If you haven’t seen Part One of our engagement photoshoot, go here. This stunning location is what inspired the entire photoshoot and I am so glad it did! We traveled about 2 hours outside of San Diego to get to the sand dunes and it was worth every single mile. Our photographer, Charissa Magno, originally suggested the dunes in Glamis as a potential location and after a two second Google, I was in. I immediately started dreaming up outfits that would stand a chance against the incredible backdrop of the endless sand. There was no hesitation about whether or not Charissa would be able to make these mounds of sand/dirt look magical – I knew she would. And she did!
While driving two+ hours to get to the sand dunes, right outside Glamis, CA, we made a couple stops. We wanted to have at least two different looks (find the first one here) so we chose Lake Cuyamaca and Algadones Dunes. Neither of these were exactly predetermined – we pretty much had an aesthetic in mind and just kept driving until we found it. Some of the photos were literally because one of us saw an area and yelled out “stop here! stop here!” and it ended up working out perfectly. I am so happy we took every single one of those stops for two reasons: 1. the photos turned out amazing, 2. it allowed us to arrived at the sand dunes at the exact right second.
By the time we were getting close to the sand dunes, we all started to get a little bit nervous that we weren’t going to catch the light. We thought for sure the sun would be completely down by the time we arrived at the dunes. We couldn’t have been more wrong! All of a sudden, out of no where, we saw the dunes and all breathed a sign of relief. The sun was still setting – literally the most stunning sight I have ever seen. The colors were so rich and vibrant and there was nothing and no one within 5 miles of us. It was as if the sand dunes had been shut down for our shoot and the sky had been painted especially for this occasion. It was incredible – we were all speechless…for about 10 seconds before things got crazy. We quickly drove up to the top, wherever we thought we could park, and literally ran to the dunes. Charissa asked me to give her my engagement ring so that she could take some ring shots while Andrew and I changed in the car into our second looks. We were literally racing the sun so we had to hurry! Charissa graciously asked us if we wanted to try and get as many shots as possible and Andrew and I both screamed “of course!” at the same time. From that moment on, Charissa was on a mission and it worked.
I will never forget running up the soft piles of sand in my voluminous tulle skirt – it was not an easy task. Thank goodness I was barefoot, that’s all I have to say. A pair of heels would not have made it! When we got to the top of the mountain of sand, Charissa gave me back my ring and started literally chanting out poses so that we could fit them all in. Of course, the four of us were still having a blast – cracking up laughing the entire time – while still being in complete awe of our surroundings.
You know those things that you experience that just don’t translate into photos, no matter what? I thought for sure these would be one of those things. I thought it didn’t matter how talented Charissa was or how amazing her equipment was, there was no way this scene could be translated into photographs. Clearly, I was so wrong. Charissa absolutely killed this photoshoot from start to finish but this location in particular was not easy – the lighting was escaping us, it was hotter than hell, and we were constantly on the move. The only reason these photos worked is because of Charissa and Pat’s pure talent – there is no doubt about that.
As soon as the sun was set, Andrew and I both assumed we were completely done with the shoot. We just thought that without the light, there was no way to take another single shot. Again, we were wrong! Charissa doesn’t stop working her magic the minute the sun goes down. Let me explain to you just how dark it was – there was not a single light within 5+ miles of us. It was so pitch black that I could barely see Andrew who was standing right in front of me. Such a crazy experience! Because of the lack of light, the stars were insane! We’d never seen anything like it in our entire lives. We couldn’t believe the photos when she turned her camera around and showed us, completely unedited. The stars were actually that vibrant and defined. And yes, that is a shooting star you see in the background. Can you believe she captured that?!
Our engagement shoot was nothing short of amazing! Check out Charissa Magno Photography for more of her amazing work. Stay tuned for the wedding photos, which will be coming to the blog in the next few months.
Shop Our Looks:
Clearly those are the most beautiful, and romantic pictures of any couple ever taken! Your photographer and staff were phenomenal. The shooting star was not to be believed!!
Thank you so much!! Yes – our photographer is unbelievable. Still cannot believe these are ours!
Xx, Lauren Jaclyn