Seattle Engagement Photos at Carkeek Park
Seattle Engagement Photos at Carkeek Park
The couple behind these Seattle Engagement Photos:
When a painter and a pilates instructor get married it seriously makes for the best couple EVER! These two have been married over 3 years now and together for 13. WHAT!!! true love and amazing relationships do exist you guys (hope for all my single peeps!!) These two met me up at Carkeek Park in Seattle, Wa and explored on the beach with me, we saw a few spitting oysters (there's a name for them.. but i forgot it already, oh well, they were really cool) saw some children running around wild and free and laughed til we were all snorting, not just me! Then we headed over and explored in the woods, climbed some trees, walked across some roaring rivers on fallen trees (jk, they were more like creeks hehe) and made some magic. It was a cloudy day and while we were frolicking in the forest the sun decided to peep through the trees and give us the most beautiful glow of green and yellow. I was mesmerized. Anyway, enough about the beautiful nature that still has me speechless, scroll down to see the magic of these two. Also can we talk about hair goals for a second?! (not even fair to the rest of us)... anyways scroll down for hair envy, outfit inspiration and magic between two humans who love each other more than anyone.
What must you know for your Seattle engagement photos?
Heres a brief overview of the few things we will chat about in the rest of this blog!!
planning your engagement session
weather
outfit tips & tricks
best places to stay for your engagement session
how to choose your photographer
how to plan your Seattle elopement after your engagement!
Tips for your engagement photos in Seattle, Washington.
Seattle is one of the MOST beautiful and jaw dropping places you can ever dream of going especially for your engagement photos! So getting to do your engagement session here is a breath taking experience all together! There are so many spots all over Washington, that how are you ever supposed to choose where to go?! (I have a list of exact spots all over the state of Washington that I give to my couples planning their engagement or elopements! Inquire here to get that list and plan your session!). When it comes to your engagement session, there are a few things to think about to help prepare you for whatever may happen!
Time of Year: Washington state has some very different weather scenarios all throughout the state, from down pouring rain storms, to snow storms, to sand storms, so you have to be prepared and do your research for your specific area! Take the time of year into consideration when planning your engagement session in Washington, a lot of parks and trails close for different seasons. Also think about vacations and peak tourist seasons! Try to avoid the tourism at all costs so you’re not having to weave and bob around other people to get to the exact spot you want!
Be ready to get dirty! Most of Washington is completely different in terrain, it ranges from mountains, to waterfalls, to snowy villages, to deserts and sand dunes to rocky cliffsides, so you have to be prepared to get a little down and dirty wherever you go! Think about how much it rains in Washington, especially the closer you are to Seattle! So be prepared to get your shoes a little wet and muddy, and maybe don’t plan on wearing high heels!
Your outfits! The PNW is known for it’s moodiness, it’s deep green ferns and vines, its deep blue mountain hues and beautiful orange and pink sunsets! These are all things to consider when picking your outfit for your engagement session! Try to avoid the same colors are your surroundings! (ex: don’t wear green into the forest in Washington, and don’t wear deep blue in the mountains at sunset!). Think about complimentary colors to where you will be doing your photos, and think about what you feel confident and comfortable in!
Be yourself! Do not pick your location solely because it is a popular place on instagram or ‘famous’ pick it because it means something to you and your partner, or it’s been a bucket list location for years, or because you trust your photographer and they picked it out for you based on what they know about you!! (I send all my couples a VERY in-depth questionnaire that helps me get to know you guys on such a deep level, that if you did need help picking a location, I would be able to find the perfect one based on your answers!).
Best places to stay for your PNW engagement photos
Washington, like I said has so many freaking amazing places to stay and shoot at, and one idea for your engagement session is to shoot at an airbnb! Airbnb has become one of the most popular ways to travel, whether it’s a photographer hosting a retreat at one, or a couple looking for a weekend getaway, they have become the cool thing! I LOVE shooting in my couple’s homes, and a lot of couples want in home photos for their engagement session, but they are traveling or we are both traveling so it really is not doable. So I have found finding an airbnb that either resembles their home or imitates what their dream home is, is the next best thing! So here is a list of ideas for airbnbs for your engagement session all over the state of Washington!
