Warm October Golden Hour Destination Wedding in the Mountains at Appalachian Lodge at Rivers Bend || Marshall, N

Far and away, my favorite trend right now is couples making their vows to each other privately, allowing for a few minutes of both raw emotion and quiet togetherness before diving into the chaos of their full public ceremony and celebration. Rhaisa and Jack’s private vows were particularly heartfelt, leaving all four of us a bit choked up as they soaked in the special moment and the spectacular view.

As we moved from the tranquility of their private vows to the gregarious jokes, tributes, and impressive dances shared with their loved ones, it was obvious just how loved this couple is.

Texas-Meets-North Carolina October Mountain View Wedding at The Crest Center || Asheville, NC

Of course, rain it did. And a mountain rain at that, forcing everyone to run inside mere minutes before the ceremony as the skies unloaded. But, Kristen and Suzanne had already made their vows to each other privately, surrounded only by the fall foliage and the peaceful scenery and we three photographer/videographers - removing all nerves and allowing them simply to soak up their time with family, both blood and chosen alike.

Once the bad weather rolled through, the skies gifted us a beautiful - if chilly - evening for their Mountain View ceremony which was equal parts heartfelt and hilarious. Getting to experience their deep and genuine affection for and from their loved ones made the evening all the more cozy, bested only by a cuddly portrait session in their vintage getaway car.

Romantic Purple & Burgundy Gothic-Inspired Fall Wedding at the Grove Park Inn || Asheville, NC

Their dark romantic theme carried through the candlelight reception in the photographer’s dream of a floral color palette. Then, thanks to Amber & Sierra’s genius planning, we got to fully lean into the spooky vibes with a perfectly-matching smoke bomb to kick off their tiny-but-mighty dance party (followed by late night grilled cheese and milkshakes!) However, amidst all of their visual beauty and artistic details, it was their devotion to each other that wove through their celebration the most, leaving every person out on the lawn a little teary-eyed as these two made their deeply heartfelt vows to each other.

Engagement Photo Album || Tara + Q's Zillicoah Beer Company + Beaver Lake Engagement Session

They loved so many of the photos that rather than try to narrow it down further, we decided to include near-duplicates (or at least photos in very similar poses/moments) which made for an interesting design challenge combining quite a few photos into one spread. I love the cinematic quality to their album because of this - as if each photo sequence is its own storyboard for a scene in their romantic flick.