When Rachel and John first contacted me about photographing their wedding this fall, they asked, “Oh – would you be willing to travel to a destination for an engagement session?” The answer to that question is always a resounding yes. So, as a surprise to their family and friends, Rachel, John, Jess, and I all flew out to Zion National Park one weekend in December. We met up the night before in a little town in Utah for some delicious tacos and drinks, and then went back to our hotels to get some sleep before the day of the shoot. That morning, we woke up in the pitch darkness and drove the hour and a half into Zion National Park. We parked at the trailhead while it was still dark, and hiked up to the most beautiful overlook with headlamps and flashlights. We arrived just as the sky was beginning to lighten, and we all had to stop a minute just to take in the spectacular view of Zion Canyon at sunrise.

Rachel and John wrote each other lovely letters and read them to one another on the cliff side. It was bitterly cold – there was still frost and ice on the ground and it was very, very windy. But Rachel and John just snuggled together and never once complained. After sunrise, we hiked back down, and even got blockaded by some curious mountain goats at one point! We made a pit stop at the Zion National Park Lodge for some hot cocoa and to warm up before we headed into the Valley for more engagement photos. Some photos are below, along with the video that Jess made!

Thanks for taking us on this adventure, Rachel and John! We can’t wait to see you again in September.

Make It Out – Boundary Run

And here is the video! Jess and I love to travel, so if you’re looking for destination wedding photos or videography, contact us and let’s chat!