I jump at the chance to photograph at Pebble Beach so when Ellen and Troy booked me to capture their beautiful Pebble Beach engagement, I was SO delighted! These two are avid golfers and are in love with the area, the same as me (maybe not the best golfer though). In fact, Troy’s a caddie at the Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Pebble Beach! Meanwhile, Ellen is a local realtor here in Carmel. She found me through a mutual friend, and I’m so happy to have been recommended as their Pebble Beach engagement photographer.

How They Met & The Proposal

“We met through friends and have been together for 4 years now. The first time we went out together was on New Year’s Eve, and a couple of weeks later was our first date just the two of us at Spanish Bay for a round of golf. On the four-year anniversary of our first date (January 16!), we were on a hike at Garland and stopped at a clearing overlooking a bunch of redwoods. We had been hiking for a couple of weeks every Saturday and decided to try a new trail- it kicked our butts!” – Troy

“We got to the top of a new trail and enjoyed a nice break in the sun, then on the way down we stopped at this bench and took a moment to rest. I was completely exhausted and in the moment of just enjoying spending the day with my two favorite guys (Troy of course, and our dog, Kona).

The ring was a design I fell in love with online called the Snowdrift ring. It’s one round stone with a cluster of 8 smaller stones on each side of the focal diamond. I like how each side stone has a partner and it comes together to the one focal stone. I wanted to make it my own, so with the use of some family diamonds, I built the ring with a jeweler in town. Troy picked it up and I didn’t see it until the day he proposed! He got on one knee and said something super sweet (I think. I kinda blacked out from the surprise of him pulling out the white box!) It was the most perfect unexpected surprise.“ – Ellen

Kona The Puppy At The Pebble Beach Engagement

Ellen and Troy also brought their dog, Kona, to their beautiful Pebble Beach engagement session with me- something I highly recommend to all my pawrent couples! It was so lovely to watch them play off one another, and made for SUCH a fun and refreshing time. Including your fur baby in the session just makes everything so fun and playful! After all, who doesn’t love pictures with pets? Dogs, cats, sheep, horses, llamas (yes, llamas!)… I’ll happily photograph them all with you for your special occasions!

What Do You Love Most About Your Partner?

“Ellen puts up with me! But seriously, she lets me do things my way (albeit maybe a bit reluctantly sometimes) and I know that’s not easy. I’m a contrarian to the popular opinion most of the time and I love playing the devil’s advocate. Her laugh, not her half-hearted laugh, but her actually laugh… I love it! It’s tough to bring out, I gotta be on my A-game! I love her determination and grit. She’s just a badass who I can’t wait to do badass things with.” – Troy

“Troy’s very funny in a subtle way, if you aren’t paying attention you can miss the joke. He’s also the most loving and caring person but will push you to be the best you. I love seeing how fun and loving he is to Kona every day. His laugh is also infectious!” – Ellen

Ellen and Troy’s love really shines through in their words and photos. They really KNOW each other deeply and specifically. Isn’t it so precious that they both love each other’s laughs? I thought it was so sweet that they both mentioned that as something they really love about the other!

Oh, and I have to give a special shoutout to Troy because, in the best way possible, he was more than I expected in that he was really comfortable in front of the lens just loving on Ellen. The camera really picks up on that candid adoration and I love that!

Course To Coast: Pebble Beach Engagement Portrait Session

We filled up our Pebble Beach engagement session with photos on the golf course because, OF COURSE, we had to do a shoot there! Golf courses are so picturesque and just perfect for portrait sessions, especially Pebble Beach’s. After a quick outfit change, we hit the beach. I wanted to make sure we covered all the locations they wanted since they’re big golfers and love the coastal charm of the area.

Looking for a Pebble Beach photographer to capture your next special occasion? I’m your gal! Contact me here!