Plan Your Wedding Your Own Way

When it came to planning their wedding, one of the biggest things that Liv and Rusty wanted to do was to make sure their wedding was done their way. With so much excitement surrounding weddings, it’s easy to be influenced by opinions of family and friends and by the media always promoting grand, movie-worthy events. However, for Liv and Rusty, their only desire was to have a small, intimate get together with their closest loved ones surrounded by the beauty of nature. 

Oftentimes, engaged couples feel that there’s a checklist of specific things that they have to do when they’re planning their wedding. However, something that you should always keep in mind is that the day is supposed to be about you and your partner. If a formal white wedding doesn’t fit into your love story or suit your personalities, ditch it entirely and do what feels right to you. In the end, it doesn’t matter whether you cut a wedding cake or a wedding pie. What matters are the promises that you make to each other and the future that you’re going to build together. 

For their wedding, Liv and Rusty threw almost the entire rule book out of the window. Instead of renting a huge venue or going to city hall, they decided to have a destination elopement. They picked a gorgeous overlook back in North Carolina close to where they first met to be the place where they would say their I do’s.

Intimate Wedding Ceremony in the Mountains

For Liv and Rusty’s elopement, they chose a spot that was special to them. When they were still dating, there was a little place off a North Carolina highway that they hiked up to one night to watch a solar eclipse reach its totality. Only about a mile hike from a tiny parking lot on the edge of the road, is a secluded little knob at the top of a bald mountain. It’s a small area but it’s perfect for a romantic picnic or, as in Liv and Rusty’s case, a secret elopement.

The couple chose to invite a small group of their closest loved ones to be a part of their ceremony. Everyone gathered and began the little hike up to the knob early in the evening. Because it was such a hidden area, Liv and Rusty left adorable little wooden signs starting from the highway all the way up to the place where they would be holding their ceremony. 

We started our photography session with everyone hiking up the little trail together. Liv and Rusty weren’t planning to have a first look session, but they were already mostly ready and brought their wedding outfits to dress in a makeshift changing area surrounded by blankets. Liv’s mom and sisters helped her into a modern styled bridal pants suit and fastened her veil into her hair before checking her makeup in a handheld mirror. Not one to leave her dad out of the pictures, Liv shared a special moment with her father as they shared a quick father-daughter first look and a sweet embrace. Meanwhile on the other end of the knob, Rusty’s mom helped him pin on his boutonniere and adjusted his striking red suit jacket. 

Liv and Rusty’s wedding ceremony was short and sweet, officiated by one of Liv’s oldest friends. The couple exchanged heartfelt vows and lit a small fire together. All of their loved ones gathered around the two as the fire warmed their intertwined hands and said a few words of love and support over them.

Champagne Toast Around the Fire and Sunset Portraits

Liv and Rusty planned their ceremony knowing that they wanted to have newlywed photos taken on the knob at sunset. After their ceremony, they popped a few bottles of champagne with everyone and had a toast around the fire. They made sure to have portraits taken with all of their friends and family who joined them on this special occasion before everyone began heading back down the hiking trail. 

Although Liv and Rusty hadn’t planned a formal send off, everyone tossed a few sprigs of lavender and rosemary over the couple. Rosemary is a fragrant herb that has long been used as a symbol of remembrance, love, and loyalty while purple lavender flowers represent devotion, faithfulness, and spiritual connectivity – all wonderful traits for a beautiful marriage. 

As the sun began to set, Liv and Rusty hung back from their group for their newlywed photos. When we were first in talks about me coming with them to photograph their elopement, Liv and Rusty said that they liked my photography style and trusted my judgment when it came to special requests for specific shots. While I do love when couples allow me the freedom to capture moments as I see them, Liv and Rusty’s request to have photos taken at sunset could not have been more perfect. 
When the sun began to dip below the horizon, it lit up the little meadow where they held their ceremony and cast the mountains around them into beautiful blue and purple shadows. Between the orange glow of the sun and the pink clouds in the sky over the mountains, it was the perfect backdrop for Liv and Rusty’s photos. The panoramic shots encompassing all of nature’s beauty with Liv and Rusty embracing in the foreground were so them and the most wonderful way to end their lovely wedding.