Roan Mountain Engagement Photography
Have you ever visited a place and thought, ‘Wow, I could stay here for the rest of my life’? That’s exactly how I feel everytime I’m on Roan Mountain. Roan Mountain is a magical place to visit. On some parts it feels like the dense forests of the Pacific Northwest. On others it feels like the Swiss Alps. So it’s not a shock that it’s a popular destination for Elopements and Engagement Photography sessions.
Roan Mountain sits right on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. It has one of the most diverse ecosystems in the area. It also has the largest rhododendron garden in the world, as well as some of the best views in the Appalachian Mountains. Many people get engaged and married here every year.
Sarah contacted my about photographing her engagement session with her fiance Bryan. They both live in the Pacific North West, but are getting married in Tennessee near where Sarah grew up.
They wanted to do their engagement photography session on Roan Mountain because it is not only beautiful, but it holds sentimental value as well. Sarah grew up visiting Roan Mountain with her father.
We picked one of the most beautiful places on the mountain for the engagement photography session. We started at Carver’s Gap, right on the Tennessee and North Carolina border. After getting our stuff together, it was off into the woods.
When you first get into the woods at Carver’s Gap, you are immediately mesmerized. It is a departure from what you may be used to seeing in Tennessee. The ground is soft and covered in moss. There are coniferous trees growing all around you. There are moss-covered boulders that seem to have been there for thousands of years. It feels much more like an old forest in Oregon than the Appalachian Mountains. Sarah and Bryan said it felt like home.
We found this beautiful little clearing some ways off of the trail. It was a nice spot to take some photos. The trees were a natural barrier to the sun, and they let in the perfect amount of light.
After leaving the woods, we made our way further up the mountain toward Round Bald. The sun was starting to get low in the sky, and the weather could not have been more perfect. You could definitely see how much Sarah and Bryan loved each other, and how happy they were to be out on the mountain together.
We finally made it up to the top of Round Bald on Roan Mountain! Words can’t really describe how amazing this place is, but I will try. The grass is golden (at least in winter). The views are endless. It’s quiet, usually even when other people are around. Probably because they are just as speechless due to what they’re experiencing. The only thing rivaling the beauty of mountain were Sarah and Bryan themselves!
We came across some large boulders stacked on top of each other, and of course Sarah and Bryan had to climb up and get a photo. Just look at those incredible views behind them! And the views aren’t just on one side of the mountain. Pretty much anywhere you look will amaze you!
As the sun started to go down over the mountains, the temperatures started getting colder. That meant it was time to change into a sweater and jeans for Sarah. They headed for a rock outcropping and sat down for some time together and to enjoy the last views while we still had daylight.
After the sun finally set on the other side of the mountain, something happened that I don’t even remember seeing before. The sky suddenly turned bright red; far more red than it had been the whole sunset. It lit up Round Bald and made the once golden grass look like fire. Of course due to the amazing light we had to get a few silhouette pictures!
This Roan Mountain engagement photography session was so amazing. I definitely had a blast. Sarah and Bryan were a ton of fun to photograph, and I can’t wait for their wedding. I hoped you enjoyed reading about their engagement session on Roan Mountain, and enjoyed seeing the pictures as well.
If you would like to have your engagement photos, proposal photos, or Elopement photos done on Roan Mountain, please don’t hesitate to contact me here.
