How to Choose a Trail for Your Photos

I absolutely love going on hiking trails with couples! We can do this for an engagement session, or you could even have an intimate wedding ceremony out on a trail! I have some guidelines for trails so you can have a good time AND plenty of photos you love!

1. What is the scenery like along the trail?

Are there multiple spots along the trail that can look pretty in your photos, or is there only one tiny overlook? For example, this trail has plenty of variety before you get to the waterfall, like plant life, a pond, and a bridge over a stream.

2. How difficult is this trail?

I don’t want it to be too strenuous because I don’t want you to be red, sweaty, and exhausted in your photos. I also don’t want any of us to not feel well during/after the session. I know plenty of views here that overlook mountains and waterfalls, and won’t take a toll on your well-being or how you look in your photos.

3. How long is this trail?

It needs to be short enough for us to get good light on the trail and still get out before it gets dark or the parking lot closes. For example, getting to a scenic view for sunset on the Table Rock trail can take hours, and it could be completely dark and after the park’s operating hours by the time we get back to the trailhead.

4. Does it get crowded here?

The trail needs to not be too crowded so there aren’t a lot of people in the background. Also, your session is a lot more intimate if other people aren’t around. For example, any trail at Paris Mountain will probably have lots of hikers and mountain bikers on a Saturday. ⠀

5. Most importantly:

We need to be able to do this safely—I don’t want to risk anyone getting hurt to get good photos. A 3-mile scramble might not be worth the photos, and I need to be able to pose you safely. The Falls Creek Falls trail, for example, is mostly covered in rocks and tree roots, so it’s easy to trip or roll an ankle. There also aren’t a lot of places in front of the waterfall where I’m comfortable standing or telling someone else to stand.

Believe it or not, this photo was taken at a drive-up overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway. No hiking with that baby!

If you and your partner still want to head out on a trail for your session or elopement, awesome! I know plenty of trails in the upstate that meet most, if not all, of these bullet points. Also feel free to check out my blog post to give you ideas of what places in the upstate might fit your vision—you can check it out here!

Ready to start planning? Click here to fill out my contact form and start the planning process!

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Eloping in South Carolina

Overall, the word “elopement” still carries a negative connotation for lots of people. It’s become associated with tackiness, secrecy, haste, and being cheap.  Now, the meaning of the word is evolving, and so is our perception of what a wedding day should be.

However you choose to elope, you deserve the best photos from that day. Read more about what I do and to get in touch!

What is an elopement?

“Elopement” technically means “escaping,” so it became used as the word for running away together to get married.  I recently came across an episode of Fresh Prince where Will and Lisa secretly go to Vegas to elope instead of having a big wedding like they planned.  Even though they didn’t go through with the ceremony in Vegas, Lisa said that she felt she and Will had more of a choice in what their own wedding day looked like.  This still rings true today, even if eloping means something different.

Nowadays, an elopement is just a wedding without guests, and that looks different for everyone.  The thought became more popular in 2020 when large gatherings had to be postponed indefinitely, and people didn’t want to postpone actually being married.

Let’s address some of what you may have heard about elopements.

Elopements are cheap.

Yes and no.  If you have no guests, then you don’t have to pay for a big venue, tables, chairs, place settings, invitations, thank-you notes, favors, centerpieces, or whatever else you might provide for each person in attendance.  Lots of couples who elope still invest in quality wedding vendors, or they might budget for something else, like the dress they’ve always dreamed of, or airfare to get married somewhere scenic.  It’s all about paying for what you value, and that’s different for everyone.

Elopements are secretive.

It’s up to you whether to tell people about your wedding before or afterward.

Elopements are hasty.

Some people start planning elopements years in advance, just like they may for a more traditional wedding.  Others “make it official” after years of being together. Both are valid.

Elopements aren’t as special as bigger weddings.

The biggest pushback for elopements is probably the idea of not having your family and friends there to see you get married.  For a lot of couples, it’s not about excluding people, it’s just about having an intimate experience.  One couple said, “We loved the idea of just the two of us coming together before God in nature.” 

How beautiful is that? 

Some people prefer to exchange their vows without other people watching and listening.  It’s your decision whether or not to be surrounded by the people who are closest to you as you say your vows, and only you know who those people are. 

Logistics of Eloping

There’s a lot that’s possible when you’re not accounting for a large group of people. You may not need to reserve a space, depending on where you choose to have your ceremony and pictures.  Some couples have their ceremony on a mountain or in front of a waterfall, something that’s not easily accessible for other people.  Some choose to do it in a more public space, which is harder to organize with a group of people.  This elopement involved cutting their wedding cake right in front of Clemson’s Death Valley. It was on a whim and that would never work if there were more people than just the three of us.

No matter how you choose to get married, you will still need to sign a marriage license.  This process varies by state.  In South Carolina, you can either sign the papers at the courthouse or have a certified officiant come with you to where you want to have your ceremony.  South Carolina also does not require any witnesses to sign the forms.  North Carolina, however, requires two witnesses.  I can always serve as one.  The other could be your videographer if you have one, or even just someone who happens to be passing by.

For ideas on where to elope in South Carolina, check out this blog post!

What if I like the idea of both?

Maybe you love the idea of hiking to an overlook to say your vows, but you also love the idea of celebrating with your family and friends.  You have a few options:

1.  Split it into two days.  One day can be an intimate ceremony with just the two of you, and the other can be a celebration with your family and friends.

2. Take elopement-style pictures on a different day. Maybe you could get dressed up for an engagement session in a scenic place, or you could have an adventure session on your honeymoon in your wedding attire.

3. Invite a small group of people.  Covid popularized the term “microwedding,” which is pretty much the same thing as an intimate wedding, or a wedding with a small number of guests.  For some people, it’s just their parents, and for others, it’s around 25 people.

For more ideas for having a reception for your elopement, click here.

Just like any wedding, there aren’t really any rules for what you do and don’t need to have.  You can still have professional hair and makeup, a white dress, a catered meal, or a small cake, just like how you don’t necessarily have to include the typical wedding traditions in a bigger wedding.  In the end, your wedding day is up to you and your future spouse.  Maybe it’s a big party with a DJ and all your family and friends.  Maybe it’s a handful of people who are close to you in a pretty place.  Maybe it’s just the two of you at your house.  What does the perfect day look like to the two of you?  Start there.

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My name is Christine (Scott) Gow and I’m an elopement photographer based out of Greenville, South Carolina. I’m a wife and a beagle mom. The three of us have visited beautiful places in every corner of South Carolina, to include all of our state parks. Sometimes we wear hiking boots, sometimes we wear dress shoes, and sometimes we’re barefoot in the surf.

One thing I love about South Carolina is that it’s not just the beaches and colorful houses that you imagine when you picture it. Whether you’re looking for mountains, beaches, or anything in between; I can help you find the perfect place for the two of you and make it as smooth of a day as possible. No matter how you two choose to spend your day, I’m happy you’re doing it the way that you want.

I can’t wait to meet you!

Elopement Planning Resources

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.