March 22, 2022
Summer Elopement Photography Favorites
Today we are sharing some of our favorite summer elopement photography from 2021.
Get ready for green landscapes, lush wildflowers, and gorgeous sunsets!
Eloping in the summer comes with many benefits besides the visuals.
Temperatures are 10-20 degrees cooler in the mountains so you won’t be sweating the whole time. You might even need a light jacket as the sun sets and gives the earth a much-needed cooldown.
Additionally, there are so many fun Asheville area festivals and activities in the area during summer that you can enjoy while in town.
Check out our favorite summer elopement photography from 2021 and the stories behind them to get a feel for what your experience eloping in Asheville could be like!
Amanda and Iris
Becoming each other’s “forever person”
Amanda and Iris met in Asheville for the first time. They had their first date in AVL, so it’s no wonder they ended up marrying in the mountains!
Amanda proposed to Iris on a Myrtle Beach hotel balcony. She made Iris a photo book of their best memories together and had mugs with Pina Coladas that said “Will you Marry Me” on them. Iris proposed at Amanda’s apartment with a custom-made shadow box with stones in the shape of the couple and their dogs, that said, “Will you be my forever person?”
Amanda and Iris eloped at an overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway right on the cusp of summer’s end.
Amanda and Iris rented a classic car to take them up the parkway, and after their ceremony, they witnessed a colorful sunset before riding back down the mountain as wife and wife!
Dema and Brian
Lush Garden Love
Brian proposed to Dema at Christmas Eve dinner with both of their families present. They knew they wanted to hold an outdoor elopement and realized there was no competition for Asheville’s landscape and beauty.
The sun shined down on the pair at their August elopement at a historic inn. The property features lush gardens that make way for gorgeous elopement photography.
These two foodies/business owners chose a perfect date and time for their garden wedding elopement!
Andrea and Monntez
Sunny, Bright, and happy together
Andrea and Monntez eloped in August, sharing the love with their close family/ witnesses.
The pair met at the gym and enjoy outdoor activities, so Asheville was a natural choice to hold their ceremony.
The evening that they wed, the light radiated through the trees, illuminating their bright and happy faces as they made it official in front of their loved ones!
Michelle and Will
Letting the Landscape do the Talking
On the night they met, Michelle and Will had an instant connection after being forced by friends to attend a paint party at a Myrtle Beach club. The pair dated for many years until Will proposed at home, then the two began planning their Asheville elopement.
For Will and Michelle, the mountains have always had their hearts as they find them so peaceful. Eloping would allow them to have a small ceremony designed with the simplicity of their style.
Black Balsam Knob provided a “central” location for their families to attend and featured dramatic vistas for elopement photography that the couple wanted.
In essence, they just showed up for each other, enjoyed the moment to its fullest, and let the landscape do the talking.
Not only did their September day feature some of the best summer elopement photography we’ve captured, the couple legally and spiritually united in their commitment to each other before God and their families.
Courtney and Thomas
Honoring the past, renewing their future
Courtney and Thomas held their June vow renewal in the beautiful Asheville Botanical Gardens.
They decided on holding a small family elopement and hand-fasting to exchange rings and reaffirm their commitment.
The couple chose Asheville because of their love for the mountains, music, and moonshine! They have also traced many of their ancestors to south Appalachia and the Blue Ridge Mountains, so it feels like ‘home.’
The couple decided to remarry on Courtney’s late grandmother’s birthday, which is also their 11 year, 1 month anniversary. The wedding was a beautiful tribute to both old traditions and renewed beginnings!
See the full blog of their elopement day here
Paige and Austin
Overjoyed on the Overlook
Paige and Austin chose to have a morning elopement on an overlook at The Pisgah Inn on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
On a sunny July day, the two made their promises in front of a small group of family and friends.
They chose Asheville because of their love of the mountains (of course!) but what impacted them was seeing pictures of elopements that have taken place in Asheville. That’s when they knew they wanted to have that for their elopement.
After a sweet ceremony, the two cut their chocolate cake with vanilla icing and ate it too! They topped that with champagne and strolled the overlook to see hundreds of blooms peek out from vast expanses of green along the mountain landscape.
See the full blog of their elopement here
Abigayl + James
They made fog look good!
We here at Elope Outdoors LOVE us some fluffy, foggy backdrops, but there was something about Abigayl and James foggy mountain elopement that was super special!
Maybe it was Abigayl’s tattoos that brought an indie vibe or their absolute light-hearted, happy-go-lucky attitudes to contrast the moody fog. Either way, Abigayl and James truly made the fog look really, really good!
