It would be an understatement to say that the fall foliage was stunning this elopement day in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Nicole and Allen (along with a few special guests) came all the way from Iowa to elope in North Carolina in the fall, and it is a popular season for weddings for a reason - the Blue Ridge Mountain display of colors is pretty dang impressive.

We started the afternoon hiking one of my favorite trails that hugs the edge of a valley and while it was warm and serene in the parking lot the wind was ripping through the valley and up the side of the mountain. It was definitely a challenge but Nicole and Allen were total troopers. We found a secluded spot a grove of trees so they could change into their wedding attire and have their ceremony. And peep that officiant! Jake has been officiating for some of our eloping couples this year and it has been such a joy to be a part of that process with them. (I may be biased but I think he does a great job too!) One thing we like to offer our couples is for Jake to stand in the middle like you see during a traditional ceremony, or he can stand off to the side as Nicole and Allen opted for. We like to give this option since we understand that you of course don’t have a very close relationship to Jake and may not want him in every single ceremony photo. This allows your ceremony photos to be completely focused on you, and we are all for it! Just another prime example of a small way your can customize your day.

After the cermeony and braving the wind for some portrait time, we headed to a second location. We went to a near by lake that offers a secluded spot on a sandy beach area. We went off to take some portraits and came back to an incredible picnic set up by Nicole’s two sisters! They even brought a mini cake for her! This second location didn’t require any hiking so it made it really easy to incorporate the picnic into their day, and I do highly suggest you make space in your timeline to eat! Especially if you hike during your wedding. We want to avoid hanger just as much as we want to avoid rain. And cliff bars just ain’t going to cut it. You will absolutely enjoy your day so much more if you take the time to have a meal regardless of what it looks like - a cute picnic set up or some sandwiches stuffed in your backpack.

As the sun was sinking they wrapped up their picnic and we headed back to the cars to make things official by signing the marriage license. Another amazing fall elopement in the mountains on the books.

Here’s what Nicole + Allen had to say:

“Erika was a pleasure to work with! We did a small elopement in the mountains in NC with her husband, Jake, as our officiant. I appreciate Erika's professionalism yet relatable personality throughout the whole planning and pre-wedding process as we were planning from another state and hadn't been to NC before. The wedding day was MUCH colder than I anticipated and the wind was crazy, but her and Jake worked as a dynamic duo throughout the whole process adjusting locations for the best pictures to where we could just relax and enjoy the process. And of course the pictures were gorgeous!! The perfect mix of capturing the scenery and us as a couple. My friends and family cannot stop gushing over these pictures. They are also the cutest couple (#relationshipgoals) and had such a nice vibe together. I would definitely recommend Erika to anyone looking for a photographer.”

Planning a fall wedding? Fall is often the busiest season for weddings in many locations so I recommend reaching out to your desired vendors sooner rather than later!