A breezy morning engagement on the East Coast in Bethany Beach, DE
- Ken Yotsukura
- Jun 21
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 4
June 21, 2025 – Bethany Beach, DE
Victoria and Nick woke up before the sun for their coastal engagement session. But the best part? The shore was just a few steps from their back door.
Victoria and I met when we were both just 14 years old in high school. While we took many of the same classes, we ultimately spent the most time together in choir. Yes, choir. We both took choir classes for all four years of Catholic high school. From performing in front of the whole school during mass to experiencing the highly anticipated annual music trips together, it's safe to say Victoria knew me during the most formative–and embarrassing–years of my life. So when Victoria asked me to take her engagement photos, needless to say, I said yes!
Having grown up in Maryland for most of my life, I knew a Bethany Beach engagement session during peak season with minimal foot traffic wouldn't be an easy feat. However, Victoria and Nick's Airbnb just so happened to be part of a community with a private beach. And on top of that, we ultimately opted for an early morning shoot to avoid crowds.
As I drove along the coast at the early hour of 5 AM to Victoria and Nick's Airbnb, I looked up and saw a beautiful convergence of blue, pink, and orange hues on the horizon. But as gorgeous as it was, it meant one thing. Our window for the perfect morning light–just before sunrise–was closing fast. If I could freeze time and shoot with that light for two hours, I would. But there's something beautiful about capturing a moment in time that only happens once every day for a few short minutes.
And I'm happy to say that we made the most of it. We had the beach almost entirely to ourselves, and the photos that followed were nothing short of magical.
