When it comes to engagement sessions, sometimes a little adventurousness comes with the territory. That was definitely the case for Janie and Michael’s shoot! It’s not often that I venture out of Seattle to go to a snowy location, so I was pretty excited about this one. Luckily, you don’t have to go far outside of the city to see some gorgeous snow, but as I was looking for inspirational images, one scene really caught my eye. Now I just had to find it. All I knew was that it was a snowy waterfront location in Snoqualmie Pass with a crisp, clean view of the mountains, so I played detective on Google Maps in hopes of pinpointing it. I learned pretty quickly that this would be easier said than done.

Braving the Cold

I hit the road early enough to scout the location based on the information I got from Google. Once I arrived, I spent a good 45 minutes just trying to figure out how to access the lake without falling flat on my face since all the roads were blocked. (That was no small feat, let me tell you!) Thankfully, Janie and Michael soon showed up to help me out.

I knew I would need snow shoes and luckily for me, the couple brought some extras. When they walked up, I could see on Michael’s face that he was thinking, “What? Where is this woman taking us?” It all seemed kind of intimidating at first, but then he spotted a sign for a trail leading to a nearby pond. That’s when the coolest thing happened. When we got to the end of that path, we were greeted by the exact scene that I’d fallen in love with online! We were all pretty pumped that getting there didn’t require a serious hike.

We soon figured out that this picturesque site was called Gold Creek Pond Trail, so to all you photographers and couples out there who want to check it out, you’re welcome! It really is stunning, and I just know it’d look beautiful for summer sessions too. In fact, I’ll be heading back there once the weather gets warm!

A Session in the Snow

One thing that Janie had mentioned during our vision meeting was that it was really important to capture casual, playful images with their two-year-old pup, since that vibe really speaks to their relationship. With that in mind, I made sure that I stuck to a candid, cozy, and casual theme. While we were there, I even set up my GoPro camera to get some behind-the-scenes footage of this incredible shoot. You can check out that video here!

Janie did want to wear one nice formal outfit during the session, so she picked a navy blue maxi dress from my wardrobe collection that I offer free of charge to all my couples. Fortunately, it fit like a glove. What wasn’t so fortunate, however, was that poor Janie had to change right there in the wind and snow! Thank you, Janie, for being so adventurous! She’s such a trooper. My favorite part was when she just kept saying, “It’s all worth it for the picture!”

How Janie and Michael Met

So by now you’re probably wondering how these two met. As we walked to and from the pond, I learned a little more about their story. They had just celebrated two years together on New Year’s Eve. They originally met through work at the hospital, but Michael didn’t exactly leave the best first impression with Janie. Hey, it happens, right? The next time these two saw each other, though, things were a little different and they quickly became each other’s Mr. and Mrs. Right.

She mentioned to me how Michael was just so easy to be with and how he was also completely honest. She never had to play any games to figure out where they stood. We all smiled and talked about how this sort of thing always goes. When you know, you know! The pair became close really quickly, and within just two months, they’d already met each other’s parents. They all got along so well that their parents even started hanging out! Janie’s grandmother also loved Michael right away, and if you’re close with your grandma, you know how important that seal of approval can be. This level of comfort and love really showed during their engagement shoot and I was just happy that I could capture it!

These two and their adorable dog made such a lasting impression on me and I’m beyond excited to watch them say “I do” in June! Thanks again, Janie and Michael, for making this amazing session something I’ll never forget.