When is the Best Time to Take Engagement Photos in Wyoming or Northern Colorado?
As a Cheyenne wedding photographer, this can be a loaded question for me. My answer might be very different if we lived in a place that actually had four seasons, or maybe even if we were planning engagement photos in Fort Collins, Colorado. The reality of planning engagement photos in Wyoming is that we have to plan for a myriad of conditions, no matter the season. Below, I’ve broken down some tips for planning engagement photos in Wyoming, with specific tips related to Cheyenne, Laramie and Grand Teton National Park. I’ve also peppered in a few spring engagement photos taken in the Fort Collins area, because it seems I generally end up there in the springtime months when Wyoming is still cold and windy.
At Least 6 Months Prior to Your Wedding Date
A general rule of thumb is to take engagement photos about 6 months prior to your wedding. This is especially true if you plan to use them for your Save the Dates. Most couples send out Save the Dates 4-6 months before their wedding date. If you are planning a wedding in Grand Teton National Park, you might consider sending them out even earlier than 4-6 months. Your guests will need to secure lodging early near Jackson Hole or in peak seasons in Laramie or Cheyenne. See more of Makayla and Rowan’s engagement session here.
In Wyoming, Engagement Photos are Usually Taken A Year In Advance of the Wedding
For reasons you’ll see below, most of my couples end up taking engagement photos in Wyoming about a year in advance of the wedding. My couples usually try to match the season of their wedding in their engagement photos. Most of them also want to have plenty of time to use their photos for Save the Dates, photos on their wedding websites, or in decor for the wedding.
If you don’t plan on using your engagement photos for Save the Dates or invitations, this timing isn’t a hard rule. I’ve have had some couples take engagement photos just days prior to their wedding, especially if they are traveling in for their destination wedding in Wyoming.
Summer and Fall are Best For Mountain Engagement Photos in Wyoming
Hands down, the absolute best times to take mountain engagement photos in Wyoming are summer or fall. While snowy, winter photos might sound lovely, the reality of Wyoming weather makes them very difficult. The Wyoming cold and wind can be bitter. Engagement photos should be relaxed, fun and adventurous. I want to maximize the time I have with you on shoots. For winter engagement photos, I spend a lot of my time making sure your fingers aren’t frozen solid (thank you Hot Hands!) or having you take ‘warmth’ breaks in the car.
If you absolutely want winter photos, I am definitely willing to take them. I just ask that we allow some flexibility in scheduling so that we can time them for the best weather. This might mean we have a backup date scheduled in case a blizzard decides to hit the state.
We often refer to spring in Wyoming as sprinter; we get the majority of our snow in springtime in Wyoming. Not only that, but we rarely start seeing things green up until May. March and April might seem like ‘spring’ months anywhere else. However, in a Wyoming photographer’s mind, they fall into ‘winter.’ Trees are still bare, everything is still brown, and there’s a very good chance the wind will be blowing 40 mph. Keep reading, and I will talk a little more about late spring below.
Wyoming will always have crazy weather, but summer and fall are safer bets for engagement photos.
Summer Engagement Photos
Summer is always a good time to take engagement photos in Wyoming. Engagement photos in the summer time are filled with green things, long summer nights, and warmth. This is the perfect combination to create romantic, golden hour sunset photos.
Many of our mountain roads don’t open up until Memorial Day. This definitely includes the Vedauwoo Road and the Snowy Range Byway past the ski area. If you want engagement photos in either of these areas, or in certain areas within Grand Teton National Park, it’s best to wait until summer.
If you love wildflowers, summer is your season for engagement photos in Wyoming. Wildflowers start in the lower mountain areas like Vedauwoo and Medicine Bow National forest as early as April or May, but they peak in June and early July. In higher elevation areas, like the Snowy Range Byway, smaller alpine flowers can start in early June, but they really don’t peak until July.
If you’re interested in wildflowers, I found a handy little website with all the wildflower regions across the country here.
Tips and Tricks for Summer Engagement Photos
Warm weather in the summertime allows for flexibility in clothing. Feel free to wear long, flowy dresses, and short sleeves. You might think about hats as accessories; they likely won’t blow away this time of year. 🙂 For a full post about What to Wear for Engagement Photos, click here.
Bring a couple clothing options for different looks. I usually recommend you each have two options. For ladies, I suggest one long dress and one jeans outfit. For guys, one jeans outfit and one dressier outfit is perfect. Always, always, always, bring good shoes for walking. I move around a lot during sessions, and mountain terrain can be really uneven. Bring sensible shoes, even if they are just for moving in between locations.
