Kate and Andrew knew they wanted an engagement experience that resonated with them and who they are. Originally, they explored the idea of a destination wedding, but they wanted all those close and important to them to be apart of their special day. Instead, Kate and Andrew compromised with a destination engagement session.

Kate and Andrew are the best people to travel with. They know tons of places to go and hike, and Kate knows even more places to eat! Kate has such a wealth of knowledge about food! If anyone is ever traveling, Kate is definitely the one to talk to about places to go, hotel experiences, hiking trails, and restaurants. I knew Kate would choose the perfect location for their session, and Colorado has held Kate’s heart for a number of years. She suggested one of her favorite places to Andrew: Vail, Colorado. Andrew had never been there, so he said yes!

Wisconsin Wedding Photographer, KLEM Studios Photography

It was so much fun to see how Kate and Andrew interacted as a couple on a trip. I could tell Kate was in bliss, appreciating the life she has worked so hard to create, and makes this adventure-filled weekend possible. Flying to Colorado, I was so excited to photograph these two, as well as see American mountains—which Andrew and I fell in love with immediately! I brought a friend of mine to join in the adventure and travel, and Kate quickly became friends with my firecracker friend, Ashley.

Having spent hours of research, Kate found the best place to take her engagement photos. She settled on the area near Piney River Ranch, along the Upper Piney River Falls Trail in the Eagles Nest Wilderness by the Gore Range. Driving twelve miles on a dirt road, we had an awesome time jamming out to music, singing at the top of our lungs, having the time of our lives. Kate and Andrew are normal people—they argue about directions in a hilarious way, and Kate dominates the music in the car. Kate can tell Andrew, “Play some girl-boss music!” and he’ll know exactly what to play for her, which is cute and supportive. Andrew might have been a little sick of us by the end of it, but he was such a good sport with us girls.

The morning was chilly and only about thirty degrees as we made our way to Vail. Fall colors and the beautifully sunny day reflected off the mountains of one of the most popular ski resorts in the United States. There is something special about the Vail area, and Kate’s always wanted to visit during the off-season to see other hidden treasures in the area.

Once the four of us arrived at the dirt parking lot, we changed outfits, packing our fancy gear with Kate’s Camelbak pack along with all our stuff—because what else do you expect of an adventure engagement session? It was exactly how we would conduct an elopement, traveling with all our gear, nice and warm in the car and freezing as we change into our other clothes, and then hike! Once we got to our location, Kate and Andrew had to change in the wilderness! We all wore our hiking clothes, our zip ups from Colombia and North Face; green hiking leggings from Eddie Bauer, Ashley’s green sweater from Patagonia, and I wore my gear for the session consisting of a Patagonia to stay warm and my backpack ready to go! Kate had her Merrell boots underneath so she could hike as well, the rest of her outfit reflecting her dedication to the imagery she wanted with Andrew.

On our way, we rounded a corner and our hearts skipped a beat. Fall colors stretched as far as we could see, and this beautiful lake in front of the mountains was more stunning than we ever thought possible. No one had seen this site in person, but Kate couldn’t have picked a more perfect spot.

There was a wedding taking place at Piney River Ranch, so we made our way along the trail in the public land area. We didn’t have to go far to find this absolutely breathtaking backdrop. The area we chose went perfectly with the small bouquet I put together through Native Sage, the floral company I co-own. The elegant, organic bouquet matched the fall colors gloriously, along with Kate’s outfit.

During the session, Andrew and Kate snuggled up in the magnificent, mountain space, and couldn’t take their hands off each other! A lot of the time people are told what to do in front of the camera, but it was different with Kate and Andrew as they were in their natural space. I didn’t have to tell them to snuggle, they just wanted to snuggle, and I didn’t have to tell them to kiss, they wanted to kiss. These two enjoyed the moment, being together while soaking in the epic views that Piney River Ranch offered.

Three moose across the lake from us were our companions for most of the session as we changed into our different outfits. Andrew wore his burgundy shirt from Express, as well as a sweater from Van Heusen to coordinate with Kate’s orange Chicwish skirt. Although it was overcast during our whole session and started to get a little bit chilly, Kate was so happy she and Andrew chose Vail for their destination engagement session. As we started to make our way back, we saw the sun about to break through the clouds and light up the mountains, so we stuck around a bit longer to get more photos with the glorious sunset. It was absolutely worth it!

We then bumped our way down the mountain—Kate micromanaging Andrew’s driving and questioning his driving ability until we were finally away from the mountain edge! The drive was so funny, because Kate normally drives, and I swear, Kate was going to have a heart attack! I don’t think she is used to being in the back seat! Having made it down the mountain (thanks Andrew!), Kate declared that we needed to come back to camp in the area.

In the meantime, we had an amazing dinner at Grouse Mountain Grill, one of Kate’s personal favorites in the Vail area. Located in the Pines Resort, Grouse Mountain Grill is always reliable, the service goes above and beyond, the food is amazing, and the space is relaxing, elegant, and unpretentious. It was some of the best food I have ever had! Kate and Andrew couldn’t have been more opposite when they ordered, which is why I think they do so well together. Kate knows exactly what she wants, and Andrew is a little more laid back, so their ordering styles are complementary in a way. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening after an exciting session. It was so incredible to take a long weekend, go to one of Kate’s favorite places in the world, and share it with multiple amazing people.

On our first night in Colorado, Andrew and Kate made sure to grab a celebratory beer, as it would be one year from that day that they would be married! We even ate dessert for breakfast the next morning! Kate and Andrew were energetic the entire time, excited, and happy to share every second of it.

During the weekend, there was a lot of celebration, love, and adventure! It was just so, so cool to be able to share in Kate’s favorite place on one of her and Andrew’s milestones to their wedding. Kate and Andrew were fun to photograph, and I felt honored to do this for Kate. This engagement session gleamed with excitement, love, and authenticity; I can totally see why Kate encourages others to do the same for themselves!

Much love and appreciation,