Winter engagement photos in downtown Seattle at South Lake Union.

Have you heard of engagement season? It’s that magical time of year when couples pop the question! In fact, around 38% of engaged couples, get engaged during ‘engagement season’. Engagement season runs from Christmas all the way through to Valentine’s Day. Given the family gatherings and travel that happen during this time, it comes as no surprise that you would want to take the next step in your relationship while being surrounded by the ones you love the most.

Celebrating your engagement during ‘engagement season’ is a fun way for you to soak up the rest of the holiday season with your family & friends at your side. But from there, it’s back to your daily life, until you set out to begin wedding planning. Typically, the first few wedding vendors a couple of books are their venue, planner, and photographer. But that leaves so much room from the time of your engagement to the day of your wedding until to work with your wedding pros. 

Want to capture gorgeous winter engagement photos in Seattle? Click here to contact me, or to find out even more about the experience I offer, click here!

Many wedding photographers, like myself, provide couples with an engagement session as part of their overall wedding photography experience. But, there is no rule that says we have to wait until your wedding is just around the corner to work together on your engagement photos. In fact, the sooner we can connect, the better! Working with you on your engagement photos provides me with a sense of who you are as a couple. The time we spent together will also tell me what your love language is. In return, it will provide you with an idea of what my presence & support will look like on the day of your wedding. 

There are plenty of couples who want to keep the celebratory mood of engagement season alive by capturing their engagement photo in the winter. Winter engagement photos can be an experience that is cozy, intimate, and fun. Here are my top three tips for creating the best images for your winter engagement photos.

1. Make it Cozy

Dressing warm should go without saying, right? It’s rare that you’ll find a wedding photographer who also offers their clients a studio experience. Which means, your winter engagement photos will more than likely be captured outside. Dressing warm is one way to make sure you are comfortable. I always advise my couples to bring along an extra jacket or even a blanket when we meet for their winter engagement photos. But, another fun way to combat the cold is to keep my couples connected through touch. Lots of hand-holding, sitting in each other’s laps, and embracing. It will definitely keep you warm! But, the hands-on approach also adds an element of intimacy to your photos that will shine a light on the love you share. 

2. Add a fun Element

This is another tip I always suggest to my couples whether we are working on winter engagement photos, or any other season for that matter! Bring along a fun ‘busying’ element. Some of my couples like to include their fur babies during their engagement sessions, and some like to set up a picnic. The couple featured below decided to bring along a fantastic bottle of fizzy champagne and scalloped coupe glass to their winter engagement photos. It was an amazing way to finish off our time together, and it gave them a good laugh when the champagne (unexpectedly) began to spurt everywhere when opened.

3. Explore a new Area

It’s common that a couple will ask to work on their engagement photos at a location that is meaningful to them. Whether it’s the park where they walk their dogs or the restaurant where they had their fist date, it can be fun to recreate those moments in a familiar location. However, it can be even more captivating to spend your engagement session exploring a new area together!

The winter engagement photos featured below were captured at South Lake Union in Seattle. If you’re a local, you already know – this area is prominent for being an Amazon hub, including the Amazon Spheres. It’s also home to so many amazing tech companies (Google, Slack, Asana!). You wouldn’t automatically think of this as a go-to location for engagement photos. But, I wouldn’t dismiss it so quickly either! There are heaps of ambient lights and structures dotting the streets. Making it the perfect backdrop to explore with your partner for cozy winter engagement photos.

If you’re considering capturing your engagement photos in the winter, I hope these tips have helped & encouraged you. To see more of this cozy & intimate winter engagement session in South Lake Union Seattle, keep scrolling.