This Lake Pepin Engagement Session with Ben and Avery was the perfect summer adventure for a couple who would almost always choose a hiking trail, a scenic view, or an ice cream stop over anything fancy. With their love of the outdoors and their upcoming wedding at Hidden Meadows in Pepin, Wisconsin, spending an afternoon exploring the Lake Pepin area felt like a natural fit.
Ben and Avery met in college and have built a life together around some of my favorite things: hiking, fishing, cooking, and eating ice cream. Avery is a nurse and Ben is a teacher, and while their jobs keep them busy, they clearly make time for the things they love doing together.
Starting with a Little Adventure
We spent the session exploring around Frontenac and taking in the views of Lake Pepin. One of the things I love about photographing couples in places like this is that you don’t have to create a bunch of elaborate setups.
We walked, talked, took in the scenery, and found little pockets of beautiful light along the way. Ben and Avery were completely comfortable enjoying the experience together, which made photographing them feel easy and natural.
That’s exactly what I want an engagement session to feel like.
Not two hours of standing in one spot wondering what to do with your hands, but an excuse to spend an afternoon together somewhere beautiful.
Taking in the Lake Pepin Views
Lake Pepin is such a beautiful area for engagement photos because there is so much variety packed into one place. You can have wooded trails and greenery one minute, then turn a corner and suddenly have expansive views across the water.
For Ben and Avery, the scenery wasn’t just a pretty backdrop. Being outside and exploring is already part of their relationship, so incorporating hiking and scenic views into their Lake Pepin Engagement Session made the photos feel much more personal.
Those are some of my favorite kinds of sessions.
When you choose a location based on something you genuinely enjoy doing together, you don’t have to manufacture connection for the camera. You’re already doing something that feels like you.
Looking Ahead to Their Wedding
Next year, Ben and Avery will officially tie the knot at Hidden Meadows in Pepin, Wisconsin. They chose the venue because they love being outdoors and because of its close connection to Lake Pepin, so this engagement session felt like the perfect little preview of what’s to come.
I love when a couple’s engagement photos and wedding day feel connected in some way. It creates a little thread through their story—from this season of being engaged and exploring together to celebrating their marriage surrounded by family and friends next year.
And after spending time with them during their Lake Pepin Engagement Session, I already know their wedding day is going to be full of the same relaxed, adventurous energy.
Why I Love Outdoor Engagement Sessions
If you’re an outdoorsy couple, please don’t feel like your engagement photos have to look like everyone else’s.
Maybe your perfect date involves hiking a trail, fishing at your favorite lake, exploring a state park, or grabbing ice cream afterward. Those things can absolutely become part of your session.
Your engagement photos should give you images you’ll love, but they should also give you an experience you’ll actually enjoy.
For couples who aren’t naturally comfortable in front of a camera, having something to do together can make such a difference. Instead of focusing on posing, you’re walking, laughing, exploring, and spending time with your favorite person. I’m just there to photograph it. (And I’ll totally direct you both as needed)
A Summer Evening on Lake Pepin
Ben and Avery’s Lake Pepin Engagement Session was relaxed, adventurous, and completely them. We explored, enjoyed the scenery, and captured the kind of genuine moments that make engagement photos feel personal rather than overly posed.
And now they have one more adventure to add to their story before their wedding day arrives.
If you’re planning your wedding and want engagement photos that feel like an extension of your relationship—not just a photoshoot—I’d love to help. Whether you’re dreaming of a Lake Pepin Engagement Session, a state park adventure, or a location that’s meaningful to the two of you, let’s create something joyful, relaxed, and completely you.