This breathtaking engagement session at Ecola State Park was one of my favorite sessions to date, and let me tell you why.

The first time I spoke to Marie and Grayson, I felt connected to them immediately. The two of them have a love for adventure and are genuine people. They are kind, funny, unafraid. It didn’t feel like a formal photo session with them. It was just us hanging out and learning more about each other.

Marie and Grayson actually met in a different state and were set up by their friends. When visiting Chicago they hit it off right away, only to find out they lived in the same neighborhood! To me, that’s a sign from the universe.

When Marie told me they wanted to have their engagement session at Ecola State Park I was thrilled. I had been looking forward to visiting the coast and Ecola State Park was on my bucket list for sessions! We got so incredible lucky with the weather. The coast can sometimes be unpredictable with rain and fog. It was as mild as we needed it to be for the hour and a half we were shooting. The park has two sections: the main area where you get a higher view point of the beach, and Indian Beach. We started our engagement session at Ecola State Park in the main area, exploring some trails and getting our boots a little (a LOT) muddy! Afterwards we headed down to Indian Beach and ran around, popped champagne and had a good time.

Lastly, when our session was over, we went to the coast and grabbed lunch, followed by a visit to the local candy store. I was told that salt water taffy at the coast is amazing. And it is! I was a literal kid in a candy store.

Check out these gorgeous photos from Marie and Grayson’s engagement session at Ecola State Park below and see what an awesome time it was! I can’t wait for their wedding in August!