Hey there, lovebirds! 🌊 If you just got engaged and are dreaming about a stunning coastal vacation to commemorate this exciting new chapter, you’re in the perfect spot!

After photographing couples on the Catalina Island for a couple of years now, I’ve done the legwork to help ensure you get the most out of the experience, and how it feel as fun and seamless as possible, and afterwards having beautiful, timeless, coastal photos of you two all loved-up to show for it!

This blog post features tips to help navigate a lot of the moving parts that come with arriving and sttaying on the island – how to navigate travel to and from Avalon (the main city on Catalina Island) and what time of year to book your stay, where to book your accommodations to maximize on beautiful photo opportunities that ooze Amalfi coast vibes, and what your photographer can do to get you photos with the most beautiful lighting- and more!

1. Requirement? Making a Week or Weekend Stay out of Catalina

Absolutely! If you’re looking to get the most out of your trip, I recommend making it at least a weekend adventure. Trust me, you won’t regret it! There are a few reasons for this—first off, having a golf cart rental is a game changer.

On Catalina Island, you are required to return your golf cart before 4pm – which tends to be before lighting conditions tend to be absolutely perfect for photographing into the evening, and when foot traffic really clears out for more secluded vibes available with people taking the ferry back to the main land for the day.

So, you might as well stay for at least two days- that way you’re able to see more sights, plan some special activities before and between your photoshoot, and have the ability to hit all of the most iconic spots throughout your engagement session without stressing about timing and rushing between photo spots!

2. Best Time of Year? Late May – Early August

When it comes to the best lighting, weather, and overall vibes- plan to book a California destination vacation sometime in late May, up to early August.

Summer Solstice happens June 21st, the longest day of the year, and to kick off summer.

So, you get mot only the most daylight to play with, but also more ferry ride options later in the evening for your photographer to travel back without having to accommodate their overnight & extended travel fees! Win-win!

2. Book an Airbnb or VRBO specifically in the Hamilton Cove Private Community

YES- this is the best place to book your stay! Partially because the area is closed off to those staying in the community, so significantly less touristy feels over there. You also end up with a gorgeous villa that is not only spacious, but guaranteed has the most beautiful overlook on the island. It feels like you’re not even in California anymore- but somewhere in coastal Europe, instead! Check out the photos for proof:

3. Golf Cart – Renting One is a Must

All of the photos you’ve seen so far – they are from the same engagement session, at locations that are all MILES away from each other. We were able to successfully hit all of those iconic locations within less than an hour, all because we planned the most perfect route, and because we were able to fully utilize a golf cart in order to trek up steep hillsides to get to lookout points that were stories upon stories above everything- hundreds of feet above sea level, in certain spots!

Golf rentals are a little bit of a nuisance logistically when it comes to your stay – requiring guuests to return the golf cart for the day at 3 or 4 pm. The best time of day in the sunmer to shoot is around 5:30 – 8:00 pm for the most part- so that won’t work, right?1

Make the investment and plan to return your golf cart the day after your session, before you leave Catalina Island. Therefore, book your session the day before you plan on leaving Avalon.

4. Want more Image Variety? Consider an Outfit Change!

When I worked with Ellie and Tom and. helped them with outfit styling, we got chatting about what we wanted the photos to ultimiately feel like.

Ellie told me that with this being a place that Tom’s family annually comes tback to to vacation, she wanted these photos to show that she embraced the tradition by leaning into the spirit of Catalina itself.

So, we discussed having her wear a super cute, island-inspired sundress that truly encapsulated the spirit of Santa Catalina, while picking outfits that were more timeless and felt very “them.”

With that, we chose colors and tones that not only matched the elements of the ocean and shoreline, but also were comfortable, easy to move in, and pieces that Ellie and Tom both felt confident wearing.

Often times, this doesn’t mean having to stress about shopping, but instead reaching ito your closet of clothes that you feel super awesome any time you wear them to any occasion.

5. Plan to End near the Ferry / Catalina Express

Why, you say!? That way if you need the extra time for travel, you have it, while guaranteeing your photographer makes it back home for the last ferry of the night! Usually, the last ferry from Avalon to Long Beach out is at 7:45pm, so it guarantees that you’re hitting that last iconic location with the most beautiful lighting, risk-free!

There is a lookout spot that is above the Wrigley Mansion- that allows you to take a super safe hiking trail, and end overlooking the entire marina, as well as all of the most beautiful parts of Avalon!

Here, you can see that Tom and Ellie got panoramic views – out to the north with all of the beautiful sights of the marina- and then this perspective below, with the mountains and city skyline in view, behind them as they walked the trail at sunset!

Book Your Engagement Session with an experiencedd Catalina Island Couples Photographer, today!

Want to hire someone who knows Catalina off the back of their hand, and. can deliver a fun, seamless experience- with beautiful images that are equal parts candid and timeless?

Book with me today, and I’ll take of everything for you!

• Inquire Here – Couple’s Engagement Session at Avalon, Catalina Island
• Website – Julianne Rose Photography
• Tom & Ellie’s Full Gallery