the kap blog

Meet Austin + Kasey –Utah Natives living in San Diego during the summer due to Austin’s job. Kasey mentioned that they LOVED the beach and the ocean was life to them. I knew right then and there I needed to include their passion for the beach. What is better than the quintessential San Diego location, Sunset Cliffs in La Jolla?  Originally, we planned for a golden hour session, however, plans change and so this crazy couple decided on a sunrise session.  Let me paint you a picture. My family and I were staying at the Carlsbad Inn (someone please get married here) celebrating our 2 year wedding anniversary and trying to get away from all the smoke from the Holy Fire. I was awake at 4:30 am to be able to get to La Jolla by 5:45 am to chase the sunrise and I have absolutely no regrets. The color of the sky was absolutely stunning, the waves were calm, and the tide was low enough to allow us to get to some cliffs that overlook the ocean. It was the perfect backdrop for this anniversary session.

Now, one of my biggest worries about sunrise sessions is that the couple is going to come still half asleep and uninterested in getting to really connect with one another. Instead, they will just be wondering when the session will be over so they can head back to their warm and comfortable bed.  Could you blame them?! I can’t. I love sleep just as much as the next person.  This was absolutely not the case with Austin and Kasey. I don’t think I stopped laughing the whole time during their session. My cheeks hurt so bad afterwards from how much I was laughing. These two are the silliest most loving couple I have ever met. Kasey radiates with pure warmth and love. She is the type of person you WANT to be friends with. Austin is energetic and silly. They may be silly and a little quirky but you can tell how much they love and adore each other. Kasey even said “we base so much of our relationship on laughter and with each of our individual struggles is love that keeps us giggly” and it shows!

After our session, Kasey text me thanking me for “bearing” with their “wierdness” and letting me know they had fun. This is exactly why I love capturing love stories. Each couple is so unique from the next. I remember telling Kasey embrace your weirdness. Every couple has their own connection. I often get asked how to achieve my authentic raw emotions from couples. My response is always the same–get to know your couple, get to know your client’s story, what makes them tick. Stop with the “prom poses” and give them something to do.  Typically, my sessions may have a flow of similar directives, however, no two sessions ever looks the same. Why? Because no two couples are the same.  Every couple has their own story, their own way of connecting, their own unique mannerisms and that is perfectly okay. I thank Austin and Kasey for entrusting me to capture their uniqueness, getting silly, and being a little crazy to wake up at 4 am on a Saturday morning.

Kyrsten Ashlay Photography is a Dallas Based Destination Wedding Photographer specializing in romantic, genuine, raw imagery for wildly in love couples. Did you enjoy this summer wedding in Michigan? View another adventurous destination engagement session at Big Cottonwood Canyon in Utah.  You can also visit my website for more Dallas weddings! If you’re looking for a wedding photographer to capture your special day in Dallas or  the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, I’d love to hear from you! Or have you seen enough and want to book this DFW Wedding Photographer for your upcoming wedding or event?! Send me a note and let me treat you to coffee – can’t wait to connect!