Getting engaged in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) is wonderful.

Just be ready for whatever weather the mountains decide to have.

Wait, what? The mountains . . .?

Yes. I suspect that all too often, tourists check the weather for Pigeon Forge, or Gatlinburg, or Townsend and figure, well, those are the towns nearest the national park, so surely that is the weather for the GSMNP, right?

Not quite. And that is why when James and I were planning this proposal, we had to do some coordination and change plans mi-course.

Up until this past weekend, East Tennessee has been stuck in summer, despite what the calendar might say. We have had sunny and hot weather, breaking records even - and dry. This meant that whether in the valley (Knoxville) or in the mountains, the weather was fairly uniform, varying in temperature for the most part.

But the scourge of hairdos in the South started creeping in . . . humidity. And that can make a difference. That creates a scenario where Knoxville has no chance of rain, Gatlinburg has some chance of rain, and the higher elevations in the mountains have a damn good chance of rain, especially thunderstorms. Both elevation and topography help to gather moisture - in fact, one of the things people like to see in the Smokies is the mist because - get this - they are called the Smokies. The Smokies has the highest average annual rainfall in the Southeastern United States; in fact, most of the Smokies is a temperate rain forest.

So, when James said he wanted mountain vistas for his marriage proposal to Lauren, I explained that to see such vistas, one needed to go up - and that meant the area around Clingmans Dome, unless he also wanted a long hike. The advantage to Clingmans, besides it being the highest peak in the Smokies (6600’+), is reached via car. That’s the good news. It is also the bad news because it would mean a lot of people driving up to see it. However, most of those people are casual tourists and a relatively easy hike (around 1.5 miles and an hour of hiking) from Clingmans is Andrews Bald.

A mountain bald is just a treeless meadow atop a mountain. At Andrews Bald, you have a lovely view towards the east/southeast/southwest of the surrounding mountains. Get place for both sunrises and sunsets. And that was the original plan - a proposal just before sunset when the sun would be illuminating the mountains towards the east.

And then the humidity came back to East Tennessee. And the forecast for Andrews Bald showed a possibility of thunderstorms with the heaviest rain to occur on the afternoon of the proposal. Hmmm . . . maybe atop a mountain bald is not the place to be should lightning flash. So plans changed - we would go for a morning proposal.

The day dawned beautifully. High ceiling, some clouds, sunshine. I headed up to Clingmans.

And this is what I found when I got there:

Remember what I said about the Smokies making its own weather? A giant mist cloud had settled around Clingmans. Okay, Andrews Bald is actually at a lower elevation than Clingmans. I headed down the trail and arrived at the bald to find mountains in the distance obscured by mist but the sun peeking in and out.

Well, I guess the Smokies favor a love story. Or, the Cherokee spirits that guard the mountains decided they liked Lauren and James. As I waited, the sun came out more, the wind died down, the temperature lifted . . . and this happened:

I do like when couples choose a specific spot in the Smokies for marriage proposals because it becomes their spot, right? They can revisit it on anniversaries or, who knows, bring kids and even grandchildren to visit it and see where the family history began.

But let’s get back to the giddiness of Lauren and James.

These two are a delightful pair. They are two New York transplants living now in Nashville, and both are absolute sweethearts. On our way back to the parking lot at Clingmans Dome, we stopped along the trail for some pictures.

Once back at Clingmans - and after a bit of a rest and water (the trail to Andrews Bald goes down, which means the hike back goes up, and combined with elevation and humidity, it gives you a work out) - we did a few more pictures, including some of the sparkler James gave Lauren.

As we were wrapping up, the weather started to change atop the mountain. Who knows? Maybe it rained after we left. Maybe the sun came out again. As I said, the Smokies decide what will happen.

Let me say what I say each time: proposal pictures are not the pretty, styled shoot of an engagement session. They are the first chapter in a story and they are real. So maybe you are hot and sweaty. Maybe you started off on this hike with unwashed hair. Maybe it will rain. Maybe it will snow. Maybe a bear is waiting at your chosen spot and you have to wait until it decides to move on. In any event, it is a look at everyday life made special by that moment when the question is popped and the ring placed on the finger.

And nothing can beat that.

Mazel tov, you crazy kids!