Every engagement shoot is special, but this one was extra special. I have known Jennie since we were in first grade. We have shared so many of life’s ups and downs together and I have had a front seat to her journey–all that led her to find her person. I was thrilled to photograph her and CJ’s engagement photos and celebrate this time with them. 

Jennie works in music and they both love the outdoors. Red Rocks was the perfect location to celebrate Colorado and the place where they met. I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU GUYS! 

red rocks winter engagement photography colorado

Jennie shares the sweet proposal story, “In D.UM.B.O, Brooklyn, staring at the Brooklyn Bridge, the man of my dreams had pre-arranged for a street performer to be waiting there to play our song. As my jaw dropped, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Crying, I helped him up and said “YES!”

I knew from the moment I saw his angel face that all I wanted was him + a life together forever. I love him with all my heart! How did him and I get so lucky?! 

I am so thankful for CJ to invite me to join his family, letting me love his amazing kids and opening his beautiful heart to my family, as well. I cannot wait to continue our story of growth, love and adventures!”

red rocks winter engagement, best engagement locations in colorado
red rocks engagement, black and white, holding hands

Congratulations Jennie and CJ! The couple will be married this summer in Virginia.

Thanks for stopping by! Check out more of my work on my website.

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I met Clarie and Troy at Mount Falcon West on a snowy, beautiful winter day to celebrate their engagement.

Troy shares, “Our story began during the spring of 2016 during our junior year while we were both attending Texas A&M University. We met at a scholarship banquet where we both had the same donor for our Fightin’ Texas Aggie rings. The Aggie Ring is a coveted symbol of camaraderie, commitment, and loyalty when students complete 90 credit hours. After hitting it off at the banquet, I asked Claire for her number. Less than a week later, we met for coffee in between our classes on campus. After a few more amazing dates, and returning from summer break, we began our senior year as an official couple.

Upon graduation in 2017, our long distance portion of our relationship began. Claire pursued a year of service with AmeriCorps before attending law school at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, while I stayed in College Station, Texas, for an extra year to complete my Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering. It was during this time that we often took weekend trips to visit one another, and our relationship continued to grow. Through this experience, we fell more deeply in love—leaning strongly on our communication, trust in God, and the joy of being each other’s best friend.

After six years (yes, six years) of dating long distance, our prayers were answered when Claire moved to Colorado and we never had to live in a separate state ever again. It wasn’t too long after that when I proposed to Claire in November of 2023 while on a trip back to where it all began: Aggieland. I got down on one knee under the time-honored tradition of the Century Tree. Tradition says that when you walk under the Century Tree, it means you’ll be together forever. A proposal under the Century Tree takes that tradition a step further by resulting in a lifetime of happy marriage.

We are both so excited for our wedding this October and for a lifetime of silly, sweet, and significant moments and adventures with our doggy daughter, Aria, right by our side.

Our families and faith are so important to us, so we look forward to joining two families together and sharing the beauty of God’s hand in every step of our relationship that has forever changed our lives.”

Congratulations Claire and Troy!

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Yay! You are engaged! This is a really special time in your life. Let’s document it with some beautiful photos that capture your story, joy, style, personality and LOVE!

You are only engaged once and it goes by so quick! Don’t let the time pass without getting some great photos to remember all the excitement. It is a great opportunity to get some casual and fun photos to accompany your more formal wedding portraits.

It is also great practice for your wedding photos! It may sound strange, but taking engagement photos actually improves your wedding photos. You become more comfortable working with direction and understand the process so that we move more quickly through different posses and you know what you like.

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Lookout Mountain, Colorado, Engagement photography, Golden

For the shoot, the most important thing is to have fun! Relax, laugh, be comfortable and enjoy the session. Here are a few things to keep in mind to make the most out of your photographs.

Spring? Summer? Winter? Fall?

To plan the best time to take your engagement photos, think about the season, the weather, your seasonal outfit options and the locations that might be available. You may also want to plan your session based on when you want to send out save the dates or an announcement. If it turns out that the weather is bad on the day you’ve selected for your shoot, we can reschedule, no problem. We just need to decide 24 hours in advance.

Punctuality = Awesomeness
Natural light is very important to beautiful photography. The timing of your session is really important, because the sunlight greatly affects the shoot. Please arrive on time. Once the sun goes down, it is too dark to continue the shoot. You can check the sunset time for any day of the year using this calendar.

What should I wear for my engagement session?
Plan to wear something that makes you feel comfortable and beautiful. For the standard hour long session, please bring one outfit change. Most couples choose one casual and one formal look to add variety to their images. I tend to discourage all black or all white outfits and really encourage neutral colors or pops of color. Consider your environment and what will work well with your surroundings. Don’t bring more than one outfit change or the time it takes to change will cut too much into the session. Accessories are also great ways to add variety including scarves, hats, cardigans, etc.
Keep in mind, depending on your location, you might have to change in your car.

Check out some wardrobe ideas on Pinterest. It can also be fun to bring items that tell your story like a picnic, bikes, your dog, records, coffee cups, or a banner that says “love” or “save the date.”

