Salida, Colorado Ring Creation Engagement Session | Kelly + Brendan

Brendan and Kelly’s engagement session will forever be one of the most unique sessions I have had the honor of documenting.

When we first chatted on the phone about their wedding plans, Kelly and Brendan weren’t sure they wanted to take engagement photos. So I suggested to them to reshape their mindset behind engagement photos; they are not simply photos for save the dates, but rather a time to capture what this season of life looks like for them. It is also a great way to get to know each other before the wedding day, get more comfortable in front of the camera and create some fun memories.

I often tell couples to think of something they enjoy doing together. Going for a hike, going to the bar, going to the farmers market, exploring new cities, grabbing coffee together, etc. Then I encourage them to incorporate that into their engagement session as a way to remember what they loved doing together 20 years from now. 

So when Kelly and Brendan mentioned that they would be forging their own wedding bands this spring, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take engagement photos. 

Kelly is currently living in San Fransisco, and Brendan is living in Hawaii, so they have to travel quite far to come to Colorado. Since they have to travel far, I didn’t want to take any extra time away from their short visit with family and each other. 

We met in Salida, Colorado and adventured around the foothills and downtown before heading to the ring shop where they made wedding bands from complete scratch. It was such a fun process to watch and document for them.

They started with tiny fragments of gold and steel and refined them into beautiful rings. 

Kelly made Brendan’s ring while Brendan made Kelly’s ring – which I thought was such a beautiful representation of serving one another.

It was great to get to know each other more and hang out before their wedding day this May in Colorado Springs. 

Denver Photojournalistic Wedding Photographer

Love seeing Kelly and Brendan’s unique engagement session? Check out LeeAnn + Andrew’s special engagement session in Rocky Mountain National Park. Interested in booking your own adventure and capturing candid and authentic moments with your partner, let’s chat!