Winter Wonderland Engagement Shoot in Girdwood, AK
This was a fun winter engagement photoshoot to get to know a couple I’ll be photographing for their Alaskan wedding later this year. The perfect ingredients for an engagement session: a gorgeous snowy forest, filtered sunny winter weather, and lovely people to spend the day with in one of Alaska’s best kept gems. Naturally, this Girdwood engagement shoot set the tone for beautiful memories.
WINTER WONDERLAND
Welcome to Girdwood, Alaska. A paradise for photographers and lovebirds alike with seemingly infinite wilderness and equally endless options for great natural spaces to strike a pose or do an entire engagement photoshoot. From frosty forests, icy ponds, frozen waterfalls, glacial peaks in the background, and ski trails to skip along, Girdwood is the ultimate location for any photoshoot. It is especially amazing for an engagement or elopement session during any season!
When summer comes, the trees bud to life and streams are moving a bit quicker. Hiking trails lead to ponds and glacial lakes still with the same towering mountains. They boast different shades of green and rocky greys. Each season has its own appeal. I always love doing a shoot in this valley of the Chugach mountains with limitless options and a perfect backdrop everywhere you look! Our recent Girdwood engagement shoot for Ayden and Tovia was a winter dream in this ski town.
THE COUPLE
Ayden and Tovia are a great example of how epic an Alaskan winter photoshoot can be in the forests of Girdwood. They are a super cute alternative couple and very laid back; totally in love and fawning over each other the entire day! They had a casual style and kept it comfortable with jeans, fun boots, neutral tones, and light jackets. I was worried they would get cold. But during this shoot, they were fairly active and kept skipping around and holding each other for warmth. We all made it out just fine and had a great time. We gallivanted on cross country ski trails and found little flat spots on icy ponds and among the towering trees to use for our Girdwood engagement shoot backdrop.
A FLURRY OF KISSES
Their everyday clothes, a little bit alt, boho, casual, and natural (rather than proper snow gear) complemented the scenery well as shown in their Girdwood engagement shoot. They made for whimsical fairytale shots as small dustings of snow flurried around and landed on eyelashes and shoulders.
Aside from this storybook aesthetic in the frozen and mossy forest, they had total prince and princess vibes. They couldn’t get their hands off each other, which makes for great engagement photos. The poses came with ease and the glint in their eyes, all natural. Kisses and laughter likely kept us all warm. We only got a little chilly at the end with some cute photos of Ayden putting furry earmuffs on Tovia. This made her look even more like a character from an enchanted land.
PLANNING AHEAD
I was not only there to capture their engagement photos, but to make future connections as well. I will be photographing their wedding in June this summer and have some great clients I look forward to! Our mission into the gird-woods had a double purpose. Firstly, to capture their vision for engagement photos for the official wedding announcement – save the date. Secondly, to get acquainted and comfortable working together for their big day ahead. This pre-planning is a pro move and keeps the vision and plan for wedding photos cohesive. It allows room for any small adjustments or notes to be made between the Girdwood engagement shoot to wedding day.
GETTING FRIENDLY
Booking an engagement session before your wedding is a great way to get to know your photographer first. It is a choice I highly recommend. With Ayden and Tovia, who I had not met yet, we were able to spend the day of their engagement shoot to not only get comfortable together but to allow them the opportunity to confirm that I am the right photographer for the job. It allows me to get a feel of the couple too.
The first moments meeting anyone can be clanky despite my best efforts. If we’ve had limited time together, then meeting on the biggest day of your life can often add to nerves. I love having known my clients beforehand as much as possible. A great way to plan for this would be to book an engagement session with your chosen wedding photographer (me). It allows you to go for a test run before the real-deal.
This helps the couple in many ways for comfort and friendliness, especially in a Girdwood engagement shoot setting. It helps eliminate nerves in the choice of a wedding photographer. You know ahead of time my style and expectations, even down to the lingo I use to set up posing and how we all work together.
This helps me learn how the couple interacts together and what approach for communicating works best for posing. It helps me to get to know your energy and expectations. I can understand what you envision. Working on editing pictures and presenting a portfolio of an engagement photoshoot is a good opportunity to know more about the couple. It teaches how to best capture each person’s unique style and work out any challenges before the big day.
Mostly, the benefit is that practice makes… efficacy! Saving time or energy on the day of the wedding wherever possible is a pro hack. So shaving off time or nerves on things like introductions and meetings can keep the day flowing smoothly. Furthermore, it’s one less thing to worry about. A lot of valuable time is saved by not talking to me. You can enjoy it with loved ones who gather for your special day, trusting that we are all on the same page.
CHELSA JAY | ALASKA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
I hope this inspires you to find the most perfect location for your engagement photoshoot. Now you know the benefits of meeting your wedding photographer prior to your dream wedding. I’d love to join you. If you want to learn more about me and what I do, click here. I can’t wait to hear from you and the idea you have for your Girdwood engagement shoot in Alaska!
