Mt. Rainier Engagement IN WASHINGTON

Garrett & Val

Garret and I go way back all the way to high school! After graduating and going to college, that's where he met Val and it was a beautiful connection. Fast forward and they are officially engaged and have reached out to me to photograph their wedding. I couldn't have been more thrilled. They booked me at my highest wedding package, which includes an engagement session ANYWHERE in the U.S. Naturally with a decision this big, it's tough to decide where exactly you should go, I mean there are so many options. Coincidentally, Garret & Val mentioned they would be taking a vacation in Washington but it just so happened to be during one of my busiest months of the year.. September. Fear not though, because of some miracle our timelines matched up for me to be able to fly out to Washington for 24 hours to capture their gorgeous engagement session at Mt. Rainier.

Mt. rainier washington engagement

Mt. Rainier National Park is just what people say it is... absolutely and utterly beautiful. You are surrounded by all of this nature, greenery, mountains and lakes that really made it the perfect engagement session location for Garrett & Val. Thanks to AllTrails I was able to find some of the perfect trails and tracks for us to follow to get some of the prettiest views. Seriously would recommend using a trail guide for excursions like this! This specific hike that we took shouldn't have been difficult as it was but man oh man... does it remind me that I need to stay in shape. As a destination elopement photographer you have to prepared for just about anything and this hike in Mt. Rainier proved that. Despite the semi-difficult trail we had to follow, let me tell you that the views & scenery made it all worth it.

One of my favorite parts about doing adventure engagement sessions like this is how much fun and how creative we can get. While of course I let my couples choose what they feel comfortable doing with during their session, it's always fun when you get a couple that is down to have some fun. Once we arrived at one of the lakes on the Mt. Rainier trail I had kindly asked if Garrett & Val would take their shoes off and dip their toes in the water. A big ask might I add, but they were willingly able to brave through the frigid waters and have a little bit of fun. We enjoyed our time on Mt. Rainier so much, that we had even prepared our session by bringing along some beers! While I don't call myself a beer drinker, my cider that I brought as a substitute worked just the same. We drank it on the way down and it was just as blissful as the walk up.

starry night photos

As we were walking down, the sun was pretty much gone at this point. It was then that a bright idea hit me... starry night photos. We were in the mountains and it seemed like the PERFECT time to ask Garrett & Val if this is something that they would be up for. Naturally of course... they said yes! In order to capture these perfectly, you really need to have it be very dark outside. We headed back to the car to hang out as the sun set even more for us to get some crazy cool night shots (thanks to my trusty flash). After about an hour or so, we figured now is as better a time than ever to start. However we definitely underestimated the sunset and how long it would take to be completely dark. Surprisingly enough, the mountains were blocking the left over sunlight that was still in the sky so when we began taking photos the mountains surrounding us were naturally lit up. It was one of the coolest things I have ever seen in my life and honestly I feel like it made their photos turn out THAT much better.

It was such an amazing time being able to be there for Garret & Val during this monumental time in their life. This is probably one of the first times I had done a real session in a national park and I feel honored to have done it with G&V. Congratulations on the engagement and I am so excited for their wedding next year!

If you loved this Mt. Rainier Washington Engagement, then you're going to love this Hocking Hills Winter Engagement.

Photos By Gayle does more than just take photos of people. Rather, it is capturing moments of LOVE and HAPPINESS. Singing to the skies, dancing in a field, smiles that hurt because they’re so big. There is nothing else I would rather be doing than photographing these unique details that make you and your significant other a couple. If Garrett & Val's photoshoot puts a spark in you, you know where to click <——— right there!