Your engagement session isn’t just a 60 minute photoshoot – it’s a once in a lifetime experience to savor this season and celebrate your unique relationship.
So before we dive into planning your ultimate date night, I just want to say congratulations! I am genuinely so excited for you – being engaged is such a unique and exciting season! I remember exactly how I felt when my husband finally proposed and I have butterflies for you! So, now it’s time to celebrate with your engagement photos, but you don’t want typical engagement photos right? Of course not! So in this post, you’ll find some of my favorite unique engagement session ideas to inspire you for yours!
Planning Your Unique Engagement Session
I know alongside the excitement comes the reality of planning and sometimes overwhelm. I’m here to tell you that taking your engagement photos should not be overwhelming. Your engagement session isn’t just about creating photos to use for your save the dates, it’s about making real memories with one another and soaking in the reality of this once in a lifetime season. Of course you’ll get beautiful photos with your fiancé(e), but you deserve so much more than just pretty photos!
Turning Your Engagement Session Into A Date Night Experience
Your engagement session should be an unforgettable and truly enjoyable experience filled with your favorite things and new adventures. I encourage my couples, and you, to dream far beyond a 60 minute session. Imagine renting a log cabin in Estes Park for a romantic weekend getaway where you explore the historic Stanley Hotel and experience Rocky Mountain National Park for the first time together, instead of just meeting at a park for 60 minutes and calling it good. Maybe you’re drawn to chic, urban scenery so you rent out your favorite local speakeasy for a private experience then hit Union Station just as the sun is setting and the vibrant neon sign comes to life. Or… you have a Scrabble game night with your beloved pup in your camper you renovated together before ending with breakfast for dinner at your local Waffle House.
So, take a few moments together to reflect on what makes your relationship unique and read through the rest of this post for an abundance of unique engagement session ideas!
P.s. Once you’ve been inspired about what you’ll do for your session, check out my fashion guide for your engagement session outfit inspiration!
How to Plan Your Unique Engagement Session
While I am an avid Pinterest user and even create a private board with all of my couples, I want you to dig deeper than recreating photos you’ve already seen. Visual inspiration is a great way to start dreaming, but the best inspiration comes from your unique story that no one else has.
When planning your unique engagement session, I ask all of my couples to tell me about themselves in detail: what they each individually enjoy to do, where their first date was, what a typical week night looks like, what an all-out date night entails, some of their most memorable experiences they’ve shared, how they got engaged, if there are any locations that are sentimental to them, and more. All of these questions help me get to know you on a more personal level and design an engagement session that is uniquely yours.
Whether or not I’m your photographer, I encourage you to take time to chat with each other about how you want to spend your session, what these images mean to you, and what you hope to walk away saying and feeling! Here are some questions to get you started:
- Do you want to go on a new adventure together?
- Do you want to explore sentimental locations and relive our story?
- Do you want to spend the day hiking in the Rocky Mountains or sipping cocktails at a rooftop bar? Or both?
- Do you want to include your fur babies?
- Do you want to do an activity like kayaking or getting tattoos?
- Do you want a simple, slow picnic in a field of wildflowers?
- How far do you want to travel to and from your session?
- What season do you want to take your photos during?
Chic Engagement Photos in Downtown Denver
If you have a favorite cocktail bar, or one you’ve been wanting to try, you can start or end your session grabbing your favorite drinks and dancing on the bar’s rooftop! We can even call ahead to request early access for a private and elevated experience. Check out this Union Station Engagement Session for inspiration!
Pro tip: please make sure you or your photographer call ahead before your session for permission to photograph in local establishments.
Ice Cream Date Engagement Photos
If you’ve shared many waffle cones and sugary kisses at Ben and Jerry’s, let’s go back like Jenae and Kyle did! These two chose to stay local for their session and relive their love story by hitting all of the most sentimental locations in Fort Collins, like their secret swimming spot at Horsetooth Reservoir!
Adventurous Engagement Photos in Rocky Mountain National Park
If you thrive in the outdoors, appreciate mountain views, and really want your session to be an adventure to remember – let’s go hiking! One of my favorite adventurous engagement session locations in Colorado is Rocky Mountain National Park! From vast meadows and alpine lakes to lava cliffs and majestic wildlife, adventuring in Rocky is an experience you’ll never forget.
Make sure to check with your photographer what the logistics or limitations of their hiking engagement sessions may be and what it looks like to do one, including the best time of year, day, gear to bring, and what to wear. For information on Colorado Photography Permits for some of the most beautiful engagement session locations, check out my guide here.
Diner Engagement Photos
After a day of exploring the city, you can end the night at your local diner where you’ve shared many late night waffles and laughs before. For Andy and Martha, diners are a regular date night spot and they wanted to capture their story at the Waffle House they’ve been going to together for over 10 years! To read all about their Waffle House Engagement Session, click here!
Other Unique Engagement Session Ideas
Your engagement photos can and should include your favorite things! And your session can look however you want it to – dressy, casual, adventurous, or on the town. Here are a few other ideas to help you dream about what your session can look like!
- Canoeing, kayaking, or paddle boarding
- Grab your favorite cup of coffee downtown
- Rent a boat for the evening
- Rent an indoor studio
- Cook/bake together in your home
- Include a vehicle like a camper van, vintage car, or limo
- Grab a bite to eat at your favorite local spot
- Get matching tattoos
- Rent a hotel room in the city for the night
Colorado Wedding Photographer
There are truly endless options and as a Colorado wedding photographer, I love getting to know my couples personally to turn your engagement session dreams into a vivid reality. Hi, I’m Logan! A Colorado Wedding Photographer who is first and foremost dedicated to providing you with a seamless experience and embracing your extravagant dreams with you. If you’re not looking for a traditional photoshoot, but rather an unforgettable experience tailored to your unique story, let’s chat!