On top of Roan mountain on a July evening, the couple shared hand-written notes and spoke personal vows in an idyllic woodsy scene.
Officiant Julia pronounced them married and the two seemed to just glide through the rest of the evening, so clearly in love and so excited to be doing life together.
The way that Abigayl’s train lay perfectly on the green grass, the big smile on James face at their first look, and the fog rolling in slowly after starting the ascend up Roan mountain – these are some of the high points of their summer elopement photography album that I will never forget.
View their full blog with gallery.
Kristine & Stewart
Escaping the Beach for Mountain Love
Kristine and Stewart were married in the presence of their daughter on one of the most epic mountain landscapes in Asheville – Black Balsam Knob!
The pair got engaged in Asheville at Skinny Dip Falls on a summer vacation in 2020. It was only natural to keep the party going and have their elopement here too
Kristine and Stewart traveled from Florida for their elopement to escape the heat of summer! Their day was a perfect way to cool off, change scenery, and create a new memory together while returning home as husband and wife.
Meagan & Vinnie
Finding the One who made it all Worth It
Meagan and Vinnie got engaged on their anniversary when they both knew they wanted to spend the rest of their days together.
The couple chose an Asheville elopement because in Meagan’s words, “it has everything we love; food, beer & mountains.”
The pair even chose the mountain location where they held their elopement based on images they saw posted on our page and thought were breathtaking.
When meeting Meagan and Vinnie, what struck us most was the laughter they shared. Their summer elopement happened on a windy evening, creating romantic movement in their video and pictures.
Meagan told us that “dancing together is one of our favorite things (but we’re not good at it).” They could have fooled us! We had them dance quite a bit and it was a solid mix of fun, quirky movement mixed in with romantic twirls!
Before the elopement, Meagan shared, “I have found the one who is worth all the things I’ve been through. I’m beyond stoked to become his forever partner.”
Awww!!
Jennifer and Matt
Love is Alive in the Blue Ridge
From an out-of-the-blue proposal to a blue ridge elopement, Matt and Jennifer’s union was made official in the mountains.
Their ceremony at an overlook followed by a hike up a local mountain peak was the simple, intimate stress-free celebration they were seeking.
Jennifer’s two children and other family members were present for the celebration.
Their photos show how incredibly alive the Blue Ridge Mountains are when everything is in bloom!
Kirsten and Rob
Making Memories on the Mountaintop
Kristen and Rob met at the office through a colleague. Both worked on the same floor, but in different departments. After a few months, they started dating. On a trip to Lake Superior, the two decided they wanted to get married and shared a quiet proposal back home.
These avid hikers chose Asheville to marry because they wanted to get married outdoors in an intimate ceremony. Kirsten spent many of her summers in western North Carolina and finds the mountains very peaceful and refreshing.
The couple experienced a quiet ceremony on a beautiful summer evening. Afterward, the couple enjoyed chocolate butter cake with crushed strawberry filling and vanilla buttercream before heading to dinner at Rhubarb! What a memorable day!
Jenna and David
Gentle Fog & Vibrant Vistas
Jenna and David met in high school but did not date until many years later. Fittingly, David proposed in their hometown, at a picnic by a river.
The couple chose an Asheville elopement after a vacation here in 2018 when they fell in love with it. Asheville appeals to them because of how immersed in nature you can be while also having so many unique restaurants and breweries downtown to try out as well.
They mentioned that they could not imagine a more beautiful backdrop to be married. On a July day, vision turned to reality as they arrived in the mountains surrounded by nature.
A little light rain and gentle fog couldn’t throw them off as they were totally fixated on each other.
The couple spoke their hand-written vows in the woods and then went to an overlook to take in the views from a clear vantage point.
Jenna and David were thrilled to have their moments captured on camera to look back to and share with family for years to come.
Brittany and Greyson
An Intimate Ceremony, their way
Brittany and Greyson met at a pool in Greenville where Brittany and her friend, and Greyson and his friends were the only people there as everyone else flocked to the beach for the July 4th weekend. They all hung out at the pool that day and hit it off.
After dating for many years, Greyson picked out a ring and planned to propose on their trip to Florida. When the ring came in on a random Thursday, Greyson just couldn’t wait. He put the ring on their cat’s collar where Brittany discovered it, and she said “yes!”
Asheville is one of their favorite towns, so eloping here was an easy choice.
The couple got to experience their special day, their way at a mountain venue close to town, nestled in the mountains. The two enjoyed a special intimate ceremony with family rather than entertaining a big crowd.
