Where we stayed

Photo courtesy The Gardener’s Cottage

Often venues and accommodations go hand-in-hand. If your Asheville Wedding is a destination wedding, that's likely to be the case. There are plenty of great locales for such an event, from the all-inclusive services of The Inn on Biltmore and The Grove Park Inn to more intimate settings like The Hawk & Ivy Country Retreat in Barnardsville (where one of the proprietors is even an ordained minister and can perform the ceremony) or Hot Springs' Mountain Magnolia Inn (which can lodge 38 guests and has a restaurant on site). 

If your local wedding doesn't include a combined venue/guest rooms establishment, WNC offers plenty of excellent accommodations — no chain hotels or motels necessary — at a variety of price points.

The Home Away from Home: Since Asheville has long been a tourist destination, the city has made an art of the Bed & Breakfast. The Asheville Bed & Breakfast Association includes more than a dozen inns; with a total of nearly 100 rooms. The Montford historical district alone is home to B&Bs housed in stately homes — some designed by noteworthy architect Richard Sharp Smith in the early 1900s. B&Bs provide personalized service, delectable meals and a distinctly local touch: Perfect for out of town guests who want a unique experience.

Easy Elegance: Boutique hotels might be a buzzword among discerning travelers, but in Asheville they're old school. Historic properties include the sprawling Princess Anne Hotel (once owned by Johnny Mercer's father) and the Albemarle Inn (which hosted Hungarian composer Bela Bartok). New properties such as Hotel Indigo and The Grand Bohemian Hotel seek to continue the tradition.

When in the mountains … Do as the mountaineers do. Rent a cabin. Or rent a group of cabins. There are plenty of options, from rustic to luxe (hot tub with mountain views, anyone?), and plenty of local rental agencies ready to find the perfect setup for your wedding party. Cabins can be found close to all the amenities of town (the button-cute 1920s-era cabin village at Tunnel and Swannanoa River roads comes to mind); others are tucked into wooded privacy, or surrounded by outdoor adventures, like hiking and tubing.

Romance on a budget: Hostels aren't just for European backpackers. Asheville's handful of low-cost hostels — including the brand new, right-in-the-action Sweet Peas on Lexington Avenue — are fun and friendly. Good for the adventurous and social, hostels offer travelers a chance to meet other on-the-move folks. Communal kitchens, living rooms, game rooms and other amenities like tourist info and bike rentals make for a pleasant stay for wedding guests on a shoestring.

For more accommodations ideas, check out mountainx.com/guides/wedding.

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About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

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