For Travis and Kelly we went with a Summer Engagement and they chose Kennywood! Talk about embarking on a thrilling adventure! It was great because inside of Kennywood we did so many things and activities that not only gave them an amazing experience, but so many different type of scenes within the same day.

It’s your story, make it your own!

Your engagement session should be a true reflection of the extraordinary connection you share, what you love to do together to enjoy the little moments of life and those big milestones. It’s the time to celebrate your upcoming wedding and the decision to spend the rest of your life together.

Top 3 Unique Ideas for Your Pittsburgh Engagement

1. Riding your Favorite Rides Together: We started of by taking photos in front of the Music Express ride in Kennywood. It was amazing because I gave Travis and Kelly time to just be by themselves and as they noticed that they were going to be standing for a bit there, they really started talking and being themselves, which it turned out to some of the sweetest moments of the session.
2. Eating your Favorite Food and Truly enjoying it! I told them ahead of time to think of their favorite fair food, because we were going to stop at some point to eat and enjoy their favorite snacks, because… let’s face it, that’s one of the favorite things about going to Kennywood. Isn’t?
3. Playing Is there anything more fun than being kids again and just let lose? I’m not really sure anything tops that to be honest. For this particular instance, Travis and Kelly had gotten some bears and as they say The Giant Claw – Like the name? Haha – They played and although they didn’t win, it was a great way to set the tone for the day.

Why Choose Pittsburgh for Your Engagement Session?

Ahhh… Grand Carousel in Kennywood is such a majestic and beautiful place for photos. I stood back, and just observed them as they waited in line, and I saw the most beautiful gestures of love and tenderness between them, like Kelly putting her hand on top of Travis as they watched the carousel go. I gave them some direction, but all in all, it was more for them to let lose and be more natural than to stage anything.

When they were in the ride, their joy and that intimacy between them only grew and they kind of forgot about me and were just being themselves, which again, was all that I wanted in order to capture their tru essence as a couple.

Crafting your Engagement Session: An Adventure

Wondering where to start for your engagement session? Like I mentioned above it will all depend if you want to experience something you like doing together and capturing that, or if you want to go on a little adventure (or BIG). Some options would be, go to Kennywood, going to your favorite brewery, a coffee chop date, a picnic with a glass of wine, but to be honest the possibilities are as diverse as Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, so you can really take advantage of that.

Outfits

For the day Travis and Kelly chose an outfit that would go along with their style and what they were comfortable with, and they had a second more formal outfit they were going to change to for the night, which was festive and went along incredibly well with all the lights that are so unique to a fair. Kelly had a long red , flowy dress, and Travis had a red suit jacket with dress pants, which complemented Kelly’s outfit.

After walking, playing and riding some fun rides we stopped at the potato patch to get those famous fries that everybody who has ever gone to Kennywood love! They joked, talked, and ate, and once they were ready, we kept going to our next destination.

This one was a lot of fun for me as a photographer. The sky was cloudy enough that you could appreciate and see the ride’s colors and add some depth to the photographs. It was also pretty fun, because I got to play with some techniques and slow down the movement to get the feeling of it all, and not just photos.

Another fun game, for anybody who grew up in the 80s and 90s Mario Bros was a big deal back them, so this was a bit of a throwback and I gotta say Kelly did so well and they ended up winning.

For the night part, we went to some of their favorite rides again and we got some very romantic photos. And right before we left we had to get that “Goodnight” photo that is right before exiting Kennywood.

It was beyond an exciting day for all of us. Not only Travis and Kelly had an experience I’m sure they’ll remember forever, but it also gave us the chance to work together and prepare for their big day, which is coming up next year.

Pittsburgh isn’t just another place, it can be a great city with diverse landscapes, vibrant neighborhoods, and warm-hearted locals.

Ideas are just limitless when it comes to your engagement session in Pittsburgh. If you need location recommendations, make sure to check out The Steel City: The Most Iconic Locations in Pittsburgh and The Best Locations for Photo Shoot in Pittsburgh: Find Out Where to Plan Your Next Photo Shoot!

If you’d like me to help you plan your engagement experience and would like me to capture your wedding day, I’d be more than happy to do so If I’m available for your date, to make sure I am, feel free to send me inquiry with all the details.

Until next time!

xo,

Natalia