Big Cottonwood Canyon Utah Engagement
A snowy mountain covered with pines. You can’t pick a more beautiful place for a sunrise proposal.
Getting Engaged in the Utah Mountains
Utah is unique. I’ve lived here my entire life, and I could still spend the rest of it uncovering its beauty. Deserts, large bodies of water, caves, arches, dunes and so much more. But, our tagline is “The Greatest Snow on Earth.” It could very well be true. Each year I get to take photos of couples coming to experience that great snow.
Ryan here had reached out looking for that Utah beauty for his proposal. He & his (now) fiance coming from Ohio & Texas they were in for a treat getting to come for the skiing and leave engaged.
Reaching out weeks prior he wanted help finding a beautiful spot where he could start his marriage journey. Immediately my mind went to Big Cottonwood Canyon. It boasts its tall pines and its changing beauty in each season. Sunset, sunrise, fall, winter, never a bad shot can be had here on any day or time in any season. I sent him my prior work and he loved the location and we settled right here, on this ridge on the approach to Donut Falls.
The Proposal
I wake up early on the day of the proposal… New Year’s Day. I spent that morning getting my gear together and preparing a small set up of rose petals. I bought them fresh the evening before and plucked them in the morning. I arrived at 8 am, 30 minutes before Ryan would arrive and propose. I picked the angle I wanted and set up the rose petals accordingly so Ryan would know where he should do it. Then I got into position and waited in the 20-degree weather, very eagerly awaiting to capture a beautiful sunrise proposal.
Ryan arrived right on time and texted me when they were on their way up. Right as they walked off the main path and made their way up the hill the sun did its work. Just like planned it rose over the trees making them glow as well with the snow on the ground. Right on time. I played the “landscape photographer” and took photos of the scenery and waited as I could feel Ryan was close to our marked spot. The second their backs were to me I went into action. Now, I’ll let the photos tell you the rest of the story:)
