When Katy reached out about photos, one thing was non-negotiable: the dogs were coming. Moose and Ember are Katy and Thomas’s whole entire world, and since the pups couldn’t be part of the wedding day itself, their engagement session was THE chance to get them in front of my camera. So an engagement session with dogs it was — and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Meet Katy, Thomas, Moose & Ember
Katy and Thomas met on Tinder during peak covid dating (a love story for the ages) and have been together about four years now. She’s a first-grade teacher, he’s air national guard slash cyber security, and together they’re the kind of couple who hibernates all winter, lives for summer date nights, and does trivia at their local spot on Tuesdays. Balanced and complementary. That’s how they describe themselves, and you feel it the second you meet them.
And then there’s Moose (9) and Ember (1.5), the two toy poodles who run the house. These two are OBSESSED with their dogs, and high key same. Capturing Moose and Ember was the whole point of the day (ok besides engagement photos haha).
The MVP of any engagement session with dogs: bring a Doug
Here’s the real logistics tip if you want your dogs in your photos: bring a person whose only job is the dogs. Katy and Thomas brought their bestie Doug, and Doug was the unsung hero of the entire session. He held Moose and Ember just out of frame while I photographed the two of them, then we’d swap the pups back in for the dog shots. Trying to wrangle two poodles AND get couple photos with just the two of you? Chaos. Bringing a Doug? Genius.
Why we ditched the beach for a meadow
The plan was originally the beach. But when we got to South Lake Tahoe, it was PACKED. Which is a hard no when you’ve got two little dogs and you need physical room to actually create. So we pivoted to a hidden meadow nearby with Mt. Tallac sitting pretty in the distance, and we had the whole place to ourselves.
It was the better call on every level. More room for the dogs, way calmer for them, and a quieter setting meant Thomas didn’t have to take photos in front of a crowd, which brings me to my favorite part of this whole thing.
For the record: Thomas “hates” photos
Katy told me straight up in her questionnaire that Thomas, and I quote, “fucking hates taking photos.” He even said he’d “just do whatever I’m told to do and pretend to enjoy it.”
Spoiler: he did not have to pretend.
Was he a little nervous at first? Sure. Most people are, especially the ones who’ve never done photos beyond a few selfies. But here’s what actually settled him: the dogs. Thomas LOVES those pups, and you could see him light up the second they were running around the meadow near him. Having his best friend, his future wife, and his favorite dogs all right there gave him something to focus on, something to do with his hands, and a safe place to throw all that uncomfortable energy.
I fully believe all dogs are emotional support animals, and Moose and Ember proved it that evening. We threw on some jams, kept it silly, brought the pups in whenever the energy dipped, and by the end this man was having an actual good time. Being camera-shy is almost never as bad as you build it up to be in your head, especially when there’s a golden hour view and your dogs are involved.
If you’re a Thomas — if the idea of an engagement session makes you want to crawl out of your skin — I promise I’ve got you. We go slow, we keep it fun, and nobody’s making you model.
If you want to see the beach we ditched & more magic from this meadow, check it out: A Baldwin Beach Engagement Session in Lake Tahoe
Planning an engagement session with dogs of your own?
If your pups are your world and you want them in your photos, especially if they can’t be at the wedding, let’s do it. I’ll help you plan around the dogs: the right low-key location, the timing, bringing a Doug. It should be easy and actually fun for everyone, four legs included.
