When Alex & Brad first reached out to me, I had a feeling we’d be fast friends. They got engaged on a 30-mile hike in the Shining Rock Wilderness, so when we started planning their engagement session, we decided to meet back up there for a day of hiking and sunset chasing. I love planning engagement sessions like this one, when we get to collaborate and choose locations that are meaningful to my couples! It helps that we’ve been hiking and camping in this area all along the Blue Ridge Parkway for the past 16 years, so Aubrey and I have a lot of experience scouting out the best spots.

We started out our day meeting Alex & Brad at a fairly easy trail with a creek and waterfall, and had the BEST time getting to know each other along the hike. After that, we headed up the Blue Ridge Parkway to our next spot, near the Art Loeb trail. Aubrey, Elsie, and I have camped up there so many times, but it was our first time getting to hike up with one of our couples! It was absolutely perfect - the weather was great, sunset popped off, and everyone hiked like champs (including Elsie, who tagged along and entertained Alex and Brad by talking about video games and nature stuff throughout all 5 miles 😅). She even got to art direct a couple shots, which made her day.

Side note - If you’re on the fence about hiking for your engagement session or elopement - DO IT. I know it can seem intimidating to plan and orchestrate, but that’s what we’re here for! We’ll collaborate with you to find the perfect spots, whether you want waterfalls, big views, cool rocks, or all of the above in one rad day. We can work with any level of outdoorsy-ness, because nature is for everyone. So come as you are - the most important thing is that your photos are true to you. We’re here to help, so reach out when you’re ready to start planning your session!