Did you know there is no rule that says your engagement shoot has to be pretty pictures of you in a field or on a beach. I mean, those make lovely shoot locations and all but do you know what’s way cooler? A freakin’ haunted mansion! For Anita and Michael, who love all things dark and romantic, these vibes were elite.

“This was actually our second option as the weather had turned INSANE with crazy high winds, snow and rain!” photographer Keri Lynne told us. “We needed to pivot. I’ve passed by Cottonwood a ton of times on my drives out of town and always wanted to check it out as they host weddings and ghost tours (which I’ve been dying to go to!) We ended up calling them up at really short notice and they were able to let us shoot there. It was the perfect backdrop.”

The main inspiration for our shoot was Dracula meets Frankenstein. “As a millennial, I grew up loving anything a little darker, more romantic, like Queen of the Damned, Buffy etc and that kind of slightly haunted, emotional aesthetic. They show that your love story doesn’t have to fit into a light, airy (puke lol), traditional box to be meaningful or beautiful. It can be cinematic, a little melancholic, and dark. For me, it’s inspiring because it gives people permission to fully lean into a vibe or narrative that feels authentic, even if it’s unconventional.”

“When it comes to your wedding photos, my biggest advice would be to not listen to the trends and focus on what you actually love”, she concluded. “It’s so easy to get caught up in what’s popular or what you think your photos should look like, but the most meaningful photos come from leaning into who you are as a couple.”