Mountain Engagement Photoshoot Ideas

Photography Credits: Moira Grace Photography

Thinking of having your engagement session in the mountains?

More specifically the mountains in North Carolina? Here are a few survival tips

and tricks to help everything run a little more smoothly!

These tips can apply to other mountain photoshoots too, but

my main experience is in the North Carolina mountains.

Included in this post are a lot of helpful/fun links to Amazon products

(disclosure the products linked do give me a very small commission from Amazon)

Pros: Majestic Sunsets, 360 views, fresh mountain

air, hiking, adventure, beautiful scenery, similar pros

to Forest photography, greenery in Summer,

ALL the colors in Autumn, you can bring pets, and

this is the perfect scenery if you’re going for a more

dramatic, rustic, and/or spectacular feel in your

engagement photos!

Cons: the possibility of bugs, bug bites, poison ivy, humidity

(in summer), numb fingers (in winter), extreme

temperatures (either hot or too cold depending on the season),

hiking the wrong trail, no cell signal at all, altitude sickness,

with popular destinations possibility of it being overcrowded,

dehydration, no bathrooms, and unpredictable lighting.

Best way to prepare for your session in the woods/forest:

  • First, find the mountain you want to have your photos done at, then check the website for rules, best trails to get to the location, and any warnings
  • Make sure to check if your photographer has all the permits for shooting at the location, keep in mind that some mountain tops have some no access spots
  • If permits are required, check for fees if there are any, be aware of the parks opening and closing time so you don’t get shut in!
  • Bring plenty of water, a small snack such as fresh fruit, Trail mix, or your favorite granola bar (Mine is the Cliff White Chocolate Macadamia nut bar), also some bug spray, bring any extra deodorant/anti persperant (I suggest using a spray-on or clear deodorant so there are no white marks left on your clothes I use Secret’s clear deodorant), just to be safe to combat altitude sickness (which is very real, I’ve had it, not fun at all) think about getting oxygen in a can (HERE is the one I have used and suggest), for oily skin or during the summer months I highly suggest my brides to be bring blotting paper, for colder months think of packing some hand warmers
  • Plan for enough time for walking to your destination especially when it comes to hiking in the mountains, you’ll want to allow extra time since you’ll lose the sun behind the mountains a bit faster
  • watch out for bad plants (know your poison ivy/oak) and wildlife (not are harmful to us but let’s be aware of their habitat and not be harmful to them either!)
  • Bring any props you might want to use (again be mindful of the habitat and environment around you, don’t use any plastic confetti that will be left around for animals to ingest)
  • Be mindful of what you pack to wear, depending on the season you may need a jacket in between shots due to the freezing wind, or a cool wet bandanna to cool down between shots!
  • Check sunset time on google for that day start shooting an hour or two before sunset to get that golden hour effect. For a more detailed sunset analysis download an app that will tell you about golden hour, blue hour, and the position of the sun. Just remember EW, this is my favorite acronym to remember that the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, if it helps bring a compass or download a compass app to find where the sun will be setting at your location

Ideas for Forest Sessions:

  • Build a simple but cute tent or go all out with a luxury teepee
  • Play with lights, battery operated are best since you won’t have anywhere to plug them in. Here are a few options: Star lights, Fairy lights, Warm Lights, or Cool Lights
  • Throw something neat in the air or use some neat props (bonus if this is what you’re using for your wedding exit since you’ll get to see how it looks in photos ahead of time) some ideas include: Dried Lavender, Rose Petals, Bio-degradable Gold Confetti, Bio-degradable Colorful Confetti, Sparklers (please be very careful with these, make sure to have a safe way to extinguish them after used and don’t leave any trash from this behind), or Bubbles
  • Include your pets. Check to make sure the area allows pets, most mountain trails allow dogs, bring their favorite toy or treat along to help with capturing them (you can never go wrong with Beggin’ Dog Treats), bring a cute collar, bandanna, or sign that announces your engagement for them to wear, and don’t forget a water bottle for them!

Now booking couples for 2021 and 2022!

Interested in having Moira Grace Photography capture your wedding day?

Fill out the contact form HERE to start the process!

Let’s create your very own forest engagement photoshoot!

 

Limited availability left in 2021

Feel free to share or pin any of the images in this post.

You can also check out more inspiration and neat photos on my Pinterest HERE

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