Fairytale Picnic Engagement Session at Big Springs Park in Provo Canyon

What a day. I headed down to Moab, Utah just after the new year to capture a surprise photo proposal in one of the most iconic locations in the world… Arches National Park. These two were traveling from the south hitting up all of the national parks in Utah during the off-season.

Photographing and capturing a wedding proposal might be the most rewarding and exhilarating part of being an engagement & wedding photographer. Weddings are very fast-paced and are always rewarding, but nothing is quite like helping guide someone to propose and ask the biggest question of their lives. I mean its kinda crazy. You are conspiring with a stranger to completely fool their best friend haha!

Antelope Island is one of my favorite locations to photograph engagement sessions, bridals, and elopements. It’s such a beautiful location that is so unique, especially considering its proximity to the Wasatch Mountains. There are beaches, bison, and jagged rock formations. With only an hour drive from Salt Lake City, I am always excited to head out to these beaches on the Great Salt Lake. Also if we ride in the same car, we can get in for free with my photographer’s pass!

She said yes! This week we’re back at the salt flats with Alex & Aiden bringing some good news! Alex contacted me looking to surprise his girlfriend with a meaningful wedding proposal at the Bonneville Salt Flats while they were on a road trip through Utah. Prospective proposers - be like Alex & hire a proposal photographer! Your proposee will appreciate it :)

We had a plan set up where I was to act like I was a random photographer taking photos of the beautiful salt flats alone while Alex was to approach me asking to take a photo of them with his phone. I would then proceed to ask if I could take a pic of them with my camera doing a cool pose I saw online. Alex would then get down on one knee and ask her to marry him. I must say the plan went off without a hitch! - At least not yet wink wink

Once the dust settled we proceeded to have a wonderful engagement session. One of the perks of being a wedding photographer and engagement photographer is that you get to see your clients at their happiest, and this day was no exception! There is nothing like the feeling after getting engaged (I can vouch) and heaving an engagement photographer there to capture that pure joy is such a great idea. Especially at an incredibly beautiful location like the Salt Flats.

The ground at the salt flats was still wet from the crazy amount of rain we got in Utah this year. This allowed for a pool of water to collect where we were able to get stunning reflection photos. We were also gifted with a truly magical salt flats sunset. How are they always so good here?!? If you’re wanting to make some magic out here, you know who to call!

Located about 42 miles from Salt Lake City, Antelope Island is one of Utah’s hidden gems for a wedding photographer. From the moment you enter the causeway, you see the great expanse of the Great Salt Lake with views reminiscent of the Bonneville Salt Flats with half the drive time! On this particular afternoon, the sky was overcast and the air was quite chilly. London & McKay opted to dress in denim & low cut Chuck Taylor Converses. I absolutely loved the look of the denim and black Chuck T’s against the wispy brown vegetation & rocks at Antelope Island. I highly encourage couple’s to dress down like this for their next engagement session! Save the formal look for your wedding day! Overall we had a fantastic session and I can’t wait to go back to Antelope Island for another engagement session to explore all of its stunning features!

In between Salt Lake City & Park City, Utah, Little Dell Reservoir is a hidden gem. A giant water reservoir overlooked by Emigration Canyon, Little Dell Reservoir is a hotspot for winter activities such as cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling - wedding engagement sessions not so much. Unless your photographer brings snowshoes!

Located in downtown Salt Lake City underneath Café Molise, BTG is a wine bar with incredible interior decor. I was approached by a couple to do an engagement session here and was blown away by how photogenic it was. Featuring a wide array of wines from around the world, BTG is filled with wine bottles. We utilized the bar, booths, & wine cellar tasting room. After we had fun in BTG, we moved outside to get some great downtown Salt Lake sidewalk shots. Since this shoot, I have been to BTG & Café Molise many times! Sometimes it pays off to be a wedding photographer as your clients show you some of the best places in the city!

With just a week’s notice, Talia & Max reached out to me in hopes of securing a last-minute time slot to be able to achieve their dream of doing a wedding engagement session in a lavender field, however all of the desirable afternoon slots were already taken. Therefore we opted to go for a 6am start time and were greeted with an absolutely stunning sunrise. Their love and passion was electric throughout the lavender fields despite the early morning commute.

Located near Park City, Utah, Guardsman Pass is a seasonal road that connects Park City in one direction to Heber City and Midway (through Wasatch State Park), and in another direction to Solitude and Brighton Ski Resorts. This road opens when the snow melts in the spring and is open until usually November. In the fall, this location provides the perfect vista for fall leaves. Given that this shoot took place in early September, we were too early for autumn colors, but instead we were surprised with a beautiful pink and blue sunset against the backdrop of green aspens, which is photographer’s dream.

Moody Rainy Bridal Session At Jordan Pines in Big Cottonwood Canyon Salt Lake City Utah

I shot My Own Engagement Photos At The Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover, UT. Pink sky and purple mountains

The big day is finally here. The love of your life said yes and now you have face the mighty and intimidating camera. You hate taking pictures. You’ve always sucked at taking pictures. What do you do with your hands? What side is your good side? What if your smile is weird? How are you possibly going to be able to pose for an entire hour?

Fret not! These are common fears before your first photo session. If you’ve hired a pro, which I hope you have (check me out here if you haven’t :)), then you have nothing to worry about! Photographers know how to pose everyone from outgoing extroverts to camera-shy introverts. But if you’re still anxious about what to do, the check out these classic pose ideas for your engagement shoot that even you can’t mess up.

Wendover, UT