Pure Appiness: Girls Weekend in Brevard, NC

I've always had an interest in photography and my fascination has been building over the years with easy access to some of my favorite local photography blogs. I'm no professional photographer by any means but I was thrilled when a good friend of mine, Aimee, asked me to help shoot her first wedding she had booked. We were fortunate enough to escape to the mountains of Brevard, NC to capture the love and joy of Lindsey and Wyatt get hitched.

It was a long day but I have a new appreciation for wedding photographers. I was always grateful and mindful of the long hours photographers put in but to actually experience it is a whole other ball game. Wedding photographers are with you from the very beginning. From the first minutes of getting ready, to "I Do", to the last wave goodbye. Although it can be exhausting, it was fun to be a part of those moments and witness two people head over heels for each other. You can't help but think of your own wedding day and reminisce on those special moments.

We ended the night with some great shots and positive feedback from all of their guests. Aimee did an amaaaaaazing job for her first gig and I know she will do nothing but flourish as a photographer from here on out. I also need to give a shout out to Lindsay! We couldn't have done our jobs without her by our sides. She did a great job assisting us for the day as we switched out lens' and needed this and that every minute. Using walkie talkies was pretty fun too :)

After getting a full 8 hours of sleep, the three of us were excited to explore Brevard's cute little mountain town. I fell in love with their downtown area as it offered quaint little restaurants and the cutest boutiques a girl could ask for. If I had money to spend, I'd be in trouble.

We had brunch at Mayberry's where I happily ate a Baconwich that my stomach approved of. And yes, I ordered the sandwich simply because it was called a Baconwich. My husband taught me well. He would be proud.

From there we enjoyed walking the streets as we quickly learned that white squirrels, cyclists, and having your dogs welcome anywhere were the norm in this town. We loved the soda shops, local chocolates and Hunger Games memorabilia we came across.

Speaking of the Hunger Games, did you know that parts of the movie were filmed in DuPont forest which was right around the corner? Of course we went and checked it out. We were interested in going on a tour but $75 felt like a bit much to walk in the woods. We opted out on the tour and decided to go on our own journey. We had fun hiking up the mountain to get a glance of the now famous, Triple Falls. Scenes where Katniss was rock hopping looking for Peeta, Peeta camouflaged among the rocks, or where Peeta and Cato battled in a swampy area were some of the few shots that were filmed where we walked among the forest. Having no cell phone service amongst the waterfalls was actually kind of nice. The break from technology was much needed.