Nate & Andrea | Intimate, Snowy Asheville Airbnb Elopement

It was a beautiful snowy day in Asheville, NC. Andrea had contacted us a few weeks prior asking if we had any availability for an intimate, Airbnb elopement in Asheville, and we were all over it. We absolutely love Asheville, but we love intimate weddings and elopements even more. So, combining the two is just a match made in heaven!

When we arrived at the Airbnb we were so pleasantly surprised. The modern/Scandinavian-inspired cabin was quietly perched up on the side of a mountain with incredible views off the huge front porch. It’s interior stylings complimented the vibe with mid-century modern fireplace, lighting, and accents. It was a dream to shoot inside because of all of the large windows and skylights that were built in.

The vibes in the house were so warm, relaxed, and welcoming. Andrea and Nate were on cruise control and ready to tie the knot, as you should be on your wedding day.

Andrea’s son was so much fun to watch as he prepped for the event. He wore a lot of hats for the event (escorted his mom down the “aisle”, ring bearer, Bible-reader, and bouquet holder!) and he rocked them all! He and Andrea have such a sweet relationship, and it was so magical and heart-warming to watch the two help each other get ready for the ceremony.

Nate was as cool as a cucumber. He calmly and quietly wrote his vows before putting on his dapper, yet warm, suit for the ceremony.

We landed on a porch-front ceremony location, as it provided great lighting with all the snow around, and the panoramic views of the neighboring mountain vista.

Happy tears were shed, laughter was aplenty, and the couple’s love was palpable throughout the entire ceremony. Andrea’s son looked on so intently and lovingly as they shared vows, rings, and a sealing kiss.

Let us just say, this day was the personification of enjoying a stress free wedding day while still having “all the things”. A beautiful dress, attire, details, ceremony, drinks, food, and so much fun. Whether our couple’s are packing out the venue or eloping alone on the side of a mountain…we want this for them! To truly enjoy, experience, and savor every facet of their day.

I think I’ve said enough. Seriously. Keep scrolling and enjoy!

Dress: BHLDN

Makeup: Zack Russel, Asheville

Florals: Shady Grove Flowers, Asheville

Cake: Short Street Cakes, Asheville

Her Rings: The Golden Carrot, Charlotte

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Robert & Holli | Hipster/Boho-Inspired Engagement Session

It had been a long weekend of shooting in the Asheville, NC area…not complaining whatsoever. Friday evening, Saturday sunrise, Saturday sunset, Sunday sunset, and then one more session Monday evening. I didn’t really know what to expect, as I had only spoken with Holli & Robert by phone. What I got when we finally met was two of the sweetest, most fun, and genuine people you could ever hope to meet.

We met at the Graveyard Fields Parking lot off the Blue Ridge Parkway and made our way out to the valley below. I had come across some photos of a cool looking boardwalk system that runs through the high valley that’s situated just below the popular Black Balsam Knob. They didn’t disappoint and neither did the amazing light that we were blessed with. You couldn’t really see the top of Black Balsam as it was covered in a dense fog/cloud-cover. It provided the most perfect, soft, diffused light that you could hope for. It really just fit the mood of the surroundings, and we practically had it all to ourselves.

Robert & Holli quickly warmed up to the camera, and began to enjoy one another, and most importantly, had a blast! One thing I noticed is that when I’d give some of my usual “queues” to the couple…they really took it literally. One such queue is to “look into each others eyes”, and these two really went for it. You can see it in the images that we captured that when they were told to gaze into one another’s eyes…they DID NOT fake it. You can almost feel the deep connection between these two, and it was honestly so magical.

As we got comfy with each other, and began to really have some fun I said, “See where that fog/cloud is covering the top of the peak? That’s where we’re heading next.” I was honestly a little worried that it’d be a massive “wall of white” with zero visibility when we reached the clearing on top of Black Balsam Knob. However, when we broke through the balsam grove into the clearing on our hike up, we were greeted with probably the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever been privileged to witness at this spot. The fog/cloud cover that was shrouding the top of the peak had actually migrated down into the valley that we had just left behind. So imagine…you’re standing on top of a 6200’ peak, you look to the east and you see a sea of blue and pink, cotton candy clouds, and you look towards the west and you see the most beautiful rays of golden sun cresting across balsam-covered mountaintops. It was, in a word, heavenly.

We made our way up to the pinnacle of Black Balsam and stopped for photo opportunities as we went along. When we finally made it to the top, I surprised Holli & Robert with some local beers from Appalachian Mountain Brewery and Boojum Brewing Company to celebrate.

I was tired, but also pumped from the long weekend of shooting in the mountains of NC. My time with Robert & Holli, as well as my other clients that weekend, reminded me why I love my job so much. Meeting kick ass people in beautiful places, and making memories that last a lifetime never gets old.

Here’s to more adventures in the new year…cheers.

Jayme & Teresa | Snowy Sunset Engagement Session at Max Patch

Somewhere along the way, Courtney and I have definitely become “Asheville Photographers” living in Charlotte. And to be honest, we really don’t mind because we absolutely love Asheville! The culture, the people, the breweries, the vibes, the mountains…need I say more. So of course when Teresa brought up the idea for she and Jayme’s engagement session, we were down for an adventure in downtown Asheville and a sunset session at the beautiful Max Patch.

We started our day off with Jayme and Teresa for lunch at Wicked Weed Brewing, one of our favorite spots, and from there made our way through the streets and alleys of South Slope Asheville. We then packed up in the car and started the drive West to Max Patch.

If you remember a couple blogs ago, we did another sunset session at Max Patch, but this one was different. There was around 4”-6” of snow on the bald mountain top! We’ve been dying to do a snow session and we finally got our chance. It was absolutely MAGICAL.

Please enjoy Jayme & Teresa’s snow-filled Max Patch, sunset session!