Hey, hey, heyyyyy! My name is Jessica (aka Wayfaring Wanderer) and I am a free-spirited photographer who loves working with couples, individuals, and families who are committed to travel, adventure, and laid-back lifestyles. I've lived in the Boone, NC area since 2005 and I'm known for capturing the spirit of the folks I photograph—the expressions, gestures, and details that are outward expressions of our innermost selves. While I'm primarily a wedding + elopement photographer, I also love working w/ individuals/couples/families that are traveling to the High Country area to getaway to the mountains. I absolutely love what I do and am so grateful to work with some of the most amazing people in one of the most beautiful places EVAR. Let’s go on an adventure!
I must confess. This year, I was a
little bummed out about not having a grand getaway planned for my
birthday. You see, for the past four years or so, taking a trip for
my birthday has become a tradition, but not this year. It’s mainly
because October has shaped up to be a pretty packed month for
us. So, I figured it would be best to stick close to home since
plenty of travel lies ahead in the coming weeks.
When you compare a birthday spent in
your typical surroundings to vacations in Hawaii and Las Vegas,
you’re bound to be met with a bit of disappointment. Thankfully, I
still have vivid memories of those treasured times to sustain me
until my next big escape. I make it sound like I never get to go
anywhere! Haha Really, my birthday wasn’t bad. In fact, it actually
turned out to be pretty awesome with all the fun stuff we ended up
doing.
My birthday started with Cody staying
home from work, so I didn’t have to spend the day alone. It was a
nice surprise. We had breakfast at one of my favorite places in town,
Melanie’s. Then we walked around the Turchin Center to take in some art. Cody and I stopped in at Stick Boy Bread
Company for a birthday sweet treat—a slice of mocha ganache cake. Later in
the evening, after a pleasantly laid-back day, we headed up to Mellow
Mushroom to hang out at the bar (it’s become one of my favorite
places to go). All in all, it was a pretty tame day. But it was just what I needed!
The birthday fun didn’t really stop
there, though. There were other plans in the works that I wasn’t
privy to. Friday evening, Cody had a surprise planned for me. It was
fun not knowing what we were doing, that doesn’t happen all that
often around here because I’m the planner. I was extremely surprised
to find that I’d be having dinner at a restaurant that I’ve wanted to
eat at for quite some time now, The Mast Farm Inn. I couldn’t help
but giddily jump up and down as we walked toward the old farmhouse.
It put the biggest smile on my face. The food was delicious, and I
can’t wait to share!
Still not ready to relinquish the
birthday spree, we decided to head down to the town of Wilkesboro, NC on Saturday
for the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival. We heard about the festival
from a friend, and thought it sounded like fun. It covered a pretty
large area and had hundreds of vendors selling food and handmade
items. The event was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. As a bonus, we were able to get our fair-food fix in the process! Think turkey legs and cotton candy 😀
Saturday evening, after the apple
festival, we made our way to the Holmes Center here in Boone to catch
the Appalachian Roller Girls’ last match of the season. It was my
first time getting to go to one of the events, so I was really
looking forward to it. I still don’t know the ins and outs of the
rules, but I really enjoyed watching them throw down.
Recounting these birthday events makes
me realize that we did a lot this past weekend! There was definitely
no time for me to be bummed at any point about not going out of town.
Once the weekend got going, I didn’t really even think about it. Cody
did everything he could to ensure that I had a wonderful birthday,
and I’ll be the first to tell you that he did a great job. It was an
awesome birthday, and I can’t wait to share more!
I do need some help, though. You can
imagine that I have tons of photos to share with you, but I’m at a
loss as to what I should show you first. To relieve some of the
pressure, how about you help me choose which outing I’ll cover here
on Wayfaring Wanderer?!?! I’ll admit that I’ve been somewhat of a
slacker lately when it comes to sharing my adventures, so I could use
some direction!
What would you like to see first? Refer to the photo above!
My name is Jessica and I’m a wedding, engagement and lifestyle photographer based in Boone, NC. I’m known for capturing the spirit of the folks I photograph–the expressions, gestures, and details that are outward expressions of our innermost selves. I love working with couples, individuals and families who are committed to travel, adventure, and laid-back lifestyles. If you think we might be kindreds, I invite you to connect with me!
I can't wait TO CONNECT WITH YOU ANd hear more about your special day!
the mountains are calling...
Thank you so much for taking the time to contact me. I'm truly grateful to do what I love and I appreciate your time and consideration in advance! My response time is 24-hours for all wedding, engagement, and family photography inquiries. I look forward to connecting with you soon! In the meantime, let's be friends on Instagram. I love sharing a behind-the-scenes look at life in Boone, NC as a wedding photographer!