How to Elope in Asheville NC | Asheville Elopement Guide
Wondering how to elope in Asheville? You’ve come to the right place!
You are engaged and have decided to elope in Western North Carolina near Asheville!! What a great choice! I know it is entirely overwhelming to plan even a small wedding such as an elopement, so that is what I’m here for. This guide will help you understand everything you need to know about eloping in the Asheville area! As an Asheville Elopement Photographer, I offer *full planning assistance* to all of my couples and love to walk them through the elopement process from start to finish. So go ahead and reach out to me HERE and let’s get things rolling so that I can be your photographer and help you along this journey! Scroll down and keep reading for everything you need to know about eloping in Asheville!
Asheville Elopement Guide
So what does it mean to elope in Asheville?
Let’s be honest, most of the elopements that happen “in Asheville” are actually happening somewhere in the 500,000+ acres of public land known as Pisgah National Forest, somewhere along the Blue Ridge Parkway, or in one of our amazing State Parks! Occasionally, couples will want to visit the city of Asheville on their elopement day or will choose to do the legal aspect of the elopement at the Buncombe County Courthouse. However, most of the elopements I photograph occur in nature somewhere in the mountains surrounding Asheville! Asheville serves as a great base camp because there are abundant Airbnbs, Restaurants, Hotels, and so many fun things to do (more on that later)! So now that we have that cleared up, let’s talk more about how to plan your Asheville Elopement!
Step One: Choose a Photographer!
Naturally, I suggest step one be finding your *dream* photographer and booking them immediately!
I am not going to be the photographer for every person that lands here on this guide. My work is artful, creative, heartfelt, a little weird (in a really good way), and unique. I realize that a lot of people are looking for more true-to-life editing or more posed photographs for their elopement day and you will surely find that! Western North Carolina has an abundance of mega-talented photographers with styles all across the board!
However, if you are into creative and artful images that tell the story of your elopement day in a magical way – you’ve found your girl! Hi! Hello, I’m Christian. A 10-year veteran in the Asheville Elopement Photographer field and am just as passionate as ever about helping couples have a totally unique and magical elopement day. I offer full planning service to all of my elopement couples and walk through the planning journey with them every step of the way! This is my full-time job (for the last 8 years) and I dedicate my heart to crafting and documenting extraordinary elopement days!
It’s important to choose a photographer who is based out of Ashveille/Western North Carolina. This is home to us and we take so much pride in following the proper protocols for elopements such as securing the correct permit and following Leave No Trace guidelines! We want couples to be able to enjoy eloping on public land in Western North Carolina for all time and we can help make that happen by being good stewards of the land we are so lucky to roam.
It’s also majorly important to choose a photographer you love *NOT* based on price.
Wiggle your budget and pay the extra few hundred dollars to book the photographer whose work you are absoluely in love with. This is your one elopement day – have it documented by the photographer you fall in love with, the one whose work you keep coming back to over and over again because you just can’t find anyone else (more budget-friendly) to compare, the one who share client galleries that blow your mind!! I know the rates of elopement photographers are shocking, especially if this is your first dive into booking a photographer, but do consider all of the extra work we do for our couples aside from just showing up on the day of to take photos. When couples book me (Foxhouse Studio) as their photographer, they are also booking me as their elopement planner. I make planning and crafting magical elopement days a priority for each couple and dedicate my whole heart to helping it unfold in a way that is beyond my clients’ dreams!
Step Two: Choose a Location
The second step in your elopement planning journey is to narrow down a specific location to have the ceremony! There are a lot of factors that need to be considered when choosing a location, so ask yourself these questions:
1. Will we ask a handful of family members and close friends to attend?
2. How far do we mind hiking?
3. Is a very private location (hopefully free from other hikers) important to us?
4. Do we prefer a sunrise or a sunset elopement?
5. Are there any specific nature spots in Western North Carolina that are very special to us?
6. Do we prefer to have the elopement ceremony in front of a waterfall, in a forest, or on a mountaintop?
7. Do we want stargazing photos like the amazing astrophotos we see on Foxhouse Studio’s instagram? 8. Do we want to visit more than one location on our elopement day such as a waterfall + mountaintop? 9. What fun activities do we want to include in our elopement?
