North Carolina Mountain Wedding Guide
Whether you’re eloping or having a traditional wedding, Western North Carolina is one of the best places to get married! The North Carolina mountains have so much to offer, from adventurous trails for elopements to grand venues tucked away in the mountains. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you plan your dream mountain wedding!
How to Plan a Mountain Wedding in North Carolina
Step 1: Create Your Guest List
The first step to planning your wedding in the mountains is to determine the size of your wedding! Consider whether you’ll want all of your friends and family there, a select few of your closest loved ones, or no guests at all. Make sure to invite people that make you feel loved and won’t cause added stress on your wedding day. If you’re struggling to decide who or how many guests to invite, click the button below for a guide on choosing who to invite and how to involve loved ones.
Step 2: Choose A Date
Choose a date that works for you and your must-have guests, taking into account the weather and availability of your location or preferred venue. The colors, temperatures, and overall experience in the Blue Ridge Mountains changes with each season, so if you’re unsure of where to start, I’d recommend choosing a season and narrowing it down from there.
Step 3: Find the Perfect Venue or Location
North Carolina offers a variety of beautiful mountain locations for weddings. Consider popular areas like Asheville, Boone, Blowing Rock, or the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. When choosing a location, use your guest count and desired experience to determine what kind of location is going to suit your day the best. If you’re eloping with a small handful of guests, you could hike on the Blue Ridge Parkway or an easily-accessible overlook. If you’re inviting 30-100+ guests and want a more luxury experience, a wedding venue will provide the space and planning needed to accommodate your guests. If you’re somewhere in between, at around 2-30 guests, you could get married at a state park like Jump Off Rock or Grandfather Mountain for a more casual experience with beautiful views.
Most of my couples fall in between eloping and a traditional wedding, which allows you have to have the best of both worlds! If you’re new here, welcome! I’m Erin, an elopement photographer & planning expert based in Asheville, North Carolina. I help couples plan an adventurous day in the mountains, with the company of their closest loved ones in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. If that sounds like exactly what you’re dreaming of, you’re in the right place!
Step 4: Book Your Vendors
Book your vendors, such as a photographer, videographer, officiant, hair and makeup artist, florist, and caterer or private chef. Look for vendors with experience in mountain weddings that can provide their unique expertise. For example, if you’re hiking on your wedding day, you’ll want to hire a hair and makeup artist that knows how to style your hair to withstand hiking and weather throughout the day!
Step 5: Book Accommodations
If you or your guests are traveling in from out of town, start looking into accommodations! There are a variety of unique homes in Western North Carolina for every couple – from treehouses and A-frames for elopements, to large family homes where everyone can stay together.
Step 6: Plan Your Reception or Dinner
Depending on the size of your wedding, there are a few options for a post-ceremony celebration to consider!
- Venue or Fine-Dining: If you’re getting married at a venue, you’ll most likely have the space and opportunity to have a dinner and reception for you and your guests. If you’re not getting married at a venue, or would like to invite additional guests to just the dinner, consider a restaurant with a private event space like Posana, or a venue that offers reception-only packages like Reverie in downtown Asheville.
- Private Chef: If you’re staying at an Airbnb big enough to host, you can hire a private chef or caterer to provide a specialty dinner for your and your guests!
- Catered Picnic: If you’re eloping, or have around 10 guests, you could arrange for a catered picnic by Parkway Picnics at your elopement location!
Step 7: Create a Timeline
Once you have your locations chosen, vendors booked, and a general plan for activities throughout your wedding day, the next step is to make your timeline! In addition to the ceremony and dinner, many couples include time for getting ready in the morning, a first look with their partner, couple’s portraits, family portraits, toasts, and dances. Here’s an example timeline for an adventurous wedding in the mountains with your loved ones!
- 11:00am – Getting Ready at Your Airbnb
- 12:00pm – Couple & Photographer head to The Blue Ridge Parkway
- 12:45pm – First Look at the Trailhead
- 1:00pm – Hiking and Portraits
- 2:30pm – Head to Jump Off Rock for the Ceremony
- 3:30pm – Arrive at Jump Off Rock & Prepare for the Ceremony
- 3:45pm – Guests Arrive
- 4:00pm – Ceremony
- 4:30pm – Family Portraits
- 5:00pm – Head to Reverie for Dinner
- 6:00pm – Dinner & Reception Begins
- 9:00pm – End of the Night
Step 8: Prepare for Your Wedding Day!
Remember to get your marriage license up to 60 days prior to your wedding day, coordinate arrival times with vendors and guests, prepare for weather, and refer to this packing list to make sure that you have everything you need!
Thank you so much for reading! If this is your first time here, I’m Erin! I help couples plan beautiful intimate wedding days in Asheville and the North Carolina Mountains. Click here to learn more about how I can help you create a stress-free, unforgettable elopement in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
