Blue Ridge Mountain | Adventure Elopement

Bride and groom on mountain at Linville Gorge Wilderness.

This adventure session in the Blue Ridge Mountains reminds me that joy can be found through even the toughest of times. Rachel and Ryan did not have it easy getting to this point but their love and excitement to document the precious moments together outstood it all.

Rachel and Ryan got married at a courthouse over a year ago. Right after, Ryan was immediately deployed. When he got back, they decided they wanted to have a wedding and of course, had lots of plans to do so. When the pandemic happened at the beginning of the year, all of their plans had to be canceled. So, Rachel reached out to me and expressed wanting to be able to wear her wedding dress. She wanted to experience the magic wearing it and of course finally have some pictures of the two of them in their wedding clothes. She held onto her dress for months dreaming of this moment, so I was excited and eager to help her capture some special memories for the two of them. Every bride deserves to wear her wedding dress, RIGHT?!

You could feel the love and excitement she had for this very moment as soon as Rachel stepped out of the car, even after driving hours to get there. She may have been in a gravel parking lot, nest to their truck, being zipped up in her dress, but FINALLY, she had the chance to wear it.. The way the lace lay on the dress and the smallest of details all the way down the train just took your breath away. Ryan was just the sweetest supporting her every step of the way. Not to mention that he was the most prepared groom ever! Anything you needed - he had it ready to go in his pack.

Groom helps zip up the brides dress and groom puts on his shoes.

Bride walking through the woods and takes a picture with her phone of the views.

Bride and groom walking along the mountain.

Bride and groom dancing on the mountain.

Bride and groom portraits on the mountain.

Bride and groom embracing on the mountain.

Bride hiking through the mountains in her dress.

Bride and groom walking through the woods.

Bride and groom share a drink to celebrate.

First experiences are my absolute favorite to share with my couples. From Rachel's first time wearing her wedding dress to their first time seeing the rolling Blue Ridge Mountains.

It was a short hike through the woods. Although I knew what was up ahead through the lush woods Rachel and Ryan were in for a treat. We passed hikers along the way (yes, gasping and sharing congratulations) and embraced the journey smelling the lush woods and pine. And then all at once, the trail opened to 360 views along the ridgeline. They both were in awe as they took in the moment and the views. It truly is stunning and the way the sun glimmers off the distant peaks captures every bit of magic at that very moment. They walked hand in hand exploring and embracing all the hard work it took to get to this very moment. Rachel was a champ too carrying her gorgeous train. She even had the cutest sparkly Keds.

No matter what your vision is I want to help you build not just a moment, but an intentional adventure you deserve. Every dream is important to me.

If you are planning an adventure elopement or session, reach out!

*Please note, this specific location is no longer available for sessions or weddings. “The staff of the National Forests in North Carolina is requesting that the public not use these locations until the parking and safety issues can be resolved.” You can read more about that here. However there are other locations with epic views that can provide a similar experience!