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We started the session at Looking Glass Falls just south of Asheville. When Daniel & I arrived it was crowded with tons of tourists enjoying a warm spring day. Not very long after Liz & Nathen arrived, the crowds dispersed and we had most of the waterfall to our selves! I can’t make this stuff up people! How amazing!

Every photo session starts off a little awkward, but with these two it didn’t last long. It was clear to see that they soaked up every spare moment they could with each other. That whole “absence makes the heart grow fonder” thing is very true.

I was obsessed with Liz’s engagement ring. It was a beautiful shade of rose gold.

Remember that awkward thing that I talked about earlier? Yeah, the best part about Liz & Nathen is that they completely embrace it! They had us cracking up all day long!

But that sweetness tho…I can’t quite get over how the love just pours from these two!

I’m also pretty smitten with the fact that they had no problem with me getting “all up in their grill.” It was like I didn’t exist & their I was a happy observer of their bubble of joy.

Liz was quite the trooper, getting up that rock was not easy & she made it happen! Totally worth it!

I happened to look down and saw bits of river debris clinging to their cold toes. I couldn’t help but snap a shot of this cuteness.

Looking Glass Falls felt like we were in a travel magazine. It’s just gorgeous from any angle!

Liz was sad that she didn’t get an opportunity to put on self tanner before the shoot. I was actually glad she didn’t! The gorgeous mix of pale skin & red locks is so incredibly beautiful and unique. It’s easy to see why Nathen is so enraptured by his Liz!

Gotta give it to Nathen this time. Apparently the waters in Australia are much warmer than they are in the Appalachian Mountains! It took some pulling, but we finally got him in there!

I couldn’t help by stop and take one more photo on the way back out from Looking Glass Falls. Look at that view!

Our second stop in this epic Asheville adventure was to Black Balsam Knob. Where it was sunny and warm at Looking Glass the opposite was true at Black Balsam. It’s amazing what a little elevation will do! We drove higher and higher into the clouds until we finally reached the trail head. What a contrast to Looking Glass. At first I was worried that Liz & Nathen would be disappointed, but to my delight these two wanted to embrace the foggy goodness that surrounded this mountain top!

It’s been a long time since I got to shoot in foggy conditions and I was SO excited to play! Look at how Liz’s red hair just pops against the dark background!

Ya’ll know how I am with crazy light and I knew that these foggy conditions would be perfect to create something magical. I never expected to capture bits of color within the light. The fog acted like a prism refracting a rainbow!

Liz & Nathen may not of have gotten epic mountain top views, but the got something vastly more unique!

Then I turned off the flash and found a beautiful moodiness that worked perfectly with these two. Aren’t these dark woods so romantic?

The woods at Black Balsam Knob are something special…

We cleared the woods and headed up towards the top and stopped along the way for a few snuggles too.

The further we climbed the wind got stronger & the fog got thicker!

Both locations Liz & Nathen chose were like out of a story book. We kept talking about how Black Balsam Knob reminded us of something out of Lord of the Rings!

By the time we got near the top of Black Balsam we realized that we were losing light fast. So we found a super cool outcropping of rocks and chose to finish our session there.

I’m pretty sure we were in a movie or something!

It’s photos like this one that make me want my long hair back…just for a wind swept photo shoot!

As the last remaining bits of light were in the sky, I lit these two up as they lit up our world during this fantastic session. Gosh I love this job, there is nothing better in the entire world!

We started the day at Moses Cone Manor in case the weather proved to be nasty. Thankfully everything was sunshine & beautiful! Especially Mallory & Peter’s snuggles. There is nothing more sweet!

There was an amazing row of giant and beautiful old tree’s lining the road at the Moses Cone Manor & I was drawn to them like a moth to a flame. The were the perfect frame for our sweet couple!

Sometimes during a photo shoot we’ll give our clients prompts to get them interacting together. Something and simple as walking down a hill hand in hand can create some gorgeous moments!

Snuggles are my favorite and these two do it so well it’s ridiculous! Add in that gorgeous afternoon sunlight and there is just pure magic going on!

Our original plans for their engagement session got derailed due to the weather, so when we met up we looked at all of the fun places we could visit on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Mallory & Peter loved the idea of having some water in their shots so we ventured over to Julian Price Lake and found it to be most accommodating!

Engagement sessions + nose kisses = melting hearts!

Our third location in our adventure with Mallory & Peter was to climb the Rough Ridge trail. There were so many perfect spots to stop along the way!

I got to snag funny little moments like this one all day long! It’s so much fun being silly together!

These two are already amazing, but Mallory definitely added bonus points when she blazed the trail in her adorable booties!

Mallory & Peter had us laughing all day long…case in point.

The way these two look at each other…there’s no one else in the entire world!

This engagement session was more than just a dream come true, it is an incredibly important time in the lives of Mallory & Peter. In just a few short weeks they’ll be deployed to serve & protect our country. I couldn’t be more honored to capture a couple and their love and I pray it will bring them comfort during their time apart.

Knowing this kind of love is such a gift and Mallory and Peter understand that like few people do. We truly loved every moment we got to spend with them that afternoon.

After navigating the muddy trail at Rough Ridge we made it to the top where the winds practically howled they were so strong!

See what I mean about rocking those booties? Mallory is something fierce!

It was so clear on the Blue Ridge Parkway, you could see for miles!

Our last stop during their incredible engagement session was at the Beacon Heights trail where we discovered hundreds of amazing spots to shoot!

By that time the sun was on it’s way down and the light just got better and better.

Look at how the light just filters so beautifully through those trees? It was like butter!

Beacon Heights offers another spectacular view of the Appalachian mountains, we just can’t handle it!

There were mountains and kisses for days on top of Beacon Heights!

I’ll never get sick of love & mountains!

A funny story, as we prepared for Mallory & Peter’s engagement session, I got a little distracted by an ad for a beautiful dress. I was considering buying it…guess who wore it to their engagement session? Mallory’s got great taste!

When Daniel & I visited Beacon Heights a few weeks prior to this shoot, it was at least 15 degrees colder & there were tons of people there trying to capture the sunset. Somehow at Mallory & Peter’s session we got it all to ourselves!

We had to push Peter to do this shot a little bit. It’s something they both do on a regular basis, but Peter didn’t want to get makeup on his tongue! These guys were SO funny!

When you’re in love & you let it show, there’s no need for poses. It’s raw & real and we love that!

This shot looks like it was taken right out of an epic romantic movie doesn’t it? So much happiness!

This, THIS is why I love engagement sessions people. When else do you get several hours to just breathe each other in? We get so busy in life, everyone needs to hit that pause button and remember why we love!

Blue mountains at the end of our Blue Ridge Parkway adventure. Just perfect!