I roused surprisingly early for a day away from family and responsibility down in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes and stretching wide, I padded over to the hotel room window barefoot and pulled the heavy curtain to the side. Puffy white clouds danced merrily with the rising sun. I smiled. Today was going to be a great day. I could feel it.

I drove around town, huge Starbucks in hand, putting park after park into my GPS to get a feel for the place. I had arrived after sunset the night before so I was eager to see where I had ended up after a full day of driving. Seabirds squawked and pine trees towered in this southernly, oceanside town. As a Northerner, it was lovely to walk around so early in the morning with only a light jacket. I reveled in it.

Throughout the day, the puffy clouds turned grey and huddled up together against the ocean breeze. By the time I met up with Sara an Markus to drive me through the Camp Lejeune marine base gate for their shoot, the clouds were elbowing the sun from view almost altogether. For that, I was so grateful. Even though I do love a good sun-drenched shoot, for an Eastern shoreline beach shoot, it’s imperative to have clouds to get the full effect of the ocean with natural light.

For the 20 minute drive to the beach, I sat back and relaxed getting to know this amazing couple, taking in what military sights there were to see. When rocks turned to sand and Markus announced that we had arrived at Onslow Beach, I did a little happy dance. The location was perfect…just like Sara and Markus.

They took off their shoes to head over the dunes to the beach and I saw Sara give a visible shudder. The chill in the air was exacerbated by the ocean breeze. Even though I had driven 470 miles for this special location for them, I knew our time was limited by the cold….so I got to work.

They were amazing. One being a teacher and the other a marine, they took direction incredibly well even as I shouted over the waves and wind….and they knocked their session out of the park. Sara’s black dress contrasted with the cream colored sand perfectly.

When the cold finally won, we packed up and they drove me back to the gate offering dinner at their home (they’re seriously the best). I smiled a little, inward smile knowing it was “one for the books.” I already wished I didn’t have another day’s worth of driving in between me and sharing this blog that was already forming in my head so I declined in exchange for getting to post a few sneaks before bed.

The next time I see these two, they will be one deployment and a change of MOS down in their relationship….on their WEDDING DAY in October of 2024 at my favorite The Barn at Stoneybrooke. And, I can’t wait to meet all the special people I heard so much about on Saturday. If all of their friends and family are anything like them, we are going to have an amazing day.

Sara and Markus, I can’t thank you enough for this incredible experience getting to see a place that would otherwise be off limits for me. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse into your lives. You are so lucky to have found each other and I’m so glad you now have these photos to remind you of this time, down in Jacksonville with Apollo (I SO hope I get to meet him at the wedding!!!).

I hope you love this little sample of photos from your amazing beach shoot. And, because I know how hard it can be to wait, there will be a surprise in your inbox later today. So, don’t forget to check!

Xo - Megan