Our car followed the road’s curves. Higher we climbed up Afton mountain. The views, breathtaking. Turns and bends eventually produced a sign: “Swannanoa.” After weeks of planning, we had arrived! A bit further up the road, another sign: “Private party 5pm-8pm.” That’s us! All of our preparation and anticipation brought us here. A historic mansion on a mountaintop in Virginia. One final curve and there she was. The beautiful, massive white building from the photos.
The moment felt surreal. As we pulled into the parking lot, standing by their car were Mary and Ben. The beautiful married couple who had dreamed up and planned this day. A styled shoot for photographers. They pitched their idea to local class members of Amy and Jordan Demos’ photography courses. The six spots they set aside for the event were quickly filled by photographers eager to shoot and model with their peers. We are so grateful that we filled one of the spots! Once we had finally parked and gotten out of our cars, we met them in person for the first time. From our first moments with them, we knew they were special. Within their marriage they very clearly have a joint heart for service and loving others. From welcoming all of us as we arrived, to providing water bottles as we all shot, to coordinating with Hidden Acres Design and Another Chance Events to provide us with amazing flowers and props, to creating a schedule for the evening, and so many other things (this is just a sneak peek!), they truly thought through all the details to create an incredible experience for all of us in attendance. We felt so loved while they captured our portraits, and felt blessed to witness their love while photographing them. They had their first date sixteen years ago, but still seem like new love birds.
Mary and Ben, thank you for treating us to a wonderful shoot! All of your hard work is greatly appreciated! We will not soon be forgetting this day. Every detail was well thought out and we’re so glad that we took a chance and signed up for this event! As we all sat talking and laughing on Saturday night at Blue Mountain Brewery, we wished to stay in the moment much longer. You have a gift for making those in your company feel loved. We certainly did! We hope that we can get together with you again soon, but until then we’ll fondly remember our evening under the cloudy night sky at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Venue: Swannanoa on Afton Mountain
Floral Design: Hidden Acres Design
Props: Another Chance Events
Photography: Amy Lee Ambrose
These are beautiful photos. Every detail is just right.
Thank you so much! Mary and Ben, in a beautiful location like Swannanoa, were a dream to photograph!