Fall Hiking Elopement in Boone, NC / Sarah + Daniel
Sarah and Daniel reached out to me about adventurous wedding portraits in the Blue Ridge Mountains to document their elopement. It was important to them to spend time unhurried in nature and have privacy to share their personal vows. It was also important to them to have a more traditional ceremony with guests. Did you know you can do both?! I love to empower couples to create a wedding day that is true to them and what they want. Sarah and Daniel did just that without having to compromise. A lot of couples often choose to spread their celebration over two days. One that allows them more privacy, the ability to choose to do whatever they want at their own pace without any expectations or accommodations for others. On the second day couples are able to spend it celebrating with their guests and soaking in time with family and friends that mean the most to them. On this day they can still have a more formal ceremony, a meal, speeches, parent dances, and anything else that is important to share with their guests.
I love that Sarah and Daniel had planned their wedding with intention and I was so excited to spend the afternoon with them in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Being that they are very adventurous spirits who love to travel, hike, camp and visit national parks it seemed only fitting that they wanted to hike on their wedding day. We met at one of my favorite trails near Boone, North Carolina while the fall foliage was starting to give quite the display of color! Sarah and Daniel enjoyed the hike and not just as a means to get to great views but as a way to spend time in nature on their day. I too often find hiking to be relaxing and it can really help with nerves on a wedding day. Once we got to the views we had had time to chat and get to know each other so it was more comfortable when I started photographing them.
After exploring around and soaking in the views of the valley, we found the perfect spot for their private vow exchange. Couples most often choose to share private vows so they can communicate exactly how they want to without worrying about who will be listening to some of the most intimate words they will ever share. I love when couples get to choose the spot for their vows and I think it’s especially cool that they can come back any time they want and stand in that same exact spot where they made such beautiful promises to each other.
Pro Tip: You are not supposed to bring live flowers into certain areas of the Blue Ridge Mountains to protect the native species, so Sarah opted for dried flowers. Scroll down to see the incredible hair accessory she had made from the dried florals as well!
Once their vows were shared, they celebrated with a bottle of bubbly, one that they didn’t plan to pop and spray but the change in altitude had other plans! After that they didn’t stop cracking jokes and making each other laugh the whole time we made our way back to our cars.
When we were initially talking about their details of their day they said: "We really resonated with your philosophy of allowing your clients to feel empowered to design their special day however they choose instead of following social norms and we feel that your photography really captures couples' individuality." and right then I knew we would click! I’m so grateful they trusted me to capture these portraits for them.
Curious to know what a wedding album looks like?! Here is a glimpse of the album we created from their photos.
I’m always inspired when couples make the brave choice to celebrate their marriage the way that is most authentic to them. Need help planning your elopement day?
Here’s what Sarah + Daniel had to say:
OMGGG the photos are AMAZING!! We LOVE every single one of them and feel like they perfectly capture our relationship and personalities in beautiful nature doing one of our favorite things! We had such a perfect day and cannot thank you enough for all that you do! Thank you again for making our dream become a reality!!