The memories of this day has stayed with me. I had the honor and privilege of capturing Talea’s & Ryan elopement on top of Black Balsam Knob the day after Thanksgiving. The drive up on the parkway that morning was quiet. It was 6 am and everything was pitch black dark. There wasn’t another sole on the road on my drive up. After arriving at the bottom of Black Balsam Knob, we parked our vehicles and prepared for the big hike up the mountain. It was honestly like no other experience. It was so cold that morning everyone could see their every breathe. The air was so crisp it practically burned your nose to breathe, and all we could think about was how cold we were.

Once we arrived at our spot and got our blood flow going, it wasn’t that bad. We waited for the sun to start peaking its way over the mountain tops before we began with the ceremony. After seeing how beautiful that sunrise was first hand that day, it really made getting up at 4:30 am totally worth it.

Talea and Ryan’s ceremony was surreal. It couldn’t have turned out any better with a clearer, more beautiful sky. The ceremony itself was so sweet and intimate (Yes, there were tears shed). Being able to be apart of something so unique and sacred, while capturing the whole thing is such an honor. It’s days like this where I love watching people fall in love, and love doing what I do. This was definitely a day that I will never forget.