Capture your engagement and this exciting new chapter with a fun adventure and breathtaking pictures in Colorado!
As a Colorado-based photographer, I’ll share the best places to take engagement photos in Colorado, helpful tips, and photography packages. I’ll also answer common questions about taking engagement photos.
Why take engagement photos in Colorado?
Colorado is one of the best places for engagement photos because of its year-round beauty and picturesque locations, many of which are free to take photos. Colorado’s natural beauty and outdoor activities are also perfect for adventurous couples who want to create new memories together during an epic engagement session.
Best Engagement Session Locations in Colorado
No matter what kind of vibe you’re going for, there are many incredible places for Colorado engagement photos, including a charming mountain town and breathtaking parks.
Crested Butte
Location: A town in the Rocky Mountains, about four hours southwest of Denver
Best for: Off-the-beaten-path engagement photos
Crested Butte is a stunning mountain town and easily one of my favorite engagement session locations. Minimal tourists make it easy to explore and get intimate photos together.
While Crested Butte is beautiful all year, summer wildflowers offer the perfect scenery for engagement photos. If you want an adventurous engagement session, Crested Butte is filled with activities, including skiing, kayaking, and hiking.
Garden of the Gods
Location: Colorado Springs, about one hour south of Denver
Best for: Fun engagement photos
Garden of the Gods is a stunning park and one of the most unique places to take engagement photos in Colorado. The park is a National Natural Landmark surrounded by magical red rock formations and hiking trails.
The park is easily accessible and has many picture-perfect backdrops. Garden of the Gods is amazing all year, but fall is the best because you can avoid crowds and summer heat. Sunrise scenery at Gardens of the Gods during fall is also absolutely magical!
Chautauqua Park
Location: Boulder, about 30 minutes northwest of Denver
Best for: Scenic engagement photos
Chautauqua Park is a preserved historic park near Downtown Boulder. It covers 26 scenic acres and is one of the best places in Colorado to explore and take lots of gorgeous photos.
The park sits at the foot of the Flatiron Mountains and offers gorgeous views, rock climbing sites, and hiking trails. While Chautauqua Park is beautiful during all four seasons, the summer wildflowers are my favorite!
Rocky Mountain National Park
Location: Northern Colorado, about an hour and a half northwest of Denver
Best for: Adventurous engagement photos
Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) is one the best places for engagement, wedding, and elopement photos for adventurous couples.
The park covers over 400 square miles and has so many beautiful sites, including mountain ranges, alpine lakes, and meadows. You can also enjoy fun activities all year, like hiking, camping, and skiing, ideal for fun engagement photos.
Loveland Pass
Location: Northcentral Colorado, about one hour west of Denver
Best for: Engagement photos near Denver
Loveland Pass is the highest mountain pass in Colorado and sits almost 12,000 feet above sea level. It’s the perfect place for engagement photos in the Denver area, not far from the city.
You can drive along the Loveland Pass, stopping along the way for incredible views, hiking, and photo ops.
Unlike other mountain passes in Denver, Loveland Pass is open all year but may close during severe winter weather. You can take photos surrounded by wildflowers during summer or colorful aspen leaves during fall.
Maroon Bells
Location: Near Aspen, about four hours west of Denver
Best for: Mountain scenery engagement photos
The Maroon Bells are two bell-shaped mountain peaks and is one of the most photographed areas in the United States. The mountains rise 14,000 feet above a beautiful lake.
The area is easily accessible for engagement photos, and you can also explore hiking trails, go camping, and do snowsports during winter.
Summer and fall are the best times for an engagement session at Maroon Bells for pleasant weather and colorful scenery.
Secret Colorado Engagement Photo Locations
Location: Throughout Colorado
Best for: Unique engagement photos
Colorado is filled with lesser-known places to take engagement photos. Many locations are perfect for unique photos in more private, untouched areas.
Contact me for help finding your dream engagement photography location!
Engagement Photos in Colorado: Packages
As a Colorado photographer who enjoys working with adventurous couples, I offer adventure and engagement photography packages. Whether you want engagement pictures in the foothills or the mountains, I’d love to explore with you and capture authentic, fun photos.
Each package includes:
- Location scouting
- Outfit planning support
- A custom online gallery
- All edited high-resolution images
- 48-hour sneak peek photos
- Rights to printing
Engagement Photos in Colorado: FAQs
Make the most of your Colorado engagement photos with answers to common questions below.
How long before the wedding should you take engagement pictures?
Most people take engagement pictures three to nine months before the wedding. This gives you time to get your photos back and use them for save-the-dates and invitations.
If you’re planning to elope, you can have your engagement session closer to the wedding date. However, if you’re having a traditional wedding, you’ll want more time between your engagement photos and the big day.
What is the best color to wear for engagement photos?
Neutrals are usually great colors to wear for engagement photos. However, the best colors depend on your engagement session location. For example, if you’re having your session during the winter, you’ll want to add pops of color to avoid being washed out with the snow.
I’m always happy to assist couples in finalizing their outfits based on the scenery and avoiding anything that may be too distracting.
How many photos do you usually get at an engagement shoot?
You usually get 75 photos with a one-hour engagement shoot or 100 to 200 with a longer session. However, the exact number of images depends on your photographer and the length of your session.
