Winter Wonderland Engagement | Vermont Wedding Photographer

Capturing Manika and Mitchell’s engagement shoot in the picturesque winter wonderland of St. Johnsbury, Vermont, was an absolute delight. The couple had hopes of a winter wonderland engagement, and mother nature made their dreams come true! A couple of days prior to their shoot, snowfall swept through the area, leaving snow-dusted trees and creating the most dreamy backdrop. 

Manika and Mitchell are both avid hikers, so for their session they chose a woodsy trail in St. Johnsbury that had a special meaning to their relationship. The couple would visit this same hiking trail frequently. On a warm summer night, they brought paper lanterns to the trail and wrote down their future goals to send off with them. Mitchell surprised Manika by writing that he wanted Manika to be his wife on his paper to send up into the lantern! And she said yes! They cheerfully recapped this story and told me all about their love story. The sentimental location made their winter wonderland engagement even more enchanting. 

I love when my couples have a special place in mind for their engagement session. While popular scenic locations offer stunning backdrops, the true magic lies in choosing a place that holds sentimental value to the couple. It doesn’t have to be where the proposal happened; it could be where they first met, had their first date, or a place they frequent, like a park or their favorite coffee shop. This personal touch makes the photos unique and deeply intimate, reflecting the couple’s journey and creating one-of-a-kind memories.

After this chilly session, we warmed up by grabbing pizza at the famous Schilling Brewery in North Conway! We chatted for a good while and I learned more about their plans for their upcoming summer wedding. I had so much fun getting to know the two of them. By the end of the day we felt like good friends. Engagement sessions are so valuable for creating a relationship before the wedding day. It helps the couple feel much more comfortable on their big day and makes the wedding more fun for everyone!