Sara + Neal started out their full day elopement at Hawk’s Nest Retreat in Sapphire, North Carolina. The VRBO rental offers a spacious living areas, private access to the woods and river that runs through the property, and is pet friendly. The cabin was the perfect place for us to come back to after an evening of hiking to enjoy campfire s’mores under the stars.
Adventure Elopement in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Black Balsam Knob
After getting ready and taking some portraits with the dogs around the cabin, we hit the road for a 1.5 hour drive north to the location for their ceremony and sunset portraits. This epic trail is a 1.4 mile round trip hike to 360-degree mountain views just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. Since North Carolina requires two witnesses to get married in the state, the couple chose to exchange their vows and share beautiful emotions in the presence of two dear friends.
kind words from the couple:
“I don’t normally give reviews, but Julie Crawford of Magnolia + Ember deserves it. While she is quiet, she observes and knows what kind of pictures are important for your wedding day. As the day goes on, she learns who you and your spouse are so she can snap those special moments between you two without you realizing. During our session with her, she even had moments where we heard her exclaim, “Oh that is such a good picture! I love my job!” I knew at that moment that we had absolutely picked the right person for our adventure elopement. She is knowledgeable of Leave No Trace principles and was also well versed in desired wedding activities, places to go, and things that need to be achieved for smooth elopement. I would 100% recommend her for your elopement (or any other activity). To us, this was our one day to truly focus on us, and she complimented that without effort and provided us with helpful planning and beautiful pictures that we will cherish for many years. Thank you, Julie!” – Sara + Neal
