I met Brooke and Ben while living and working in Cape Hatteras, NC about four years ago. Brooke was my awesome lady boss at Eli’s family-owned resort. I always loved Brooke. She taught me so much during our time working at Koru Village and we always had a good time! About a year after Brooke and Ben moved away from Hatteras, she contacted me about her idea of eloping. They had a few ideas and weren’t too sure about the location or date, but they did know one thing; they wanted me to photograph their special day and wanted Eli to play the guitar for the ceremony. I just about DIED. I was so excited to hear from Brooke and so honored that she wanted us to be a part of their wedding day!!
After some time and discussion, they decided to land their elopement in the beautiful mountains of Asheville, North Carolina on May 1, 2017. Shortly after making their decision, they also decided against keeping this elopement a secret. They really wanted their closest family with them for the wedding. You might think “that’s not an elopement”, but who said you can’t elope with your immediate family and doggies by your side? I LOVE that Brooke and Ben wanted it this way. It was intimate, calm, laid back, and full of an enormous amount of love for such a small group.
The day began with rain, thunderstorms, cloudy skies, strong winds, and a flooded ceremony location. All plans for the wedding were changed at the last minute. They decided to have the wedding by the creek (that turned to a river) behind the cabins that everyone was staying at. Turns out, the weather was a blessing in disguise. About two hours before wedding time, the sky cleared, the sun was shining, the winds calmed, and it was the perfect temperature. These are the situations us wedding professionals live for! We were all thanking the good Lord and couldn’t be more excited for the ceremony to begin.
Brooke and Ben chose a spot to say “I do” in front of a tall tree by the sparkling creek, the backdrop was a luscious green, and the sun was in the best possible spot. When everyone was ready, the family walked down the grassy aisle, Eli played his guitar, Brooke and her father walked down as Ben’s face lit up. Beautiful sentiments were shared before they kissed passionately for the first time as husband and wife. Then they ALL celebrated with a shot (not the photography kind, either)!
After the ceremony, Eli played a few songs as Brooke and Ben had their first dance under the breezy trees and it was SO romantic. They also paired up for the sweetest father-daughter and mother-son dance. Portraits with Brooke and Ben were so much fun and they kept me laughing the whole time! Eli and I were so thankful to be a part of this AMAZING day. I felt like everything was in slow motion like watching a romantic movie. My heart also melted when Eli played the guitar… 🙂 Their day couldn’t have been more beautiful and you can feel the love shining through every image. Congratulations to these awesome newlyweds- we wish you so many blessings throughout your marriage and future adventures!
Makeup/Hair by: Ali Lawless
