Emma + Brian's Stunning Mountain Engagement Photos at Rainier -

September 15, 2021

Emma + Brian knew they wanted wildflowers for their engagement session, so how could I not take them to the Paradise side of Mount Rainier? So happy to be working with these two – their mountain engagement photos turned out so dang magical, despite the freak rainstorm we got stuck in!

Emma + Brian’s Mount Rainier engagement shoot

When Emma and Brian booked me earlier this year, they knew they wanted wildflowers for their engagement session. But did you know that the wildflowers don’t bloom at Mt. Rainier until mid-July? Because of the high elevation and the large amount of snowfall the park receives, you’ll need to wait well past springtime to catch the flowers.

So, unfortunately, these two had to wait 7 months for their engagement photos. They were committed to those wildflowers, and it ended up being so worth the wait!

One of my favorite locations in Mount Rainier National Park: Paradise

We had such a good time exploring one of my favorite trails on the Paradise side of Mount Rainier National Park.

Paradise is probably one of the locations at Rainier that you see most often in photos – it’s a lush wildflower, well, paradise. In the summertime, it’s filled with red and purple wildflowers and luscious green grass EVERYWHERE you look. Its subalpine meadows and mountain views are to die for, truly unbeatable!

Paradise is still mostly covered in snow in May and June! So, the best months to go are usually July & August. The road to Paradise from Longmire is actually open year-round, but if you’re driving it between November and May, you’re required to carry chains just in case.

Find out more about the Best Places to Elope at Mount Rainier National Park here!

And fun fact – we got stuck in such a freak rainstorm during their session for about 5 minutes! But Emma and Brian were so flexible and ready to deal with it. We ended up getting rewarded with the most UNREAL light I’ve ever seen.

Making the best out of inclement weather

So let’s talk real quick about “bad” weather, and what happens if we encounter it during your session or elopement. Long story short: we’re going to make the best out of it like Emma and Brian did.

The PNW is famous for its rainy, gloomy days! So, it’s unreasonable to fully expect blue skies & sunny days for your session or elopement. That’s why I love encouraging my clients to embrace all weather scenarios, even if it’s not what they were expecting or hoping for!

It’s super important to go into your session/elopement already prepared to be flexible, and ready to adapt to whatever we might get hit with. To me, part of the adventure is adapting to whatever comes at you! In this case, it might be bad weather. If you allow yourselves to embrace it and make the best out of it, it’ll make your day more memorable. It’ll only be “bad” weather if you let it!

From a practical standpoint, you can be prepared by downloading + looking at the Weather Underground app! This is the app I use before any of my sessions, elopements, hikes, or climbs to check an accurate weather forecast + radar map.