Canoeing Couple | Adventurous Couple Photos

I am not quite sure where to being for this epic Lake Dillon engagement photo session with Mandy and Josh. So I guess I’ll start at the very beginning.

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I’ve known Mandy for 6 years, it’s really been that long? Haha. We meet in Albuquerque through mutual friends and became climbing buddies.

Life changed and we both moved different places. Mandy being the sweet awesome girl she is, is a person who no matter how long you were in her life, will always connect and love on you well if you cross paths again. Well, we did two years ago we finally went snowboarding together, and she brought a long a friend of her’s, Josh.

Fast forward two years and I find out Mandy and Josh are engaged! I was BEYOND thrilled!!! First because Mandy has always been a catch (I’ve secretly tried to set her up with a million guys in my head…as I’m sure many close friends have done, haha.) and because this adventurous fun loving girl just doesn’t fall in love with every guy. 😉

Mandy popped in on her way down south and sat on my couch and told me all about her life now after two years of not hang out. We got caught up and I told her I would LOVE to shoot her wedding. A few weeks later they booked me! A few weeks later we finally got to do their engagement photos.

Our original plan was to do paddle boarding since this is one of the many adventurous activities Josh and Mandy do but Josh has a broken leg. So, Mandy found a canoe under Josh’s porch and we just went for it!

The day of Mandy and Josh’s engagement session the forecast was thunderstorms, like 60%. Which usually in this state means it will rain, even if just 15 minutes of a down pour. Due to their short engagement we decided to just go for it, and just pray. Which we all did. I seriously remember praying “God do you really love us all enough to withhold this storm?” No, not as a test for God, but more as a true lack of faith in my weak faith as a Christian. So, I prepared my gear for rain (aka ziplock bags and electrical tape…real professionally. haha) Grabbed my rain boots and rain coat and drove up to Lake Dillon.

It was showering on the way through I-70 but the moment I went through the tunnel it was all sunshine with lingering storm clouds.

Then I pulled up the lake. The storm cleared out but left some amazing clouds. I was filled with almost tears that Yes God DOES love us enough to hold the rain…We all three praised Him for this and started our adventure with photos!

I still am amazed that Josh and Mandy got the canoe down to the lake by themselves with Josh injured and unable to bear weight on his leg. Also props that I made them both stand in the canoe…they were troupers!

Our adventure started paddling out to a little island to get the best views.

We all hopped out and played on this little island. I felt so bad to make Josh hop around, literally. But, he was such a great sport about it! I was walking around scouting the little island when I came back to Mandy and Josh playing the hand slapping game and cuddling. I just adore how silly and comfortable they are together.

I put my rain boots on and wadded in the water a little while Mandy and Josh rowed back around to this cute little cove we found. As they were coming back around it started to rain just a bit. It was so nice and beautiful!

As the sun start to set amazing colors came out from the lingering storm clouds.  I hopped in the canoe with them and did my own balancing act to get some unique angles. Let’s just say all those years of being a ballerina really paid off. 😉

If you’ve ever been up in any Colorado mountains you know once the sun goes down the temperature drops quickly so we began our journey back to shore and the moon so beautifully peaked over the surrounding mountains casting beautiful light along the rippling water. All the while Mandy and Josh were being SUPER adorable telling the cheesest canoe puns you have ever heard…if only I remembered them. haha.

We pulled up on to shore and then built a fire. As Josh says is all Mandy since she is the “fire princess” aka able to get an awesome fire going anywhere. She very much lived up to this title! 😉

Thank you Mandy and Josh for going on this adventure with me and being even more faithful to trust that God would provide well for your engagement session. I am SO excited to capture your wedding day in a couple of weeks!