Bethany and Daniel’s engagement session on Coronado beach, just steps away from San Diego’s historic Hotel Del Coronado was one I’ll never forget. Bethany and Daniel wanted their engagement photos in San Diego, where they both lived, met, and where their story began. Since San Diego held a monumental significance on their life together, we talked about finding a location that was nostalgic to San Diego. That’s where Hotel Del Coronado and Coronado Beach came in to the picture (literally).

Hotel Del Coronado is located on Coronado Island just across the bay from downtown San Diego. You can get to the island by boat, ferry, or by car by driving along the roughly 2 mile bride that connects the island to the mainland. The historic hotel was constructed in 1888 and is said to be one of the last victorian beach resorts. To Californians and locals it’s both known and often referred to as “the Del” when referencing this landmark. Over it’s lifespan, the Del has hosted some of Hollywood and the United States most famous icons including Marilyn Monroe, Babe Ruth, President Roosevelt, Nixon, and Johnson, just to name a few! The history of the famous hotel and all the nostalgia that came with it had us infatuated.

From the start, Bethany and Daniel had a great admiration for film photography and were eager to incorporate film in their artistic experience for their engagement and upcoming wedding. For further inspiration we took to Pinterest where I curated a mood board with outfit ideas for both Bethany and Daniel. We concluded the last hour before sunset would give the best light for that romantic glow, and decided to go with a subtle color pallet that complimented our location: hues of blue.

Everything about Bethany and Daniel’s engagement session was natural, sweet, sentimental, warm, and romantic. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, the forecast blessed us with the perfect temperature for an August evening, the beach and hotel grounds weren’t overly busy, and Bethany and Daniel’s love and connection imprinted beautifully on film. It couldn’t have been more perfect for Bethany and Daniel and their session, and everything came seamlessly together.

Photographed by Paisley Photography

Film Scans: Goodman Film Lab

Dress: Lulus.com

Hotel: Hotel Del Coronado