If you haven’t noticed, we’re in the thicc of cuffing season. Engagement rings are starting to take over the usual puppies and inappropriate jokes in my social media feeds. While it can def get overwhelming (please remember everyone has their own timeline and priorities, you do you boo!), it means more happy couples for me to help create the elopement of their dreams!

Business fun fact about Kenzie – I’m more than happy to be sneaky AF and photograph your Colorado proposal! I’ve done quite a few since I moved to Colorado and every single one has left me crying. My fellow Illinoisian’s Scott and Jake had a vacation planned up in the mountains, so Scott reached out to me beforehand and asked if I was available for a surprise Estes Park proposal. I’m stoked I was free! Jake said yes (obvi) and they’ll have these epic photos to look back on years into their marriage.

The Details

  • Scott rented an ATV from Backbone Adventures in Estes Park for a fun adrenaline rush while exploring the town.
  • The staff at Backbone Adventures are PHENOMENAL. Scott asked if they could drive me up to the Estes Park proposal location so I wouldn’t have to hike, and they were so nice to accommodate his request and take me up.
  • While Jake and Scott were out having fun, I set up a sweet picnic for them and worked with the Backbone team to find the perfect spot.
  • Once these cuties made it up to the spot, I did my best to hide and pretend to be an oblivious hiker. I jumped out as soon as Scott popped the question!
  • We took a few photos in the area to document the moment and then they headed back to town to celebrate their exciting future together.

Must Knows

  • When you hire me to shoot a proposal, you’re getting the same hands-on experience that my elopement couples get. I set up everything, whether it’s a picnic or some boozy drinks, and can help find a location, so all you have to focus on is getting there.
  • Always always always trust your photographer! There will be moments when you need to be flexible, and the person you hire should be someone you trust completely. The exact spot Scott initially wanted to propose at wasn’t going to be great for me to navigate around, so we picked a different spot really close by that would let me get great pictures for them. The scenery was still exactly what they wanted!

Help me pop the question Kenz.

"Hiring McKenzie to photograph our wedding was single-handedly the best decision we made when planning our wedding. Wedding planning and vendor research was so stressful, and once we had Kenzie, she stepped in as support and helped us with narrowing down things that were important to us and to figure out what we really wanted.  wish we could get married over and over again just to recreate these and work with Kenzie again! "

Nadia + Daniel

"You will not find another wedding photographer who has the McKenzie signature style- she can capture the absolute beauty of the area and people all at once. She can shoot in a variety of settings and lightings and the photos are all gorgeous. One of the main reasons we booked McKenzie was the fact that she showcases a diverse clientele and finds beauty in all beings- something not all photographers can say.As a plus size bride who was extremely worried about looking back at my wedding pictures with dread that I wouldn't look like those gorgeous girlies on Instagram- this meant so much to me. "

Sydnie + Nathan

"When we got engaged, we searched near and far for an elopement photographer - & we met with several different photographers but none felt right until we met McKenzie. My husband, my dog and I are avid hikers - we wanted a beautiful hike and view, but it was also very important that we could be our authentic selves and intimately celebrate our 10 years together in the way we wanted. I'll be honest, I was shy about wanting to elope (ya know, family opinions and such), but McKenzie made us feel so comfortable in our decision. She wholeheartedly welcomed us being.. us! We couldn't have asked for more."

Maranda + Sam