Chimney Rock Proposal | Leah and Jacob

Leah and Jacob were engaged at Chimney Rock, right above the clouds on a perfect spring morning! 

They decided to spend the weekend in Asheville for Jacob’s birthday. Jacob drove up from Orlando and Leah flew in from Chicago. They were planning to check out Chimney Rock, which they heard was beautiful, and hike to Hickory Nut Falls. What Leah didn’t know was that Jacob’s friend Courtney, who is now an event planner, was actually the one planning the whole day, and that the timeline started with getting engaged! 

Jacob, Courtney, and I got on a Zoom call and looked at the maps, since none of us had ever been to Chimney Rock State Park. There was a windy 3-mile road from the entrance to the park to the base of the overlook. From there, we could either take an elevator or a 500-step staircase to the overlook. We decided to get there right when it opened for two reasons: the light would be better when the sun was lower in the sky, and it would be less likely to be crowded that early on a Saturday. I had no idea if we would have cell service, so I told Jacob what my car looked like and we came up with a plan for me to signal to him when I’d found the spot with good light and a good background. 

After driving through fog for a while, I started to see some blue skies. I texted Jacob when I was waiting at the entrance, and he texted me that his car was right behind mine. I booked it to the elevator—if I got in there before them, it would have to go back down and back up before they would be up there with me, which would buy me some time to pick out a spot. For a minute, I was the only person up there, which was pretty surreal. Then, it was just the three of us. I stood across the overlook from where the clouds covered the mountains, and Jacob walked over with Leah and got down on one knee. Of course, Leah said yes, and we took some pictures in that “we just got engaged” feeling!

We were all so amazed at how beautiful it was up there that day. The American flag was at half-staff, which made for some cool framing, but also served as shade when I had Leah and Jacob facing the sun. I went up to the Opera Box for a few photos to show them with the whole overlook. We had to come back to the spot where they actually got engaged because the clouds went away, showing the view we had come there for in the first place. By the time we finished up, it still wasn’t too warm or crowded, so Leah and Jacob could still do their hike. I caught a few photos of them telling their family and friends the news before they left! Since the engagement was so early in the day, they had plenty of time afterwards to celebrate being engaged.

Enjoy these photos of Leah and Jacob’s spring engagement in the mountains of North Carolina! 

Looking to spend a day like this with your favorite person? Click here to send me a message, or check out some of my other work below!

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Asheville Maternity Photos | Lara and Stephen

Asheville Maternity Photos | Lara and Stephen

One of my oldest friends is now a mom!

Lara and I met in the summer before third grade when she moved to a house across the street from mine. Through the next 20 (!) years, we’ve been in lots of classes together, we’ve been on two cheerleading teams together, and she was drum major for the marching band for the two years I was color guard captain. When we were sophomores in college, we introduced each other to the men we would eventually marry, and we were bridesmaids in each other’s weddings. Now, we live about an hour and a half apart and can see each other more often!

Lara and Stephen were planning a trip overseas for a babymoon, where they would have maternity photos taken, but decided it was safer to stay close to home instead. They chose to check out Asheville for the first time and asked me if I would do their maternity photos. After I finished an elopement that was just over the South Carolina border, I headed up to Asheville! Apparently everyone else in the world had the idea to go to Asheville on a Saturday in October, but we could understand why—the foliage was amazing and the weather was just right.

We started off at the North Carolina Arboretum and we barely left the parking lot because there were so many pretty orange trees. Sometimes, I have a hard time with having two locations in one session because I love the first and don’t want to leave, but I know the second will be epic. This was one of those times. Lara had found an overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway that was about 10 minutes from the arboretum. That 10-minute drive at golden hour was stunning and we passed a few other overlooks that looked like a good place for photos, but we held out for the one we had planned. When we got there, it was easy to see why this parking lot had more cars than the others. We made use of a few feet where nobody was standing, and it looked like they were all alone on a mountaintop. I wished the golden hour at that overlook could last forever!

Check out some of my favorites from Lara and Stephen’s maternity photos in Asheville!

Ready for updated photos with your partner? Click here to contact me, or check out some other posts below for inspiration!

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The Venue Asheville Wedding Styled Shoot

I got to spend an evening in downtown Asheville with some other photographers showing off what some other local vendors can do! 

One of the rooms had ANOTHER French theme!  While the one I did two days earlier was French lavender themed, this one was French countryside themed.  The ceremony space had a hand-painted backdrop that complemented the pastel pink and blue in the bouquet, macarons, and cake.  The delicate colors make me think of Cinderella!  I loved the off-the-shoulder dress and the pattern at the end of the cathedral veil!  Sarah and I took turns tossing the veil for each other and running out of the frame so we could get some pretty pictures of it floating.

The other theme was a woodland theme, with greenery and wood and a color scheme of mostly deep green and burgundy.  For this setup, we had two grooms, a bride, and a sweetheart table.  I loved the way the grooms’ suits, ties, and boutonnieres complemented each other! 

