Love in the Wild: Capturing A Sawtooth Mountains Proposal

maggiegracephotography

3 months ago

Sawtooth Mountains Proposal in Stanley Idaho

When Lakota reached out to me about capturing his Sawtooth Mountains Proposal to his partner, AnnMarie, I replied said yes within seconds. Without any hesitation, I knew I was the perfect proposal photographer to capture this memory. As a local Idaho photographer, I have documented HUNDREDS of weddings, elopements, and couples photoshoots in the Sawtooth Mountains.

After expressing that the two of them LOVED roadtrips, the mountains, and spending time together in the outdoors, I began scheming. He planned to propose in mid-December. If you’ve traveled to Idaho, or the Sawtooths, you know December can be tricky. With an abundance of caution, I warned him about freak blizzards that could close the highway. Stanley Idaho is one of the coldest places in the United States. And it is also one of the most remote locations in Idaho. Any photoshoot in the Sawtooth Mountains requires multiple backup plans.

Planning A Surprise Mountain Proposal in Stanley Idaho

After a few weeks of emails & texts back and forth, we came up with a perfect plan for L’s Sawtooth Mountains Proposal. I picked one of my favorite locations in the Sawtooths to photograph couples. Once Lakota told me he loved trees, the river, and mountains, I knew I had to take them to my favorite spot along the Salmon River. I recommended they book a slot for a romantic sunrise hot spring the morning after their engagement and gave him a list of things to do in Stanley. And then the day arrived. Nothing ever goes 1000% according to plan in Stanley 😉

Just A Few Bumps in the Road to the Sawtooth Mountains

The morning of their planned proposal, I left my house hours earlier than I needed to. You could say I was excited to be reunited with my favorite mountains. After getting gas, I checked Google Maps to see if there were any road updates. Luck was on my side because I quickly realized there was an unexpected sudden mudslide that closed Highway 21. Thank goodness I gave myself HOURS of additional time to reach Stanley because I had to reroute my entire roadtrip through Sun Valley. Immediately, I texted L to let him know about the road closure. This ended up delaying both of us. Oops.

A Romantic Sunset Proposal & Surprise Engagement in the Mountains

Once I arrived in Stanley and reached cell service again, I received a text from L that they would be arriving only minutes before sunset. Cool cool cool. Like any calm professional, I retraced my steps and looked at our alternate plans. Because of their delayed arrival, I pivoted at the last minute and chose an iconic Stanley Idaho location. This spot is one I’ve been lucky to photograph more than one Sawtooth Mountains Proposal. Overlooking the Sawtooths with a full panoramic view, I knew we had a chance of getting a stunning sunset. Sure enough, just as Lakota and AnnMarie arrived, the sky started to turn pink. He dropped down on one knee and I could hear AnnMarie start screaming. SUCCESS!