Back in March we flew out to San Francisco for a bunch of pre-wedding tasks like our venue walk through, food tasting, cake tasting and floral mock-up. Although we had the opportunity to get some gorgeous photos when we got engaged in Greece (see my post here), I knew I wanted to meet up with our amazingly talented photographer, Jana Williams, while on the West Coast. She suggested we take Malibu Beach engagement photos so Matt and I could get used to working with her in advance of our big day. I am so thrilled with how they came out and am sharing some of the best ones with you here!
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Truth is, I pretty much begged Jana to be our wedding photographer. We originally chatted just after Matt and I got engaged in September when we were thinking we’d get married in May of this year. She was available and everything was looking good until we decided to change our date to early June. Jana wasn’t free on our new date and I was absolutely crushed. The way she captures beautiful moments and tells a story through her photos is second to none. She was wonderful and recommended other photographers to us, but I ultimately couldn’t imagine her not being apart of our event. So, Matt pushed me to call her again. I must have sounded desperate in my voicemail because she texted me moments later saying she’d do it and she’d be with us for our wedding. It meant the world to me.
Jana knows all the most amazing places to take photos in Los Angeles. We chatted and emailed back and forth quite a bit in advance of our trip so she could help me create the looks we wanted for each location. We started in this gorgeous field just before the golden hour and had the most amazing light. I’ve always been a big fan of Rachel Zoe’s collections, and I had bought this classic lace dress with an open back and sheer details while it was on sale sometime last year. I finally had the chance to wear it for this special time in our life.
As the sun was setting into a sky of swirling blue and blush tones, we made our way toward the water for the most elegant Malibu Beach engagement photos. It made me think back to where we got engaged in Santorini, at that tiny church built into the side of a cliff overlooking the ocean. I wore this stunning beaded dress by Needle and Thread with a layered tulle skirt. Matt and I danced on the beach while Jana took photos of us that are now some of my favorites…
On Amanda:
First Look – Dress: Rachel Zoe (also love this one and this one) // Sandals: Zara (old, similar here and more expensive version here)
Second Look – Dress: Needle and Thread // Sandals: Zara (see above)
Hair and Makeup: Jocelyn Rivard
On Matt:
First Look – Suit: Marc Ecko via Men’s Wearhouse (similar here) // Tie: Kenneth Cole (similar here) // Shoes: Mercanti Fiorentini
Second Look – Shirt: Joseph Abboud via Men’s Wearhouse (similar here) // Pants: Banana Republic
It’s crazy how fast our engagement just flew by and now we’re a few short weeks away from saying “I do.” It might sound overwhelmingly sentimental, but I was meant to meet Matt and he’s truly my other half. He has always seemingly known just what to say to make me smile after a hard day and he’s the best at bringing out my silly side since I’m always so serious! I know how blessed I am to be walking down the aisle to him.
All photos by Jana Williams.
