Jessyca & Josh’s Engagement Session at Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery
Jessyca and Josh are getting married! After 19 years together, they’re finally tying the knot — and as they so enthusiastically put it, they’re “finally getting f***ing married!” (Their words, not mine.)
For their engagement session, they chose the beautiful Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery — a spot that feels especially meaningful. It’s close to home and a place they’ve spent countless days walking their dogs and enjoying the quiet trails together. Choosing this location made their engagement photos feel relaxed, personal, and completely true to them.
We met up in mid-September, just as maple leaves began blanketing the forest floor and the air turned deliciously crisp — the kind of early fall evening that makes you want to linger a little longer.
Playful Puppy Love
What made this season of their lives even sweeter was their newest addition: little puppy Augustus. Though Jessyca and Josh have been engaged since 2019, this session felt like the perfect excuse to celebrate not only their upcoming wedding, but this new chapter with their fur-baby. They wanted to experience what it’s like to be professionally photographed before the big day — and, of course, to document Augustus while he’s still in that irresistibly tiny puppy stage.
They even brought Augustus a tiny bandana that read, “My Humans Are Getting Married!” — which, of course, made for some of the sweetest engagement photos.
The whole session felt less like a formal photoshoot and more like a relaxed puppy walk along their favourite trails. They were intentional about striking that perfect balance: capturing beautiful engagement portraits while also making sure Augustus had plenty of time to burn off some puppy energy.
At one point, Jessyca and Josh started tossing his rope and ball back and forth, and before I knew it, all three of them were jumping into the air with huge, unfiltered smiles. I couldn’t help but laugh right along with them — and that frame, frozen mid-jump, ended up being one of my absolute favorites from the session.
Jessyca & Josh In a Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G
Jessyca had a clear vision for their engagement session at Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery — and it involved a grand old maple tree tucked just beyond the main trails.
It’s easy to see why this spot feels special to them. The tree was draped in moss and delicate maidenhair ferns, its wide limbs stretching outward the way maples so gracefully do. All around it, lush evergreen sword ferns blanketed the forest floor, creating that rich, West Coast texture that makes Vancouver Island forests feel almost storybook-like.
Jessyca’s vision was to nestle into the crook of the tree with her fiancé, capturing a few super sweet, beautifully natural moments — the kind that make you sing that song, “Jessyca and Josh in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
About Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery
Little Qualicum River Fish Hatchery is an ecological fish spawning and hatching establishment caretaken by Fisheries and Oceans Canada. It’s a pretty cool place to visit, especially during the fall between September and November when salmon are spawning and swimming upriver. You can view the fish up close in their below-surface viewing station, walk the peaceful trails and read about the fish lifecycle through their display boards. Nestled in a lush forested setting near Qualicum Bay, the hatchery offers a serene, nature-filled backdrop that feels both intimate and adventurous. Wooden bridges, flowing river views, and towering evergreens create endless opportunities for romantic engagement portraits with a distinctly West Coast vibe.
