You can get married on stormy days and still have your images turn out beautifully! In the last week of August, I was contacted by Alexander and Rebecca to see if I had availability to be their elopement photographer at Black Balsam Knob the following week. Since they were getting married on a Tuesday, that was not an issue at all.
COVID-19 Changed Their Wedding Plans
When I called them, I was delighted that they chose to both speak to me via speakerphone at the same time. I love it when couples do this because it immediately indicates how excited they are.
Rebecca told me that they were supposed to be having their elopement ceremony in Canada. However, due to the restrictions placed on international travel, they were not allowed to go to their chosen destination.
Therefore, they decided to come to the mountains of Western North Carolina to get married instead because it had a similar feel.
Black Balsam is Similar to Canadian Forests
Alexander and Rebecca were correct in choosing this area as a similar location to that of Canada.
Did you know that due to the drastic elevation changes in the Southern Appalachians, we have a fantastic variety of plants and animals?
Black Balsam Knob is near 6,200 feet above sea level. Which is why it is nearly treeless except for the tree canopy near the parking lot.
The tree canopy consists of mostly Fraser Firs and red spruce, which makes it a subalpine forest. You will find subalpine terrain in Canada if you ever travel there. If you travel down a few thousand feet, the forest changes into other types of plant life. Areas such as this location and Roan Mountain have plants that can only be found at high altitudes like the arctic tundra.
If you want to compare forest images, check out my previous blog post here, which features a location just a few miles below the Knob.
When the Storm Clouds Roll In
Nevertheless, it saddens me that Rebecca and Alexander didn’t get to travel to Canada for their wedding ceremony as planned. Still, at least they were able to make the roughly three-hour drive up from Atlanta to a similar location.
Katrina of Destination Elopements WNC planned and officiated their ceremony, and we held it in the tree canopy. Driving up, it was foggy and had been raining a little bit, but I was hoping it would hold off.
Immediately following their first kiss, I heard thunder rolling in the distance, and rain started to penetrate the canopy above us.
Due to safety concerns, I knew we could not hike to the top since there was the threat of lightning. So, I suggested we stop at some overlooks and try the area near Devil’s Courthouse. The drive to this area of the Blue Ridge Parkway takes about 10 minutes from Black Balsam.
Elopement Photography at Devil’s Courthouse
It was foggy on the side closest to where we were traveling from, but as soon as we left the other end of the tunnel, it wasn’t! When we pulled into the parking lot, the cloud formations below us took my breath away!
The mountains of North Carolina can be moody and throw a tantrum on one side of a mountain, yet on the other, you will see surreal weather features. The storm rumbling in the valley below made their elopement pictures ethereal. No one will ever have a collection as unique as theirs.
Once we finished up at Devil’s Courthouse and traveled back through the tunnel, I was hoping to capture some misty, foggy images, but the Balsams had finished her outburst and lifted the fog. We still took a few moments to capture a few more photographs to wrap up their wedding collection before the sun hid her face for the day.
Alexander and Rebecca had an eventful and stormy day on their wedding day, but they experienced some of the most unique natural phenomenon’s the Southern Appalachians have to offer!
Have you had a day like theirs on the Blue Ridge Parkway? If so, share your story with me by contacting me here! If you are looking for an adventure elopement photographer, I would love to discuss your upcoming plans!
