Fall is by far our favorite time of the year! When we moved to Asheville last year it was our first fall in the mountains and it was absolute bliss! Being Florida natives we didn’t get to experience some of the wonderful things that make fall time special in North Carolina. Fast forward to today and we learned quickly that this is also our busiest time during the year as wedding photographers and for good reason! There is so much to love about fall weddings in the mountains and here are a few of our favorite reasons!
The most obvious thing is thing for us and prospective fall brides & grooms alike is the color! When the leaves change around here it makes for some of the most beautiful sites you will lay your eyes on. Mountain back drops popping in reds and oranges, tree formed tunnels of golden yellows, and the harmonious blend of all their different shades and hues as the season progresses. These warm bold colors lend themselves to beautiful wedding styles as you can do tons of different pallets and color combinations for your table decorations, fun colors for your bridesmaid dresses and even different floral designs based on what’s in season. One of the things we love about this as photographers is it helps give pictures so much variety in terms of accent colors and background colors. It can take a great photo and make it grrrrreeeat! (lol). Below are a couple of our favorites from this fall with Jessie & Robert’s Tennessee Elopement! We crossed back into NC right on the state line for these beautiful spots in the smoky mountain national park area and boy was the little bit of traffic worth it!
Second is the weather! During the fall is when everyone is outdoors in this area! Though Asheville is in North Carolina, we are still in the south by most people’s standards and we definitely get some warm weather through May-August! On the opposite end of the spectrum, we are at elevation here and we do have winters. They are nothing like up north but once the wind starts blowing it can be chilly and we often get small snow flurries from the high elevations surrounding us. Then, we have fall! This time of the year is marked by crisp cool mornings where you may see a little steam off your breath or a warm pumpkin spiced latte (just saying!) a perfect afternoon between 70-80 degrees, and an evening that is cool enough to have a bon fire! Shooting weddings all year we are exposed to it all and from a photographer’s standpoint we love fall weddings for the weather as we don’t sweat nearly as much (ok maybe Joe does) and it allows the couples we work with and their wedding guests to enjoy the beautiful surroundings this area has to offer!
Lastly, for all the reasons mentioned above, you will likely have plenty of people traveling to the area for this time of the year. Between the amazing views on the blue ridge parkway and the myriad of outdoor activities, Asheville and the surrounding areas are very popular during the fall. For this reason, hotels can often times have specials during this time of the season and your family will likely plan on traveling anyway, so it’s a perfect time to schedule your destination wedding!
For all those reasons we love fall weddings, but there is also something about this time of year that’s hard to put your fingers on. It’s as if all of those previously mentioned fall delights create this environment where everyone just seems to be a little happier and relaxed. Food tastes a little better. Time passes a little slower, and as cliché as it sounds, your really get a chance to stop and smell the roses. Maybe it’s the obvious visuals, or maybe it’s the spirit of fall!
-Joe & Jenny