On a magical misty afternoon in October, Robert proposed to Katie on an overlook at Leo Carillo State Beach, above the crashing waves of the Pacific. It's always so much fun to shoot a proposal, because I get to be part of the excited planning moments. Robert and I scouted out the spot and talked through time of day and where I would hide; who would arrive and when. He poured so much thought into the details of his proposal and the words he shared with Katie, and when the moment came... it was even better than he could have planned!

I'm so excited for Robert and Katie to spend the rest of their lives together. Finding your person in this big world is a priceless gift.

Here's what Robert had to say about his experience working with me afterward! 
★★★★★
"Cecily is the absolute best. She photographed my proposal to my then-girlfriend, now fiancee! I wanted to propose at one location, but upon scouting it ahead of time, we discovered that it was completely overrun with other couples doing proposal and engagement shoots. There was no way I could pull off the surprise there! Cecily quickly swooped in with suggestions for several alternative, more discreet locations. She even went the extra mile and coordinated some perfect weather for the day of our shoot! 😄

"It honestly couldn't have gone better. On top of all the legwork Cecily put in before a single photo was taken, she also delivered an entire gallery of absolutely astounding photos, all edited and at full resolution. She sent us a few finished edits for family and social media the very same night of the proposal and had the rest of them sent to us before we knew it. She has an eye for romantic moments in close-ups, and I also appreciated the wide shots incorporating a broader view of the beautiful location we had worked so hard to narrow down! If you get the chance, hire Cecily. It's a no-brainer."
MORE REVIEWS HERE >>

​(Click the Read More link below to view photos from Robert's proposal.) 

How are Europeans always so effortlessly chic? (asking for a friend) 
Check out this epic set up: Frederik and Julia are German and they have been together for 20 years (what?!? were they 5 when they started dating?!?) and they decided 2024 was the year to tie the knot. Only they decided to jet off to Malibu for a just-them-and-the-officiant-and-me beach elopement. Julia brought a chic but surprisingly low-maintenance dress from Lulus.com (in my opinion, the smart girl's elopement dress shop) and Frederik brought an impeccably tailored tuxedo. 
They said their vows in a private pocket beach at El Matador State Beach, then we had the rest of the evening until sunset to document this grand adventure of theirs. What a dream! This is what I love about elopements: light on the planning, heavy on the beauty and serendipity. 

WONDERING WHAT A MID-DAY, BRIGHT SUNNY WEDDING LOOKS LIKE? CHECK THIS OUT.
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Nicci and Johnny's beautiful Malibu wedding is proof that you CAN get married and take beautiful pictures in the middle of the day! Most couples tend to plan their wedding for evening, in order to capture golden sunset light and a evening-to-nighttime party. But Nicci and Johnny aren't most couples! They're active and beachy SoCal kids (not night owls), so they opted to have an early afternoon outdoor wedding with a casual lawn reception with tacos and games. Their timeframe included a family-only ceremony at 1pm, couple photos at 2pm, and their friends arrived for the reception afterward at 3pm. In photographer-speak, this meant shooting couple photos in the middle of the bright afternoon sun (in late July)! Technically this is usually a photography no-no, but I made sure they understood what kind of look their photos would have—sunlight-drenched with strong shadows and bright blue water—and they were all in! Though these photos are non-traditional, we were still able to work with the angles of the sun and what shadows we had to shoot evenly lit family pictures and gorgeous sunny couple photos that Nicci and Johnny are thrilled with. 

Ceremony location: Malibu Gathering 
Family portraits: Malibu Gathering
Couple portraits: Point Dume, Malibu 
Photographer: Cecily Breeding (that's me!) 

Are you planning a wedding? I love capturing weddings of all sizes and styles. I am based in both Austin, TX and Malibu, CA, so if you're planning a wedding anywhere in central Texas or southern California, I have local availability and rates (no travel cost) for you. Please reach out to talk more! >> [email protected] or you can learn more about Wedding Photography Packages and Rates here >> 

Congratulations Lexie and Ryan on your beautiful Malibu elopement! What a special moment to share with your immediate family and celebrate the beginning of this new chapter in your life. 

As recent California transplants, this family wanted to celebrate their first holiday season on the golden coast with a beautiful beachy Malibu family photo session. On a (very windy!) day we shot at El Matador Beach and despite the windy weather we got so many sweet moments of this family snuggling together and exploring in the beautiful golden light. 

Brantley decided to propose in Malibu! What a beautiful moment (and surprise) he put together for Hailey. He put so many personal touches into the day, including smuggling her favorite dress onto the trip so she would have something nice to wear for the moment. He rented the iconic Eagles Landing House in Malibu with stunning ocean views. After proposing, we shot a few photos at the house then went down to the little pocket beach on Pacific Coast Highway for more photos with the sand and waves. 
Congratulations to Brantley and Hailey on your Malibu beach engagement! Many many more special moments to come as you plan your life together. (Click "Read More" to view their gallery) 

Love that the Rivera family decided to do family pictures while they're assigned to Southern California on a travel nursing gig! Their family is so fun and adventurous, one of their boys took an accidental dip in the ocean (those waves are unpredictable!) and still managed to smile afterward.

Congrats to the Alfreds on growing your family! This little boy is so lucky to have you as parents. (Click Read More to view more photos from this Paradise Cove maternity photo session.) 

Brand and social content shoot for real estate investor, Brittany Arnason (@investorgirlbritt on Instagram) 

Brittany is up to big things in the real estate world! You can learn more about her background on the Bigger Pockets podcast (started investing in real estate at 18 and DIY-ed her way through renovation after renovation) and now regularly speaks on the big stages at real estate investor conventions. She's the real deal and she generously shares tips, education, and encouragement through her social accounts. 

That's where this photoshoot comes in. It takes a lot of behind the scenes work to keep cranking out quality content in the form of posts, reels, and stories. So Brittany and I worked together to plan an epic day of content creation. In one afternoon, she and I, together with one epic house in Malibu (listed here on Peerspace!), and a pile of outfit changes banked loads of quality high resolution photos (mostly for stills, posts, and stories) as well as plenty of video content (shot on iPhone because it's all about hitting the easy button!).

A brand photo-video session like this is essential for any content creator to develop a library of quality, relevant images that you can use year round for a variety of purposes. 

Congratulations to Okairi and Moises on your engagement!! I'm so glad you travelled all the way from Chicago to shoot your beautiful photos here. Blessings to you as you plan and prepare for your wedding and life together. (Click "Read More" to view photos from Okairi and Moises' beautiful El Matador Beach engagement photo session)