Introduction
The top reasons to have a wedding in Asheville center around the fact that Asheville has everything you need for a fantastic wedding. Think about all the things that make a great wedding, and Asheville has it, and then some. From breathtaking venues and immensely talented musicians to some of the best food you can find in any town, Asheville has it. So let’s dive in and see what Asheville has to offer.
Asheville Wedding Venues with Pristine Scenery
Asheville is considered the jewel of the Appalachians. Nestled on a 2500-foot plateau and surrounded by mountain ranges, this town has long been a preferred destination. A summer refuge from larger cities like Charleston and Atlanta, Asheville was long a quiet, sleepy mountain town that not many people knew about. Well, other than railroad magnate George Vanderbilt and his family, who settled here in the late 19th Century and built America’s Castle, the Biltmore House.
But what George Vanderbilt also did was preserve hundreds of thousands of acres of the Pisgah forest. Not long after doing so, the Blue Ridge Parkway was built as the nation’s largest National Park, stretching from the Smoky Mountains up into the Shenandoah Valley.
And all throughout these mountains are beautiful vistas for people to tie the knot. From the grandeur of the Biltmore Estate to the simplicity of a stunning backyard vista, Asheville and Western North Carolina offer a vast array of venue options. There are venues close to town or more remote venues nestled deep into the mountains.
You really can’t go wrong from a scenic standpoint. You might even just encounter a wedding ceremony on a trail while hiking in the mountains. Stranger things have happened.
Some notable venues within an hour of Asheville include:
- Claxton Farm
- The Crest Center
- The Fields of Blackberry Cove
- Laurel Falls
- The Biltmore Estate
- The Grove Park Inn
- Zelda Dearest
- The Venue
- Chestnut Ridge
- The Restoration Hotel
If you’re looking for picturesque beauty to commemorate the most important day of your life, you can’t go wrong with the mountain scenery in Asheville.
Asheville Wedding Vendor Surplus
Because Asheville is such a hot spot for weddings, wedding vendors are plentiful. You will have your pick of caterers, live music acts, djs, entertainers, wedding planners, florists, and more. Whether you desire an outdoor wedding in the mountains or an indoor ceremony in town, Asheville has it all and the people to staff it.
Your big day is only as good as the people putting it on. Just as with any event, it requires careful planning and execution. The wrong chairs can ruin dinner. An inexperienced chef can mix up menu items. What if your bartender doesn’t know how to make the featured cocktails for the bride and groom? (Seen that happen. It’s not pretty.
The day needs to be all about you! For that to happen, you need to be able to trust the wedding planner and vendors to be experts at what they do. There’s no shortage of these experts in Asheville, so rest assured, your day will go off without a hitch.
Asheville has always attracted high-caliber professionals, especially when it comes to the arts, entertainment, and culinary delights. You will have your pick of the best caterers, the best entertainers, and the best photographers and videographers to document your special day. All you have to do is show up!
(Brian Kennedy Productions happens to be a local Asheville wedding videographer…. In case you were wondering… *wink wink*)
This might be a boring section of this piece. But the people paying for your special day will appreciate it.
All the Perks of a Destination Wedding without the Expense
A lot of people plan destination weddings in places like Cabo or the Bahamas or Mexico. Those are fantastic places to tie the knot, for sure. But how accessible are those destinations for friends and family who want to share in your special day?
Asheville and Western North Carolina offer a lot of the same benefits of an international destination wedding without the headaches of major travel expenses.
People from all over the world travel to Western North Carolina every year to vacation. It is one of the most desired vacation spots in America, and definitely in the South. Why? Because it has everything. But a HUGE reason why is the outdoorsy activities.
Spend the week leading up to the event in town and visit waterfalls, hike the Appalachian Trail, go white water rafting, or sit in natural, healing hot springs – all within 1 hour of Asheville. If you’re a more adventurous type, you can go rock climbing, do guided fly fishing tours deep in the mountains, or find remote bliss on the mountain-to-sea trail.
Kayaking, canoeing, rafting, hiking, climbing, or just driving on The Blue Ridge Parkway and taking in the breathtaking overlooks from your car – can’t be beat. Maybe you’d like to get a few nights camping in the woods. No problem. Asheville and the surrounding area has more than enough car camping and backcountry spots to meet whatever camping situation you’d like to cook up.
The Best Foodie Town in the South
What makes a good wedding? Location, food, entertainment, and planning. And for years, Asheville has been known as a culinary destination. But don’t just take our word for it, talk to the people who judge these things, like the James Beard Foundation or Michelin. There have been more than 20 Beard nominees or winners in Asheville since 2010. That raises the bar for EVERYONE.
Locals know but used to gatekeep this secret. But not anymore. People travel from far and wide to eat at some of the area’s renowned restaurants. The food scene in WNC pioneered farm-to-table, with entire menus dedicated to locally sourced meats and produce, while other larger markets would tout a single menu item as farm-to-table.
A lot of these same establishments have catering arms. You want top-notch BBQ for your wedding? Done. Multiple choices. High-end sushi? Some of the best in the south. American fusion? Yep. Got that, too. Farm-to-table comfort food? No problem.
Conclusion
In short, Asheville offers everything you could want in a wedding destination: breathtaking mountain views, a thriving community of skilled vendors, endless activities for guests, and a culinary scene that rivals any major city. Whether you are envisioning a grand affair or an intimate gathering, this vibrant mountain town delivers unforgettable beauty, convenience, and charm, ensuring your big day is as magical as the setting itself.
