Engagements

10 Engagement Session Location Ideas Close to Denver

As a Colorado based wedding, elopement and engagement photographer with 7 years of experience, I've had the pleasure of shooting at many of the ridiculously beautiful areas this state has to offer - a lot of them located right outside of Denver! I feel like us front range folks are extremely spoiled, given that there are some epic hikes with grande vistas as close as 35 minutes away (or less), which is what I'm aiming to share with you all. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg - there are literally a million other spots that would make for some great engagement photos, but these are some of my favorites!

Red Rocks has so many hidden gems - this hike being one of them! This is a 26 pic-stitch image we did with Daisy and Brett!

10. Red Rocks, Morrison, CO

Well if you haven't heard of Red Rocks it's because you haven't been to a concert there, or you live under a rock, both of which need to be remedied ASAP! Red Rocks has a ton of really great areas for engagement photos, family photos, couples sessions, you name it. There are spots where you can just pull of the street and hop out for a quick photo op, or you can hike one of the many trails they have through out the park for a more off the beaten path experience!

Trinity and Peter embracing in front of the flatirons during their Chautauqua Engagement Session.

9. Chautauqua, Boulder, CO

Chautauqua is an amazing spot for adventurous engagement photos, given that in most of your photos you'll have the flatirons jutting out in the background in all their slanted sandstone glory. One thing I always recommend is for clients to opt for a sunrise session here, as it can get so crowded people end up having to park at the high school down the street. It can be a little bit of an uphill trek as you venture towards the first and second flatiron, but it's short and totally worth it!

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8. Rino Neighborhood, Denver, CO

If you don't feel like leaving Denver at all, period, and are hoping for more of a city feel, then Rino is a great choice for you. The mural above no longer exists, but it was replaced by an even funkier one, which is kind of the beauty of this area - it's constantly changing and surprising me! I recommend parking somewhere Larimer and 27th and just walking around - definitely make sure to dip into all the alleys!

Ted and Rachel embracing outside of Garden of the Gods!

7. Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO

If you are located in Colorado Springs, then this gem is in your neck of the woods. It's not a terrible drive from Denver, and if you're like me you could kill two birds with one stone and check out the outlets in Castle Rock on your way there or on the way back!

Michelle & Dain at their Lost Gulch Overlook engagement session near Boulder, Colorado.

6. Lost Gulch Overlook, Boulder, CO

This is another Boulder gem and so worth the views! The perks to this spot are endless - great vistas of both the city and the mountains, 35 minutes away from Denver, and you can seriously pull right up to this spot - there's very minimal hiking involved. In fact, it's more like...light rock scrambling. The cons? During the summer, forget about having an engagement session here in the late afternoon - it's crawling with people. Another con is that it's almost always windy, which can make for some great intimate engagement photos, but can also cause some crazy hair and wardrobe malfunctions. I personally love the wind and think it just makes for a fun session overall. My personal recommendation? Shoot here in the early morning to avoid crazy weather and peeping toms!

Britnee and Alex eloped in Corwina, about 35 minutes from Denver. Its a tough hike to the top but totally worth the views!

5. Corwina, Morrison, CO

I'm cheating a little here, as the photo above is actually an elopement and not an engagement session, but you get the idea. This hike was one of my FAVORITES to do while I was pregnant with my daughter, Luna. It's an out and back hike to Panorama Point, and although it's short (a little over 2 miles), it's steep, especially when getting close to the top. It can also be a bit confusing, for a couple of reasons. The first is because there are two entrances to this park - a lot of folks will hit up the first Corwina entrance off highway 74, but it's actually the second if you want a shorter, more direct route. Another reason is because at one point, the trail intersects with a biking trail from Lair O' The Bear, so some hikers can get confused, but eventually you come to a T in the trail and you realize that if you want to see some views, you'll have work a little harder and hike up. Aren't afraid of sweating and up for a challenge that's worth it? Contact me to schedule a shoot!

Daisy and Brett during their Three Sister engagement session outside of Evergreen Colorado!

4. Three Sisters Aldefer, Evergreen, CO

I love this park so much I had my own wedding photos taken here. There are 15 miles of trails, all ranging in different levels of difficulty, with beautiful rolling hills and rock outcroppings everywhere you turn. I recommend starting in the second parking lot, or the west trailhead, as it provides a more direct route to some beautiful meadows and epic views!

Betsy and Connor during peak wildflower season at the base of Mount Sanitas.

3. Mount Sanitas, Boulder, CO

This was a more recent discovery of mine, thanks to a client, and I'm so glad I shot here! If you are looking for wildflowers for your engagement session, but don't want to drive all the way into the mountains, this is the spot. I shot here last July and the flowers were in full bloom. What's nice about this hike is that if you want to stay near the trailhead, you definitely can and still get some phenomenal shots. On the other hand, if you are feeling adventurous, you can hike the Sanitas Valley Loop Trail (which is a little over 3 miles) and have a hand at capturing some gorgeous vistas at the top for your clients. Be warned though, it is a pretty steep loop, so bring water and stay hydrated!

Didi and Mauri during Fall at Kenosha Pass. Kenosha pass is a great spot for Fall engagement photos! Love this area so much!

