Picking your wedding venue is a big choice and you are probably looking through what feels like hundreds of options and trying to pick the right one. Well, if you are planning a wedding in the Asheville area, the Highland Brewing Company should definitely be at the top of your list. 

As an Asheville wedding photographer myself, this is one of my favorite venues to capture weddings at. It is not only a  piece of Asheville history, but it is also a beautifully set up space with so much flexibility for you and your partner to curate the wedding of your dreams. Plus, it comes equipped with a rooftop for your ceremony with incredible mountain views! 

So, if you think this is just what you are looking for, let’s take a look at what a Highland Brewing Company wedding can look like and what makes this venue so unique in the first place! 

About the Highland Brewing Company

When it comes to breweries in Asheville, it doesn’t get any more authentic than the Highland Brewing Company. This brewery was founded back in 1994 for Oscar Wong and it is actually the first craft beer brewery to open in Asheville since Prohibition! 

Starting in the basement of Barley’s Taproom, Wong and the Highland Brewing Company have grown from producing 6,500 barrels of beer a year to now producing 40,000 barrels a year. A major factor in this, is the move in 2006 to their new campus that now serves as the main hub for the brewery and the event space for weddings! 

Today, the Highland Brewing Company is still in the Wong family and is currently owned and operated by Leah Wong Asburn, Oscar’s daughter. They are known all across the eastern United States as a superior craft beer company and offer everything from craft brews to non-alcoholic beverages that stay true to their Asheville Roots. 

Weddings Today at the Brewery 

Now, while Highlands does have several taprooms in and around Asheville, their flagship location in East Asheville houses their main event space, as well as their largest taproom! This space is absolutely stunning and there are so many different areas for you and your guests to enjoy throughout your wedding. 

This is honestly one of my favorite venues in all of Asheville to photograph because it has an amazing industrial chic look which makes it really easy to dress up and make unique for your wedding. 

The venue is very simple, it has an  open floor plan that gives you tons of  flexibility as you decide how you want to bring your dream wedding to life. Plus, the venue holds up to 200 guests so this is the perfect option if you are looking to have a larger wedding with plenty of space for all of your guests. 

When it comes to where you’ll have your ceremony, reception, places to take pictures, and more, there are a few different options that you have throughout the venue and Highland’s property itself – which includes a meadow that is open to the public but is also such a great place for portraits.

Ceremony Rooftop

The rooftop is one of the highlights of this venue and is the perfect backdrop for your wedding if you are planning a spring, summer, or fall ceremony. You can also host things like your cocktail hour up here or even a welcome party. 

The rooftop is a wide open space with beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the hillsides around the venue. Especially if you have guests traveling to Asheville for your wedding you’ll want to show off its stunning mountains as you marry the love of your life! You’ll have plenty of room for all of your guests  to mingle and move  around, and there is even a bar up on the rooftop if you plan to have your cocktail hour up there. 

Event Center

The Event Center is perfect for a few different things for your wedding. If you are planning a winter wedding where it is a bit too cold to be up on the rooftop, the event center is the perfect place to have your ceremony. 

And, don’t worry about missing out on those mountain views! They have a mural of the mountains painted right on the wall in the event center so you still have those mountain views.

Now, if you are having your wedding up on the rooftop, the event center can function as your reception space and getting ready space. Just like the rooftop, the event center is a really open and flexible space so you’ll have plenty of options when it comes to your dinner and table setup and you and your guests will have no trouble with fitting on the dance floor. 

Barrel Room

If you are planning a wedding that is a bit smaller, don’t fret, they have you covered too! The barrel room is the perfect place for a smaller and more intimate wedding, or even something like your rehearsal dinner. 

The barrel room is set up with racks showing off some of the old barrels they used in the brewery and does have a bit more of a rustic look and vibe to it. The floor plan itself, though, is still pretty open and flexible giving you the space to feel like you and your guests can move around comfortably. 

The barrel room also has skylights to help let in some natural light and it has its own private bar which is perfect for serving up their craft beer during your reception or dinner!

Meadow and Beer Wall 

No wedding venue is complete without a few places to take amazing portraits with your partner and wedding party! At Highland Brewing, there are a few really beautiful places that you can escape off to for some more quiet and intimate moments or with your entire wedding party to capture some unforgettable group photos. 

First on this list is the meadow. Highland Brewing actually sits on about 40 acres so there are some amazing wooded areas and fields right outside of the venue. This is a great option, especially during the warmer months, and there is plenty of room for all of your wedding parties. I like to photograph at the meadows to get a break from the industrial look at the venue and add some green and beautiful nature to your wedding photos! 

Next, we have the beer wall. This is definitely one of the more unique aspects of the venue and is a great place for some more intimate couples portraits. Here you’ll find pallets and pallets of beer stacked up creating a colorful and one of a kind backdrop. I would say it’s one of my favorite moments of the wedding day at Highlands Brewing!

You also can’t forget about the rooftop itself. After you have tied the knot, the rooftop offers amazing views and you’ll be able to walk around the whole area to capture all of the unique angles and views the rooftop has to offer as well as catching the sunset for those gorgeous golden hour photos!

Brewery Weddings Are More Fun in Asheville, Aren’t They?? 

When it comes to brewery weddings in general, they are such a fun experience and they always feel like they are a bit more unique and filled with character than some other venues. Especially when it comes to the Highland Brewing Company, you get years of brewing history combined with a beautiful built space to have the wedding of your dreams. 

One thing I love about brewery weddings is that you will often find that they are almost a blank slate. Most of the time they are not going to be overly decorated or themed on their own meaning you can really transform the space into whatever you want for your wedding. 

When it comes to the Highland Brewing Company wedding venue, one of the things that stands out the most and that I (and my couples) love is that you don’t have to flip the space to go from one part of the wedding to the next. This makes everyone else’s job easier and the transition from ceremony to reception seamless 

Since there are separate ceremony and reception locations and plenty of room throughout the entire venue, you can actually just have separate spaces for everything. This means that you and your guests don’t have to cram into small spaces while things are being flipped over and they don’t even have to see any cleanup or moving during your wedding at all.  

Final Thoughts on a Wedding at The Highland Brewing Company

So, if you are looking for a space that is not only flexible, but also has incredible mountain views and plenty of room for you and all of your guests, then Highland Brewing Company wedding venue should definitely be on your list. Not only is it a part of Asheville history, but it can also be a part of your history!! 

Are still looking for the perfect photographer to capture your dream wedding here in Asheville, North Carolina? You can click here to learn more about my wedding photography services or you can head over here to get in touch and start planning your dream wedding!

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