For those who have visited Asheville but have never been to the Grove Park Inn, you simply have to go! It is one of the most prominent luxury resorts in this region and offers many amenities from golfing and fine dining, to the relaxation of their spas and just enjoying a cocktail on their sunset terrace which overlooks downtown and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s a perfect place to celebrate, and for new beginnings. This blog is the story of both as you’ll soon see!
Brett contacted us almost a month prior to this special moment. How we all connected was cool because his good friend is actually my fitness trainer and he knew we shot a lot of proposals so thanks to his kind recommendation, we were able to meet Brett! From talking to Brett that night on the phone, you could tell he was beyond excited to propose to his now fiance Kayla. He talked about scouting out the perfect location to get down on one knee and coordinating around her schedule as she had exams that day as well. He also had the perfect cover up as they would actually be visiting the Grove Park Inn for her grandparents Nan & Jimbo’s 50th Anniversary Celebration! As he told us all the details, it was apparent Brett had been working on this plan for a while! He had everything from location down to drive time from Chapel Hill, and even approximately when Kayla would be done with her exam. You could tell this wasn’t just proposing, in his eyes, he wanted everything to be as perfect as the way he felt for Kayla.
When the day had finally arrived, Brett stayed in contact with us to keep us up to date on ETA and what they would be wearing. It was going to be a night time proposal so we knew we would have our work cut out for us, as most of the beautiful things we described prior would be pitch black with little ambient light. Once we arrived, and saw the exact space, we immediately came up with a plan to provide just enough light to capture their moment without being to obvious. Right as they were walking down the stairs to one of the Grove Park’s telescopes, I quietly walked by them up the stairs as a casual passer by and Joe was hiding over the railing in the bushes (he’s a trooper). Looking back it all happened in a matter of seconds but for these two, those seconds will last a life time! Kayla’s genuine joy and surprise was written all over her face and Brett soon wrapped her in his arms after her emphatic “yes!”
After the immediate rush of the moment, we had a few minutes to commemorate this special occasion with some fun night time portraits! Soon after, Kayla and Brett would both be greeted by their families to celebrate in this moment with them! As hugs and smiles filled the space and the cold weather soon turned warm from their families loving embrace, we capped of their night with one big family portrait!
For us these kind of moments are contagious! Beyond capturing it with a photo, you get to be a part of something special and that experience in and of itself is uplifting!
Big congrats to Brett & Kayla!!! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this chapter of your journey!
Jenny & Joe