When Kirstin and Nate mentioned to me they wanted to do their engagement session at Craggy Gardens off the Blue Ridge Parkway, I seriously could not have been more excited. The Blue Ridge Parkway will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s where I spent many of my weekends in college, driving through a canopy of fall colors—windows down, music up. It’s where my husband and I fell in love.

Kirstin and I became friends in college as I became pretty close with her brother Will and would spend many movie nights at her house on the weekends! Nate’s sister Ally is also one of my close friends, but this session was the very first time I had met Nate! All I can say is that these two are absolutely perfect for each other, and it’s been so much fun to watch their relationship grow from the outside.

The evening of their Craggy Gardens engagement session could not have been more perfect. It was the first weekend of September and we could feel the beginnings of fall in the air. We jammed to music (mostly Young the Giant—their favorite band) and explored several different sections of Craggy I had never been to before! I loved how many types of light we experienced. It started completely cloudy, then the sun ever so slightly began to break through the clouds and drench the mountains. The evening ended with one of the most beautiful sunsets over the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Craggy Gardens is one of my favorite spots along the parkway just because of how many little nooks and crannies there are to explore. There are large boulders, woods, and a couple of stunning overlooks. It is a perfect spot for an engagement session because you don’t have to hike far to get to the view! To get the best experience at Craggy, I would recommend going on a weeknight. We took photos on a Monday evening and had the place mostly to ourselves, which made the session feel even more intimate and special.

This session will forever be one of my favorites—I’m so grateful to be a small part of Kirstin and Nate’s story. Counting down the days until their April wedding!

Want to see photos from another one of my favorite overlooks? Check out this North Georgia adventure engagement session.