These are only a few of the HUNDREDS I have found over the years and saved to share with my couples who decide to elope in Washington or do their engagement session here! Having a place to call ‘home’ when you are away from home can help make you feel more comfortable and feel more like yourself! This is also a great way for you and your photographer to have a common meeting ground to hang out, grab drinks or food before your shoot, and really bond if you haven’t already enough!
How to choose your Seattle engagement photographer.
Guys, this is SOOOO important, I cannot stress this enough!! Your engagement photos are most likely going to be the photos you send out to everyone to announce you are getting married or eloping! They are also going to be the photos you look at forever to remember that time of life when you were engaged and planning for your wedding/elopement and forever life together. You want and NEED these photos to be ones you love & cherish FOREVER. And a lot of that comes from the photographer you choose!! Right, but there are thousands of wedding photographers out there, I know, trust me! But here are a few ways you can find the perfect photographer for you!!
What type of colors are you drawn to? Do you like more light and airy, or are you drawn to darker and moodier colors or do you fall in love with the more colorful, true to life colors? When you buy paintings or artwork, what type of artwork are you buying? Look at the colors of your house and art, and clothes, see what colors you are drawn to the most! This is important, because a photographers editing is not going to change for just one session! So you need to make sure you find a photographer whose editing and colors are true to you and what you love, so that you are not asking them to change for you or so that you are not upset with the final photos!
Do you get along with their personality? This one is pretty self explanatory. Do not hire someone you do not want to hang out with! You are going to be spending your entire day with this person, so you want to make sure they are going to be a good fit for you and your partner, and someone you genuinely want to hang out with and be friends with! Not sure? Find them on instagram and watch their stories, most photographers post a lot of their personality and self on their stories and through their captions! You can find me here!
Do you love their posing and how they capture couples? If you do not look at their photos and go “wow I want to be in that photo and I love everything about it” then I challenge you to keep looking until you find the photographer that makes you feel that way!! You want to find someone who can compliment your personality and your body type, someone who can make you forget about your insecurities and make you feel so comfortable you hardly notice they exist!
WHEW! You got through that, and there is still SO MUCH more we could talk about when it comes to finding the perfect photographer for you, but at the end of the day, your gut will tell you!
so you got engaged. now what? How to plan your PNW elopement and find your PNW elopement photographer.
Ever imagine saying ‘I Do’ in front of the most gorgeous mountain ranges, or in a field of wild flowers cliffside the largest Volcano in the U.S or cliffside with water rushing below you? Well. then Washington is literally the place of your dreams to elope or get married in!! Washington has SO MUCH to offer, and that list of locations and airbnbs I gave you earlier comes in handy when planning your Wedding or Elopement! Did you know now a days a lot of intimate weddings and elopements happen at airbnbs? Or on the grounds of the airbnb? It is such a good way to include your friends and families or pets that you want to have on your special day there with you!
Getting married in Washington is a little different than getting engaged and the right photographer will be able to help make this such an easy planning season for you! Permits are required for weddings & elopements almost in every single national and state park! It is different for every single park, so finding a photographer who is confident in the legal side of elopements is best!! Find you a photographer who will happily call the park for you and help get you whatever permit is needed for your special day!
A few things to think about when planning your elopement in the PNW is to make sure you are okay with rain, getting dirty, and maybe a change of plans! Weather can be highly unpredictable and so it is always good to have a back up plan in case of rain, snow or trails being closed or park closures! Make sure you also find a dress that you feel comfortable enough in to hike and adventure, get a little wet and dirty! Here are a few of my favorite elopement dress designers that are perfect for EVERY bride!
Your elopement day should be 10000% all about YOU and your partner and YOUR love story, no one else and nothing else. It is so important to bring the right group of people together to make your day perfect and your photographer is a HUGE key to all of this!! If you are interested in eloping in Washington you can find more information about my Washington elopement packages here and you can fill out my contact form here!
Want to dive even deeper into planning your Seattle elopement?