Choosing to elope in the Asheville area is an easy decision! We have abundant mountaintop vistas, waterfalls, mountain lakes, and magical forests to explore as options for your elopement. I know the task of choosing a location can sound daunting especially if you aren’t from here and have only spent minimal time hiking and adventuring here, but that is where I come in! The first thing I do for my elopement couples after they book is create a custom location guide based on their ideal setting for the day! I have spent the last 10 years adventuring and exploring these mountains and know all of the best, off-the-beaten-path locations for wedding days! I suggest locations, share past galleries from those spots, and allow my couples to choose the spot that is most calling to them! Oftentimes, the couple will visit the area beforehand and hike the chosen spot so that they are familiar with it on the elopement day. Sometimes they will not be able to visit beforehand, but no worries! I make sure I am familiar with every
trail I hike with elopement couples.
Be sure to work with the photographer to create back-up locations in case of major rain, storms, etc! Alternative plans, just in case, are so important and help the day unfold without stress no matter the weather!
Step Three: Acquiring the Proper Permit
The third step is to acquire the proper permit to have your ceremony in the chosen location. You will do this by contacting the governing forest service office of that particular location, apply for a special use permit, and await approval. This sounds a bit complicated but I walk all of my clients through the process step by step and provide the phone numbers and links to the actual permit application. Some locations also *do not require a permit* and I know all of the detail about that and am sure to share that with my clients! Permits are important and help the forest service continue their meaninful work! It’s always better to get the permit or know the proper rules than to be approached on your elopement day by a forest ranger asking for your permit and then not have one to show them! That is *never* happened to me or my clients, because we follow this simple step every time! 🙂
Step Four: Book your Airbnb
Booking your stay is an important piece of the puzzle when planning your elopement. Oftentimes, a portion of the documented elopement day will happen at the Airbnb. I will usually meet my clients at their Airbnb while the Hair+Makeup Artist is finishing up. We will get the couple dressed and usually do a first look somewhere around the property. This is also a good time to photograph the details of your elopement day such as the vow books, flowers, rings, etc!! All the pretty little things laid out together as a sweet memory of your elopement day.
Western North Carolina has some amazing Airbnbs! Of course, you can do your own searches to find your perfect stay but I offer all of my clients an Airbnb list of options that I think would be a good fit for them. I take the location of the ceremony, their budget, and their ideal style, among other things into consideration and build an Airbnb list just for them! Couples usually choose one of the options I provide and another step is marked off the list!
I like to suggest unique stays with something extra to offer! I love Airbnbs that are nestled in a forest, deep in nature, with ample yard for stargazing, a firepit, hot tub, among other things!
Step Five: Book Other Vendors
After choosing your photographer, location, and stay, I suggest booking the other vendors you will need to make your elopement day come to life. These vendors include the following:
• Hair + Make-up Artist
• Officiant
(if you choose to have one and more on that later under Step Ten: How to Make it Legal)
• Florist
• Food
(private chef, luxury picnic service, build-your-own picnic, restaurant reservations)
• Videographer
(look no further than Peak of the Mountain Productions)
Part of that wonderful *full planning assistance* I offer my elopement couples includes vendor recommendations and suggestions! I have worked with so many amazing elopement vendors in my time and I love to connect my couples with trusted professionals who I know will help us create the ultimate vision for your elopement day!
