Mt. Rainier Engagement Session/ Alex & Rafael/ Shantel Wall Photography
We are back to Washington this time after a few days in Colorado! Be sure and check out the sessions with Dadson & Elizabeth as well as Samantha and Eric for all of your adventuring needs for the day, but if you've already seen their love stories let me direct your attention to Rafael and Alex for just a moment! This couple came to me as a couple who had to postpone their Texas wedding for another year. This is really common right now with Covid-19 still making people feel a bit uncertain, but that didn't stop these two from having their moment in the spotlight in March!
We decided to check out Mt. Rainier here in Washington as soon as they told me they hadn't been yet since they moved here a few years ago. With a little bit of pre-planning and a lot of gusto we headed straight to the top! Working our way down the mountain as we grabbed all of these shots allowed for us to create a sort of two part engagement session where half was covered in a few feet of snow, and the other half was all greens and natural forestry. Lucky for us, it was fairly warm throughout the entire shoot even with all of that snow at the beginning. The only issue the snow really caused us was some lost footing and a whole lot of smiles and laughter, which Rafael quickly remedied with these snow shoe spikes- allowing him to climb up and up with a speed never before seen in a man at his own engagement shoot. Some of my favorite shots of this session are actually the ones where they fell down because it gave Rafael a chance to showcase his heroic side as he helped Alex navigate this tricky terrain.
Once we had gotten as much fun out of our snow adventure as possible, we navigated back down and started in on these photos near the bridge entrance of Mt. Rainier National Park. This bridge is one of the best spots to shoot because it gives us an open sky for good lighting, but the bridge itself doesn't stand out from the surroundings. Mt. Rainier planners really thought this one out because although this structure is necessary to get people in and out, it feels like it was formed there right along with all of these towering trees and lush greenery. Alex's gorgeous rust orange dress contrasted just perfectly with those green ferns and brought all the focus to the couple- where it belongs! While the mood on the mountain was playful and bright, Rafael and Alex's love for one another really shined back on solid ground where they could dance and kiss and walk hand in hand through the forest. They have a very quiet but magical feel to them as a couple and being able to witness yet another couple that was beautifully and wonderfully made for each other is why I love what I do.
Rafael and Alex are set to have a small intimate ceremony onApril 17th at Salish Lodge and I hope these engagement photos bring them the happiness that they have brought me. Spending time with a joyous and understated couple like Alex and Rafael truly makes taking their photos feel so worthwhile. Getting to solidify glimpses into their life together, to immortalize snaps from the weeks leading up to their wedding- it's the closest thing a photographer can get to complete fulfillment. As they begin this next chapter of their lives together I know they will hang on to these memories as the backdrop to what will be a sunkissed life full of wonder, adventure, love and respect for one another. Congratulations to these two love birds and I cannot wait to see what life has in store for you.