Ryan wanted to propose to Alissa somewhere close to Denver where they could bring their dog along. Since it was early spring in Colorado—and weather can be unpredictable—he also wanted a location that wasn’t too high in elevation so the chances of warmer weather were better. After talking through a lot of different proposal location options we chose Evergreen Lake.
Quick Snapshot of this evergreen Lake Proposal Location
- Walking Distance: less than 3/4 mile
- Privacy Level: Medium
- Scenery: Forest, Small Mountain Views, Lake
- Elevation: Approximately 7,500 ft
- Best Time of Day: Morning
- Approximate Driving Distance from Denver: less than 1 hour
- Reasons to Go Here? Scenic Hike
- Accessible During What Seasons?: Year Round
- Dog Friendly?: Yes, dogs are allowed
- Misc Notes: Spring weather in Colorado can vary wildly—sunny one day, snow-covered the next. A few days before this proposal, the trail was still snowy!
Ryan’s priorities for their surprise proposal were simple and sweet: find a place that wasn’t too cold, allow dogs on the trail, keep the moment a surprise, include family afterward, and still have some mountain scenery. Evergreen Lake checked all those boxes. It’s close to Denver, dog-friendly, and has some small mountain views along the trail.
The area can get busy, so we chose a quieter section of trail with fewer people. When they stopped to take a selfie—my cue to be ready—Ryan dropped to one knee. After the big moment, I came over to congratulate them. Then we let Alissa know I also had a change of clothes for them, which was all Ryan’s idea. He had dropped them off with me the week before, wanting her to be able to change out of hiking clothes before we took engagement photos. I brought a small pop-up tent for privacy, and once they changed, we walked around the lake capturing portraits with their adorable new puppy.
Ryan brought Alissa a change of clothes
We were able to include their new puppy in the proposal celebration at evergreen lake!
Ryan & Alissa — it was such a joy to photograph your proposal and meet your sweet pup. Dogs always bring so much personality to engagement photos, and I loved Ryan’s thoughtful surprise with the outfit change. Thank you for trusting me to document this moment for you. Much love to you two!
