Rainy Rattlesnake Lake Engagement Session

Rainy Rattlesnake Lake Engagement Session In North Bend, Washington

Marissa is one of my friends from college! When I saw that she was engaged and getting married, I reached out to congratulate her. After a little bit, she reached out to me to take pre-wedding boudoir photos as a gift to her future husband (so freaking cute, right)! We met in Seattle for our session, and had lunch afterwards to catch up. Shortly after their Washington wedding, we met up at Rattlesnake Lake for rainy engagement photos (even though they’re already married, I like referring to their session as an engagement session)! Of course, we had to include their pup, Theo ❤️

Rattlesnake Lake is a day-use area near North Bend that has a 100+ acre lake and access to tons of hiking trails, like Rattlesnake Ledge. Rattlesnake Ledge is a 4 mile roundtrip trail with over 1,000 feet of elevation gain. It’s a hard hike, but SO worth the views. If you aren’t able to do the hike, though, the lake is a great place to explore!

Rainy Engagement: Should You Reschedule?

If it’s only sprinkling, then truthfully, no. Embrace the rain! We know how to protect our camera gear and direct you to have a BLAST in rainy weather. If it’s pouring, that’s a different story. Obviously, it wouldn’t be fun to shoot in heavy rainfall, so we’d reschedule or move to an indoor location. But with light rain or snow, we don’t reschedule. We just dance in the rain (ummm The Notebook vibes?), get wet, and have a fantastic time!

How To Prepare For Rainy Weather When Having Your Photos Taken

We’ve got lots of tips on how to properly prepare for you engagement or couples session if it’s going to rain! And just remember that the session is only as magical as you make it. So, enjoy the little moments and have a great time with your partner! We’ll handle the rest 😉

1. First, you want to make sure to wear waterproof makeup. This goes for foundation, eyeshadow, mascara, and anything else that could run when wet. Or you could go au naturel and not wear any makeup! But if you choose to wear makeup, also consider bringing it to your session, so that you can touch up as we go along.
2. Your hair is going to get wet! It’s going to loose it’s curl or straightness, and it’s going to flatten a bit. That’s totally okay! Just embrace the imperfection. Don’t try to fix your hair too much, just let it do its thing! I always recommend considering your hairstyle, though. So, if you know it’s likely going to rain/snow for your session, don’t put a ton of product in that could weigh it down. And instead of an updo, consider leaving your hair natural.
3. Bring rain coats and umbrellas that you would like to be photographed in! Adam and I usually carry clear dome umbrellas with us, but it’s not a bad idea to also have a set of umbrellas just in case. And you definitely don’t need to be photographed in your rain jackets if you don’t want to be, but it’s nice to have that as an option, especially for in between moments (when you two aren’t paying attention).
4. Prepare for mud! If we’re shooting in a location with water or dirt, it’s going to be muddy. Just consider that when choosing your outfit! I wouldn’t say that you have to wear specific shoes or anything, but just know that your white vans will be really muddy by the time we’re done (these two were totally okay with their white shoes getting muddy).
5. Pack towels and a blanket or two! Towels are great for changing or drying off after our shoot. A blanket is a great prop for during your session! Not only is it super cute to cuddle up with your partner under a blanket, but it can keep you warm if it’s chilly from the rain.
6. Along with towels and blankets, pack comfy clothes for after we’re done shooting. I always recommend sweats and a sweatshirt! That way, you have nice, dry clothes to wear for your drive home.

Rattlesnake Lake Rainy Engagement: Why We Love North Bend

North Bend is such a great area in Washington State. We love bringing couples here because there are so many easily accessible lakes and waterfalls, and tons of great hiking trails. Rattlesnake Lake is one of our favorites because it’s only 40 minutes from Seattle. So, it’s not a far drive in order to access this moody lake with tons of cool tree stumps! Plus, you can venture further and check out other nearby lakes like Keechelus and Kachess Lakes by Snoqualmie Pass.

And if you want to explore waterfalls or hiking trails, there are tons of options! Some of our favorites include: Twin Falls, Mount Si, Snow Lake, Gold Creek Pond, and more. We have tons of trails and awesome spots that we’d love to take couples! If you’re wanting to adventure in the moody PNW, reach out to us HERE to book your date .