How to Create Space for Real Connection During Your Engagement Photoshoot From a Travel Wedding Photographer

Sep 24

There’s something sacred about the in-between moments. The sky soft with sunset, the silence before laughter breaks, the way two people become something else together under golden light. That’s what I chase during every engagement photoshoot, not just beautiful images, but the feeling of being fully present, wildly in love, and deeply seen. As a travel wedding photographer, I don’t just want to take photos. I want to give you an experience that lingers!

She laughs as he kisses her hand, both dressed in matching white tees and denim, framed by golden light and tall trees.

A quiet kiss on a wooden bench overlooking alpine cliffs—this engagement photoshoot felt like a love letter to the mountains.

Backs to the camera, the couple sits lakeside with arms around each other, soaking in the stillness of the water and the surrounding pines.

Locked in a golden hour kiss beneath cotton candy clouds and rugged peaks—moments like this are why I’ll never get over being a travel wedding photographer.

How It All Came Together During Their Engagement Photoshoot

He wraps her up from behind, pressing a kiss to her temple as she smiles with eyes closed, standing in a wildflower meadow that caught the last of the evening sun.

Laughing and slightly blurry, they run hand-in-hand down a forest path—pure joy in motion during their engagement photoshoot.

When I was in Salt Lake for a wedding, I texted my friend Owen on a whim: “Hey, got any cute friends who’d wanna adventure in the mountains with me?” One chaotic group chat later, I had a shoot lined up with Harry + Katia. They’d gotten engaged back in May; she was still living in San Diego at the time, and he was holding down life in Utah. A few months later, she made the move, and now they’re building this soft, sturdy life together in the mountains. We met up at Silver Lake with zero expectations, just the plan to explore, hang out, and see what unfolded.

A close-up of hands intertwined, caught mid-sway in the tall summer grass—no posing, just presence.

We met up just outside Salt Lake City. Tall trees, rocky little ledges, and the Wasatch Mountains just showing off in the background. The kind of place that makes you forget what you were stressed about five minutes ago.

The Intention Behind Every Click

Perched on a tree stump and tucked under birch branches, she leans into him mid-laugh while he sits calmly beside her—one of those candid captures I live for as a travel wedding photographer.

Wandering through the trees, they walk arm in arm, totally wrapped up in each other—an earthy and playful engagement photoshoot that felt more like a long, slow date.

A cozy moment mid-hike, where the couple leans into each other on a boulder surrounded by tall aspens—an intimate pause during their engagement photoshoot in the Utah mountains.

“We’re gonna be so awkward.” It's such a classic. Almost every couple says that. And every time, I smile, because I already know how this goes.

Awkwardness doesn’t stand a chance when you're climbing over rocks, chasing light through aspen trees, whispering dumb shit in each other’s ears because I told you to. When you're not being asked to perform, just to exist, everything softens. You lean in. You laugh. You become more you.

A grove of aspens just beginning to turn golden—the kind of place you stumble on during a scouting trip and immediately file away for future love stories.

She steps down from a massive granite rock as he reaches out to steady her, the two of them wrapped up in the kind of everyday magic that makes an engagement photoshoot unforgettable.

Walking side-by-side through a pine forest trail, she points to something up ahead—completely in sync and totally themselves.

Harry + Katia started off with nervous giggles, the “what do I do with my hands” energy. But within minutes, they were running around the lake, yelling through trees, belly laughing until they were gasping for breath. It wasn’t about “getting the shot.” It was about giving them room to just be fully and freely.

This is what I mean when I say I’m more than a photographer. I’m your third wheel. Your hype girl. The quiet observer who knows when to yell “HELL YEAH” and when to let you fall into silence together. I want you to feel held, not just directed. Because the prettiest photos in the world don’t mean a damn thing if you didn’t feel safe and seen while they were being taken.

Tips for Meaningful Engagement Photos in Utah From A Travel Wedding Photographer

On a wooden overlook with the mountains behind them, she reaches up to brush his cheek—one of those quiet little moments that make being a travel wedding photographer so meaningful.

