A wonderful way to start off a new year is with a marriage proposal - and no better place than in the golden light of dawn atop Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains NP. A cold early January morning saw Connor ask Maddy the all important question. Check out these two Aggies’ love story!

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!

The Great Smoky Mountains National park is a place of beauty year round - and lends itself to making a marriage proposal all the more romantic year round! Austin proposed to his love, Belle, in Cades Cove . . . and she said yes! Look at their pictures and tell me they are not wonderfully in love!

When two adventuresome backpackers get married, it is hard to think of a more appropriate spot fort heir wedding in the woods than Spence Cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). It was an intimate and elegant affair along the Little River in the Elkmont district of the park. Beautifully boho, green and woodsy!

East Tennessee has seen two snow storms this winter and so far, it seems there is a marriage proposal on the calendar to keep it warm! Here, Jonathan proposed to the lovely Maddie as the flakes fell down around them in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - see their story!

Neil had plans to propose to Jackie in Cades Cove, a popular spot in the Great Smoky Mountains NP. On January 1st, it was 75 degrees . . . but just two days later, most of the park was closed with wet and heavy snow! Facing downed trees and slippery roads, it still happened - witness a wintery, wonderful marriage proposal in the white woods of the Smokies!

Inspired by the Southern Gothic literature of Flannery O’Connor and the disturbing tableaux of Gregory Crewdson, I used a wonderful model, the old cabins of Elkmont, and tourists willing to play a corpse to tell the tale of Gentleman Jack. The deep woods in the South hold many secrets - be safe lest you become one!

There is nothing like a marriage proposal by a waterfall . . . even if it takes some walking to get there! Jared’s proposal to Hallie at Spruce Flats Falls in the Smokies was a wet one but these West Virginia natives made the Smokies come alive with their love! See more in their blog post!

The human form is a beautiful thing and has been celebrated in art for centuries. I am fortunate that Jack is willing to engage in some male fine art nudes that we shot in an abandoned cabin in the woods. Nothing obscene but do understand there is nudity and viewer discretion is advised.

Family sessions in the Smokies can be fun, even if the sun wants to play peek-a-boo behind clouds and other visitors are walking into shots. While it has those challenges, the key is a good attitude and the objective of having fun. Okay, and promising the kids food afterwards!

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!

Watching the weather in the Smokies means sometimes you need to adjust the timing - as we did for Zachary’s marriage proposal to Andrea at the Little Pigeon River in the Greenbrier section of the Smokies. Racing against the rain, we . . . lost. But guess what - it still turned out beautiful!

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!

During the Blackberry Winter of East Tennessee, two Floridians ventured north to the Foothills Parkway outside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and sealed their love - here is Jose's marriage proposal to Daniela!

2100+ miles from Georgia to Maine - that is the Appalachian Trail and here are some of the faces hiking it now. Knowing that a friend would be passing through the Smokies on his way to Maine, I arranged to meet up with him and do a little trail magic. Instead of just the usual food and drink, I also did portraits of the hikers that stopped at Indian Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Come see their faces and get to know their trail names in this post.

The weather in East Tennessee is hard to predict, and snow and ice threatened to cancel Andy’s marriage proposal to Megan. But can you stop love? Never! A closed highway meant going to Plan B and the mission was accomplished - she said yes! Read their love story here!

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.

These two fine people from Mississippi had never been at these elevations before and the sunrise at 5000' was a cold one - but it was all done for Scott to surprise Madison with a marriage proposal. Some earlier snow provided a beautiful backdrop to this romantic moment at Newfound Gap in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Check out their story!

Here is another beautiful love story from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Dan proposed to Alison … and her daughter, Aubrey. This all took place at Laurel Falls on a winter’s day and it was simply beautiful! Read the post and see the video!

Sunrise. Dogs. Mountains. Add to that a love story and you have a beautiful morning that saw Matt’s proposal of marriage to sweet Emi. Check out the pictures from the start of their lives together!