If you’re planning a couples shoot in the Pacific Northwest, especially during the springtime, you’re in for a treat. The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is my a seasonal gem that beautifully captures the whimsy & joy in your love story. Whether you’re wanting to take your engagement photos here, celebrate an anniversary, or wanting to take photos together just because during the month of April — Roozengaarde is my #1 location recommendation :) 

If you are planning your engagement or couples photos session, chances are you might be feeling a little nervous. That is such a normal way to feel!! I don’t expect you to have everything perfectly planned or know what to do. That’s my job! All I need from you is to show up and be yourself. Taking photos can feel awkward, especially when you aren’t sure what to expect, so I want to make sure you feel prepared to have the BEST time during our portrait session.

If we have already picked a location & date for your session, we are now in the in-between-anticipation time. You are probably feeling excited, thinking about what to wear, and might be feeling a little nervous.

In this blog post, I’ll share my best advice for how to prepare for your engagement or couples photos. Below is a photoshoot checklist of actions & items to bring that will help you feel prepared, comfortable, and hopefully as stress-free as possible. I also included my checklist of items that help me feel prepared & ready to take your photos!

Spring is my favorite season. I feel most myself frolicking through flower fields, so anywhere with flowers is my favorite place to take photos. I’m always looking for flower gardens to take photos at, and over the years I’ve found my top few favorites. I am sure there are so many gardens that deserve to be on this list that I haven’t discovered yet, but here are my top 6 favorite flower-filled locations near Seattle and Bellingham that make great locations for engagement or couples sessions.

Deciding what to wear is such a tough decision. Even when couples ask me, I get a little nervous — I don’t want to tell you advice that doesn’t feel like you. So, let’s work through a few questions that will lead us to the perfect outfits.

Hovander Homestead Park is located about 15-20 minutes from Downtown Bellingham in Ferndale, Washington. The park has a historic farmhouse, barn, and other buildings that belonged to the Hovander Family from the 1890s-1970s, now it’s a public park for all of us to admire and enjoy. These two bought a house last summer and have fallen in love with gardening. Broderick’s mom suggested they check out Hovander for inspiration, and it’s been a special place for them ever since. Walking through, each plant and flower is tagged so you know what everything is. Getting to experience this with them was one of the highlights of my summer.

Josh & I love San Diego. We’ve been twice and absolutely fell in love with it. We brought a tripod to take photos of us at some of our favorite spots. I set my camera to take photos every 2 seconds, so most of the photos turned out silly or were kind of out of focus, but we had fun with it. We love San Diego so much that we will shoot your wedding for free as long as you cover the cost of travel :)

Hailey & Jaime got engaged last year in a bookstore in Port Townsend (I got to go undercover & capture it all!!) and this fall we took their official engagement photos at Marine Park & downtown Fairhaven in Bellingham. They’re getting married at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, so taking their engagement photos right in the same area felt pretty perfect. We started at the beach so their sweet dog could be included, and then Hailey’s sister kept him company while we wandered around downtown Fairhaven & got drinks at Galloways. I am always so happy to include your pets in your photos (you’ve seen the way I love my girls. I know how important it is for our besties to be there!!). If you want to bring your dog to your engagement photos or wedding & don’t have a friend or family member able to watch them, Wags Down the Aisle is fantastic!

The dreamiest Seattle engagement photos I’ve ever taken! We started at a beautiful Japanese garden and ended at the Seattle Pier.