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!
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 48 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!
Planning Resources
How to Elope in South Carolina
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
Do these belong on your Pinterest board? Because I’m in love with all of it! Click here to get in touch, or look at some of my other blog posts below.
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!
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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.