Organizer: Ashley Ricci

Venue: The Venue Asheville

French Countryside

Floral: Elena- Luxe Wedding Designs

Cake:  Emma - Verbena Cakes

Macarons: Beeswax and Butter

Mobile Bar: Bryce -Jack’s 47 Mobile Bar

Hair: Jenna- Atlas Beauty

Makeup:  Powder Me Pretty

Invitations:  Erin -Pretty Words By Erin

Rentals: Nikki -East West Vintage Rentals

Dress:  Amy -Maggi Bridal

Designer: Sincerity Bridal

Suit:  Asos

Custom ceremony Backdrop:  Abby- Abby Lynne Art

Models:  Lucy + James

Woodland

Floral: Lissa- Flora

Cake:  Cakin’ It Up

Hair: Jenna- Atlas Beauty

Makeup:  Powder Me Pretty

Invitations:  Pretty Words By Erin

Rentals: Nikki- East West Vintage Rentals

Dress:  Amy- Maggi Bridal

Designer: Lillian West

Suit:  Mitchell’s Tuxedo

Models: Shane + Mike (couple), Corey (bride)

Ready for wedding photos like this?  Check out some of my other work below or click here to get in touch!

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The Ridge Asheville Styled Shoot

A styled shoot is an event where wedding vendors come together to showcase their work.  I was excited to be part of it because it’s 2020 and most wedding vendors don’t have a lot of recent photos, since so many weddings are being cancelled and postponed.  Not to mention that the pictures I’d seen from The Ridge were beautiful and I love taking pictures in the mountains!  Since I had traveled two hours to Asheville, I had never met any of these vendors before.  I got to meet photographers who had traveled from the other side of North Carolina and eastern Tennessee!  We took turns posing and we all got to show our own styles with the same subjects.  The best part?  There was a MASSIVE double rainbow towards the end, making the view even more incredible.

There were two themes to this styled shoot.  One was “English Countryside” and featured a blue color scheme with blueberry décor—I’m a blueberry lover and this was something I never knew I needed in my life.  The other theme was “Whimsical and Vibrant,” which was exciting because I love bold colors, but more subtle and neutral colors are more common at weddings right now. 

Check out some of the vendors behind this beautiful work!

Venue: The Ridge

Planning/Coordination/Co-Host: The Hunt is Over

Main photographer/Co-Host: Erin Allenczy

Florals: Stargazers Designs

Cake/Desserts: 828 Sweet Events

Rentals: East West Vintage Rentals

Linens: Classic Event Rentals Inc

HMUA: Della Terra Beauty

Groom's Suits: Mitchell’s Tuxedo Asheville

Bridal Attire: Wedding Inspirations Bridal; Justin Alexander

Earrings: Jim Ball Designs

Caterer: Santiago Vargas at Carrasco Catering

Invitations:  CJ Candee Graphics

Vow Calligraphy: Help Meet Letters

Signs: Abby Bruce

English Countryside Vendors

Shoes: Jessica Simpson

Bridal veil: Bel Aire Bridal

Models: Hannah and Tyler

Tyler's suit: Kenneth Cole

Whimsical and Vibrant Vendors

Models: Karis and Jacob

Shoes: Coach

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First Look or No First Look: What to Consider

The decision of whether or not to have a first look can have an impact on how you feel throughout your wedding day.  Almost every wedding vendor I know or follow insists that everyone should have a first look, but I think a lot needs to go into making that decision.

What is a first look?

A first look is when you and your almost-spouse have your pictures taken together before the wedding instead of not seeing each other until ceremony.  Traditionally, couples have their wedding pictures taken after the ceremony, which is often attributed to the idea that seeing each other beforehand is bad luck.  Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether this is a good fit for you and your wedding day.

What’s the timing for the day?

If your ceremony is close to when it gets dark, you might want to consider a first look so you can have natural light for your pictures.  If your ceremony and reception are at different venues, there may be a big gap between when you finish the ceremony and when the reception starts, so you might as well make use of that time!  If your ceremony is early in the day, having a first look means you’ll have to have your hair and makeup done earlier (and therefore wake up earlier).

Where do you want to go?

If you really want your pictures to be somewhere that’s not close to the venue, having a first look will give you more time to get there and back without missing your reception and time with your guests.  If you want to stick around the venue for your photos, your guests will still be nearby.

Are you already seeing each other that day?

Some couples see each other the day of the wedding, but they don’t want to see each other dressed up until the ceremony.  If you know you’ll wake up next to each other that day, is it worth it to be apart for so much of the day?  You decide!

How will you feel?

The moment you see each other across the aisle is one that you’ve probably waited for your whole life.  Many married couples say that having a first look did not change that moment for them.  If you think you might cry, think about whether you want that moment to be while everyone’s watching or while you two are alone.  A lot of people who think they’ll be nervous on their wedding day choose to do a first look so they can find comfort in each other and be more relaxed before the ceremony.  If you don’t do a first look, you’ll take your wedding pictures in those exciting and relieving first few minutes of finally being married!

What could happen before the ceremony?

