When it comes to Winter, you either love it or hate it. But if you’re like me, growing up in the Midwest, you have to learn how to love it (or else you’ll be miserable for 4 months). Now as a full-time Montana intimate wedding and elopement photographer, I’ve had the honor of capturing my lovely couples all the way from Glacier National Park to the Moab Desert, to the Rocky Mountains and to the islands off of California. From the hottest days of the year, to the coldest. So if you’re planning to take your engagement photos this Winter, you’re going to want to keep reading. Here are 3 tips to survive your winter engagement session. Let’s get into it!

How to Survive a Cold Engagement Session

Be Prepared

Winter engagement photos are absolutely everything. I’m such a sucker for the sparkling snow blanketing the trees. And the best way to actually enjoy your winter engagement session is to be prepared. Here are just a few of the ways you can be prepared:

• Embrace the winter fashion – Scarves, cozy jackets, hats, earmuffs, mittens? SO CUTE. Dressing for Winter is so underrated.
• Layers, layers, layers – Start with warm socks and some base layers
• Hand warmers are your best friend – Electric hand warmers are my personal favorite but HotHands come in just as handy!
• Take breaks to warm up – Keep your car running if you’re taking just a few quick photos, or turn it on when you have 5 minutes remaining between locations. You’ll be thankful you did!
• Include an indoor portion for your photos – Is there anything sweeter than a cozy coffee shop or local brewery? Nope. Not only do you get to warm up, but you get some really epic photos in your element.

Attitude is Everything

If you’ve decided to take your engagement photos in the Winter, please know that your attitude will determine how your photos go. Let’s be honest, there is nothing worse than being cold and complaining about the cold. Go into your session knowing that you are going to have an awesome time snuggling up to your honey. Think about just how incredible the photos are going to be. Spoiler alert: they are going to be amazing. And odds are… if you booked your photos for the Winter, there’s probably at least a small part of you that enjoys the season – roll with it!

Embrace the Cold Weather

The best way to enjoy your Winter engagement photos is to do a fun activity! Whether you choose to be like 2 kiddos and go sledding, go snowshoeing, or cozy up by a fire with some hot cocoa, your photos don’t have to be miserable. Maybe you and your honey are big snowmobilers – break out those sleds and let’s take some epic shots. The sooner you embrace the cold weather, the sooner you’ll have some phenomenal photos to commemorate your engagement.

Winter is such a beautiful time to enjoy nature. I encourage you to embrace the season of hibernation and slowness. Embrace the season of getting cozy and enjoying the blank slate. Ready to book your own Winter engagement session? CLICK HERE❄️ And as always, I’d love to be friends over on Instagram (@sydneybreannphoto). Are you ready to wander?