Frozen Lake Engagement Photos | Jora + Hannah’s Winter Adventure Session in Montana
Frozen Lake Engagement Photos | Jora + Hannah’s Winter Adventure Session in Montana
Jora + Hannah’s Engagement Photos
Ahhhh — I am obsessedddd with SO MANY THINGS in this blog post — story-driven adventure sessions, multimedia photo/video engagement sessions where I can use the footage for their wedding film later, and BEAUTIFUL GORGEOUS SWEET FUNNY couples like Jora and Hannah. How lucky am I!? This frozen lake engagement session is about to give you allll of the winter inspo. Keep reading!!
Meet Jora + Hannah
Jora and Hannah both attended the University of Montana in Missoula, but they officially met thanks to a prank that Jora played on one of their mutual friends. One day Jora and his friend Harry woke up and decided it would be epic to prank their new roommate (who was their friend) with a bathtub full of goldfish — yes, real goldfish haha!! Once their new roommate found the goldfish, he called his friend, who coincidentally happened to be best friends with Hannah, to come over and save the fish. When Hannah walked into the apartment, that was when we saw each other for the first time. From there they exchanged contact information, and the rest is history.
They have grown so much in life and love since then — they love cooking together, simple crafts or DIYs together, putting amazon furniture together, biking together, and board games.
Of Hannah, Jora says: “Hannah always knows how to make me smile, no matter what situation we are in. I love the mutual trust we share together the most.
Hannah says that “Jora has the biggest heart and I tell him all the time I know he's secretly an angel he just is hiding it from me haha. He always puts up with my craziness and never makes me feel anything but loved. We can talk about anything together and we always make it our goal to be a team through all of life's ups and downs. I love him with every piece of me and I love doing life with him.”
They are the SWEETEST humans alive, it’s seriously such a pleasure to be around them!! We always have so much fun when we’re together. At this point, I think of them as dear friends, not just clients.
Their weddings — yes, plural — are going to be iconic!! First, we’re celebrating in Spokane, Washington for a Punjabi Indian wedding before heading over to Missoula, Montana the next weekend for an American Christian wedding.
For their engagement session, we really wanted to honor their love for Montana and the outdoors, so we traveled to one of my FAVORITE spots in the Bitterroot — Lake Como. It was *stunning* and we had an absolute blast!
Telling a love story during a photo/video engagement session
I loved that Jora and Hannah hired me hybrid shoot their engagement session — it was such an honor to capture this season of their lives through photo AND video, but also I couldn’t believe they wanted me to take their engagement photos!! They had photographers lining up around the block who wanted to do it, and I don’t blame them — look at these two haha!!
As for video, I was so stoked to get to film their adventure session because I was hired for their weddings the next year. I knew I wanted to use some of the video from their engagement session in the final wedding film, so this was a perfect opportunity to really get to know them and tell their love story well.
I ended up interviewing them on the car ride from Missoula to Lake Como, and not only were their answers to my questions so beautiful and heartfelt, but it got us in the perfect headspace for their photoshoot after. You can see the interview integrated in their wedding film below:
Lake Como Engagement Photos
If you are looking for a STUNNING Mountain Lake near Missoula, Montana — look no further than Lake Como. Lake Como is one of my favorite locations in the WORLD, let alone in Montana!!
Where is Lake Como?
Lake Como is located off US-93 S near Darby, Montana. To get to Darby from Missoula, it is 1 hr 19 min (63.9 mi) via US-93 S.
Is there cell service at Lake Como?
Lake Como has limited cell service, so make sure to download any maps or music you want before heading to the lake!
Are there restrooms at Lake Como?
There are restrooms in multiple spots along Lake Como!!
What is the lighting like?
The lighting at Lake Como is dreamyyyy — the way the sun filters through the trees and sets over the mountains is incredible.
How crowded is Lake Como?
Lake Como is super crowded in the summer, but sunrise + sunset shoots have always had plenty of room to spread out and create when I’ve been there! It’s basically a ghost town in the winter haha.
What is the best time of year to shoot at Lake Como?
I love to shoot all year ‘round at Lake Como, but the roads from the highway to the lake are NOT maintained, so go at your own risk during the snowy months.
Montana Winter Adventure Session Outfit Inspo
If you’re opting for a winter adventure session, you might be a little lost about what to wear! I think Jora and Hannah did a beautiful job of dressing for the season while still showing their style and personalities through their clothing.
Jora and Hannah each opted for two outfits — one a bit more casual and earthy, the other slightly more elevated and colorful. Jora and Hannah coordinated dark green long sleeve fits with their first look, although Jora wore khaki’s and Hannah wore jeans. For their second look, Jora wore a white long sleeve and Hannah wore a long salmon dress and headband.
Where to buy a Boho dress for your winter engagement session
Montana Winter Engagement Photographer & Videographer
Heyyy, I’m Shay, your Montana-based traveling destination photographer and videographer. If you love adventurous, story-driven photos and videos as much as I do, then click here for info + pricing and reach out about how I can serve you!! :)
