September 4, 2021
It all started with a Facebook post. I had a dream of traveling to a beautiful mountain to capture an elopement. Anea reached out to me within minutes of posting and we immediately fell in love with the vision of her and wife Katie renewing their vows at the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Craggy Pinnacle was the perfect location. Next thing I know- we were booking flights to North Carolina!
I flew into Charlotte and Anea and Katie drove from Wilmington to pick me up. We laughed and chatted for about 4 hours road-tripping to the beautiful house they rented in Asheville. We had an early wake-up call so we headed right to bed as soon as we got there.
In the morning, we cooked an amazing breakfast that we ate on the back porch that overlooked the mountains. The two brides started to get ready while I captured some details. We headed out and made it to the trail head around 4pm.
When we got to the top- the girls quickly got changed into their wedding gowns. (In privacy too thanks to the pop up changing tent that Anea brought!) And we began taking some photos. There were some people up at the top soaking in the breathtaking views- but they were very respectful of Anea and Katie and gave us some space for the ceremony. They exchanged vows and rings and finally a beautiful first kiss. The backdrop for their portraits was beyond perfect. They were even brave enough to cross the ledge and step out onto another set of rocks for a gorgeous panoramic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Of course we had to celebrate with champagne before we headed back down the trail.
As we were walking down the mountain we came across another opening where the sun was setting just beautifully. We stopped for a few more photos, and another couple was there having a picnic and playing some music on a guitar. Anea and Katie had an impromptu first dance to the sound of this guitar and it was absolutely magical.
The next day, we packed up the house and drove back to Wilmington, NC where the two girls live. We decided to do another fun photo session on the beautiful Kure Beach. I was so sad to pack up and leave to head back to a chilly New York, but was so thankful to be a part of capturing these memories for Anea and Katie!
