I often get asked, “Is marriage proposal photographya real thing?” The answer is yes and there are very good reasons for sharing the monment with a professional photographer present.

Lauren and David, a great couple from Florida, had their engagement session in the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Cades Cove is a marvelous place for a variety of settings - and bears!

Stefany and Travis came down to the Smoky Mountains to elope and have their bridal portraits done in the mountains. A small wedding is no less important than a large one. Cades Cove provided a beautiful setting for them - even if it meant working to avoid bear jams! BTW, as the Cherokee held the black bear sacred, the presence of so many surely means a blessing from the mountains for this delightful couple!

Ryan and Jen were the inaugural couple to propose in my spot I have named Little Bear Valley in beautiful Cades Cove. And a bear was spotted! The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a place of beauty and romance - and these two added to that! Another great marriage proposal!

In this post about Travis and Natalie, learn a little Yiddish . . . no, really . . . as you see the effort that Travis will go to for his lady love!

Sometimes you have the good fortune to witness a marriage proposal that is absolutely flooded with the joy of the two people involved - really, the best word I can use for when Zac asked Markita to be his wife is that both were giddy with the excitement of starting their lives together. Read their story here!

Mike knew that some subterfuge was needed to ensure Megan would look her best for photographs when he proposed in the Smokies without tipping her off. So, he and I brainstormed and came up with both a plausible story and a “decoy” photographer, knowing Megan would look online for details. Read their story here - includes video of the moment!

We hear the word “family” and immediately thing, “We belong . . .” This past autumn I photographed Megan and Craig’s extended family in the Smokies and got to meet some very fine people. Look at these faces! Trips to the Smokies with your family is the perfect time to do a family session and have something to cherish the notion of belonging to those who love you.

Take one of the busiest times in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, at one of the most popular spots, with tourists abounding, and can you have a beautiful marriage proposal? You get - and Kendall and Joe made it happen! Check out their love story here!

A marriage proposal in the Smokies takes some planning due to the lack of cellular service, and sometimes a little improvisation has to come into play. But all that makes for a story - so have a read of this one, when Ethan surprised Gloria in Cades Cove. Note: no bears were harmed in the making of this adventure!

Who loves a love story? Then join me in the tale of two Floridians, Javier and Amarylis, who won the prize for fall foliage when Javier proposed during a Smoky Mountain trip!

Jessica and Tate had their engagement session at Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, bringing along their two dogs. Sometimes putting in a little more effort to travel to a spot like this reaps great rewards by allowing for engagement pictures in a gorgeous setting.

Here is an installment in my new series, Person of Note, that highlights the people whom I photograph for their headshots.  Meet Jenny Keller, an up-and-coming write of Christian fiction whose book is set in one of the most beautiful spots in the world - the Great Smoky Mountains!

It's May!  Springtime!  So why is it snowing in the Smokies and what are we going to do about the roads blocked by trees toppled in 98 mph winds?  Despite these conditions, Dustin still got to bring his lady love to the Smokies and ask Brianna to marry him - read their story!

Fortune smiled on Justin and Jenny when the smoke from wildfires cleared and the sun shone when he proposed to her in historic Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Come hear the story and see the pictures of my latest proposal to be photographed!