Are you worried about getting your dress dirty before you walk down the aisle? Do you want to stay hidden from all your guests until they see you at the ceremony? Would you rather not risk being late to your own ceremony? It’s all up to you!

I hope this helps you make the decision that’s right for your wedding day! As always, I’m happy to help you decide—send me an email to tell me your thoughts so far!

Camp Pinnacle Wedding | Lindsay and Tim

After doing Lindsay and Tim’s engagement photos at Clemson this past spring, I was so excited for their wedding! They held the wedding at Camp Pinnacle, where Lindsay’s dad used to spend his summers when he was in school. With a quiet lake and willow trees, it was a beautiful place to celebrate love. The reception was held in the camp gym, which I never would have guessed was mostly used as a gym because it looked so elegant.  Since it was late September, we had the lush green of the summer without as much of the heat. The deep red color scheme was perfect for this time of year and looked gorgeous with the rest of the venue. 

The ceremony took place in the camp amphitheater with a floral arbor in front of the lake.  Their mothers read from Colossians and Bob Marley.  Lindsay and Tim followed a Celtic tradition of tying their hands together to symbolize their eternal commitment to each other.  Lindsay walked down the aisle to Here Comes the Sun and she and Tim left the ceremony to All You Need is Love—I’m always happy to see Beatles songs included in weddings!  Their family and friends--more than just the father of the bride, maid of honor, and best man—all had wonderful things to say about how much they love Lindsay and Tim.

You can feel how happy Lindsay and Tim are in these photos—they’re so smiley and Tim was fist-pumping so much throughout the day.  Check out some of these sweet moments and the vendor team behind this gorgeous day!

Venue: Camp Pinnacle

Photographer: Christine Scott Photography

Assistant Photographer: Simply Marie Photography​
Dress:  The Savvy Bride Boutique​
Officiant: BeLoved Ceremony
Florals: Flowers by Larry​
Hair and makeup: BLOW Salon Studio​
DJ: Carolina DJ Professionals
Event rentals: Event Rentals, Inc

Bartending: The Perfect Mix

Black Balsam Knob Adventure Elopement Styled Shoot

Mark and Carolyn from Story Bright Films invited me to join them and their dog, Rocket, an adventure elopement styled shoot at Black Balsam Knob in western North Carolina, about two hours from the Greenville area.  Six months earlier, Mark and Carolyn did the wedding video for Clarin and Bobby, the couple who got dressed up and came with us to the mountains.  Clarin and Bobby had considered eloping for a long time.  They loved the idea of their marriage being just the two of them coming together before God in the middle of natural beauty, with hardly anyone else around for miles.  They ultimately decided to go the more traditional route and share the experience with their families and friends, but they said that being part of this shoot made them feel like they also got to have the fun and intimacy of eloping.

Elopements are such an interesting subject because there are so many differing viewpoints of what they are.  We often picture people going on a vacation and making hasty, life-changing decisions without telling their families.  We also might picture people spontaneously gong to a courthouse and “making it legal” without any sort of celebration.  While these do happen, an elopement is often like a typical wedding, just without guests.  A couple who elopes may tell their families years in advance that this is their plan.  The bride may still have a bouquet designed for her, a professional hair and makeup artist, and her dream wedding dress.  The ceremony may follow the same outline as a church ceremony.  While saving money is a factor in some couples’ decisions to elope, others might pay for plane tickets and lodging for themselves, their favorite photographer and videographer, and someone special to officiate the ceremony in a picturesque destination.  Some couples even have a reception when they come home so they can still celebrate with their families and friends.

Our first stop was Dill Falls, which involved being on a gravel road in the woods for a while before finding the trail.  Clarin was standing in the water in some of these photos with the current pushing her dress around—sometimes adventure involves getting wet and dirty, although I’m pretty proud of myself for not getting my socks wet as I climbed up to the waterfall. Even though parts of the day were scheduled to have an 80% chance of storms, it only sprinkled twice for a few minutes while we were shooting.  In one of the photos, you can see Clarin and Bobby looking up, realizing they were feeling rain and not just the waterfall behind them. 

Our next stop was the balsam forest.  We concluded that it would look like a setting for a fairy tale if it was sunny, or Narnia if it was snowing.  That day, it looked a little like Halloween as the rain clouds set in.  I actually got cold there, even though it was August.  Mark and Carolyn set up a picnic for Clarin and Bobby and they told us about their story as a couple, what they loved about their wedding, and why they were so excited to be part of this elopement shoot.  We didn’t see a single person the whole time we were in there!  We then hiked up to the mountain right as the sun rays came through the clouds, which weren’t too high above us.  I wanted to take all the photos in one spot because it was such an amazing view! After getting some photos of a massive spray of champagne and slow dancing as the sun went down behind the clouds, we headed out to Brevard for an amazing dinner at Square Root (which is also dog-friendly) before heading home.

Your wedding is your special day.  It’s up to the two of you whether to celebrate with 300 people you love, or just by yourselves.  But remember that it’s possible to have both experiences, just like Bobby and Clarin did.