With the forest rising tall behind them, the couple shares a kiss in the middle of a rocky mountain path—raw, real, and full of love.

Shot with motion blur and a whole lot of heart—he gently kisses her forehead as the trees whirl around them in this dreamy engagement photoshoot moment.

Utah has no shortage of jaw-dropping views, but the location is just the backdrop; you are the story. Here’s how to make your shoot feel personal and grounded:

Choose a place that feels like you: Don’t just chase views, go where you already love to be. The trail you hike on weekends. The lake where you picnicked last summer. The canyon you got lost in together.
Dress for movement, not perfection: Bring layers, textures, and things you can run, sit, and spin in. The best moments don’t happen when you’re adjusting your outfit, they happen in motion.
Add a personal touch: Bring your dog. Pack your favorite snacks. Play your song on a tiny speaker. The more “you” it is, the better it feels.
Don’t overthink it: Show up open. Embrace the wind, the dirt, the bugs. Utah is wild and beautiful, and so is your love.

Blurred in motion and laughing as they pass by the camera, these two bring playful energy to a peaceful lakeside scene.

Some favorite spots to consider:
- Silver Lake (Big Cottonwood Canyon)
- Bonneville Salt Flats (for something surreal and otherworldly)
- Moab + Dead Horse Point (if you’re down for a road trip and red rock magic)
- The Wasatch backcountry (for hidden gems and alpine glow)

Framed by evergreens and soft afternoon light, the couple catches each other's gaze with a mountain meadow stretching out behind them

Wandering hand-in-hand down a tree-lined trail, they blend right into the golden calm of the woods.

What I Want You to Remember

If you're here because you're planning a wedding, dreaming up an elopement, or just want photos that feel like you, this is your sign to stop worrying about what it's supposed to look like.

Let it be weird. Let it be windy. Let it be yours.

Captured mid-kiss, this couple wraps up in each other as they overlook a glassy alpine lake—sepia tones adding a timeless feel to their engagement photoshoot.

Nestled together on a giant rock beneath the pines, they lean into the quiet—the kind of moment that makes an engagement photoshoot feel more like a love story unfolding in real time.

They kiss mid-step with the mountains behind them and fingers interlaced—blurry, joyful, and fully in love.

When I started photographing couples, I thought I had to make everything look perfect, perfect lighting, stiff posing, perfect everything. But perfection is a lie, and honestly, a little boring. What I’ve learned over and over again is that what lasts isn’t the most polished photo. It’s the ones where you felt something real.

Whether I’m with you for a multi-day wedding or a quick evening session like this one, I’m here to help you remember. To breathe. To be. To laugh when your hair won’t cooperate or you trip over your own feet (me, constantly). Because the point isn’t to look like a magazine, the point is to look like you.

Framed by towering trees and golden meadows, this wide shot captures a couple in the middle of their travel wedding photographer adventure—documenting love far from home.

Let’s Make Something That Feels Like You For Your Engagement Photoshoot

Spinning into a kiss, caught in a dizzy blur of trees and motion—messy and real in all the best ways.

Tall evergreens stretch into the pastel sky—scenes like this make the perfect backdrop for an intentional engagement photoshoot.

Captured on a wooden boardwalk, they stroll hand-in-hand at sunset, full of post-laugh energy and completely in their element.

Harry + Katia, thank you for trusting me with your story, even if it started with a “sure, why not” in a group chat. You showed up fully. You laughed loudly. You let me see you for real. That’s everything.

And to you, reading this and dreaming up your own adventure: if you want an engagement session that feels less like a performance and more like a deep breath, I’m your girl. If you want a travel wedding photographer who’ll cry at your vows, sneak you snacks, and get barefoot on the dance floor with you, I’m already packing my bags. Also, when you book a wedding with me, you receive a complimentary engagement session! Reach out today, and let’s dream together.