If you’re lucky enough to call Montana home, you likely have a few gorgeous places that are special to you, whether it’s where you hiked together on a first date, got engaged, or had your first kiss. One place in particular that has amazing hikes, a cute town, and gorgeous rivers is Red Lodge. Only 45 minutes away from Billings, Red Lodge is one of the prettiest towns and I’ve been visiting it since I learned to ski at the age of five.
Madison and Alex wanted snowy engagement photos to complement their spring wedding at The Venue - Red Lodge Mountain so we took a drive up into the mountains. As you can imagine, the locations were stunning, they were so comfortable in front of the camera, and I’m super happy with how their gallery turned out.
The greatest thing about RED LODGE is that you can get to these beautiful views without having to drive for hours and then hiking for miles. It looks a little bit more like stopping at the local cafe in Red Lodge and picking up a coffee, driving about fifteen minutes into the mountains to jumping out of the car and snapping a few images. Then drive another 8 to 10 min to a different location to enjoy the scenery on a short walk, while creating some beautiful artwork before heading back to town for a bite back in Red Lodge. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the whole atmosphere of engagement photos in Red Lodge feels more like going on a date than getting photos taken.
Pro tip! If you plan on eating in Red Lodge, you had better be at your restaurant by 7.30, nearly every kitchen in town closes at 8 p.m.
Why it’s a great idea to Hire the same photographer for your engagement and wedding photos.
Something that makes my ears sing as a photographer is when couples ask for an engagement session as well as wedding photography. There are so many reasons why I advocate for this, but the two primary ones are:
We get to know each other better and build trust before the wedding day. This lowers some barriers allowing me to capture more authentic portraits sooner in the day.
The other is that we get to learn and practice the communication system I use for posing and prompting. We get to practice and experiment with what types of prompts work best for the two of you. Allowing us to move straight into creating amazing images and skipping the learning/practicing part.
Knowing how your photographer works before the wedding is only going to help you get even more out of your final gallery.
There’s nothing wrong with getting engagement photos done by a different photographer, but all you get are photos, it doesn’t enhance your final wedding gallery.
So, if you’re looking for advice from a photographer; I recommend asking your wedding photographer to also do your engagement photos, and that you get your photos taken in Red Lodge!
Hi I’m Zak, and I’m so glad you’re here!
As a photographer based in Billings, I get to work in Red Lodge all the time, but I also shoot all over our beautiful state of Montana.
If you ever have any questions, feel free to contact me anytime!
