I met up with Jess + Jessica on a mountain in Colorado and asked if they wanted a pic with their dogs. Little did Jessica know I was there to take proposal photos!

While I snapped a “casual” pic of them, Jess got down on one knee and asked Jessica to marry her. I love how Jessica had to set her dog down when she realized what was happening! It was the CUTEST moment + I’m so honored to have captured it!

It was absolutely adorable how happy and surprised Jessica was, and we of course popped some champagne to celebrate! There’s nothing cuter than a picnic with some pups on top of a mountain. Add in chocolate, strawberries, flowers, and personalized glasses – it was the best way to commemorate such a beautiful occasion!

After the big moment was over, they changed into different outfits for a few more engagement photos. I just adored the chance to hang out and let these two show their goofy sides. Petition to include loaves of bread in more proposal photos, please!

As the lovely couple continued their hike, I grabbed a few more shots of them enjoying this time together. They were able to soak in the moment with their pups and I hung back to capture it all. 

Planning Your Proposal Photos

The moment you propose to the love of your life is obviously a HUGE one. A lot of couples say they barely remember their proposal because they were so nervous, shocked, or excited that they kind of blackout during it.

That’s just one reason why it’s so great to hire a professional photographer for your proposal! You’ll get high-quality pictures of one of the most important moments of your life. It’s a huge milestone in your love story, and you’ll probably want all that joy and love captured. And if you’re planning a mountain proposal, you get all the beautiful views and memories captured as well!

Three Outdoor Proposal Ideas

Let’s talk about 3 different ways you can set up your proposal to get professional photos of the moment!

1. Have a photographer completely hidden for the proposal! Make sure you know the space you’re proposing at and plan it all out beforehand. You probably won’t be able to hide a photographer in a super flat, empty field, for example!

This takes lots of prior communication. It helps to have a certain hand signal or sign that the photographer can look out for so that they know it’s about to happen!

2. If you’re hiking or are somewhere pretty, have a photographer set up at a certain spot and tell them to “ask if you want a photo taken together.” Make sure your partner won’t recognize the photographer of course! And as they’re taking the photo, you propose! This is what I did for Jess + Jessica’s mountain proposal.

3. Set up a “couples shoot” and propose during it! Set up a location + a cue with your photog before you get down on one knee. This might be better if you have a partner that you think will want to prepare or get ready before they have pictures taken.

After the proposal, you can do 100% fresh engagement photos in the moment and capture your emotions right after. This is what Jess planned for their engagement shoot and they both absolutely loved it. We spent the rest of the day celebrating!

There was so much joy and giddiness on both their faces, it was a blast to capture and definitely a day they’ll want to remember forever. They were so goofy and cute together and you could tell they were just so over the moon to be together. 

Congrats again and again to Jess + Jessica! I had so much fun with the two of you, and your sweet dogs. Happy engagement season!