As many times as we’ve visited to Craggy Gardens for engagements and portraits in the past few years, working with Nicole and Richard was the first time we’ve been for an elopement and it….was…awesome!
This is something we’ve been wanting to do for a while so when Nicole contacted us back in August to ask if we would be available we were stoked to be able to tell them yes! After Nicole initially mentioned Craggy, we discussed times, exact locations, back up plans, water falls, and weather, but no matter how safe or how scenic some of the other options were, the conversation kept coming back to Craggy Gardens. It very much has a captivating mystique about it like that. The look and lay out, the unpredictability of the conditions, the inherent danger of standing on the edge of her cliffs. Craggy just pulls you in and and you can’t help but hope she welcomes you with open arms! For as many times as we’ve been up there where we had to re-schedule because of crazy weather or rain, we always go back, even with the chances of good conditions probably being 50/50 at best. It’s just that amazing.
On the morning of Nicole and Richard’s union, all signs pointed to a cloud covered fog that would likely prevent us from getting some of the views they were wanting. But with a little faith we continued to ascend the parkway and when we finally arrived to the visitor’s center, there it was to the right. The Craggy Pinnacle Trail in all of it’s glory! It was completely uncovered and most of the surrounding cloud cover seemed to be slowly eroding away as the sun started to come up. Nicole and Richard greeted us for the first time with hugs just as big as their smiles and we soon made our way to the pinnacle trail to catch that beautiful sunrise on the horizon. Of course we got to know them as we hiked up the trail but where these two really let us get some insight into who they as a couple are was when we made it up to the top. They both stood cliffside, Richard with his back to the mountains behind him and as Nicole revealed her dress to him for the first time, the smile on his face said exactly what he was feeling. From there we let these two be themselves as they completely wrapped up in one another to take in the feeling of this moment.
With sunrise elopements we sometimes work a little backwards in locations like this to maximize the good light where the best views are and this was the case today. We worked our way back down the mountain to the ceremony where Nicole and Richard would soon say their vows to one another.
After a beautifully intimate ceremony that saw many tears of joy and we worked our way back into Craggy to finish up!
Once it was all said and done Richard and Nicole bid their farewells much like the way they met us. Big hugs, warm smiles, only this time, they were leaving as husband and wife!
Jenny & Joe