If you’re looking for a place to do an engagement (or wedding!) photoshoot in Alberta, you really can’t go wrong with mountains. I love these sessions. The glacier water is so blue, and with a wide-angle lens you can get gorgeous photos that really capture just how huge and impressive our mountain ranges are. Something about them just feels so dang romantic.

I’ve traveled across Alberta for engagement and wedding sessions, and wanted to showcase some of my favourite spots!

CANMORE / QUARRY LAKE

A former open-pit coal mine, Quarry Lake has been transformed into a beautiful recreation area just outside of Canmore. It’s surrounded by mountains in every direction – Mount Rundle, Ha Ling Peak, Mount Lawrence Grassi and “Hope” (one of the famous Three Sisters).

This spot is beautiful in the fall. If you time it right, when the trees have changed colours but the leaves haven’t fallen yet, you’ll be in for a treat! Natasha & Ryan had their formal wedding portraits here, and I think the results speak for themselves. Make sure you get some photos of just the two of you, but don’t miss out on the opportunity for some fun shots of the whole bridal party!

Lake MINNEWANKA

Lake Minnewanka is a short drive from the Banff Townsite. Fun fact: there used to be a village here, but it was completely submerged in the early 1940s when the dam was diverted. I don’t know how to scuba dive, but if I did, I would brave the glacial water to check it out.

Because the lake is fed from a glacier, the water is unbelievably clear and blue. This is one of my favourite places to shoot engagement sessions; but be warned, it gets very, VERY busy. You might end up waiting around a little bit for people to disperse.

These are some photos of my beautiful friends, Olivia & Rory, who recently had their engagement photoshoot at Lake Minnewanka:

If you feel like braving the cold, this spot is breathtaking in the winter! I was lucky enough to do an engagement session here with some of my best friends, Alana & Kevin. I just love the way the mountain peaks look when they’re covered in snow, it’s a really cozy and romantic vibe. I couldn’t feel my feet by the end of it, but it was so worth it!

ABRAHAM LAKE

Abraham Lake is near the town of Nordegg, which is about 3 hours northwest of Edmonton. This spot is famous for the ice bubbles that form in winter! There are lots of campgrounds and rustic resorts nearby too, which makes it a great area to have a little “summer camp” style wedding.

I haven’t had the opportunity to do a winter session yet (please let me know if you’re planning one because I would LOVE to) – but I did do wedding photos here for Beni & Sarah. I love these wide angle shots, they let you get so much of the landscape and really just puts into perspective how small we really are. And omg, how about that truck shot? They’re so cute!

I can’t wait to get back into the mountains. If you’re looking for an engagement or wedding photographer in Alberta, I’d love to hear from you!