Step Six: Choosing Activities for your Elopement Day
So, what do I mean by “activities for your elopement day”? I mean meaningful activities that will fill the time of your elopement day and help you slow down to enjoy the moments as they unfold. I do not want elopement days to feel rushed for my couples, I want them to be able to breathe and relax into the moment, take it all in, and truly enjoy the day! I do this by helping couples choose things to fill their day with that will be meaningful to them! A few fun and special things include the following:
– vow exchange
– a first dance in nature
– champagne toast
– reading your favorite poems
– a picnic
– a canoe/kayak paddle around a mountain lake
– a campfire + roasting marshmallows
– star gazing
– hot air balloon ride
– helicopter tour
– rock climbing
– rive + waterfalls swims
And the list can truly go on and on!! I love helping couples plan fun activities into their day and then living it alongside them while documenting it all!
Step Seven: Choosing the Gear for your Elopement Day
You will need to make a list of all the things you need to have/buy for your elopement day. Perhaps you already have some of the things you will use on your elopement day such as boots and a backpack! Great! The fewer new things you have to buy, the better! Here is a list of the big things you may need for your elopement day:
1- The dress (or dresses)
2- The suit (or suits)
3- Proper footwear + socks
4- Jewelry (rings, and other jewelry)
5- LAYERS!
(Layers that you will not mind to be photographed in)
6- Vow books (I love searching for these on Etsy)
7- Champagne flutes (if you want them)
8- Poetry book
(if you plan to read favorite poems to one another)
9- Backpacks!!
10- A cute blanket
11- Thermos and mugs (if you want a warm beverage)
12- Bathing suits (if you want to dip in a river)
13- All of the things from the elopement packing list, which you can find HERE!
Step Eight: Build the Timeline
What is an elopement day timeline? It is a schedule of events basically that will help you stay on track to maximize the time on your elopement day, accomplish all of the things you planned, AND help you slow down to enjoy the moments and things you have planned! A timeline is a critical part of an elopement day, in my opinion, and I build one for every couple I photograph. I add in Google Pin Drops for the locations, including all of the activities we have planned down to the first dance, campfire, and stargazing. Timelines are amazing!! I would love to help you create one for your own elopement!
Reach out HERE and let’s get started!!
Step Nine: Elopement Day Packing List
I have created a post outlining all of the things that you should pack for your elopement day! Ranging from things that you will need like vow books and rings (of course) to things you probably wouldn’t think of like a paper map and skin-colored leggings to keep you warm in case the weather changes quickly!
You can head over to that post and read all about what to pack for your elopement day HERE.
You’re almost ready to elope!! Let’s keep going!
Step Ten: Marriage License + Making it Legal
You will need to pick up a marriage license within 60 days of your elopement day from any Register of Deeds in the State of North Carolina. Most of my couples choose to get their license near their elopement day from the Buncombe County Register of Deeds in Asheville. You will both need valid IDs, social security cards, and $60 to get your license and It must be signed and returned within 10 days of your elopement day. It will need to be signed by the officiant and two witnesses. Not planning to bring anyone along to your elopement? NO PROBLEM! I can sign as a witness and so can another hiker on the trail! This has NEVER been an issue and I can explain more about this process once we start communicating!
I am also a legal officiant and can sign your marriage license if you wish to do a self-led ceremony!
I love offering this as an option to my couples.
Step Eleven: ELOPEMENT DAY
All of your planning now has come to an end and your elopement day finally arrives! What a joy! My dream for all elopement couples is that they get to be fully present in the day, with zero stress, and have the best day of their lives to date! It is such an incredibly beautiful thing to commit yourself in love to another human and vow to spend your lives alongside one another. I hope you are proud of how far you’ve come with your person, you truly should be!
All of your planning will pay off today as you will be fully prepared with everything you need to make your day perfect. You will have your timeline, your fully packed bag, all of your details, your other vendors, back-up plans in case of rain, and an amazing photographer to document your union!
Remember to slow down, breathe, take it all in, and have fun!!!
Reach out to me HERE and let’s plan your dream elopement!
With love, Christian
Foxhouse Studio | Asheville Elopement Photographer
How to elope in Asheville, NC | Asheville Elopement Guide
