Biltmore Estate Engagement Session

If you told me a year ago that I would have been able to photograph a Biltmore Estate engagement session at this historic, iconic location, I would not have believed you! Ciara and Taylor are getting married in Chicago, but it worked out that we were going to be in Asheville on the same weekend, so we scheduled their engagement session during that time!

The historic site dates back to the Gilded Age and represents “elegance and charm” that has persisted over 120 years. The Biltmore House has more than just a house. It has beautiful gardens, a winery, shops, restaurants, and 8,000 acre backyard for trails and exploration. The opportunities for perfect moments are endless. Additionally, every season there is breathtaking. Winter in North Carolina is quite different than Chicago! Biltmore Estate is one of the most gorgeous locations I have ever been to. And Ciara and Taylor could not have been more fun to work with engagement session in January 2021!

Fate Brought Them Together

Ciara and Taylor were brought together by some wild workings of fate! They both attended Tusculum College in Tennessee and were both members of the golf team. However, they did not know about each other yet! By some fate, in fall 2014 Ciara and Taylor ended up meeting at a golf team friends hangout. It was a long day of golf for Taylor, while Ciara and her friends were having some car mishaps.

It wasn’t until Taylor was leaving the gathering in preparation for a big golf tournament the next day that they swapped information. “Wait, you’re on the golf team?!… I am too!” And the rest is history! Fate may have brought them together, but their commitment to golf, matching personality traits, and other similarities is what made them fall in love.

The Proposal

While you can’t plan fate, a lot of things had to go according to plan to make this surprise happen after about 6 years of dating. After a long day of traveling home from Hawaii for a family wedding, Ciara initially had zero plans other than to relax. Taylor suggested to drive up to Asheville, North Carolina the following weekend, but Ciara was still tired from traveling 16 hours! Taylor convinced Ciara to make to 2 hour trip to spend some time together.

On February 8, 2020 in Asheville, NC they walked around Grove Park and checked out some magnificent views of the mountain range and downtown Asheville. At this point, Taylor told Ciara to close her eyes for a moment & then open them. When she opened her eyes, she saw Taylor down on one knee! Immediately afterwards, they sat side by side near large warm fireplaces to soak it all in. Also, they walked around downtown hand in hand and finished the evening at their favorite pizza place watching Tennessee Basketball. College sports are a fitting way to end their perfect proposal.

When I found out that Asheville was where Taylor proposed to Ciara, I was ecstatic to be capturing their engagement session here! These two are the sweetest couple, and I cannot wait for the big day in September!!

The Ring

Ciara’s stunning ring is a rose gold pave ring with a traditional cut setting. It is by SYLVIE and sparkles in any light! The unique rose gold band makes Ciara’s ring stand out beautifully.