A day of mountain wedding photography at Craggy Gardens and Asheville with A & K
A few weeks ago my husband Gregg and I woke up in Asheville North Carolina on a rainy Autumn morning.
Despite the wet weather, we were excited and really looking forward to the day ahead because it was finally time to photograph Andrey and Kristina’s mountain wedding!
After a bagel and a hot cup of coffee, we got into our truck and headed out to document the couple getting ready time at a family member’s home.
Once these photos were captured, the plan was to spend about 3 hours out of this day to take wedding party and couples portraits along the Blue Ridge Parkway at a spot called Craggy Gardens.
Leaving the house, Gregg and I led the caravan up the mountain first so that we would be ready to shoot once the couple and their entire wedding party arrived at our planned meeting spot in the Craggy Gardens parking lot.
As we drove up the winding Blue Ridge Parkway, a fog set in which grew thicker and colder the higher in elevation that we drove.
Overhead, dark slate skies laden with rain disappeared into a haze of white mist.
Listening to the radio along the way, I found out that all of this rain and wind was associated with the remnants of hurricane Michael making its way along the Appalachians. Yikes!
The wind was blowing and the light rain felt like icy needles on my face as I quickly attached my lenses and grabbed my spare batteries from the back of my truck.
That being said, the entire area was so beautiful that I knew that using this bit of “bad weather” to my photographic advantage was going to be the key that was going to set this “formal wedding shoot” apart from every other.
Once we had fully assembled our gear and put on our jackets, the wedding party arrived.
Gregg and I were very glad to see that the couple, the bridesmaids and groomsmen were also dressed in warm coats worn over their formal attire. Smart!
Now that everyone was here, it was time to take a ‘couple mile hike up to a clearing at the tippy top of the mountain. Every one was in high spirits despite the fact that it was raining and about 45 degrees outside. Seriously such an awesome group of people to maintain such a chill vibe throughout the walk! (Love you guys for this!)
Side note: I do a fair amount of hiking every month but tbh, I was super grateful that my husband was with me to take on the role of pack mule. For whatever reason I thought it be totally fine to carry all of my gear myself!
Lol, oooof! Let’s just say that carrying an extra 30lbs of camera equipment up a mountain trail isn’t really my thing ;)
Next time I’m packing lighter for sure!
Once we reached the clearing the top of the hill, Greg and I took a bunch of photos of Andrey, Kristina and their wedding party. Though the wind was howling and the fog was as thick as pea soup, the photos were absolutely gorgeous! The couple and their friends were just as cheerful as could be in the face of this insane weather.
Now that the wedding party photos were done (for now) it was time to create some mountain magic!
Gregg and I first photographed Andrey and Kristina sharing a few quiet moments together in the field. The wind swirled Kristina’s veil around in the most delightful way which ended up looking pretty awesome in the photos.
Nearby, we also found a cool looking tree that was weather beaten enough that it’s leaves were blowing at a permanent direction from left to right that would serve as a gorgeous backdrop for their couples portraits.
Once everybody had had enough of the open field rain and wind in our faces situation, we all made our way back down the mountain. The couple, Gregg and I hung back from the rest of the group along the path so that we could take some more portraits along the trail.
Now that we were walking in the woods, the wind had died down completely and there was a solemn velvety hush enveloping the forest.
Our footsteps were silent upon the wet leaves, the only sound was the occasional bird call and the song of raindrops. The fog slipped through the trees scattering a breathtaking silver light which reflected off of everything.
This was exactly the photo scenario I’d been hoping for when I first saw the cloudy mountains earlier in the day.
I took a few portraits using both natural light and camera flash just to mix it up a little. Despite the chilly temperatures, Andrea and Kristina snuggled together, laughed and talked to one another the entire time.
Everything just came together perfectly!
The couple, the fog, that light, those bright fall colors and yes, even the rain made this experience truly a unique kind of wedding day.
Cold, wet, totally and completely in my element, I couldn’t have been a happier photographer than in these moments :)
As the couple, Gregg and I made our way down the trail to the parking lot, Andrey asked if we could drive to another location nearby to take a few more portraits! See, this adventurous spirit is exactly what I love the most about my Silvercord couples! Of course I said yes so off we went!
The next set of photos were captured in a Alpine area at the top of the mountain. The trees at this altitude were stunted by the wind which was now whipping by at a furious pace.
The couple and I made our way into a thicket of rhododendrons and we stopped in a spot that was (mostly) sheltered from the winds.
Gregg and I captured some beautiful exposures on the trail as Andrey and Kristina snuggled together to stay warm.
I really have to hand it to the bride. She was tough as nails standing out here in the elements wearing her lace wedding dress! Despite the ridiculous ongoing weather situation, in Andrey’s arms she held a smile on her face that was warm as the sun.
Once we finished the series of pictures we read join the wedding party a little further down the mountain at a lower altitude to capture some more group photos.By now, the skies were clearing and it was the perfect time to get these kinds of mountain wedding party group pics before heading back down into Asheville to photograph the wedding itself.
Gregg and I arrived at the couple’s venue, the Liberty Baptist Church just before the ceremony started. Taking candid pictures of wedding guest arriving along the way, we quickly found our places to shoot from and were ready to go once the wedding began.
There was so much love here in this little field flowing between the couple and their families as their vows were exchanged. The prayers from the couple parents were particularly sweet moments to photograph. Truly an awesome wedding experience to document!
Once the ceremony was completed, instead of heading down the aisle Andrey and Kristina held a receiving line with their families and friends. Loved capturing all of those hugs and kisses!
At this point, there was a little bit of time left in the day to take some photos of the wedding party having a bit of fun with rifles in the parking lot of the church! All guns were verified empty of bullets before we started off with the photos which ended up being pretty hilarious when all was said and done.
Never a dull moment on the day, that is for sure!
Now it was time for the reception party which was held inside their church. The food was incredible and the laughter even better. So many fun candid photo opportunities for Gregg and I to capture that the evening just flew by! There were prizes given out (how cool is that?!) and lots of toasts to happy couple given.
At the end of the night Andrey and Kristina exited the church to the cheers and clapping of everyone in attendance.
Truly couldn’t have asked for a better end to an amazing day of wedding photography.
-Sally
PS.
Special shout out to Andrea & Kristina’s wedding party, you guys are awesome!
To the couple, thank you from the bottom of my heart for choosing me to be your wedding photographer :)
Want to see all of these beautiful images from A & K's gorgeous wedding in Asheville and Craggy Gardens in greater detail? Go check out the entire gallery filled with larger pics at …
https://sallysiko.zenfolio.com/craggy/gardens/asheville/wedding/photography/a/and/k
Thanks for taking the time to check out my photos! If you have any questions about my work, please contact me anytime!
Information regarding Silvercord Event Photography's engagement and wedding photography price and service packages may be found HERE.