Amber and Alec’s story is a combination of unconventional and sincere. They found each other in Costa Rica, at a plant medicine retreat center where Amber was working as a facilitator. Two years later, Alec proposed at Machu Picchu. Peru had been a significant thread through their relationship, and the proposal felt like the right place to mark what they'd built together. When it came time for engagement photos, Sedona felt equally fitting.

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Alec is in naturopathic medical school in Arizona, so while they're based here for now, their relationship has always had a sense of place to it, of choosing locations that mean something. Doe Mountain Trail was a natural choice for an engagement session: a quiet, less-populated hike (a rarity in Sedona) and sweeping red rock views.

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They brought their dog Aya, the cutest, fluffiest little pup who immediately stole my heart (and is about to steal yours, too).

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We started lower on the trail in the afternoon light, working through the juniper and red rock scrambles as the sun shifted. As we climbed higher, the views opened up. Doe Mountain gives you a 360-degree panorama at the top, red rock formations in every direction, the valley spreading out below. Narrow trails meant we walked single file, Amber and Alec taking turns leading the way and holding hands when the trail allowed for it. I trailed slowly behind, giving them enough space to exist without remembering there was a camera capturing them.

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By the time the sun started dropping, we were on the summit. The light went soft and golden, the kind of Sedona sunset that looks edited in real life. Amber's dress caught the wind, Aya sniffed around the cacti and rocks, and Alec pulled Amber close with the whole valley behind them, and the sunset took it from there.

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I was honored a few months later to capture their intimate, backyard elopement with just their closest loved ones and my lens there to witness it. These photos are from the chapter just before that, two people who've built something real across a lot of different places, pausing for an afternoon on a red rock trail in Arizona.

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I can’t stress the value in prioritizing your own, one-on-one moment together before the celebration with loved ones. It doesn’t have to be much, just a simple hike amongst the Sedona red rocks with the love of your life, maybe a small vow reading at the top, or a sage burning ceremony like these two had. Life gets busy and moves so unbelievably fast — it’s vital to carve out some time for just the two of you to truly revel in this moment in time.

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Thinking about a Doe Mountain Trail engagement session or an adventure engagement in Sedona's red rock country? Reach out to us here and we’ll help you plan it.