"Til death do us part": this couple had their death-positive engagement shoot at a mausoleum • Offbeat Wed (was Offbeat Bride)

mausoleum engagement shoot 7 — *Photography by Mel White Photography*

You might remember Cristina and Raymond from their gorgeous dark gothic wedding or their incredibly tender wedding vows (seriously, tell us you didn't shed a tear). But there's more to their story, of course, and it includes a badass death-positive photo shoot at a mausoleum. Perhaps not the first place that comes to mind for a photo shoot (unless you're a funeral director, like Cristina), but honestly, given how gorgeous these photos are, maybe more people should consider it!

Tell us about your engagement shoot:

I’m a funeral director living in Portland, Oregon with my new husband, Raymond, and our lovely and adorable dogs and cats.

I never thought I’d care about engagement photos. I’ve never really seen the point of them, and every set I’ve seen always involves a couple wearing sweaters in a park with leaves all around – just not my vibe. When my friend Mel agreed to do our wedding photography, she also offered us an engagement session, so I started looking for ideas online that didn’t seem lame. Mel totally understood this, and I believe it may have been her who suggested a mausoleum photo shoot.

This sounded awesome to me, but I really didn’t think my fiancé would go for it. When I told him, he ended up being into it, and I was stoked! Through my previous internet searches though, I also kind of liked the idea of doing it at the bar where Ray and I had our first date. Mel suggested we go both places, so I quickly went to work to find some outfits!

Both photo sessions happened the same day, and we had so much fun! The mausoleum felt dramatic and beautiful, and we had a lot of fun exploring the building as we walked around looking for good spots to shoot. The bar felt a lot more relaxed and comfortable, and it was nice to allow ourselves to relax with a drink.

We posted photos online and used them for our save-the-dates and wedding website. I finally understood how cool it could be having an engagement session as long as you do it in a way that makes sense for you and your partner!