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!

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!

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!

Hi! My name is Jordan Varela and I am a Utah wedding photographer based in Salt Lake City. While I enjoy all aspects of a wedding day as a wedding photographer, there are some special moments that are especially fun to capture behind the camera. Below are a few of my favorite moments to photograph at a wedding.

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!

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