Aaron + Rita
An Adventurous Engagement Session in the North Cascades
MEANT TO BE: this is the theme of Rita and Aaron, and I’m here to attest that how their engagement season played out continued that exact theme to a T!
Meeting Rita and Aaron for the first time over video chat a few months ago, I asked them what they felt it was that truly brought them together and made them realize this was it for them, this was their forever person. They both answered that feel they have all these uncanny connections in their lives, and though they might have followed very different paths to get to where they are today, they could trace back all these familial connections that seemed to be bridging their two paths together, drawing them closer and closer with each step.
Finally those steps collided when Aaron and Rita “met in the dark” at 5:15am while attending a group trail run, and even though their runs also completed before the first light of dawn, Aaron knew there was just something about this woman who was quick to laugh and seemed to take his attention any time they were together.
The first time Aaron and Rita "met in the light" was at a Christmas Party and the sparks instantly flew. They decided to go on a date that of course included a trail run and finished up with hot coco and a movie at Aaron's house.
Once their paths finally brought them together, both Aaron and Rita jumped into their relationship with two feet, deciding very quickly to go on this adventure of life side by side. Together, Rita and Aaron match and compliment each other with the same, strong intensity of their lives and how they treat all their relationships.
He proposed to Rita on the trail (they are trail runners) and she proposed to Aaron on their farm.
Rita and Aaron both took the time to individually propose to one another and found a gorgeous piece acreage near Eugene, OR to call home with their adorable pup named Lady-Bird.
Aaron and Rita are huge adventure lovers and are each other's number one supporters. They feel that owning their farm has pushed them in a direction they have always wanted to take, feeding the romantic side of themselves and putting nature at the center of their life in a creative, natural way.
For their engagement session, Rita and Aaron were quick to jump on the band wagon of a location idea that has been a dream of mine for 4 years now.
Way up in the North Cascades near Mount Adams is this incredible area called “Artist Point.” When Dom and I first started doing Adventure Engagment sessions I found this spot and had yet to find the perfect couple who would be willing to make the drive and who would be adventurous enough to explore the top of a mountain for their engagement session.
Cue Rita and Aaron! The passion for adventure Rita and Aaron have led to us comparing calendars and finding, perfectly enough that the one summer weekend we each had open aligned perfectly and landed in the short 1.5 month window that Artist Point is accessible.
When this spring brought one of the wettest springs on record, O began to get a little nervous that our one window of opportunity might close up if the snows of Mt. Baler kept the access road to Artist Point closed, but I should have trusted in the meant-to-be theme of Rita and Aaron, as on the Wednesday before our scheduled session, the access road finally opened and the weather report showed an absolutely perfect forecast!
Dom and I traveled up on Friday night and woke to explore and scout out all the perfect spots while Rita and Aaron celebrated Aaron’s Birthday in a cozy cabin with their faithful companion Lady-Bird by their side.
Meeting up with Aaron and Rita we explored all over, going from road-side ponds, hiking down to a glacier-fed lakes, Rita braving crossing snow in heels to “get the shot,” driving up and hiking a mile up to the top of Tabletop Mountain to watch the alpenglow light up Mt. Shuksan and the peaks of the Cascades while Rita and Aaron killed it in front of the camera.
Every path we went down provided a view that was Jaw-dropping and Rita and Aaron came prepared with a seemingly inexhaustible energy and eagerness that Dom and I fed off of, fueling our creativity and creating some of my favorite portraiture that I’ve ever had the pleasure to create.
At the end of the evening, we pulled off the road to a little secluded spot and as twilight kissed the top of the mountain peaks around us, Aaron popped some Birthday Champaign and Rita lit candles on top of a delicious coconut cheesecake she’s baked for the occasion.
Sitting there with these two beautiful people, I thanked my lucky stars that our paths were brought together and if I wasn’t excited enough for their wedding celebration at Mount Pisgah next year, I could feel my anticipation for that glorious day rising even more!
For now, enjoy this little selection of images from Rita and Aaron’s engagement session and leave a comment of congratulations for them in the comments below!
