A Fall Virginia Mountain Elopement

Carson & Lance’s fall mountain elopement in Shenandoah last October was spectacular! With the perfect autumn colors and lack of crowds, we couldn’t have asked for a better morning to celebrate Carson and Lance’s love. According to Carson, the pair have always been a little untraditional, and they were looking for a unique spot to say their vows! Being from Alabama, there weren’t many scenic mountains close to home. The mountains out West felt too far, so they settled on Shenandoah National Park in Virginia!

Stony Man Mountain at Sunrise

Part of my elopement photography services includes a video call to go over location plans. The couple had decided that they wanted to go on two hikes in the park, and I put together a list to help them decide. They settled on Stony Man Mountain for the first hike, and Dark Hollow Falls for the second. 

Stony Man Mountain is a phenomenal location for sunrise and sunset. We chose to go at sunrise to avoid the crowds. If I’m honest, I was still a little nervous that we’d encounter a lot of people given that it was near the peak of fall color. Thankfully we lucked out and felt like we had the place all to ourselves! We went on a Friday. I definitely recommend avoiding Saturdays and Sundays if you want to avoid crowds in peak seasons!

At the top of the mountain, Carson and Lance changed into their wedding attire. I brought a pop-up tent for privacy. Out on the rocks they popped a bottle of champagne and snuggled up for some portraits!

Private Vows at Dark Hollow Falls

After we finished up at Stony Man, we hopped in our cars and headed south to Dark Hollow Falls. It was only about a 15 minute drive. Make sure you have a map or know where you’re going in advance, as cell service is spotty out here! 

When we arrived at the Dark Hollow Falls parking lot we only saw four other cars. I thought that was pretty good considering it was almost 10 am! We hiked down below the falls to a secluded spot for the two to say their vows. Thankfully the roar of the waterfall kept them from being overheard. They exchanged rings and we took a few more portraits. After that, we walked back up to the waterfall itself for the last few pictures. 

Hiring an Officiant 

Carson and Lance chose to have their legal ceremony at a courthouse back home so that they did not have to find an officiant for their time in Shenandoah. This is one option that makes the logistics of the day simpler, and it keeps the elopement more private. However, if anyone feels that they want their legal wedding ceremony in Shenandoah National Park, you certainly can! Just make sure you are following the park guidelines about permits, and hiring an officiant who knows Virginia marriage laws!

By the time we finished up portraits at the falls, we were content with all the pictures we had gotten, and Carson and Lance were ready to head on to other exciting plans they had for the day. The trail was getting pretty crowded by this point, so we timed it perfectly! I had such an amazing time photographing their fall mountain elopement. I hope you enjoy looking through the images!

If you’re looking for a photographer for your fall mountain elopement, let’s chat! Fill out my inquiry form here (scroll to the bottom for the inquiry form), and I’ll send you over some pricing info.

Kind Words from Carson & Lance

I could not be happier that we chose Megan to photograph our elopement in Shenandoah National Park. Her professionalism and experience with elopements and national parks were obvious in working with here and in how our photos turned out. She was very timely with everything and really got to know us before the big day. She was also very easy-going and made us comfortable throughout our elopement. Her photos could not have come out any better. I felt the way she edited kept the photos feeling real and natural, but just helped to exemplify the beautiful area we were in.