For brides to be:
Consider having your hair and makeup done professionally. This could be a great day to schedule a makeup and hair trial with the stylist you are using on your wedding day. I will also be taking close ups of your gorgeous ring on your finger. Why not treat yourself to a manicure! These ideas are absolutely not necessary, but I like to recommend them because how often do you have professional photos taken? Why not take advantage of this special time in your life and make yourself feel pampered and beautiful!

red rocks engagement photography

Where should we have our engagement photos taken?
There are so many amazing locations perfect for photography. I am happy to help you plan the best spot for you that fits your relationship and expresses your personality and style.

Ideas for great locations for engagement photography in Colorado:
Red Rocks, Mt Falcon, Lookout Mountain, Evergreen Lake, Garden of the Gods, Lost Gulch Overlook, the Botanic Garden, around the street art in RiNo, Highlands Ranch Mansion, City Park, Wash Park, Sandstone Ranch Park, and more.
*Please note some locations may require a photography permit or entrance fee.

Other places to consider:
Vineyard, orchard, farm, train station, beach, dock, ice skating rink, biergarten, etc.

What will be in bloom?
Some couples want photos with aspen trees, cherry blossoms or wildflowers. Consider the time of year that will work best for you.

Another idea is to choose some of your favorite spots:
The place you first met or a favorite cafe, restaurant, cupcake place, book store, etc.

Your don’t need to bring anything, but you may want to bring with you:
• picnic blanket (something with a very simple, neutral color) for some seated photos
• water bottle
• chapstick
• small mints (not gum)
• touch up makeup
• a hair brush (sometimes it can get windy!)
• a pair of sneakers. If we have to do a little hiking to get to scenic spots and you plan on wearing heels, a set of sneakers could really help. You can throw everything in a backpack or duffle and I can hold your bag while we shoot.

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To take a closer look at an engagement session, check out these links:

Red Rocks Engagement

Lookout Mountain Engagement

Aspen Engagement, Grottos Trail

Maxwell Falls Engagement, Aspens

Brainard Lake Engagement

RiNo Art District Engagement

Barr Lake Engagement

Wash Park Engagement

Kenosha Pass Engagement

Central Park Engagement, NYC 

Duke Gardens, North Carolina

Mt Falcon Elopement

Cherry Blossom Engagement

Garden of the Gods Engagement

If you have any questions, please ask. I want your session to be great!

This post has been updated many times. Most recently, in January 2024.

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A mini-engagement session is a great way to meet your photographer and get some nice photos before the wedding day. A mini session is usually 20 minutes and takes place in the North Denver area. This mini engagement session took place in Central Park with a view of the mountains.

Most commonly, an engagement session will last for one hour, will be at the location of your choice, and will include photos taken in two different outfits and a bit more planning. 

Hannah and Davis already had professional engagement photos taken in their home state. But I wanted the chance to work with them before the big day, so we planned a mini-session during one of their visits.

Our session was casual and stress-free and focused on going through some simple direction to show them what to expect on the wedding day. We did some fun poses, candid-style, traditional looking at the camera, romantic, laughing, close-ups, wide shots, and even a couple silhouette photos with the sunset. We were lucky to get a day with a beautiful sky!

It was winter and chilly so they kept the jackets on and leaned into a Colorado hiking vibe.

Hannah shares, “Colorado is the place that we met, a place that we love. Like most people in Colorado we love it because of the outdoors and the environment. It was fun to have the opportunity to spend a little time and take some photos with Jess. Since we don’t live in Colorado, the mini session was a perfect fit and Jess did a terrific job!”

Congratulations to Hannah and Davis!

Click here to check out another mini-engagement session at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.

Are you considering planning a full engagement session? Check out my blog post “How to Plan Your Colorado Engagement Session” with lots of tips!

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I met Katie and John on a beautiful September morning at the Duke Gardens in Durham, North Carolina, for their engagement session. 

Katie shares, “Our story began years ago when we both attended Small World Preschool in Burlington, Iowa. Little did we know, our paths would cross again many years later. I moved to Iowa City with my family during high school, went to Pittsburgh for college, and then moved to New York City to pursue my professional dance career. John grew up in Burlington and moved to Iowa City for undergrad and medical school. In 2020, COVID hit and I moved back home to Iowa City. In December of 2020, my younger brother (also named John) ran into John at the U of I hospital while they were working. My mom suggested that I reach out to John and reconnect, knowing we were both in Iowa City. I finally got the courage to make the move and messaged John on Facebook asking him out for a drink.

Almost 2 years later, we made the move to Durham, NC, where John started his residency at UNC in ENT. One of our favorite things to do in North Carolina is to visit and explore Asheville, with our dog, Lady, of course! On one of our trips, John got down on one knee at the base of a waterfall during a hike.”

And the rest is history!

Duke Gardens, engagement photography

Katie was my son’s babysitter in New York City in 2017-2018, and we have stayed in touch. I’m so excited to celebrate this special time with her and John and photograph their wedding! Katie and John will be getting married in Asheville on May 11, 2024, at the Biltmore. Happy engagement, you two!

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