YAY, you’re engaged – and Garden of the Gods engagement photos are the perfect way to celebrate and capture this special chapter of your life!
As a Colorado-based photographer, I’ve photographed many couples for their engagement sessions, and Garden of the Gods is one of my favorite spots. The park is in Colorado Springs and covers 1,367 acres of natural beauty.
Below, I’ll share helpful tips for your engagement session, including the best time of year, expenses to consider, and photography packages.
Why Take Engagement Photos at Garden of the Gods
I’ve taken many engagement and elopement photos in Colorado, and Garden of the Gods is one of the best locations for many reasons.
- Gorgeous scenery – The park is surrounded by stunning red rock formations and sweeping mountain views. Its natural beauty is so magical it’s been named a National Natural Landmark.
- Unique experience – Whether you’re hoping for an adventurous or laid-back engagement session, Garden of the Gods can offer that. You can casually explore the park with your partner while taking photos or get more active with hiking or rock climbing.
- Low cost – The park is entirely free to enter, and your only expense will be photography and travel if you’re not local.
- Easy planning – Garden of the Gods is conveniently located in Colorado Springs, about an hour and a half from Denver. It’s also open year-round with no reservations necessary, making planning relatively easy.
- Perfect proposal setting – If you’re not engaged yet, Garden of the Gods is also an incredible place for a proposal. You can even make it a two-in-one proposal and engagement session.
- Dog-friendly – If you want your dog to join you for your engagement session, Garden of the Dogs is ideal. It’s dog-friendly and easily accessible for older dogs. And as a dog lover myself, I love taking photos of couples with their fur babies!
When to Take Garden of the Gods Engagement Photos
You can take your engagement pictures any time of year at Garden of the Gods, but plan accordingly for your ideal experience. Various seasons, times of day, and days of the week offer unique settings.
Summer is my favorite time of year for a Garden of the Gods elopement and engagement session. From June through August, the weather is warm, and the sun shining on the red rocks is stunning. That said, this is the peak season, so I recommend an early morning session during the week for more privacy.
Fall and late spring are also great, with nice weather and fewer crowds. Meanwhile, winter and early spring can be chilly, challenging to navigate, and possibly inaccessible when it’s snowy.
Garden of the Gods is one of Colorado’s most popular parks, with over four million yearly visitors. While the park is large and has many areas to take photos, I recommend planning a sunrise or sunset session during the week for fewer crowds and picture-perfect scenery.
Cost of Gardens of the Gods Engagement Session
Garden of the Gods requires no entry or parking fees, making it one of the most stunning, free places for an engagement session!
When taking engagement photos, you’ll consider the following costs:
- Travel expenses – If you aren’t local, consider the costs of travel and accommodations
- Outfits – It’s totally okay to go with one you already have if you’re on a budget
- Photography – Professional photos are a special way to celebrate your engagement and announce your elopement or wedding
Garden of the Gods Engagement Photo Packages
An engagement photographer (like myself!) can help you capture your love story with beautiful photos. Not only can I help you bring your vision to life so you and your love can create a new memory together, but I’ll also capture all the fun and sweet moments.
My engagement photo packages include:
- 1 or 2 hours of photography
- Edited, high-resolution images
- Online gallery for viewing, downloading, and right to printing
- My travel to the Garden of the Gods
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."
