Colorado Locations - Engagement Photo Session
Should I do engagement photos?
YES! Absolutely! It’s such a wonderful opportunity to capture photographs of you and your love doing your favorite outdoor activities. Wedding photographs capture your wedding day and you guys in your fancy clothes. Engagement photos are a time to get some casual photographs in your everyday outfits in the mountains. It’s also a time to get photographs in your favorite mountain location that can’t be a part of your wedding day because of logistics.
How far in advance should you take engagement photos?
About two months after your proposal is a great time! Most engagements are about a year to a year and a half before the wedding day. Waiting just a little bit gives you time to just enjoy the new bling. I recommend taking your engagement photographs soon after your proposal so you can capture your engagement season of life!
How late is too late for engagement photos?
NEVER! If you’re not needing your engagement photographs for your save-the-dates, then anytime before your wedding you can have engagement photos taken. Getting engagement session photography is capturing you guys together as you are every day, so it’s always a good time to capture that!
What colors should you wear for engagement photos?
Ones that suit your personality! I recommend that you wear colors you love and feel great in! I just strongly recommend staying away from neon colors! We don’t want anything to take away from your beautiful faces. Remember, this shoot is about capturing your personalities - so if you’re not a high heels and ruffles kind of gal, this is not the time to wear a super frilly, fancy outfit. Do remember though that these photos are incredibly special, so make sure that you’ve put some thought into what you’re wearing is important.
ONE OUTFIT FOR THE ACTIVITY!
A little nicer than you might normally wear for that activity. If it’s an outdoor activity, be sure to consider the weather. It can make you feel more confident if you have your hair and makeup done.
ONE OUTFIT THAT'S A BIT MORE FORMAL!
Even if we are out in nature, pretend it’s a date night. I recommend girls in dresses, boys in pants and a collared shirt. Don’t be afraid of a suit and high heels!
WE'LL BE SHOWING OFF THAT RING!
It’s a good idea to have your nails done and have your ring cleaned.
ABSOLUTELY DO BRING:
Water
Beer
Snack
Comfortable Shoes
Special Mementos
Giggles
LET'S STEER CLEAR OF:
Big Logos
Stains
Neon
Characters
Spray Tan
Where should I take my engagement photos?
Colorado mountains! I love photographing couples in the mountains! We first narrow down the location by starting with what activity y’all want to do! Then we narrow down what locations fit well with that. So if you want to go sailing, we pick out all the locations that sailboats are located and pick one of those.
6 Top Colorado Locations for Engagement Session
Rocky Mountain National Park
If you’re looking for an adventure day, Rocky Mountain National Park is the perfect place to do that! We might as well make a day or an afternoon out of it! It’s such a big park, 265,769 acres to explore, I think we could make a day of it. Most of us are making a lifetime of it, it’s so huge. We could go hiking to an alpine lake then head up above the treeline for an epic sunset and picnic. If you’re wanting to get married in Rocky Mountain National Park, make sure to check out my Rocky Mountain National Park Wedding and Elopement Guide!
Chautauqua Park
It’s the most iconic park in Boulder! With great uninterrupted views of the mountains this park is the quintessential Boulder sound of music field of your dreams. The flatirons are right there in front of this huge field of tall grass blowing in the wind. It’s so beautiful! It’s also super easily accessible if you have limited abilities due to a recent injury but still want that great big mountain feeling.
St. Mary’s Glacier
This is a hiker location! If you want to go on a hike to an alpine lake, St. Mary’s Glacier might be the perfect spot for you! It’s about a mile in a half uphill so it’s not that bad but you might want to be prepared. There is a glacier up there too! Well, it is debated whether or not it’s technically classified as a glacier but no matter what, it’s a large white field of snow, year round for you to explore. It’s really pretty up there but recommend that you do sunrise if you want the place to yourself.
Red Rocks
I love photographing at Red Rocks park because of the rock formations and the love of music. So many couples want to capture photographs there because of their connection to the place and their love of rocks. It’s like you are stepping into Mars but only steps away from Denver. It’s a wonderful place to have an engagement photography session.
Brainard Lake
Let’s get into the mountains to the real fresh air and take a short hike around Brainard Lake. It’s a wonderful place to just be in nature. The view is spectacular and I just love the easy access in the summer. The road usually doesn’t open up till June because of snow. In 2021 it is doing timed entrances that you have to reserve in advance here. The good news about that is that there will be parking but I recommend a sunrise session here because of the crowds, it’s just that beautiful folks!
Lake Dillon
Beautiful Lake Dillon is the perfect huge lake for the sailboat bound windy couple who loves to be surrounded by peaks in the distance. It's a really accessible lake close to so many fabulous mountain towns like Breckenridge, Keystone, and Frisco surrounding the lake. Yeah, it’s a really big lake. I love photographing couples next to the lake or on the vistas enjoying the views. I wish we could all go take a dip but there’s now swimming in Lake Dillon. You can go sailing or canoeing if you wish, that would be so much fun!
What do you do with engagement photos?
Well, the first thing that comes to mind is Save the Dates! You can learn all about those here. Sending out your Save the Dates with photos of you guys having fun is a great way to share a little bit more about your relationship with your family and friends and get them excited about the celebration. My favorite thing is to get some large prints for hanging up around the house! You guys doing your favorite things in your favorite places, let’s enjoy that feeling every day!
Wanna book your engagement session with Ashleigh?
Head on over to the Contact page to inquire about an adventure session! If you're in love with one of the ideas above or if you want to explore even more ideas I’ve got some fantastic secret spots for us! We always Leave No Trace when we visit these amazing places to take in their beauty!