Once Upon A Dream

You know those dreams you have that sound crazy when you first speak them to yourself, and then they somehow become reality? This session embodied that kind of dream for me. I started imagining a Disney-themed forest-y engagement session last year and when Juliana and Levi chose me as their wedding photographer several months ago, that small voice in my head prodded me to make that dream a reality!

Juliana and Levi already chose the forests of Point Defiance for their engagement session, so we made this styled session happen on the same afternoon as the rest of their portraits! The ancient mossy trees were the perfect setting for this modernized spin on the famous scene from Sleeping Beauty.

We studied the scene on YouTube as we set up shots, and did our best to mimic some of the iconic frames of the film, so I included a few of the original screen shots below.

I found the gray tulle skirt online and Juliana completed the rest of the outfit with things she already had in her closet. In fact, we weren't going to have an under layer until she brought this white top with her and we realized it would compliment Briar Rose's look perfectly!

We kept the props simple and foraged some greens for her basket. I love how Juliana's hat gave her character some bohemian dimension - I like to think that the Aurora of today would have worn a wide-brimmed hat as she picked berries!

The weather was finicky throughout our time together and we had to pause for a few minutes to let a torrential rain cloud pass over us! Though once the rain passed, the sun streamed through the trees and every wet branch glistened in the fresh warmth. The light couldn't have been dreamier for their woodland dancing!

A doe even came out of the forest and graced us with her presence for a few minutes. I caught her in a couple of frames and you can just barely see her in the background of the first image below. Juliana voiced aloud her wish to see a deer before our shoot even began, so it felt extra special to be in the presence of such elegant natural beauty.

All in all, our time together was pure magic!

What Disney-inspired shoot would you like to see... or even be a part of? I would love to do something like this again, so please reach out if you have big dreams! I want to make them a reality!