How to Plan an Asheville Wedding That Feels More Like a Weekend Away

Some of my favorite photographs are the ones that bring back an entire feeling. A family vacation, a slow afternoon somewhere new, a table full of people you love. I find myself drawn to the little things in those photographs, the laughter, the conversations happening in the background, and the feeling of being somewhere with nowhere else you need to be. They're rarely the perfectly posed or carefully planned moments, but they're often the ones that mean the most when you look back.

I've found myself thinking about that a lot when reflecting on the weddings I've photographed, and I think it's a feeling worth bringing into your wedding day, too.

In conversations with my couples, I hear the same things come up again and again. They don't want their wedding to feel stressful or overwhelming. They want it to feel cozy, intimate, and full of time with the people they love. They want to be present enough to actually remember what the day felt like, rather than spend it worrying about what's supposed to happen next.

Thinking back on the weddings I've photographed, I've found myself reflecting on the things that seem to make that possible. The unhurried mornings, the shared meals, the space to wander, and the freedom to let a day unfold without needing every moment to go according to plan.

Asheville and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains offer a lovely setting for this kind of celebration. But I think the feeling comes less from where you are and more from how you choose to spend your time there.

If you're planning an Asheville wedding and hoping for something that feels less like a production and more like a weekend away with your favorite people, here are a few things I've been thinking about.

Start With How You Want the Weekend to Feel

Before looking at venues, flowers, or timelines, think about the kind of weekend you actually want to have.

Do you picture a quiet cabin in the mountains with your closest friends? A long dinner where everyone ends up talking for hours? A morning spent making coffee together before getting dressed? Maybe you want to spend most of the day outside, or you'd rather have everyone gathered around a table with good food and a few bottles of wine.

There isn't really a right answer. And choosing to focus on the feelings of your wedding instead of the production doesn’t mean that things can’t be beautiful and well planned. That's the nice thing about having a smaller or less traditional wedding. You have a little more room to make decisions based on what feels like you, rather than what a wedding is supposed to look like. I love a long dinner table set up in the middle of a stream or forest with candles and mismatched china, and, most importantly, all of your favorite people relaxing and sharing in your moment.

Picture how you want your wedding to feel, the people that you have with you, your favorite memories with those people, and the settings that make you feel most like yourself. Start there. The details tend to fall into place a little more naturally when you know what you're trying to create.

Find a Place Where You Can Settle In

One of the nicest things about turning your wedding into a weekend is having somewhere to come back to.

Instead of choosing a ceremony location and figuring everything else out around it, you might start by looking for a place where everyone can spend time together. Maybe it's a cabin with a big porch, a house with enough room for your favorite people to stay nearby, or a small venue with a cozy place to gather afterward.

The Asheville area has plenty of different landscapes to work with, from the mountains outside the city to wooded properties and quieter spots tucked away from the busier streets. You don't have to be far out in the woods to feel like you've gotten away for a while.

If you're considering a vacation rental, make sure the owner allows weddings or gatherings before booking. Some properties have strict event policies, parking limitations, or guest-count restrictions. It's worth asking those questions early, especially if you plan to have everyone stay together.

And don't worry too much about finding the most impressive place. Look for somewhere you can imagine yourself being comfortable. Somewhere you can picture a slow morning, a shared meal, or everyone piling into the living room after a long day outside.

*Hot tip: Airbnb does not allow for events to be hosted at venues through them. However, if you find a place that you love on Airbnb, you can contact them directly and see if they will allow an event.

Leave Room for the Little Things

I think one of the best parts of a wedding weekend is that you don't have to rush through everything.

You can have breakfast together. Go for a walk. Sit outside with your coffee while everyone else slowly wakes up. Spend the evening before the wedding playing cards or making dinner, with music on in the background and no real plan for when the night ends.

These moments don't need to be organized activities. In fact, they're often better when they aren't.

If you have guests traveling to Asheville, you could put together a small list of places you love or want to explore together. (I have been creating a curated Apple Maps list of all of my favorite places in and around Asheville for years. It has coffee shops, stores, restaurants, favorite overlooks. I love sharing this with my clients.) Give people a few ideas without feeling like you need to coordinate everyone's time.

And if all you want to do is stay at the cabin and spend time with your people, that counts, too.

Let the Wedding Day Have Some Breathing Room

A wedding day can go by incredibly quickly. There's often a lot happening, and it's easy to feel like you need to fit everything into a carefully planned timeline.

A little structure is helpful, of course. You'll want enough time to get ready, have your ceremony, eat, and enjoy whatever you've planned for the day. But not every minute needs to be accounted for.

