Great Smoky Mountain Surprise Engagement Photoshoot | Jess + Emmaleigh

Aug 25

This was an unforgettable day in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It all started when I got an inquiry from Jess on my Instagram. Jess and his girlfriend, Emmaleigh, were coming down to Gatlinburg, Tennessee from their home state of Ohio, on what "she" thought was just a sweet innocent getaway for the two of them to enjoy some quality time together. Little did she know what was coming (;

A SWEET INNOCENT GETAWAY TURNED INTO A SMOKY MOUNTAIN ENGAGEMENT SESSION!!

I first got an inquiry from Jess that he was wanting to plan the most beautiful and romantic surprise engagement for his girlfriend...I was thrilled to be a part of this! Of course, being a Smoky Mountain Photographer, I knew the perfect spot to capture this moment for them! He was super adamant that he did not want her to have any sort of suspicion, so we planned the whole thing and as you can tell by their photos...we pulled off an amazing surprise!

WE WERE ABLE TO COORDINATE THE PERFECT LOCATION AND DECIDED ON THE BEAUTIFUL BACKDROP OF FOOTHILLS PARKWAY.

It is a gorgeous strip that runs along the Great Smoky Mountains, the perfect landscape to photograph a surprise engagement! Jess told her they were coming up to Foothills Parkway to just check out the stunning mountain views. I was waiting in my car for them to arrive and when they pulled up they both got out to go to the mountain overlook. I dove into my acting role and I approached them letting them know that "my clients" were a no show and I asked if I could take some photos of them for my portfolio...I know, I know, I'm pretty good at this, right? We started out with some back to back poses and Jess pulled out the sweetest letter...and the rest is history.

Jess is also a smart guy because he told Emmaleigh to bring a change of clothes so they could go straight to a nice dinner after they finished riding around the mountains! LADIES! Get you a guy like Jess, he was really looking out for them to have the best photoshoot they could have! From this moment on, surprise proposals will forever be at the top of my list of things I love to be a part of! The whole time they were both non stop smiling and you could just SEE their love for one another. I am so grateful to have been able to capture these memories for them down here in Tennessee.