Nantahala Weddings and Events photographer
Weddings and elopements above Lake Nantahala, photographed by someone who lives down the road in Murphy.
Nantahala Weddings & Events sits at about 3,500 feet in Topton, NC, with Lake Nantahala below and national forest on every side. Jess and Jody run it for whole weekends: cabins on the property, a getting-ready suite, and no other events sharing the place. It's yours, and the day doesn't have to hurry.
If you've just come from their site, you've already seen Chapel in the Sky, the peaks, the water. It looks like that in person. I live in Murphy, so this is close to home, and I know the property and the roads around it.
What it's like to photograph here
Chapel in the Sky. The open-air ceremony site is the reason a lot of couples book. It looks out over the ridges, and in the last hour before sunset the light does most of my work for me.
The lake. Lake Nantahala sits right below the property. Later in the fall the water drops and the rocks along the shoreline open up, which gives us portrait spots that aren't there in July.
The pace. Since the property is yours for the weekend, your wedding day isn't racing a six-hour rental window. Couples relax. It shows in the pictures.
The forest around it. Wayah Bald, the Cascades, and a long list of overlooks are a short drive away if you want portraits off the property.
Working with me at Nantahala
I focus on the moments while you live them.
I know how long it takes to get from the chapel to the water, where the light lands at each hour, and which corners stay dry when the weather turns. Jess and Jody run a tight weekend, so I'm not managing logistics. I'm watching you, your people, and the light.
I keep family photos quick so you can get back to your guests. I also keep my calendar deliberately quiet, so the weddings I take get all of my attention.
Planning notes for a Nantahala wedding
- Fall books first. Late September and October fill early, and peak color usually lands around mid-October.
- Give portraits room. Plan on an hour and a half before sunset for couple portraits. The mountains take the sun a little earlier than the forecast says.
- Elopements fit well here. My elopement coverage starts at three hours, which is usually enough for getting ready, the ceremony, and portraits at the chapel and the lake. Full wedding coverage starts at four.
- Want to leave the property? Start early. Fog sits on the high spots in the morning, and that's when places like Wayah Bald are at their best.
- Don't fear the weather. The venue has covered backup options, and fog at this elevation usually makes for better pictures.
A story from a Nantahala wedding
Ashley and Josh asked me to meet them early on their wedding morning. It's not often I get a couple who's excited to take extra hours just to go and play. We did the first look beside a wooden bridge near the campground where they were staying, while Ashley's heels quietly aerated the soil. Then we drove up to the Cascades, a run of waterfalls about fifty feet high. They climbed out onto the rocks at the top, and I climbed down a bit to get the wide view.
Our third stop was Wayah Bald. The climb to the old fire tower felt like something out of Lord of the Rings, all fog and moss and stone. The view up there is huge, but the fog pulled them in close: holding hands tighter, laughing more. Josh carved their names into the hikers' bulletin board before we headed back to the venue. It was a perfectly cloudy day, with mist and mystery and lots of moss, and I spent it laughing more than I had in months.
Let's talk
Getting married at Nantahala, or still deciding whether to book your weekend there? Send me a note. I'm usually back within a day. If you'd like to see packages first, they're over here.
Also nearby: McGuire's Millrace Farm and Brasstown Valley Resort.