Asheville Fall Elopement
This elopement in Asheville, North Carolina was the perfect fall day!! This day was surrounded by Olivia and James’ closest loved ones celebrating their love.
Olivia and James’ love story began just like a movie. Olivia was a server at a restaurant and James would come in every weekend with some friends. Sparks flew from the beginning with them making each other laugh all the time, but neither were sure if the other liked them. Finally Olivia gained the courage to ask James out on a date. Their first date was amazing, and the rest was history. James asked Olivia to marry him, they went to the courthouse a few days later to make it legal, and then a few months later they had this intimate fall Asheville elopement to celebrate with their loved ones.
Elopement Location in Asheville
Olivia and James split their time between two locations. The ceremony was held in the Botanical Gardens in Asheville. The Botanical Gardens are located in downtown Asheville. There are beautiful gardens and beautiful forest vibes within the park. It’s also easily accessible with paved trails throughout the Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens were beautiful this time of year!
The second location was the Blue Ridge Parkway for couple portraits. Important to note: As of the time of this elopement in November, weddings and elopements under 75 people did not require a permit (check out the official Blue Ridge Parkway website here for the most up-to-date permit requirements). We drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway stopping at various stops for photos.
It was freezing outside at 35 degrees Fahrenheit (Olivia even wore leggings under her wedding dress), but the fall foliage was so beautiful this time of year!! This Asheville elopement was at the beginning of November, and I think we got lucky to experience the end of the fall foliage before all the leaves fell.
Check out my Ultimate Asheville Elopement Guide for more info – including more locations.
Asheville Fall Elopement
Olivia and James got ready in different locations so they could see each other for the first time at the ceremony. They invited only 14 people to their elopement: immediate family and closest friends. The ceremony was beautiful. Almost everyone cried at some point during the ceremony. Both of them wrote their own vows which had both Olivia and James in tears while committing their love to one another.
After the ceremony and congratulating the lovely couple, we took family photos right there at the Botanical Gardens. After family photos everyone left to change and explore Asheville, while Olivia, James, and I drove up to the Blue Ridge Parkway for couple portraits. We took our time exploring and taking pictures without any rush. I really wanted the couple to be present and soak in the fact that they had just gotten MARRIED!
Some things I never wanna forget from their fall Asheville elopement:
- Olivia and James seeing each other for the first time :’)
- How BEAUTIFUL the fall foliage was !!!!
- How emotional both of their families were during the ceremony 🥲
- How it was gray and cloudy the whole week but was blue skies on their big day
- His tan suit and her sleeves
- How hype their friends were
- When both the bride and the groom teared up during their vows
- Driving around the mountains and just going “wow!!!! It was just so pretty
- The beautiful mountain views
- Olivia’s sister graciously throwing leaves for some pics
Asheville Wedding Vendors
Photographer: Emily Morgan Photos, LLC || website | @emilymorganphotos_ (me!)
Officiant: Joshua Maples Wedding Officiant || website | @joshuamaplesweddingofficiant
Dress: Something Bleu Bridal House || website | @something_bleu_bridal_house
Rings: East West Gem Co. || website | @eastwestgemco
Asheville Wedding Photographer
Are you interested in me photographing your Asheville wedding?
Well hey there – if you didn’t know me already, I’m Emily! I’m a California and Destination wedding and elopement photographer. I spend a lot of time photographing adventure elopements of rad couples around the world. I love all things elopements, being out on the water, outdoor adventure, and am truly so grateful that I get to call this my job!!!
If you’re looking for a photographer for your wedding who will:
- Photograph your beautiful Asheville wedding ceremony and activities through storytelling photos that you can look back on for the rest of your life
- Help you come up with your dream Asheville elopement day and itinerary
- Help you find activities in the area to make your wedding intentional, unique, and memorable
…then I’m your person!!!
Visit my website to learn more about me, get to know my approach to photography, and then reach out to me if you think we are a good fit. I cannot wait to hear from you and photograph your dream elopement in Asheville!!