2. Kenosha Pass, Park County, CO

So Kenosha is a little further from Denver than the other locations in this post, but it's so worth it - especially in the fall! The leaves here start changing early to mid September and it's so incredibly gorgeous and worth the drive.

Nicole and Jamie dancing slowly during sunrise on Mount Falcon. The views in this field are gorgeous!

1. Mount Falcon, Indian Hills, CO

Mount Falcon is one of my favorite spots for engagement photos, and one that I frequent a lot. It's popular among couples, given that it's about 35 minutes from Denver, and all things considered, it's a pretty mellow hike. One thing to remember is that there are two trailheads to Mount Falcon - the east side, which starts out steep right off the bat, or the west trailhead, which is my personal favorite because you skip all the hard stuff and start right at the top. Both are absolutely gorgeous and offer amazing vistas of the mountains and the city, but one will leave you considerably more sweaty, so for photo purposes I recommend the west trailhead (plus, its a quicker route to the castle ruins - yes, castle ruins!)


Interested  in having your engagement session in one of these spots? Don't hesitate to reach out!

Trinity and Peter - Chautauqua Engagement Session - Boulder, Colorado

2018 has been quite a busy year so far - starting with this awesome Chautauqua engagement session! Trinity and Peter grew up in Colorado, but Trinity recently relocated to Texas for work. When they got in touch with me, I knew that we had to act fast, because she wasn’t going to be in town very long.

We ended up meeting on January 2nd, and of course it was super cold - but that’s ok, because I always think that adds to the intimacy (i mean, no one wants to hug/be cuddly when they are sweating, ya know?) so it all worked out. Despite the blistering cold (it was like 20ish degrees, probably colder when the sun ducked behind the clouds!), it seemed as though we had most of the park to ourselves - which is another awesome thing about Colorado - there are so many amazing hikes within an hour (or less) of Denver/Boulder, so a lot of the time you feel like you’re really getting off the grid. We hiked around the base of the Flatirons, and they were incredibly laid back and easy going about doing all kinds of things, like dancing around in an open field and sitting in the snow for me!

Chautauqua is one of my favorite places to photograph because it’s seriously not hard to find a picturesque spot. Even when you take photos with the city of Boulder in the background, you end up having a gorgeous scene. A lot of my Colorado engagement sessions are like this - beauty everywhere you look. I love when couples are willing to hike up a mountain for some epic backdrops - it makes my job, as it if wasn’t already a blast, all the more fun. I’m looking forward to capturing more engagements and elopements in the amazing-ness that is Colorado!

 

Trinity and Peter flew in from Houston to have their Chautauqua Hiking Engagement session. They were such troopers about the cold! There was snow on the ground and it was the day after New Years. 
Trinity and Peter dancing in the foothills of Colorado during their Chautauqua Engagement Session.
Trinity and Peter during their Colorado hiking engagement session. I love the flatirons in the background of this image!
Trinity and Peter walking towards the flatirons during their Chautauqua engagement adventure session. It was super cold to a lot of embracing was a must!
Trinity and Peter dancing in front of the flatirons during their Chautauqua engagement session. They came in from Houston to have a hiking portrait session and we had a blast, despite the bitter cold!
Trinity and Peter kissing at the base of the flatirons during their Chautauqua engagement session. Trinity's ring was a unique stone, a sapphire, which I love!
Trinity and Peter dancing at the base of the flatirons during their Chautauqua Couples Portrait session. 
Trinity and Peter sharing an intimate kiss during their couples adventure session at Chautauqua in Boulder, Colorado.
Trinity and Peter walking hand in hand during their Boulder Engagement Session in Chautauqua.
Trinity and Peter walking hand in hand during their Chautauqua adventure winter session. We did a bit of hiking and they were such troopers about it, considering the fact that it was so cold!
Trinity and Peter sharing an intimate kiss at the base of the flatirons during their Chautauqua Engagement Session. 
A close up of Trinity and Peter embracing on the left, and them swaying softly on the right. We got together the day after New Years for a fun outdoor engagement session at Chautauqua in Boulder, Colorado.
Peter hugging Trinity during their snowy engagement session in Boulder, Colorado. We met in Chautauqua for some fun hiking in the snow photos.
Trinity leaning on Peter during their snowy engagement session in Chautauqua, which is located in Boulder. They flew in from Houston to have some fun in the snow for their couples portraits!
Trinity embracing Peter during their snowy engagement session outside of Boulder, Colorado in Chautauqua.
Trinity and Peter hugging in the snow during their snowy engagement session. We went to Chautauqua and spent the afternoon hiking around for their couples portraits!
A close up of Trinity's hand, which has her light blue sapphire engagement ring. 
Trinity and Peter snuggling on the snow. They came to Colorado because, although they both used to live here, Trinity had recently moved to Houston for work so they decided to have an engagement session while they were out there for the holidays!
Trinity and Peter embracing as I zoom in on Trinity's gorgeous sapphire engagement ring.
Trinity and Peter during their hiking engagement session at Chautauqua in Boulder, Colorado.
Trinity and Peter embracing. You can see Boulder in the background, as they decided to have their engagement session at Chautauqua during the holidays!

On My Speakers: Elton John playlist on Spotify. It's a throwback kind of day!