Calgary Wedding Photographer
Adventure Engagement Session in Kananaskis Country
When I first met with Alex, she told me where Bradley proposed to her and her description of the area sounded very familiar. It turns out that he had chosen a place that is very special to them, but that also happens to be a fairly well kept secret even if Kananaskis Country has gotten really busy over the past couple of years. A hidden gem that I have found while hiking years ago and have been taking clients to for sessions because it is absolutely stunning, and because we usually have the place (almost) all to ourselves. So needless to say we immediately knew that it was the place to go for their engagement photos.
We decided to do a portion of the trail first, and then head to a big open space by the water to catch the last light. I can still hear the sound of the water as it rolled into shore. It sounded like we were on the beach somewhere by the ocean. That’s what a strong mountain evening breeze will do! And it’ll make a mess of your hair, but you just have to embrace that because it looks amazing!
Alex and Bradley spend a lot of time in the mountains so it was pretty incredible to be able to take those photos out there. Here’s a bit more about their mountain adventures.
Can you tell us a little bit about your passion for hiking in the Rockies and give us an example of one of the best hikes you have been on?
“We love the mountains! If we could spend every weekend out there, we definitely would. I think the thing we love the most is how small you feel when you’re standing at the base of a mountain, looking up at the rock you’re going to go stand on top of. The feeling of peaking a mountain is one of the best feelings in the world, especially when it was a pretty long trudge up. We’ve been on so many hikes, it’s tough to pick a favourite! In the Rockies, it’s probably Boundary Peak up in Jasper. The unique part about that hike is that we took the glacier approach and it felt like we were walking on another planet! With a guide, or proper experience, that one is a 10/10!”
He proposed on the same trail where we did your engagement photos. How did he propose?
“That trail holds a special place in my heart. Not only is it the place where he proposed, but it was also the place where we decided to date each other. The day he proposed, I thought we were going on a long hike with a couple of friends. We hiked up through the forest, and our friends insisted that we stop for lunch and photos once we got into the alpine meadow. I thought “why are we stopping, it’s only been 45 minutes”, and got so annoyed. Our friend started taking photos of me and Bradley, and to be honest, I was getting really impatient at this point. I heard Bradley say he wanted one more picture as I was walking away, and next thing I knew he was down on one knee asking me to marry him. The romantic thing to do would have been to cry and yell “YES!”, instead the first words out of my mouth were “you had better not be joking…”. What can I say, romance runs through my veins.”
Valerie Richer Photography 