Roan Mountain Elopement
A short hike to a secret spot for an elopement you don’t need a permit for? An intimate, family oriented, go with the flow day to celebrate your love? Does this sound like the perfect way to commence the union of you and your partner? Read ahead to discover how Savannah + Jansen created their Roan Mountain Elopement.
The story:
It was a perfectly overcast day with just a slight breeze so that Savannah’s dress flowed freely on the mountain. It was one of those days where the weather seemed debatable, like it could pour down rain at any moment, but any bad weather stayed away while we celebrated love. At the end of the day, it left us with a beautiful sunset over the mountain.
There was no set timeline for this day, which ended up being a good thing when our groom was 20 minutes late and had no way of contacting anyone at the site due to the lack of service. Once Jansen arrived he led a small crowd of around 20 - who had made the drive up from Florida to celebrate this special occasion - on a short 15 minute hike to a secret spot. Thanks to this unique location on Roan Mountain: off the Appalachian Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway, Savannah + Jansen did not need a permit to elope. This was a bonus, as most locations around Blue Ridge Parkway you would.
We watched as Savannah + Jansen’s children, Carson and Harper, walked Savannah (who strutted in Doc Marten’s) down the aisle. This elopement was filled with details to honor the couple’s dearly departed family members. With photos of both Savannah + Jansen’s late mothers close to the couple as they said I do and a pre-ceremony gift of cufflinks with Jansen's mother's photo in them. The ceremony was short and sweet to celebrate the last 3 years of love between this couple. A family-oriented, feel-good time with the closest of friends and family, this chill elopement was perfect in every way. After the ceremony ended, we moseyed back down the mountain, taking pictures the whole way down.
Looking to also achieve a calm, low-key elopement in the Roan Mountain area?
Here are a few things to consider while planning your day:
Because of its unique location in the mountains, there is no cell phone service. As we discovered while trying to locate Jansen when he was late. Make sure to communicate well with your party, whether that be via walkie-talkies or printed maps/directions so everyone can enjoy the moment together!
If you want music during your ceremony or while you walk down the “aisle”, make sure to have songs fully downloaded on your cell phone as there is no wifi in the area either! Savannah + Jansen had me download a song and play it on a Bluetooth speaker to set the mood.
This specific area does have some inclined walks, so make sure to think if you or any of your family members could have difficulty walking up. Savannah’s dad has some mobility issues and unfortunately was unable to make the hike with us. But, we were able to capture some beautiful shots of him, with his daughters and granddaughter at the bottom of the hill.
As I mentioned, this location is one of the only places in the area that does not require you to have a permit in order to elope! Unfortunately, that does mean that this space is a public area that does get popular. If you’re wanting a more private ceremony, chances are that picking a weekday vs. a weekend day might be your best bet!
