Published September 2019 · Updated April 2026
Destination Engagement Session
One of my favorite parts of this work is meeting couples where they are — sometimes literally. Destination engagement sessions take us outside of Arizona, into the cities and landscapes where couples have built their lives together. Each city brings its own light, its own rhythm, and its own kind of beauty.
What I love about traveling for engagement sessions is the way a familiar place looks different through the lens of a love story. These backdrops carry meaning because the couple chose them. And that meaning always shows up in the photographs.
Planning Your Engagement Session
An engagement session is a chance to get comfortable in front of the camera before your wedding day and to create images you can use for save-the-dates, your wedding website, or guest sign-in displays. I typically recommend scheduling your session about 4 to 6 months before the wedding. For Arizona desert sessions, the best months are November through March when temperatures are mild and the light is warm. Sessions in Scottsdale, Phoenix, and the surrounding desert typically start about 90 minutes before sunset to catch the golden hour. If you are planning a session, get in touch and we can talk about locations that work for you.
We don't share engagement sessions often on here, but I have had so many brides ask to see some engagement sessions that we are going to start blogging an engagement session once a month! This was so fun to blog, and relive this perfect and chilly day with Amanda and Mike in New York City.nnOften times for engagement sessions I will travel to my couples hometown, and traveling to the East Coast is an absolute favorite of mine. It truly feels like home exploring New York City as my family grew up on the East Coast. So meeting Amanda and Mike in Brooklyn and Manhattan was such a fun time. I loved exploring the city with these two and capturing their admiration for one another along the way.
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The day of Amanda and Mike's engagement session was freezing, but you would never be able to tell looking at their images. They were such troopers and made the day so fun! We decided to head into a restaurant for a quick little break to warm up and shoot inside. It was the cutest little place with trendy furniture and the most perfect view of the skyline.
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We braved the cold a little longer and also headed to a coffee shop; this was a favorite stop of mine. It made for the sweetest time with Amanda and Mike and they were so lovey with each other. The donuts we got were simply delightful and it was a joyful time for them to just connect in a city they admire and to capture their love on film. nnnI just adore Amanda & Mike and capturing their New York City engagement session was a dream come true.
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More Engagement Sessions
Interested in a destination engagement session? Let’s talk about your vision.