Cliff Lodge was such an amazing wedding venue! The staff was very accommodating and provided everything from hair and makeup to the wedding cake! We did the first look on the panoramic balcony at the Aerie restaurant (also where the rehearsal dinner was held). The ceremony then took place just outside the two-story Golden Cliff room where the reception was held. Cocktail hour was just outside the main reception area. This where the bride sabered a bottle of Dom Perignon. This was not just a bottle of Dom but the 2006 Lady Gaga rosé edition. She pulled it off effortlessly!

Dinner, drinks, speeches and dancing was then held inside the two-story Golden Cliff wedding reception room with beautiful design by Harvest Moon Events. There was even a photobooth provided by Big Shot Photo Group! Dj Erick Miner threw down on the dancefloor with a lively, personalized set even featuring video from the bride on his DJ video monitor. After the couple did a cold sparks exit, we all headed up to the Cliff Lodge Spa pool where the couple jumped in the pool! Cliff Lodge at Snowbird was such an amazing wedding venue, I can’t wait to come back!

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

What’s better than choosing the beautiful Stanley Lake in Stanley, Idaho to elope, cut the cake & exchange vows with the love of your life? Although I’m a wedding photographer based in Salt Lake City, I will gladly travel for a wedding, elopement or even engagement session especially if I’m able to take photos in beautiful locations like this!

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 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!

Located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, Liberty Park houses 80 acres of green grass, sports facilities, water features and a stunning Aviary. On the weekends Tracy Aviary is not only a large zoo featuring a wide array of different avian species from around the world, it is also a wedding venue. Built in 1852, and located inside the Tracy Aviary, Chase Mill is the oldest industrial building in Utah featuring a beautiful below-ground circular amphitheater and surrounded by luscious gardens perfect for a summer wedding.

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

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.

Weddings Can be stressful. Sometimes when planning a wedding it feels like there are a million different moving parts ranging from bridal party attire, venue availability, guest seating, etc. What if instead you had a more relaxed backyard wedding with living room furniture instead of a more traditional wedding?

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?

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

Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT

Wendover, UT