Maybe you get ready slowly with a few friends. Maybe you share a drink together before the ceremony or take a walk after exchanging vows. Maybe dinner runs long because everyone is having a good time, and nobody is particularly interested in getting up from the table just yet.

Let some things take the time they take.

You can still have a plan without feeling tied to it. Leave some space between the important parts of the day, and don't be afraid to change things when it makes sense. If the weather shifts or you decide you'd rather spend another half hour talking with your family, the day doesn't have to fall apart.

Sometimes the best moments happen when you aren't looking at the clock.

Let Asheville Be Part of Your Story

One of the things I love about getting married somewhere meaningful is that the place becomes part of the memory.

You could spend the weekend in a cabin outside Asheville, surrounded by trees and mountain views. Maybe you have dinner in the city, explore a neighborhood you've never visited, or take the long way back to your rental just because the light is beautiful.

You don't need to plan a big adventure to make the most of being somewhere new. Sometimes it's enough to find a good breakfast spot, take a drive through the mountains, or sit outside together at the end of the day. One of my favorite things to do in Asheville is go to an incredible breakfast burrito spot, grab it to go, and then have that and a coffee at a nearby overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

If you're hosting guests for the weekend, think about what would make the trip enjoyable for them, too. You could share a short list of local places to eat, things to do, and a few options for exploring the area. Keep it simple, and give everyone room to make the weekend their own.

One practical note: mountain weather can be unpredictable, and conditions change with the season and elevation. If you're planning anything outdoors, have a backup plan that still feels like a good day rather than a disappointing alternative. A cozy indoor dinner or an afternoon spent together at your rental can be just as memorable as a mountain view.

Make Space for the Photographs to Happen Naturally

If you're planning a wedding that feels more like a weekend away, it makes sense to think about photography a little differently, too.

Rather than building the whole day around a long list of photographs, think about what you'd like to remember. The people who came to celebrate with you. The place where you spent the weekend. The way your friends made breakfast, the conversation around the dinner table, the quiet few minutes you had together before everyone arrived.

Those things are worth remembering just as much as the ceremony itself.

A documentary approach to wedding photography leaves room for the day to unfold. There's still space for a few portraits, family photographs, and the images you know you'll want. But you don't have to spend the entire day being directed or wondering what you're supposed to do next.

I think photographs feel different when you can settle into the experience rather than constantly step outside of it. You get to be with your people, pay attention to what's happening around you, and trust that the little things are being noticed along the way.

And honestly, you don't need to know how to pose or have a plan for every photograph. You can show up as yourselves. That's more than enough.

A Simple Asheville Wedding Weekend Itinerary

If you're having trouble imagining how this could all fit together, here's one way a relaxed wedding weekend might look.

Friday: Everyone arrives

• Check into your rental or accommodations.

• Pick up groceries, snacks, and something good to drink.

• Have a casual dinner together, whether that's cooking at the house or heading into Asheville.

• Keep the evening open. Let people settle in and catch up.

Saturday: The wedding day

• Have a slow breakfast and get ready without rushing.

• Share your ceremony with your closest people.

• Leave time for a walk, a few portraits, or simply being together afterward.

• Have a long dinner, light some candles, put on some music, and see where the evening goes.

Sunday: One more morning together

• Make coffee and breakfast before everyone heads home.

• Take a short walk or spend a little more time outside.

• Let goodbyes happen slowly, without trying to squeeze in one last scheduled activity.

Of course, your weekend might look completely different. Maybe you're getting married on Friday, spending the whole weekend hiking, or keeping everything to one afternoon. This isn't a formula to follow. It's just a reminder that you have options.

You can make the weekend as full or as quiet as you want it to be.

A Wedding That Feels Like You

If there's one thing I'd encourage you to do while planning an Asheville wedding, it's to give yourself permission to make it your own.

You don't have to fill a venue with decorations, plan an elaborate schedule, or make the day look like someone else's wedding. You can gather the people you love in a place that feels right, eat something good, spend time together, and get married.

Let the weekend be a weekend. Let the day be a little imperfect. Leave room for things you couldn't have planned, and try not to worry too much about whether you're doing it the right way.

Years from now, I imagine you'll remember the feeling of being there just as much as the big moments themselves. The familiar voices, the late-night conversations, the way the mountains looked on the drive back, or the ordinary little things that somehow became part of the story.

And those are pretty good things to make room for.

Want Some More Inspiration for Your Asheville Wedding Weekend?