Anywhere in the rocky mountain region, bring bug spray during summer months. We will likely be shooting in grassy areas in the mountains. Mosquitos can be bad, and there can be ticks in wooded areas and tall grass. I usually carry bug spray in the car, and you’ll definitely want to put some on before your session in the summertime, especially if we’re near water.
And speaking of water, bring some! I love to hike around during shoots to get different views and looks for your session. Bring water to stay hydrated, as Wyoming’s climate is surprisingly dry.
Summer Engagement Photos in Laramie or Cheyenne
In Laramie and Cheyenne, we need to watch for July afternoon thunderstorms. The end of July is riddled with afternoon thunderstorms in this area. June and August tend to be safer bets in terms of weather.
The past few years, however, early August has been high season for wildfires. The fire season is becoming more and more unpredictable. Again, I would just allow some flexibility in timing. If conditions are really poor, I will likely ask that we reschedule for a clearer night.
Summer Engagement Photos in Grand Teton National Park
If you are taking your engagement photos in Grand Teton National Park in the summer, fire smoke could completely block out the view of the mountains. There are many other beautiful places in the area, but that is a huge bummer if you’ve traveled there for those views. Plan to stay for a few days if you are visiting the area, just in case we get a break in the smoke and a clear view one evening during your stay. Also, the mountains are almost always more clear in the mornings. Light is much harsher in the mornings, but rescheduling to a morning session might be a good route if evenings are super smoky.
If you want to check smoke conditions, here are a couple pages to check out: Smoke Management for Teton Interagency Fire and the webcam from the Teton Science Center, which shows the current view of the Tetons from that vantage point, along with what a clear/hazy day looks like. I also found a handy report about this year’s snow pack and moisture here. Keep in mind, fires across the west settle into the Bridger Teton valley. Usually, the worst smoke in that area comes from fires as far away as the Pacific Northwest and California.
The other consideration for engagement photos in Grand Teton National Park is the tourist season. Peak tourist season around Jackson Hole is during the summer time. The entire summer is becoming nutty lately, but June is less busy and July is really insane. The best way to avoid the crowds is to stay away from iconic tourist spots. I will suggest locations that will be more private and secluded for engagement photos in the Tetons.
Fall Engagement Photos
Fall is, hands down, my favorite time of year. The weather is beautiful, the light is warm, and the tones are incredible for photos. Fall allows more flexibility in wardrobe too. Add in layers, long sleeves, sweaters and scarves in addition to lighter dresses.
Fall Photos in Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park fall color peaks much earlier than the rest of the state. Last year, we were at the end of the peak around September 21, but we’ve been in snowstorms even earlier in the Tetons. For your safest bet, aim for early to mid-September with scheduling flexibility to plan for adverse weather. Fall in the Tetons is gorgeous no matter what, but it can be a bit muddy and wet during early fall snow storms.
Fall Engagement Photos in Laramie or Cheyenne
Our fall in Laramie or Cheyenne is most often late September to early October. It starts earlier in the Snowy Range, however (early to mid-September). For mountain photos with fall color, we might have to see where the trees are changing the most at the time of your session. I’ve been a photographer in Cheyenne for more than a decade now, and I am happy to make suggestions on timing for the best fall color. These sessions go extremely quickly, though. My fall calendar is nearly full at the moment, so do not hesitate to get a fall session scheduled.
Spring Engagement Photos
As tricky as springtime in Wyoming can be, I do find myself taking a fair amount of engagement sessions in March and April. Sometimes people get engaged and have less than a year-long engagement period. In this case, we typically need to take them either right after people get engaged in late summer or fall, or we end up taking them in the spring.
I said earlier that early springtime in March or April tends to require flexibility in scheduling. I’ve had spring sessions that get moved three or four times. Most often, I find myself moving the session a little further south to Fort Collins (or scheduling it there in the first place). I love combining urban sessions with a natural location. Old Town in Fort Collins offers less wind and more color during these low color spring months.
Late April and May in Wyoming can definitely be doable. If you love apple blossoms, I would suggest doing your engagement session in town in May. Around Cheyenne, we have several blooming trees that can be gorgeous that time of year.
Book Your Engagement Session Early
If you haven’t gathered this already, the shooting season for Wyoming photographers is fairly short. You will want to schedule it early to ensure you get the season you want for your photos.
If you need to get an engagement session scheduled this summer or fall, please reach out soon. Wedding dates for 2023 are going fast, so definitely reach out soon if you will need to send out Save the Dates for a 2023 wedding!