Phil + Kristen are Engaged! | Old Town and Presidio Park Engagement Session | San Diego, CA

“He almost killed me on our first date,” Kristen said.

I can just imagine the headline: In a sushi restaurant, with a special roll, on couple’s first, official date…

See, Kristen is severely allergic to shellfish. Phil and Kristen let the sushi chef know right away when they arrived at the sushi restaurant. Unfortunately, the sushi chef forgot and served them a “special roll” that had crab in it. Luckily, they noticed it and Kristen got some Benadryl.

Their first date story reminds me of the romantic comedies, “Hitch” and “Along Came Polly.” Phil and Kristen still laugh about it now, and how their first date could have ended with Kristen at the hospital.

We started our engagement session in Old Town State Historic Park in San Diego. Old Town is beautiful with a mix of old and new, Western, Spanish and Mexican influence all in one place. Old Town’s historic buildings, as well as delicious Mexican food and margaritas attract a bustling group of tourists and San Diegans alike.

Phil and Kristen met through their mutual friend Dennis, who was Phil’s boss, and Kristen’s workout partner. Their friend, Dennis tried to set them up by inviting the two of them  to a concert together.  They met and nothing came of it. “The timing must have been bad,” Kristen shrugged.  “Three or four years later, I signed up for a triathlon and Dennis told me I should start riding with the guys at his work to train.”

This time, the timing was right. Phil and Kristen started riding together with the rest of the group, and became friends.  “Then one day, Phil asked me to go for a bike ride with just the two of us. We ended up spending the whole day together, and started dating after that.”

Some people take some time to warm up to the camera, but not these two! The first few frames turned out to be everyone’s favorites, like this black and white portrait of the two of them.

It was Valentine’s Day and fitting to have an engagement session, but Old Town was particularly more crowded that day. We were still able to find some great places that were away from a throng of tourists!

We even met this young casanova, who was playing his guitar for his girlfriend, as she tended to a store across the street. We all thought it was super sweet!

How Phil Proposed:

I love capturing candid photos! Love this one below:

For the rest of the engagement session, we headed to Presidio Park, which was only a few minutes from Old Town San Diego.

One of Kristen’s favorite things about Phil’s proposal is that Phil gave Kristen his mom’s diamond ring. Being passed down a family heirloom makes it even more meaningful.  Phil had it reset with a double halo of diamonds and it looks gorgeous on Kristen.

Phil and Kristen are easy-going and fun. They’re playful with each other and it made the engagement session a good time!

Presidio Park was a lot more secluded and serene than Old Town, which allowed a little bit more freedom to run around and enjoy the view.  This was the view from one of the trails.

Kristen’s black and turquoise cowboy boots were were really cool and perfect for the engagement location.

Phil and Kristen were a blast to photograph. They ran through some parts of the trail and just had fun!

The afternoon light was perfect and I had to take some portraits of the bride-to-be in her backless dress. Doesn’t Kristen look stunning?!

As the sun was setting, we headed up the hill and enjoyed a gorgeous San Diego sunset.

Thank you, Phil and Kristen for an awesome engagement session! I can’t wait to photograph your wedding!

Be sure to congratulate the soon to be Mr. and Mrs. by leaving a comment below!

xoxo,

Credits:

Engagement Locations: Old Town in San Diego, CA and Presidio Park

Engagement Photography: Kristine Marie Photography

Special thanks to my awesome husband, Rex for all of his help during this engagement session!

Hair: Sara Kelly at Salon Cosmopolitan

Makeup: Socal Hair and Makeup