They started the day in a small chapel tucked into Maggie Valley—a civil ceremony, simple and grounded. Afterward, we returned to their cabin to continue the wedding festivities at Cataloochee Ranch, perched high above the Blue Ridge Mountains. Cataloochee Ranch has the kind of view that stretches long and wide, where the sky meets the hills with no real hurry.

Inside the cabin, Caitlin sipped whiskey while changing into a vintage-inspired silk gown. The fabric moved with ease as she stepped onto the porch, the breeze catching just enough to feel cinematic without trying.

We made our way to the ridge line as the sun lowered. Cows lingered in the pasture below. Horses grazed in the distance. It was one of those evenings where everything feels a little slower, a little softer.

At the top, they stood together—no crowd, no noise—just two people facing each other in open air. Their vows were spoken as the light stretched across the hills. With their tissues left in their cabin, they used the paper from their vows to catch their tears.

After sunset, Caitlin slipped off her shoes. With the day behind them and the last of the light fading, they danced their way down the slope, quiet laughter between them, mountains at their back.