Joyful Destination Wedding Celebration Overlooking the Rockies at Ashley Ridge || Denver, CO

Planning a wedding from across the country while working a demanding job and moving several times is a feat of its own, but being so thoughtful and welcoming in the process is - from what I learned from her loved ones’ speeches - what truly defines Hayley. To be able to come in from North Carolina and share in her family’s happiness, spend the morning with her friends laughing and being impressed by their musical prowess, watch her continually bring even the newest friends (me!) into the fold, made the weekend truly special. Thank you for having us, and thank you to all the folks who made the weekend so full of joy!

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

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.

Spring Green Inspired Mountain Wedding at Emerald Ridge Farm || Weaverville, NC

Meredith, Jordan, and their family and friends made my team’s work feel effortless; everyone was relaxed, all smiles, and definitely ready to celebrate. And, while we’d spent their rehearsal the day before hiding under awnings and umbrellas, their wedding day dawned bright and sunny, becoming even more stunning as the sun set behind the ridge.

Thank you so much to everyone whose hard work and great energy made this a wonderful celebration of love!

Elegant Summer Sunset Wedding at The Crest Center & Pavilion || Asheville, NC

If we gave out superlatives for wedding couples rather than vendors,Laura and Gabe would definitely get “most welcoming.” Certainly from their loved ones - it seemed like everywhere they turned they threw their arms up excited to hug another guest, almost all of whom traveled quite a distance to attend. In every single photo, I caught both Laura and Gabe with huge grins on their faces, making sure each person knew just how much their attendance meant to them.

June 8, 2019 Wedding at The Laurel Room at High Vista || Asheville, NC

My absolute favorite thing about being a wedding photographer is getting to see families work together to make their bride and groom’s day the most special possible. For Lauren and Alex, while the weather wasn’t what we’d hoped and several plans had to change, we got to see just how loved and appreciated these two are by all their family and friends. Even better, the rain stopped just enough for us to run outside for photos against the perfectly misty mountains. It was such an honor getting to spend the day capturing the new Mr. and Mrs. Wall’s love for each other.

May 18, 2019 Mountainview Wedding at the Crest Center || Asheville, NC

Wedding days are often a great metaphor for life: you can plan for months or years to have that “perfect day,” but no matter how foolproof your strategy, things will never happen quite that way in real time. The beauty of wedding photography is that when things go off course (and timelines go out the window!) we’re there to document families, friends and our fantastic wedding industry colleagues working together to help make each couple’s day, as Emmaleigh says, “perfectly imperfect.”

Photo Album || Keya + Eric's Engagement + Elopement Weekend

My goal was to make the two separate photoshoots blend together into one cohesive story about their lovely weekend, although we only spend about 5 hours total with them. As we ended our engagement shoot (see the full post here) with the most beautiful summer sunset leaving our couple in awe, I decided to set the scene with this opening photo of our Blue Ridge Mountains bathed in color. Photos-wise, from there I moved forward chronologically, ending our first day’s image showing Keya and Eric walking into the distance, alluding to their walk towards their future as husband and wife.

Keya + Eric's Blue Ridge Parkway Sunset Engagement Session || Asheville, NC

When we finally reached the top of our hike, I had Keya and Eric pause before walking out onto the overlook while I set up my shot, then Emmaleigh led them onto the overlook while they kept their eyes closed. Finally, we had them hold hands and open their eyes. Keya let out an audible gasp as they gazed out over the clear mountain range where the sun was just beginning to set. It was right then that I knew we were really onto something, that this wasn’t just a photoshoot, but the perfect way to spend their last evening before becoming husband and wife.