Windy, Intimate Coastal Picnic Engagement at St. Simons Beach, Georgia

This coastal engagement was such a genuinely good time with Ashlyn Cathey + Connor. We did this shoot off of the coast of Georgia at St. Simons Beach, but the entire time it felt like I was at the sand dunes somewhere in California. It was insanely windy and during the shootout but one wouldn’t even be able to tell because of how at ease Ashlyn + Connor were.

The two of them actually met on a college campus while waiting in line to pay for parking. While they were standing in line Connor thought Ashlyn Cathey was quite charming and tried to shoot his shot. Spoiler: operation success! Fast forward a few years later, Connor took Ashlyn Cathey back to the very spot they first met on campus and proposed!

The set up was very coastal vibes focused, with an elegant, yet simple picnic arrangement with accents of currant red amongst the taupe and white. The charcuterie board was such a fun and delightful touch! The little cake by Classic City Confections was the perfect last addition to the picnic construct. Ashlyn Cathey’s dress corresponded well with the color pallette of the shoot.

Connor + Ashlyn Cathey had the perfect mix of playful and cool, serious poses. They were natural and in their element in from of the lens. The two of them truly proved their element when it came to the very last part of the shoot (and a true dream of mine): the birds moment. A large group of seagulls was sitting around throughout the entirety of the shoot while we were doing our thing because of the lovely charcuterie board we had set up. The seagulls would try to fly over constantly and we kept having to shoo them away. And then the idea struck me, “why shoo them away when I can use them to my own advantage (cue my photographer gears turning).” I had Ashlyn Cathey grab pieces of the bread and begin to feed the flock. With that, my finger was glued to the shutter button.

This truly had been a dream shot in the back of my mind that I finally had made a reality. If being honest, if I only had this moment as my entire shoot, it would sufficient enough for me. This helped me realize that sometimes common annoyances that we may think might ruin a shot could be used to our own creative advantages. Thus, to all my creatives, don’t be afraid to go through with your ideas that may far-out, and don’t be afraid to go against the wave of what others may say or think. Your far-fetched ideas may turn out to be your best or most recognized work. These are the moments that even Instagram can’t fully capture.

.:・゜゜・*・

This wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing vendors:

HOST: @theshootoutsociety

DESIGNER: @taydoehrman

HMUA: @royalmakeupandhair

MODELS: @ashlyncathey.photo

CAKE: @classiccityconfections

PAPER GOODS: @onecreativefactory

ATTIRE: @shopreddress @stitchandtie

SHOES: @stevemadden