Adventure Engagement Session in North Carolina

Rainy Kayaking and Pumpkin Carving Adventure Session

Emily + Jon

On the morning before Emily and Jon’s elopement day, we had big plans of kayaking along the lake that borders Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The forecast in the days leading up to their adventure session was not looking promising. We met up with Emily and Jon at the boat dock at sunrise, each of us bundled up in our rain jackets, hats, and gloves. We were all novices at kayaking, but we slowly got the hang of it and made our way out of the marina and into the lake. We were the only ones out on the lake, but we still opted to hug the shoreline for our safety since it was difficult to see through the rain and fog.

As we got further from the marina, the rain picked up, and soon we were all completely soaked. Luckily, none of us minded too much and were mostly just laughing at the ridiculousness. Between the calmness of the lake, the sound of the rain hitting the surface of the lake, the fog that hovered in the air, and the stunning colors of the fall foliage, it was such a cool experience. Much of the shoreline was steep and rocky, but eventually, we came upon a narrow, rocky beach. So we “beached” our kayaks and climbed out. And while it was fun to get out and explore a little bit, our seats were nice and wet when we got back. Oops! We all decided that it was time to head back to the marina and get out of the rain.

Next, we drove to their accommodation, which would act as their wedding venue the following day. There, we met their sweet dog, Oskee. Emily and Jon took him for a walk around the property, which included a trail through some gorgeous trees. We’re not kidding when we say that these are the best fall colors we’ve ever seen! And we couldn’t get over how perfect Emily’s orange hat and jacket looked amongst the leaves. To end their morning Adventure Session, Emily and Jon decided to carve pumpkins. The next day was Halloween, so it seemed perfectly fitting! They sat together at the counter of their kitchen and carved faces into their pumpkins, while Oskee chewed on his candy corn chew toy, and kept a close eye on them. Because of the way they were sitting, Emily and Jon couldn’t see what the other was carving, so it was so much fun when they both turned their pumpkins around to reveal their work to each other.

While a rainy morning was not in the original plans, we had so much fun with Emily and Jon, and we believe that it just added to the adventure! It also was a good way to get us ready for their sunrise elopement the next morning, which proved to be just as rainy and foggy.

Photographs

Colorado Elopements

Destination Elopements

Hi There!

We're Lisa + Alex, the goofballs behind Vow of the Wild. We live in Colorado, but we’re passionate about exploring new places. Being elopement photographers + videographers is a dream for us and we can’t imagine doing anything else (other than being professional dog petters).