Katherine and Bradley's sunrise engagement session on a chilly fall morning was straight up dreamy. Is there anything better than Boulder's iconic flatirons at sunrise? For this Boulderite and his new fiancee, it was the perfect place to celebrate their engagement and create some jaw-dropping images for save the dates.
After being referred to me by a fellow photographer, we started chatting about locations. Many of the places on my Boulder Location Guide were familiar to them. They met in Boulder (Bradley grew up here) and shared that they love NCAR and are at the South Mesa Trail several times a week. Ultimately, though, they went with the iconic view of Chautauqua and a trailhead on Flagstaff that was actually new to them! They chose the quintessential Boulder view because they are getting married in Portland. Katherine's mom suggested that they share with all of Katherine's family in Oregon the classic view of this place that is so meaningful to them. Really, you can't go wrong with Chautauqua.
Katherine explained that they are getting married in Portland in order to be married by her grandfather, a family tradition going back several generations. She and Bradley are also starting a new tradition. Katherine's mom has an emerald engagement ring, and when ring shopping together she and Bradley chose a sapphire ring. Katherine loved the uniqueness of the ring as well as the idea of following in her mother's footsteps. Next up? Katherine's sister, who (rumor has it) is going to continue the new tradition with a ruby engagement ring.
Once we had chosen a location, we discussed the differences between sunrise and sunset. Generally, sunrise will look beautiful in Boulder because the mountains face east and are illuminated by a pink and orange alpenglow as the sun rises. By contrast, golden hour and sunset give you more of a silhouette of the mountains and a hazier feel as the sun sets behind you. There are also fewer crowds at sunrise - a major bonus at locations such as Chautauqua. The only potential downside? Chilly temps! The high and low for the day of our session was 70/35. However Katherine braved the cool October air like a champ - and with her fiancé's arms wrapped around her, it really wasn't so bad ;) And don't worry, she slipped into a cozy Anthropologie sweater and Mother jeans for our second location, and all sensation returned to her fingertips and toes!
