Two Brides Sunset Fall Elopement in Provo Canyon - They really wanted a scenic, mountainous backdrop, so we scoured AllTrails looking for the best location in the Wasatch Mountains. We settled on Provo Canyon just outside of Orem, Utah for the elopement spot. It was an absolute dream!

Fairytale Picnic Engagement Session at Big Springs Park in Provo Canyon

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!

By Jordan Varela - Utah Wedding Photographer

We’re back at Little Dell Reservoir in Emigration Canyon for a lovely engagement session filled with white snow and gorgeous Wasatch mountains! Right in between Salt Lake City & Park City Utah, Little Dell is a fantastic option to get your engagement photos done for your wedding. Especially in the winter! Utah was gifted with so much snow this year, we had to get creative with this engagement session.

Jessica, Tyler & I snowshoed from the parking lot down the ramp to get to even ground. Once we found a solid spot, I patted down the snow to make sure that slipping through the snow was minimal. How many wedding photographers do you know that will go to such lengths for their clients? Ha!

Once they kicked off their snowshoes (I kept mine on) we were off to the races! They were absolutely stunning on this cold & overcast day. The Wasatch Mountains were absolutely gorgeous and were a great reminder of why I moved to Utah! I am truly blessed to be a wedding photographer in such a scenic and beautiful state!

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!

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!

In early June I received a inquiry from Harlee & Alan about doing a just-for-fun session at the Salt Flats in Wendover Utah. Usually when a couple reaches out for a session that is so far away from Salt Lake City, it’s usually for a wedding or engagement session. From the beginning I was very excited for this session as this was their first time visiting the Salt Flats. When we met up near Wendover the couple informed me that they traveled over 7 hours from Reno, Nevada! This was quite the honor and now the new record to beat! We got a hazy day at the Salt Flats that resulted in an amazingly beautiful sunset. Harlee wore a flowy black dress that couldn’t have been more perfect for the very windy Salt Flats. The Salt Flats are truly magical

Have you ever been to a ski resort in the summer? Alta is one of my favorite places to ski and turns out, it’s a fantastic location for photoshoots in the summer.

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.

Parking Garage Wedding Engagement Shoot At Exchange Place Downtown Salt Lake City, Utah

When you normally think of parking garages not the best thoughts come to mind. Would you ever imagine a parking garage to be an incredible location to do a wedding engagement session? Especially with all the competition of amazing photo locations near Salt Lake City such as the Great Saltair, the Salt Flats, Park City, Antelope Island, and Big & Little Cottonwood Canyons who would’ve thought that an urban parking deck session at Exchange Place with a backdrop of skyscrapers would hold its own?

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.

Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT

Wendover, UT