rainy smoky mountain elopement

05.15.19

Samantha and Matt April 19, 2019

Rainy days make for some gorgeous lighting for photos!! Samantha started her day off with a power outage at the cabin they rented, but she was still able to show up looking this amazing!! I had a hard time narrowing down the teasers, lol. And, we love the look of the naked chapel–I believe this is the first time we’ve had a bride choose to go with no hanging florals.

From the Bride:
Matt and I met in Driver’s Ed 15 years ago. He would always save me a seat, and cheat off of me on the quizzes. He nicknamed me Genius #1, and I called him Genius #2. We have called each other that for years now. Matt had moved to Delaware over the years. I was still in Ohio. We reconnected over social media, and began talking on the phone like we were teenagers. We would spend 8+ hours on the phone, and even fall asleep listening to one another breathe. He invited me to visit him in Delaware after about a month, and I went hesitantly. I wanted to see him, but I was scared of a long distance relationship. We spent the weekend in Ocean City, Maryland. He took me to the boardwalk. We had an amazing time, and started discussing a future and how to make the distance work. By the morning of my departure, he had packed a bag and was headed back to Ohio with me.

Matt proposed to me. He took me back to the driving school where we met. And I panicked. We had only been together a short time, and I was scared. I didn’t say no, but I didn’t even let him ask me. (So much for romance). He later proposed again, in the backyard where we live. He had chosen a ring that closely resembled a stop sign, because we met in driving school, which I thought was adorable.

We decided on Tennessee for our wedding because we knew we wanted to essentially elope. We wanted something in the country, but somewhere we could visit in the years to come. We chose April 19^th because our actual dating anniversary is October 19th. We wanted to get married in the spring, so April 19th is the “half” anniversary. The groom wore his boots and jeans, which is his country boy staple. He wore a simple white shirt, with his sleeves rolled (because he knows I love when he does that) and a black vest. His tie was plaid, with black, white, and champagne incorporated. I was in a strapless Eden Black Label gown. The dress was champagne in color with white lace appliques. The bustier was covered in white and silver beads, pearls, and lace. The bustle was gathered, with lace throughout. I, too, wore cowboy boots, pulling the entire country look together.

For fun, we slow dance in the kitchen. Quite frequently. It’s something Matt just started doing. He would play music, and make me stop whatever I am doing to dance with him. It has now become sort of an expectation. If we get busy or life gets in our way – it’s nothing for me to tell him “you owe me a dance, mister”. Most recently, he took me into the backyard to dance in the exact spot where he proposed. It was pouring rain. And we didn’t have a care in the world.

We wanted something private, and in the country. Only our close friends attended. We wanted something personal and simple that would reflect our casual personalities. Decor was minimal to none. The woods created a beautiful scene around the chapel which was intimate enough for the two of us. One of our reasons for planning an elopement was to be able to direct a focus on us, and not material things. We had dried wildflowers and herbs, so that we could keep them as mementos. We incorporated some of our favorite colors, and feathers as a nod to my Cherokee heritage. The wedding was small and private, which is exactly what we wanted. We were able to make a weekend of the trip, and it’s somewhere close enough that we can take future weekend getaways there. One of my favorite parts was dancing in the rain. Matt and I are the couple that dances in the kitchen, and outside in our backyard. And we desperately wanted to dance at our wedding, since we weren’t having a reception. It was perfect, and some of those photos are my favorite.

The weather played a huge factor into our wedding day. All week long, as I monitored the weather, I was freaking out. It was inevitable that it would be pouring on our wedding day. The day of our wedding, torrential rains came through the area. The power went out in our cabin, and I couldn’t even get ready. Luckily, my friend was able to check into her hotel early in a neighboring town, and I could get ready there. It poured the entire time we were getting married. It poured while we took pictures. It poured while we slow danced in the rain. But honestly, I wouldn’t change any part of it. They say rain on your wedding day is a blessing, and I know that we are beyond blessed. I have a new outlook on such dreary days. If it’s cloudy and raining, I catch my mind wandering back to the Tennessee Mountains where I married my best friend – and that’s all the joy and blessings a gal needs.