ring, but instead Kevin jumped to action and helped us get the ring back. He was so kind and was happy to help us. After, we went inside to enjoy some juicy burgers, crispy fries, and yummy milkshakes to top off the night.

Day 3: Photographing San Diego elopement

To kick off the day, we obviously got some coffee (with espresso this time) and grub from Lofty Coffee Co. I ordered the salted caramel latte with the "great american" sandwich and Amandalyn ordered the mocha latte with the turkey avocado croissant. We sat outside and enjoyed the sunshine, talked about life and debriefed about the elopement details, people-watched, then went back to the Airbnb to get suited up for work!

We began the elopement with details at the house where the ceremony was being held for close friends and family. The arbor overlooked the coast which was fitting for a Southern California elopement. The couple was down to earth and it was evident they were so loved by their people. The friends and family in attendance looked on with awe during the ceremony and spoke highly of the couple to us. Once the ceremony, some couple photos, and family photos were finished, everyone was sent to the reception locaiton. Amandalyn (the main photographer), myself, and the couple all left for Terramar Point to get some of the most iconic San Diego elopement photos ever. That specific location is actually the same spot where the groom proposed and later had their engagement session. Completely a full circle moment. Following the golden hour beach photos was dinner at Valentina. Devine is an understatement when describing the restaurant; between the food, the atmosphere, and the service, this place is hard to beat. I highly recommend trying this place if you ever find yourself in Encinitas. The couple really valued spending time with their guests and prioritized being present and true to themselves on their wedding day. All aspects of their elopement truly reflected that.

Day 4: Last day spent at Coronado Island

The final day consisted of milling around Coronado Island, this was another recommendation from the bride and groom. We noticed it is a popular spot among tourists and locals. There are plenty of fun activities to do there, lots of shopping, and a plethora of places to grab a bite. From Coronado Coffee Company, Amandalyn ordered the "emerald goddess" açai bowl and I had their "maple honey" fall special latte. We took a ferry ride to Broadway Pier and back, then ate at Lil Piggy's Bar-B-Q and were surprised at how well California does barbecue. Then, we headed to drop off the rental car and get to the aiport. We sat in the lounge to get work done until our red-eye flight. See you next time, San Diego!