Wedding Date on Oct 5, 2018

Katelyn: "We went to elementary, middle, and high school together. Charlton actually told his friends in 6th grade that he was going to marry me one day! (True story). We started dating when he was a freshman and I was a junior. After 8 years, he planned the most amazing surprise engagement. We were going to “stay at his dad's friends house on Beech Mountain for the weekend with our best friends, Kenzie (who just so happens to be a photographer 😉) and Drew” and go snowboarding the whole weekend. It was December 9th 2016, and we due to some bad weather, the slopes closed! So we went to the cabin and it ended up being a beautiful snowy night. Charlton told me he wanted me to go around to the back of the house to see where we were on the slope. So we walked around and he had our mom’s decorate the back deck and trees with my favorite lights. As I’m looking around trying to see the landscape through the snow, he pulled me close. I could hear his voice tremble and he just said “I love you” then got down on one knee and asked me to spend forever with him! All the while my best friend is capturing the moment and taking pictures!! As I was ugly crying and nodding "Yes!" in pure shock, the windows on the cabin opened and both of our families started yelling out the window. It was the most special night! 💕 He also spent about 5 months designing my ring from scratch. I literally had no idea and he was traveling home from Knoxville during the week while I was at work, all the while meeting with the guy to make my ring unique and special. 😭😭" Not technically a venue and not quite an elopement, the wedding was like this secret fall festival. Every detail was hand curated and decorated by Katelyn her moms. With couches at every corner, and the gorgeous trees just starting to turn colors, a breeze falling and candles and blooms gracing every picnic table and bridge around the property, the whole experience was like a dream. The evening went smashingly. After the most emotional ceremony set beside the roaring Watauga River, we whisked them away for love shots on a nearby bridge and captured their awesomeness while drivers honked their horns in celebration as they drove past! After sunset, they entered their reception where Charlton’s Dad and Katelyn’s Dad and her dear friends gave speeches to honor and commemorate their years so far together. After the speeches everyone ate lots of cake and danishes and then more cake. Then came the DANCING. In the middle of the Tennessee forest, rap blarring, on this covered porch made for a quiet picnic, were at least 75 people bouncing and stunting and laughing their butts off. We’ve never been happier. I don’t think they had ever been happier. It was 3685 days in the making and it was the best party ever.