Spring Proposal at Echo Lake Park
Maria and Mason’s Colorado Engagement Story
This story is honestly wild! Full of many twists and turns, as most surprise proposals are! From changing plans, to last minute details, to cold weather…but in the end everything turned out great, and I can’t wait to share more about how this session unfolded. Their story is a wonderful example of what a mountain surprise proposal can look like, and why having an engagement photographer who knows how to pivot the session and create backup plans is so important. If you’re looking for inspiration about what your Colorado Engagement or proposal session could be like, keep reading!
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How it all started
This story actually starts with Mason’s sister-in-law and a vow renewal session! In February, she and I connected because her and her husband had a visit planned from out-of-state and wanted to renew their vows on a mountain! She knew, (rightly so) that Trail Magic would be all for that, so we quickly put our heads together for the next few weeks to find an epic spot for this session set to be in early May.
A few weeks later, Mason reached out to me directly about wanting to propose to Maria! They have been together for over 10 years and we had shot a couples session for fun months earlier, so he knew he wanted me to be there to capture the moment. His original thought was to add it on to the vow renewal so that his family could be there, and because we were already making plans to be somewhere beautiful and private, the way he’d always envisioned this proposal.
Eventually, it came out that his sister-in-law and brother were “in” on the plan and wanted to pivot their session to help celebrate Maria and Mason’s big moment instead, so we changed course entirely from mountain vow renewal to surprise proposal!
Choosing the location
I sent Mason a guide to my favorite location recommendations that would be within 2 hours of Denver with mountain views and a little bit of hiking options. We played around with some different spots and originally thought Rocky Mountain National Park would be a great option! At the time, his family was still planning on coming out, so we used their vow renewal session as a “decoy” to keep everything a secret from Maria. However, once his sister-in-law and brother canceled their trip due to sickness, we had to change our plans even more to keep Maria from getting too suspicious! The plot thickens!!
Ultimately, we landed on Echo Lake Park up near Idaho Springs because it is accessible, the snow levels are manageable this time of year (since most of the snow in the high country doesn’t melt until late June, early July most years!) and it would still have beautiful mountain and lake views, especially during sunrise. The best lighting called for a 3:45am wake up call, but I promised him that it would be 100% worth it for gorgeous views and secluded spots!
The big day
3:45am arrived that morning and I found myself making extra cups of tea to prep for the drive ahead. The weather looked a bit cloudy, but the temperatures weren’t too bad. I knew that as we got higher in elevation, the temperature would drop, but I had hopes that the wind speeds would stay low and we’d still get some good lighting up at the lake.
Mason confirmed that they were also on their way, so I headed up the mountain and immediately hit a cloud bank! Just clouds as far as the eye could see and very little visibility as I winded my way up the mountain from Idaho Springs to the trailhead. I kept replaying the conversation I had with Mason the day before about lighting and how “beautiful sunrise is” and couldn’t help but laugh ironically, because I knew that we weren’t going to get that alpenglow light I had originally planned for, BUT that’s just how nature works, especially in the mountains. You make plans, you change plans, and you adapt with the moment!
When they arrived it all worked out because Maria LOVED the icicles on the trees. There was a misty fog coating the lake that added to the dreamy feel of the area. We spent some time taking portraits before Mason’s big moment, just in case the sun made any appearance, but after a few minutes, I knew there was no sense in waiting, the secret had been held in for too long! I gave him our agreed upon signal, and before we knew it, she had said yes!!
The rest of our session was full of laughter and true giddiness! We meandered around the lake together, soaking in the foggy views, frozen trees, and recalling all the crazy parts of the story that Maria didn’t know about yet. It was an incredible morning, completely private, and just what Mason envisioned when we first spoke. I’m so excited for the journey ahead of these two after having been together for 10+ years already. This next engaged chapter may be the best one yet!
