Twirling in open fields with your soul mate
Hues of Autumn meet the light of the Front Range
There's a certain kind of light in Colorado Springs that hits just right--especially when two people are beautifully in sync as Meagan & Sean. From the very first frame, it was clear: this wasn't just a regular degular engagement session, this was something deeper, more joyful, and totally their own.
My first impression of Meagan & Sean started off with a hiccup of car stress before the shoot. This did not phase them at all, it was if they had left the issue to the wind and said "we won't let this bog us down from having a great time" and I could tell that these two had been in-tune with the other since day one.
This was their first time at a photo session, which is very common as a wedding photographer, so I was guiding them through what the afternoon session had in-store and they couldn't have been more hyped. One of the details about this session that stuck out to me was Meagan & Sean's ability to recall their energies together. I would start them out with a pose and prompt to get them chatty and moving, but by the end of the night they had the vibe of model couple with how easy they were able to play off the other.
Another way that I connect with couples during an engagement session is by giving them time and space to just be.
This could like anything from a caress of the cheek to the mutual appreciation of the sunset together. This allows me to learn how they move, speak to each other and how I can document the moments that feel most like them. My goal for this session was to make sure that their gallery matched their playful love.
An icon to COS
Cheyenne Mountain is known to many for its granite outcroppings and it being home to an underground bunker/city! It has a unique placement at the south end of the Front Range and contributes to the skyline of Colorado Springs. You can usually scope out Cheyenne Mountain from any part of the city!
The history of the mountain is mostly military but it's also the home to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, the highest altitude zoo in North America. It's internationally recognized and renowned! They're expanding their giraffe exhibit in 2026 to a brand new 12,000 sq. ft. giraffe barn so that their habitats are state-of-the-art and accessible for guests. Read more about it from CMZoo here!
There's so much recreational enjoyment to be had in this area of Colorado Springs. The trails are open to hikers, cyclists, and horseback riders and the state park charges $10 per vehicle for entry. Grab your partner, family, or a friend and get out to check out the Cheyenne Mountain State Park.
Meagan and Sean began planning their wedding and quickly prioritized their vendors, and photography was their number one!
They were referred by local wedding coordination business, Dream Catcher Weddings, and after hearing positive reviews they were piqued and ready to chat wedding photography! This created the perfect atmosphere for us to chat about the details and the vision they had for their wedding day. Fortunately, I offer a complimentary engagement session with every full-day wedding package, so this was a win-win because they were needing engagement photos for wedding decor anyways!
Being from different corners of the country, and minimal knowledge of scenic spots since their relocation was new for them, I was eager to show them to some of the iconic spots all over Colorado Springs. They passed the reins over to me, as far as, creative control with their shoot and we landed on Cheyenne Mountain State Park at sunset.
I was so honored to have their trust with their session, so I wanted to make sure that they felt seen and heard. I often ask how to make the session special, and these two were just so sweet. They said that since the pandemic, they've always known that they were going to be together, and they just wanted to be married already! <3
Magic captured in each moment
One thing that I find very darling is that Meagan and Sean are both school teachers, so that's another reinforcing frequency that they share. It was most often times that they would swap stories about the wild things they've heard or seen from kids in their classes, and that's what got the biggest belly laugh or endless giggle. This was an indicator of two people who really enjoyed what they did for a living, and it was a joy to see that through the lens.
Any time that I would breakaway from a pose, they would whisper something to each other in that special frequency that I keep mentioning, and I found that those are the better shots from the gallery!
Best believe that we got our frolicking in while we had the advantage of this uninterrupted view of Cheyenne Mountain the WHOLE session. We entered the blue hour portion of the evening and Meagan had the best idea/
The sun started its slow and sweet goodbye, Meagan whipped out the bottle of bubbly and was like "so I brought this?" and immediately affirmed our friendship because there's never a day that I would turn down a champagne pop photo moment! We ventured closer to a gravel trail, as to make sure the spray of champagne wasn't a mess or harming the native flora.
This session was filled with so much conversation and I had the feeling that our session went so well and smooth, I knew that their wedding day would be gorgeous and such a joy to document. We chatted about their wedding day vision and hearing it directly from them was a huge highlight. You can easily tell that they were just wanting their favorite people, family and friends to have a good time and that their day to feel like them.
SCROLL THROUGH SOME OF MY FAVORITE FRAMES BELOW, AND JUST TRY NOT TO SMILE AT THE WAY SEAN LOOKS AT MEAGAN--SERIOUSLY, THESE TWO ARE SUNSHINE IN HUMAN FORM.
