Adventure Engagement | Worthwhile Tips for Planning Yours

You’ve seen me mention the adventure engagement before, and probably browsed through the blog posts. But if you’re sitting on the other side of your computer, drinking coffee and thinking “I could never do that”… Friend, you’re more than wrong!

What is an adventure engagement?

We’ve all heard of the term adventure. By definition, an adventure is an exciting or very unusual experience. Does this mean we need to jump out of an airplane for your engagement? Nope, although when I’m not pregnant, we can chat about it. Haha! But it does mean you may end up hiking 4 miles in a dress and boots. Or even making a two hour drive between locations for the perfect waterfall portraits.

Adventure Engagement sessions are not your standard engagement sessions. They generally entail some research on my end to find suitable locations where we can hike or drive to beautiful areas. Sometimes the planning involves getting permits (for parking and/or the session itself), communication with officials to make sure we’re not interrupted and a lot of backend work to find your dream location.

Why schedule an adventure engagement?

I understand that not everyone’s schedules allow them to take an entire day off just for “some photos” though I wish everyone would prioritize scheduling an adventure engagement. There is no greater therapy than spending dedicated time with the person you love, and nature just adds to the mix. It’s a wonderful thing, so let’s paint that picture:

You wake up the morning of your engagement session and pack your favorite picnic foods. Cheese, salami slices, crackers, a bottle of wine or apple cider. Maybe you’ll toss a few sandwiches in too. You’ll grab your day pack (which already has your outfits rolled up inside it) and jump in the car to meet me at your destination.

Upon arriving at your location, we lace up our hiking boots, grab our gear and head out on the trail. We leisurely make our way along the trail, stopping to smell the flowers (literally and figuratively), take a few photos and then stroll a bit more. Along the trail we find a pretty bridge over the stream, which makes the perfect photo spot.

We hike a bit more to some tall rocks that are flanked by beautiful views, making it time for an outfit change! You pull a beautiful flowy dress out of your rucksack, and slip it on over your hiking leggings. As you’re canoodling with your honey, the wind picks up your dress giving us beautiful movement and an impressive shot which will be a longtime favorite!

The rest of the hike goes much the same, with a few snack stops in between. By now you’ve realized it’s freeing to hike in a dress and are both excited and exhausted after the day. You get to head home and I’m off to start working through your adventure engagement photos!

When is the best time of year?

The biggest question of all… what time of year do you schedule your adventure engagement for? Unfortunately, I don’t have a one size fits all answer to this question. It depends on you and what your favorite seasons are.

Spring Adventures

Pros: Think lots of greenery and new blossoms. The air feels fresh and temperatures have warmed up making things more comfortable. Layers are your friend here and you can make the most of your outfits with light jackets or scarves that don’t weigh you down but keep you warm.

Cons: There will likely be rain, so bring a poncho AND strap a clear umbrella to your rucksack. We’ll use both during the session and embrace any rain we come across. The spring is best for shorter hikes as rain may wash out parts of the trails and you may get a little muddy. Definitely make sure you’ve waterproofed your hiking boots.

Summer Adventures

Pros: When we head to the mountains, all the wildflowers start blooming during this season. It’s a great time for color and late sunsets. Clear sunny days give us beautiful blue skies for hikes and you can see for miles from lookout points.

Cons: The summers of late have trended towards really hot, even here in Washington. You’ll want to plan for extra water breaks or maybe choose a location where you know there’s a swimming hole or river to play in.

Fall Adventures

Pros: In my opinion, this is the best time of year. Hiking boots, sweaters and a cozy thermos of hot cocoa will make our snack stop snuggly. The trees start to turn beautiful reds and oranges, making almost every color stand out amongst the scenery.

Cons: Washington is a fickle state. There might be snow in October, or thunderstorms, or sunshine, or 100 degree weather. With fall sessions, you’ll want to plan for anything so make sure your 10 essentials, tire chains, water and ice cleats are all handy.

Winter Adventures

Pros: SNOW. All. The. Snow. I’m always game for a snow session and feel like the white stuff makes it so much more beautiful. Layering your chunky sweaters over lighter sweaters, and jeans over your leggings, will allow you to make quick changes in the cold.

Cons: All this snow means some areas are much harder to get to (Example: This Franklin Falls Engagement was supposed to be a 3 mile hike and in the end it was closer to 9 miles) and you’ll definitely want to double check your vehicle chains and winter gear before heading out. Snow spikes are a must for any winter session and you can order them off Amazon (aff. link of my favorites) or pick them up at any of the local outdoor stores.