Michelle and Sean
Momentous Meadow Views + Mountain Peaks
Michelle and Sean grew up in the mountains on opposite sides of the country and are BIG dog-lovers – so where else would they marry but Asheville? Before they started envisioning an elopement in one of the most dog-friendly mountain towns in America, they were meeting each other for the first time at the vet!
Michelle’s pups were clients of Sean’s (he’s a veterinarian) for years before the couple finally got up the nerve to ask each other out – even though they both knew they wanted to from the beginning!
Sean and Michelle chose a Max Patch elopement as it was the best combination of those top-of-the-mountain and meadow views they love, and included a hike that wouldn’t be too strenuous for their older pup to participate.
The couple married in early September, bringing their fur family along for their ceremony with beautiful 360-degree mountain views. Since they decided to marry in the summer, they wandered through a lively landscape filled with wildflowers and ferns after officiant Rodney guided them into marriage.
Michelle said this about the experience “Eloping this way makes it perfectly about “us” the way a marriage should be, but still also a beautiful and memorable experience.”
Jess and Jonathan
Summer Rain in an Ethereal Woods
Jess and Jonathan’s origin story is super sweet. They both worked at a tiny repair shop in Pineville, NC. Almost immediately, they were interested in each other but didn’t act on it. Their coworkers stirred the pot, and though it was a slow start, the couple eventually started dating.
Jess and Johnathan knew they didn’t want the stress of planning a big wedding and decided to elope in Asheville so they could run off to their little happy place in the mountains! They chose Elope Outdoors because EO Owner/Photographer Meghan is Jessica’s dream wedding photographer!
When Meghan’s work popped up on Jess’ Instagram feed one day, Jess decided that one day she would hire Meghan for her wedding! When looking at elopement agencies in Asheville, Jess was immediately drawn to Elope Outdoors and realized why when she saw that Meghan was the owner!
The couple, who married on an early September day, were greeted with rainfall when they arrived at the trailhead. The two ended up marrying in the woods and it was so GORGEOUS!
The soft rain falling in the background while these two spoke the most heartfelt vows had our entire team tearing up while watching their highlight film!
Weather changes frequently and quickly in these mountain microclimates. Jess and Jonathan’s day is proof that rain can make the ceremony take on an even more romantic quality, especially when it happens in an ethereal woods like this one!
Sissi and Joseph
Married with their pup as the ring bearer
Sissi and Joseph’s meet-cute is such an outdoor lovers’ dream!
Sissi was the travel contract at a hospital Joe where worked. Joe found out that Sissi wanted to hike all the waterfalls in Ithaca and offered to take her hiking. The two spent every free day hiking Ithaca Gorges that winter and spring.
Sissi likes to joke, “I went there to hunt for waterfalls, and ended up finding the love of my life. Cheesy, I know. ”
Their proposal – of course – was outdoors too! While hiking DuPont Forest in Cedar Mountain, NC, Joe got down to one knee and asked Sissi to marry him. They were in the middle of the woods by a beautiful waterfall. It does not get any better than that!
Their July elopement was another hike but with fancier clothes! They had their First Look in the woods, then hiked to the top together. Their sweet pup was the ring bearer, carrying the rings in their collar on the way up the mountain.
It was so sweet seeing them exchange rings, cut the cake, and have their first dance on a mountaintop where they truly feel at home!
Alexandra and Andrew
Escape to the mountains
Alexandra and Andrew arrived at Black Balsam together in a limo for their June elopement!
The weather was so perfect that evening with clear skies and even light. The clarity of the mountains revealed the layers of mountains and forest in all directions.
Andrew’s socks and their wedding cake plates featured a photo of their dog Julep! Julep is named after the night-club where Alex and Andrew met one fateful evening in Boston!
Alex and Andrew chose Asheville to elope because they didn’t want a big, lavish wedding and loved the idea of just escaping to the mountains and focusing on the two of them.
Witnessing their joyful connection, capturing it on video, and providing elopement photography was an honor!
Want more information about eloping in summer?
Check out our blog “Stay Cool, Be Wed” for more on why marrying in the summer is awesome.
If you’re ready to get the conversation about your Asheville elopement started, contact our planner Cassie today!
August, Black Balsam, Blue Ridge Parkway, Botanical Gardens, Craggy Gardens, First Look, Glassmine Falls Overlook, Heartistree Studios, Jay, Julia, July, June, Max Patch, Michael, Outdoor Elopement, Pisgah Inn Hitching Post, Rain/Fog, Roan Mountain, Rodney, September, Sherrill's Inn, Sherrill's Inn, Summer, Sunset, The Ridge, The Ridge, Uncategorized, Videographer, Wildwood Media
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