Sometimes an anniversary getaway is exactly what you need.

After seven years of marriage and three little ones at home, these two were finally getting away for the first time in two and a half years, just the two of them. They came to Pismo Beach, checked into the Inn at the Cove, and made their anniversary trip about doing absolutely nothing together. Well, almost nothing. Naps were apparently a very important part of the itinerary, and honestly, I fully support this kind of vacation planning.

For their anniversary session, we wandered through the Monarch Grove and down toward the beach, letting the eucalyptus, dunes, ocean, and golden evening light do their thing. This is one of my favorite spots in Pismo Beach, and it felt especially fitting for a session centered around simply being together.

There was no need to manufacture anything. They laughed, embraced, wandered, and enjoyed being able to focus on each other without three little people needing something from them every five seconds. There was something so lovely about watching them reconnect with that part of themselves… the couple who existed before the kids, who still exists underneath the busyness of raising a family, and who gets to keep growing alongside it all.

Happy anniversary, you two. Thank you for letting me spend a little bit of your very special getaway with you and document this season of your story. I hope these photographs bring you right back to this feeling for many, many years to come. xoxo