Colette + Sean’s El Matador Engagement Session

Feb 9

California Beach Engagement Photos | Malibu, CA

Malibu Engagement Photographer | Summit and Sur Photography

Couple dancing on beach during their engagement session at El Matador in Malibu

While Malibu has no shortage of gorgeous beaches, El Matador State Beach is by far one of my favorites for engagement sessions! Between the shimmering Pacific Ocean and the incredible rock formations, there is a reason this location is always filled with photographers—-it is absolutely stunning. So when Colette reached out about wanting to do their engagement session at El Matador and looking for a filmy, dreamy vibe, I couldn’t wait to get these two in front of my camera and really get creative. My only requirement? We had to shoot on a weekday since not only are permits only granted Monday-Friday for state beaches in Malibu but, as I mentioned above, this is a very popular location and the weekends are essentially a madhouse for Malibu photographers shooting here.

So, after obtaining the permit for their session and lots of chats with Colette about her vision for the session, the day arrived and the moment they walked up from their car, I was obsessed with the looks they had put together for their beach engagement session. Colette’s white dress was perfectly whimsical and the look was completed with the cutest bow in her hair; Sean nailed the beach date look—-the perfect complement to Colette’s outfit. As we explored the beach, these two were NOT afraid to get a little wet or sandy and truly embraced the fun, documentary, nature of their engagement session at El Matador.

They walked the length of the beach, played in the water, twirled, kissed, ran, and even danced to a Taylor Swift song (Colette told me she is also a big fan which, of course, we spoke about for quite a bit). By the end of the evening, we were treated with a gorgeous sunset that had the light dancing along the rock formations surrounding us, which Colette and Sean soaked up for the final moments of their session. When it was time to say goodbye, I just knew that these photos were going to be some of my favorites forever and, I wasn’t wrong. Enjoy this incredible Malibu engagement session and big thanks to my couple for trusting me with their vision!