Mendocino Coast Adventure Session | Allie + Gabe

Gabe + Allie wanted to celebrate their 11 year anniversary in a way that they would never forget. So, they decided to leave the kids at home in Kansas City, Missouri and fly to Cali to take a road trip up the coast on HWY 1.

I met them on a beach on the Mendocino Coast on sunny June evening. I brought the wine and they brought the wildly romantic fun. I love it when my couples show up ready for date night and make their session truly about having fun and relaxing together. That’s why when I heard what Alli had envisioned, I was 100% all-in!

When I asked her (she is also a photographer back home in Kansas) what she envisioned for their photo session here’s what she said:

“I love the idea of doing a beach session that's super romantic and fun (I think those two can co-exist, right?!). In the past, whenever Gabe and I have gotten pictures together (besides our wedding), it's been during a family session and we have like 30 seconds where the kids aren't running off and we're just trying to squeeze in a few shots. :) I tend to feel less-than-relaxed during those moments and I can tell that my face feels like it freezes in a huge, cheesy smile. Gabe admits he's the same way so most of our pictures are just us smiling like crazy and we end up acting a little more silly than romantic.

All that to say, I'd LOVE some photos that are more calm and where we are really relaxed and feeling in the moment so we can truly be ourselves (not that we're not often cheesy and we do love to laugh) but I think I'd love some "quieter" pictures.

Of course we'd love some really fun shots as well. I may be a little partial, but I think Gabe's pretty funny (one of the things that drew me to him), so I have no doubt there will be tons of laughter too.”

I honestly don’t know what Allie is talking about when she says that she feels less than relaxed, because these two absolutely slayed this photo session. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other (a photographers dream) and had the best time playing and running on the beach. It was so refreshing to see two people so wildly in love even after 11 years of marriage.

Not only did they slay in the romance department, but their outfit choices were also very on point. Being a photographer helps with this, but also, they took my suggestions to heart when creating their color pallette and outfit style. If you’re interested in seeing some suggestions, you can check out this blog post. Even better than that, they were totally down to play mermaids with me on the beach. Gabe even agreed to play the part of Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid

Thank you so much Allie + Gabe for being so incredibly sweet, hiring me to capture your 11 year anniversary, and being up all my crazy prompts!