Rainy October Elopement in North Carolina on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Feeling a little un-inspired by how many times plans are changing for you? Karen and Jake went through a few plans and backup plans, and still wound up with torrential downpour on their wedding day, which led to the Blue Ridge Parkway being shut down while we were there!

First they were planning a large wedding in North Carolina for 2021, but as we got closer they decided they wanted to just elope instead. So after picking their ceremony spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway with a beautiful mountain and sunset view, we got the news of the storm on its way. So, instead of doing a long hike in the rain to look at a thick view of fog, we decided to just stick to the forest ——

helpful tip : if it’s foggy during your photo shoot, elopement, or wedding, it’s best to find a spot that has a “close” backdrop! So that could be large rocks, a forest, a close waterfall, etc. That way the trees or rocks stand out and break up the fog so you aren’t just in a thick cloud of nothing.

— — Their videographers were also fine and well prepared for the rain! Being in the forest helped keep some of the rain off of us and gave Karen and Jake a break during their ceremony. Then they set up their little speaker under an umbrella and had their first dance.

As we drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway, we were in and out of the fog, finding fun places to stop for photos and adventuring. At one point we passed a Blue Ridge Parkway ranger who stopped and told us they had closed the gates to the parkway, so when we left we’d have to open and shut to lock the gate back up! It was actually so nice to have the privacy and we were able to walk along the Parkway without cars passing.

Their elopement day included :

• getting ready together in their cabin they rented

• writing their vows together in beautiful little keepsake books

• taking photos of each other with their own Instax throughout the day

• a short hike in the woods to their ceremony along the Blue Ridge Parkway

• a ceremony in the rain with clear umbrellas

• a first dance in the rain with a little bluetooth speaker

• a picnic of cake and Dom Perignon with a sneak view of the mountains

• one final stop at a waterfall before the sun completely set on us.

Glamorous October Elopement on Skyline Drive | Fall Elopement in Shenandoah National Park

Inspiration for a slightly more formal elopement with guests!

Victoria & Trevor definitely brought an old-school Hollywood vibe to their elopement in the mountains. It was a beautiful Fall day, which can normally be very packed on Skyline Drive, but we lucked out by being there in the middle of the day on a Friday before the busy weekend!

They brought along close friends and family, their wee pup, gorgeous florals, beautiful details, and a lovely picnic — then after their ceremony we returned to the spot where Trevor asked Victoria to marry him!

This Elopement Included :

• Getting ready separately at their hotel and doing a first look once they got to the mountains

• A formal mid-day ceremony, with their friend officiating

• Victoria’s father walking her down the makeshift aisle

• A ribbon-tying ceremony

• A few close friends and family members

• Their wee pup

• Gorgeous florals - a bouquet, centerpiece for their picnic, and bouttonniere

• Thought-out details like sparkly shoes, ribbon for the ceremony with a quote that included their new last name “Grey”, fun socks for Trevor, cuff-links

• A picnic with cake and champagne

• Exploring the woods nearby for photos

• Going back to the overlook where Trevor proposed to Victoria!

After their time with me, they went back and joined their friends and family at a brewery.

Intimate Camping Wedding with Guests | October Shenandoah National Park Elopement

Ashley and Jeremy included more than just a few wedding guests - they filled up quite a few camping spots with all 20 of their guests for the weekend!

At Matthews Arm Campground in Shenandoah National Park, they have sections of campgrounds you can book for the night — whether you need a spot for 1 tent or a few larger campgrounds for more!

They sent out an email letting everyone know what their plan was, with locations and a small timeline. They also asked their guests if they had a pass to enter Shenandoah National Park, and if they didn’t have a pass, Ashley and Jeremy gifted them an annual pass for the year instead of a typical wedding favor. Also in the email they sent out was a Spotify playlist for the weekend - it had some of their favorite camping / campfire songs and was open to anyone who wanted to add their own adventure music to it as well.

We met them at their campsite as they pulled together their finishing touches, got ready in their tents, and had a first look. Everyone got their tents up, got dressed up all fancy, and we caravanned to their ceremony.

After their ceremony, their guests returned to camp where there were cupcakes, a framed map of Skyline Drive for guests to sign, music playing, a fire going, and a buffet of food.

Ashley and Jeremy stayed back with me for just a little bit of time so we could get some couple portraits with the wild flowers and sun, before heading back to join their guests.

This Elopement Included :

• An email inviting all their guests to their wedding weekend camping in the mountains, with a pretty digital timeline.

• A Spotify playlist of camping / mountain music that all their guests could add to!

• “Wedding favors” that were an Annual Park Pass to each guest who needed one for entering the Park.

• A great big campsite big enough for all their guests to pitch their tents.

• The bride and groom (and guests!) getting ready in tents, and having their first look at the campsite.

• Beautiful wild-flower florals for centerpieces, a bouquet, and boutonnières.

• A caravan to and from the campsite to a pretty overlook that accommodated all their guests.

• Ashley’s father walking her down the “aisle” for their ceremony with friends and family (two-legged and four-legged).

• Family group photos and then couple portraits after their ceremony.

• A sparkly jacket and champagne popping during portraits.

• A casual meal with everyone by the campfire with a small buffet, cake, and cupcakes with little mountains.

• An awesome framed map for guests to sign in lieu of a guest book.

• Lots of hammocks for everyone to hang out in - including Ashley and Jeremy.

Scroll to the bottom to see Black Coral’s video from this elopement!

---