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!

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.

It was a moody overcast day in Ogden, Utah. Rain was in the forecast all day and the wedding ceremony was set to start around noon. As I drove up north to Ogden from Salt Lake, I couldn’t help but worry that we might see some raindrops.

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.

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.

North Mountain Regional Park, AZ

Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT

Wendover, UT