Have Your Wedding in Asheville–A Local’s Perspective

As the fall leaves begin to roll in here in Asheville, I’m put in mind of romance. It’s the most idyllic time of year in this most idyllic of mountain getaways, and to no-one’s surprise, a real popular time of year to get married.

And as everyone knows, I’m a great proponent of romance. In fact, despite having no qualifications, I have been approached to officiate a wedding. No joke. People can just tell I got that pathos in my bones, true appreciation for the love that makes this crazy world go around.

But enough about me. This article is about you, specifically, your wedding here in the Paris of the South. So if you’re thinking of sealing the deal in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, then read, and discover some of the best tips and insights to make your wedding in Asheville the best that it can be. 

Image from Wix

1: The Bachelor/ette Party

Bachelor parties were first invented in the late 1800s, as attitudes towards cavorting in public became more permissive, and many a dance-hall and pool-parlor set up shops throughout America’s largest cities. This development was closely followed by the birth of the bachelor-ette party, which sparked an unspoken competition between the genders to see who could party harder. The conflict remains unsettled to this day.

In any case, Asheville’s set up just perfectly for this fine marriage tradition. Heck, we got a whole section of downtown set aside just for pub-crawling: the South Slope Brewing District. Stretched out mainly along Coxe Avenue, you can start at the Asheville Brewing Company and ramble down all the way to Burial Beer at the bottom of the slope, taking you past a dozen bars, breweries, and music halls. Some of my favorites include Ben’s Tune-Up, Antidote, and Eulogy, Burial Beer’s own concert venue.

If you’re looking for a more active approach to pre-wedding celebration, then I got a left-field pitch for you: paintball. I can say from experience, if you’re into this time-honored mountain-sport, then there’s no better way to make some memories with your groomsmen/

bridesmaids. We conducted our mock-warfare with Wolverine Paintball, about a half hour south of downtown, which offers group reservations for weekdays, and open play on the weekends for smaller party groups.

Image from Unsplash

2: The Rehearsal Dinner

Asheville’s long been known as a foodie’s paradise, giving you just one more reason to make this gorgeous town your wedding destination. Maybe you’ve visited already, maybe you’ve got a favorite restaurant, and so maybe you’ve already got a plan in mind. But if you’d like a little more direction, then here I’ve assembled three of Asheville’s most stunning restaurants, all well-equipped to handle rehearsal dinners, receptions, and even farewell brunches.

Curate Spanish tapas offers a laid-back yet moody ambience suitable for up to thirty-two guests. Private events are served off a seasonal menu displaying the best of Iberian cuisine, plus an award-winning list of imported wines, sherries, and vermouth. Note that tastings are not offered; potential guests are invited to come to a regular dinner at Curate instead.

Next up we’ve got Twisted Laurel, offering a sizable private space equipped to seat up to one hundred people, plus a full-service bar, and screens if you want to put on a (quote): “sentimental slideshow.” Their eclectic menu blends influences from Greece, Italy, Americana, and WNC, giving plenty of options for crowds of diverse palates.

And finally: Posana. They have a variety of private spaces available, ranging from their patio space for elopement-style celebrations of up to twenty people, to a full-restaurant buyout, which can seat one hundred and ten. Their upscale menu features sophisticated entrees with a farm-to-table flare, making it the perfect choice if you’re looking for a truly haute-cuisine kind of supper.

Image from Unsplash

3: The Venue

Now, the main event. Asheville’s chock-full of wedding venues, and while all those options can be a good thing, it can also be overwhelming. Here I’ve broken your choices up into broad categories, headlined by some of the best venues in their class.

Huge and Historic

These are your fairytale-style venues, the most expensive of the bunch to be sure, but certainly with the makings of an unforgettable wedding. In this category, lie the Grove Park Inn and the Biltmore Estate. Both venues offer absolutely sprawling spaces, including both indoor and outdoor options, all situated within Asheville’s oldest and most famous landmarks. This is the choice for you if you’re saying to yourself: “Go big or go home.”

Natural Beauty

Maybe you want to have your wedding in Asheville because you just can’t get enough of the mountain views, the fresh air, and the great and wild outdoors. If that’s what's right for you, then I recommend either the Asheville Botanical Gardens or the NC Arboretum. Either of these two would be perfect for an outdoors wedding, weather permitting. 

Funky

And of course, this being Asheville, there’s a plethora of wedding venues that might just be right for you if you want something totally off the beaten path. These kinds of spaces typically can’t contain larger crowds, making them more suitable for small-scale weddings. But if that's what you’re after, then I recommend west Asheville’s Fleetwood’s, the one-and-only Rock-n-Roll Wedding Chapel, offering Vegas-style elopements for you and your beloved. 

On the (slightly) more regular style of things, you’ve got the Grey Eagle concert hall, a prime choice for music-lovers, and the Battery Park Book Exchange, which offers an unconventional yet dazzling space, furnished with curios, reading nooks, and of course, lots and lots of books.

Image from Unsplash

4: The Honeymoon

When you’re ready to wind down after the nonstop action of your wedding in Asheville, then I may just recommend sticking around town after all your guests depart, and renting a cabin from Asheville Cottages.

Furnished with a full kitchen, outdoor grille, hot-tub, and even heated bathroom floors, a stay here will give you quite a few ideas for your starter-home, I’ll tell you what. And with a prime entrance to the Blue Ridge Parkway just down the road, there’s few better getaways perfect for exploring the natural beauty of the mountains, while still giving you plenty of access to the amusements of downtown, west Asheville, and the River Arts District.

Businesses Mentioned

Wolverine Paintball

(828)-697-4263

487 Brookside Camp Rd, Hendersonville, NC 28792

Curate Bar de Tapas

(828)-239-2946

13 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Twisted Laurel (Downtown)

(828)-944-4106

130 College St, Asheville, NC 28801

Posana Downtown

(828)-505-3969

1 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Omni Grove Park Inn

(800)-438-5800

290 Macon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804

Biltmore Estate

(800)-411-3812

Asheville, NC 28803

Asheville Botanical Garden

(828)-252-5190

151 WT Weaver Blvd, Asheville, NC 28804

NC Arboretum

(828)-665-2492

20 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806

Fleetwood's

(828)-505-5525

496 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC 28806

Grey Eagle

(828)-232-5800

185 Clingman Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar

(828)-252-0020

1 Page Ave #101, Asheville, NC 28801