Fall Elopement in the Blue Ridge Mountains
When people ask me how long it takes to plan an elopement, I like to mention Nat & Kathy who reached out to me 3 months before their elopement date last fall. While elopements are no longer a last minute decision and done on a whim, it doesn’t mean you have to take months and months to plan. While half of my couples plan 9-15 months in advance for their elopements, the other half of my couples take just 3-6 months.
There are pros and cons to either planning time frame. When planning 9-15 months in advance, especially for a destination elopement, you’ll have more options available in terms of flights, accommodations, vendor availability etc. And you have more time to pivot plans if things change. But some times with having a lot of time to plan, decision fatigue can set in and the amount of choices available can be overwhelming. Where as with only a 3-6 month time frame you are forced to make decision efficiently without ruminating on them and you relieve the amount of time you spend planning. However there may be less options available to you, so it is important to remain flexible.
Either way, it is possible! And although there was some freak weather event heading across North Carolina, we somehow managed to have clear skies and a warm sunrise that October morning. Nat and Kathy exchanged vows (neither of them wrote them down, they just spoke from the heart!) while their dear friend officiated their ceremony. We explored along the ridge that was dotted with yellow, orange and red leaves for their portraits. They popped champagne and had a first dance to the curated playlist Nat had created with all their favorite songs, and everything came together beautifully.