Loveland Pass Engagement

Michelle and Dan’s Loveland Pass engagement session came as a surprise to Michelle. Granted, she thought that she’d be taking photos that day and in that location. But she also thought that it would be Dan setting up a camera to capture some images of their family vacation to the Rocky Mountains. Dan is no stranger to photography, so this had become an expected part of any of their adventures together. Little did she know, she’d be heading back to Delaware with a gorgeous rock of her own.

Now, I’m a sucker for a good proposal story. But my favorite proposals aren’t the ones where everything is “perfect.” Because just like with weddings, a proposal’s imperfections are what make it memorable. In this case, it was a rainstorm that timed itself precisely for the moment Dan was due to bring Michelle out to our agreed-upon spot. And a lack of cell phone service. And also the fact that it was about 40 degrees in mid-July (not totally unexpected, but still a bit chilly, even for us). Jesse and I had positioned ourselves in a location where we couldn’t see the parking lot, so every time we heard a car pull up, we’d get into character as the drenched-but-dedicated landscape photographers out for a Thursday photo session on the Continental Divide.

After our fourth false start (hey, we get A LOT of tourists in Colorado, even during a pandemic), we see Dan walking over the hill alone. The rain had kept getting more intense, so while Michelle and their kids were hanging in the warmth of their car, he told them he would go scout for a perfect spot to take some family photos. Quick thinking, Dan! We talked through the plan and the signals we’d use to know what was going on and decided to wait out the rain for a bit. Sure, enough, about 10 minutes later, we heard the awe-struck exclamations from their three kids echoing off of the surrounding mountains. It was GO TIME.

I won’t bother describing the actual proposal. We’ve always been far better using a picture to capture a moment rather than 1,000 words and we’ve got plenty of those below. Suffice it to say that she said yes and an epic celebration followed, complete with champagne for Michelle and Dan and sparkling cider for the kids.

Michelle, Dan, Noelle, Jordan, and Isabelle, we had so much fun hanging out with all of you, from looking for whistle pigs to the backyard dance party under the stars. I’m super impressed by your perseverance, through 45 mph wind gusts and toes so cold they went numb! We hope you enjoyed your Colorado vacation and look forward to meeting up the next time.