June 25, 2021
Demi + Josh came from TX for their engagement photography sesh and ended up being completely enamored with the PNW – I mean, same!
Demi & Josh’s mountain engagement photos
Like I mentioned above, these two came all the way to the PNW from Texas. I actually met them when I photographed one of their friends’ weddings a few years ago in Austin – meeting other couples through weddings is always so much fun! And what an honor to have them travel all the way up here to my favorite mountains for their engagement session. Then, in December, I get to travel to Houston for their big day!
Demi and Josh were so enamored by the PNW and Mount Rainier after their session that they’re even coming back for a second engagement session this September. We’re going to visit my other favorite location besides Rainier, Ruby Beach, and I’m so excited for them to see the Washington coast.
This is such an incredibly sweet, fun, and hospitable couple, so I’m super thankful I get to spend so much time throughout this year hanging out with them and getting to know them. On their trip to the PNW for their session, they brought me some awesome wall art all the way from TX in their carry-on luggage. I have it hanging in my office and it always reminds me of what amazing couples I get to work with!
The locations: Reflection Lake & Paradise
For Demi & Josh’s Mount Rainier engagement photos, we visited two locations you probably see often when looking at photos of Rainier: Reflection Lake and Paradise.
Reflection Lake
Reflection Lake is that spot you see in photos of Rainier, well, reflecting onto a beautiful lake! The name speaks for itself. This lake is along Stevens Canyon Road, and is the starting point for a few different hiking trails, including the Wonderland Trail and Pinnacle Peak Trail.
We started their session here with some playful, fun, and more casual photos of the two of them jumping over rocks, standing on a rock ledge, and looking out at the water. This spot really looks beautiful at any time of day, with the trees surrounding the lake and Rainier in the background!
Paradise
For sunset, we headed to the Paradise side of the mountain, which is also most likely the location you see in photos of Rainier. It’s the part of the national park that’s filleddd with wildflowers, beautiful green grass, and dreamy mountain lighting at sunrise + sunset! And, of course, a stunning view of Rainier.
Paradise is one of my favorite spots in the park because of the incredible view, the flowers everywhere, AND the fact that both my couple and I can be on the trail. With a little camera angle magic and planning ahead, we can stay on the maintained trails, and save delicate alpine meadows for future generations.
Read more about how to Leave No Trace when visiting Mount Rainier here!
Want more location inspiration for your Mount Rainier wedding or session? Check out my recent blog post on the Best Places to Elope at Mount Rainier National Park!
Outfit inspiration for your couples pictures
See that gorgeous flowy, white ruffled dress Demi is wearing for their photos at Paradise? It’s originally a Staud brand dress, but she got it on Poshmark for a killer deal – talk about being stoked about a great deal!
That just goes to show that you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on outfits for your engagement photos – you can often find great outfits already in your closet, or secondhand for much better prices. If you need some tips for choosing your session outfits, check out this article on with my top 3 outfit tips!
[…] Sun + clouds – Demi & Josh’s Mount Rainier Adventure Engagement […]