Chelsea and Karl are a one-of-a-kind, good vibes, creative type couple who can easily bring a smile to your face. They wanted their engagement session to be an intersection of their admiration for Los Angeles, their shared time living there together, and their love for art! Karl studied photography in college, while Chelsea is an interior designer, so their eyes for unique settings were key to making this session extraordinary. Hanging with C + K was magical; they’re both full of so much life and aren’t afraid to be themselves. We had a lot of moments working out their clown poses and being extra silly, in the best way. Los Angeles engagement sessions might be a new favorite of mine!
THE ENGAGEMENT
Our first stop was Union Station, where we found the creamiest light and dodged the 15 guards staring us down. #worthit
Next, we hunted down an art installation, spelling “XOXO” with bird outlines punched through, by Laura Kimpton and Jeff Schomberg. Chelsea and Karl participate in the Burning Man community each year, where they first saw and fell in love with the piece. And actually, a year after the proposal, Chelsea and Karl had an unofficial Burning Man wedding in front of the Temple while the sun set in the backdrop. Their whole camp and crew of friends were dressed up in white and helped celebrate this beautiful moment with them! Incorporating Burning Man in many ways has been super important to them.
We then headed to a hotel where Do Ho Suh’s art installation colors the walls.
Our last stop was Grand Central Market in downtown, which is right next to Angel’s Flight, so we rode the trolly, grabbed some beers, and wandered with our noses through the bustling market. I was digging that massive neon sign crafted by the talented Lisa Schulte and Brendan Donnelly.
THE PROPOSAL
Chelsea shared how the proposal went down, and I couldn’t agree with her more that it sounds like the best weekend trip ever. They were in San Francisco with friends for plans to see Chelsea’s favorite artist, DJ Kaskade. Karl, being the photographer he is, kept mentioning wanting this epic photo in front of the Golden Gate Bridge, so they made a stop at Crissy Field in between brunch, a rooftop party, and the Kaskade show. Once you see the photos below, you’ll know that in typical Chelsea and Karl style, these Golden Gate photos were about to get super silly, fun and incredibly THEM. Chelsea says, “I got barefoot and our friends started taking pics of us. We start taking dumb posed pics and Karl pulls a ‘fake proposal pic’ by getting down on one knee, faking an open box in his hands as I make a fake horrified face. Lol. He gets up and hugs me only to get back down on one knee and actually propose — *Cue Freak Out* — with our friends catching the whole thing on video. We celebrated that night with a bunch of friends at Kaskade’s show, dancing and singing till 4am!”
To say I’m STOKED to be photographing Chelsea and Karl’s wedding this fall is a massive understatement. Ya know we’re getting ready to partayy. Phoenix, Arizona, here we come!