Book Your Engagement Session in Colorado
I hope you found this article helpful and are excited about taking beautiful engagement photos in Colorado. There are countless incredible engagement session locations, especially if you want nature-inspired photos to celebrate this special time.
If you’re looking for a Colorado-based engagement photographer, let’s chat! I’d love to help you find the perfect location and capture magical photos for you.
kinsley + caden
“Brooke was the perfect choice for our wedding day! We had a micro wedding at Sapphire Point in August. I had never been to Sapphire Point and Brooke was so helpful suggesting vendors, picture locations, parking, marriage license info etc. She was so kind and helpful before and during the whole process and was a large part of why the day went so smooth. She does so much more than just show up and take pictures, Brooke will truly go out of her way to make your wedding day perfect! The photos are gorgeous and I keep getting so many compliments! I truly cannot recommend her enough!”
"Brooke was a large part of why our day went so smooth and will truly go out of her way to make your wedding day perfect!"
We chose Brooke to capture our Colorado elopement and she did exactly that and more. She made it easy to plan our day out with locations and timelines so that we could focus on ourselves. We decided last minute to change our afternoon/evening elopement to a 6am sunrise one so beat the heat of the day. Brooke accommodated us without hesitation and even created a new timeline for us so that we knew where to be for the perfect sunrise. She was kind and understood what we wanted in terms of our elopement and we are so grateful to have her capture the day. Our photos turned out beautiful and truly helped us relive the day. I would recommend Brooke to anyone wanting their special day photographed.
"Brooke accommodated us without hesitation and even created a new timeline for us so that we knew where to be for the perfect sunrise."
erica + stacy
kirstie + colin
Brooke not only photographed our mountain elopement beautifully, but she put so much thought into the details and knew all of the answers the questions I didn’t even know to ask. She really puts a lot of thought into each photo and brings her expertise while still remaining very open to what we wanted and ideas we had. She even helped pick the perfect spot for us and advised us on the logistical details like securing a reservation at the mountain lake where we wanted our ceremony. She is SO easy to work with and very friendly and chill. My husband and I are super awkward in front of a camera but she made it so natural and easy - and the shots came out better than we could have imagined.
"She really puts a lot of thought into each photo and brings her expertise while still remaining very open to what we wanted and ideas we had."
amanda + jace
Brooke is many things; talented, calm, flexible, experienced/ knowledgeable, patient, incredibly responsive, organized, resourceful in a pinch, supportive, creative, professional yet a blast to work with, and goes above & beyond w her clients. Our wedding was a spectacular dream and we couldn't be more grateful that she made that single day last forever. Whether she's photographing nature or an intimate event, her pictures tell a story of peace, love, whatever your vision may be. We couldn't recommend her more and we look forward to booking with her for all of our vow renewals, seasonal and family pictures for as long as she'll have us.
"Whether she's photographing nature or an intimate event, her pictures tell a story of peace, love, whatever your vision may be."
linden + brent
Working with Brooke was a dream come true! Before we even met, my husband Brent and I were impressed by her portfolio. After meeting, we were even more convinced that her photography skills and knowledge, and her fun and easygoing personality were exactly what we were looking for in an elopement photographer. Brooke was able to take our vision and facilitate everything so that it worked out beautifully, especially when it came to finding the perfect location (the incredible mountains surrounding Ouray). Throughout the entire planning process, she was honest and flexible, and made it clear that her goal was for us to be 100% happy. In the end, her creativity and our happiness totally shine through in every single photo.
"Throughout the entire planning process, she was honest and flexible."
lauren + branden
I can't begin to express my gratitude for the intimacy and beauty behind Brooke's photographs. In capturing our wedding day, she went above and beyond to document our story, our families, and the depths of our love in ways that I'll forever be grateful for. Brooke has an eye for not only capturing the adventure and magic of your love, but deeply connects with your personal story, understands your relationship, and then gives that back in the most incredible way. She is truly an artist and tells your story in an authentic and creative way for you to look back on for years to come. We are forever grateful to Brooke for spending the time to get to know us, our story, and capturing the memories that we'll relive for years to come.
"Brooke deeply connects with your personal story, understands your relationship, and then gives that back in the most incredible way."
heather + jedd
“If you're contemplating which photographer to go with, THIS IS YOUR SIGN TO CHOOSE BROOKE!!!! She is so so so talented and was able to capture our elopement exactly how I pictured and wanted! We eloped in Ridgway, CO this past September and she was so helpful figuring out picture locations, recommendations of timeline for the day, and just made the whole day feel so smooth. She schedules multiple check ins, phone calls, etc., leading up to the big day to ensure everything is as you want it. Brooke has such a calming, down to earth presence and is one of those awesome people you feel like you've known forever after just the first time of meeting."
"Brooke has such a calming, down to earth presence and is one of those awesome people you feel like you've known forever."
christy + austin
Brooke is the absolute best. She truly went above and beyond for my fiancé and I to be able to get our engagement photos taken with the fall colors. Brooke is so sweet, fun, personable and incredibly talented. We could not be more in love with our engagement photos! Our engagement session with Brooke was such a special experience and a memory we will cherish forever.
"Our engagement session with Brooke was such a special experience and a memory we will cherish forever."
