When it came to planning the engagement session, Andy had it all planned out. Andy is from Hong Kong, as is his beautiful bride-to-be Aki. But Andy went to UBC and fell in love with our little corner of BC.

Knowing that Aki loves the mountains, trees and lakes as much as he does, Andy knew he wanted to go to Joffre Lakes for their engagement session (also sometimes referred to as a pre-wedding shoot).

The Session Deets

Aki + Andy arrived in Vancouver the 3rd week of July so we planned their Whistler adventure engagement session for the last weekend of the month.

The closer to the engagement session date we got, we noticed there was still bits of snow on Whistler mountains. Having the chance to see snow at the end of July was an opportunity Aki + Andy couldn’t pass up! So we added an extra half day to spend up in the clouds

Having spent many years snowboarding Whistler mountain in the winter, getting to see the mountains in the summer was such a cool experience! We explored around Roundhouse Lodge at the top of the Whistler Gondola for a little while before heading up Peak Chair to see the views from the top of the world!

The next day we drove up to Joffre Lakes. Aki + Andy decided to be extra adventurous and we made our way up to the middle lake. The glacier-fed lake surrounded by mountains sometimes almost looked fake. 

What is an adventure engagement session

An adventure engagement session is quite similar to an engagement session. However adventure sessions tend to include an activity.  

Both session types are focused on you both. They are meant as a time out from wedding planning, and a chance to connect with your love. They are a way for us to get to know each other, so that on your wedding day, you’re just that much more comfortable with me and my camera. 

Engagement sessions are most commonly a one-hour on location session.

Adventure engagement sessions can include more than one locations and they can be up to a couple of days in length of time. The location + what you’re doing also tend to be more of a focus in your photo gallery. Adventure engagement sessions can sometimes also involve more planning and can be a bit more expensive. Think hiring a guide or renting a 4WD vehicle. 

How to plan a Whistler engagement session

Getting to Whistler

Located 120KM from Vancouver it’s just a short 1.5-hour drive along one of the most scenic highways. View of the water + mountains, the drive truly earns its nickname of Sea-to-Sky highway.

Arriving from a different city? There are direct from the airport shuttle services as well as pickup/drop-offs at popular downtown locations. Enjoy the views with free wifi and someone else worrying about the road

Car rentals are also available and strongly recommend them, especially if you’re from out of town. Although Whistler is not a very large town, it’s quite spread out along the highway, and having a mode of transportation will make it easier to plan your session.

Transportation in Whistler

If you choose to take a shuttle to Whistler, renting an e-bike might be a good alternative mode of transportation. Whistler has an amazing network of trails that run from Function Junction to the Village. The perfect way to get a variety of engagement photos by the lakes.

There is also a bus service that can be helpful when moving from one place to another.

Accommodations

Whistler offers world-class hotels to make your Whistler engagement photo experience just that little bit extra. Choose a hotel in the heart of the village, or choose a quieter option like Nita Lake Lodge. 

Want to include your fur baby in your session? Whistler has a ton of pet-friendly locations making it easy for you to bring your doggo.

There are a lot of places in Whistler that you can AirBnB to really give you that away-from-home feeling, especially if you’re from Vancouver.  

Activities

There is no shortage of mountain + water activities for your Whistler engagement session. You can be as active as you want and still get amazing photos. Here are some idea starters:

• Take a ride with Blackcomb Helicopters to capture photos at the top of the world. 

• Rent mountain bikes and hit the trails. 

• Hit all the lakes in and around Whistler on an e-bike.

• Choose one of the dozen amazing hikes that vary in length, difficulty, and elevation.

• Paddleboard at one of the many lakes surrounding Whistler.

• Book a charcuterie box from Picnic Whistler and watch the sun dip behind the mountains

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