Why You Should Plan a North Carolina Arboretum Wedding
If you’re looking for your dream wedding venue in North Carolina and you want an outdoor gem that is made for weddings, then you’ll definitely want to consider planning a North Carolina Arboretum Wedding.
I had the chance to photograph Hayley and Mark’s beautiful summer wedding at the North Carolina Arboretum, and this venue was absolutely stellar, from the venue itself to the outstanding vendors who made their wedding possible, all set against a gorgeous, nature-infused backdrop.
Let’s dive into more about why you should consider planning a wedding at the North Carolina Arboretum with an exclusive look at Hayley and Mark’s magical wedding here.
Why Plan a North Carolina Arboretum Wedding
A wedding at the North Carolina Arboretum promises to be unforgettable as this wedding venue has so much to offer you and your partner, from tailored manicured gardens that are bound to stun and wow your guests to impressive nature backdrops to bountiful flowerbeds and so much more.
The North Carolina Arboretum
This venue is only 15 minutes away from Asheville, and it’s an environmentally conscious choice. The Arboretum centers sustainability within its weddings and even provides you with green initiative guidelines to help preserve the gardens. Some of the ways that the Arboretum works to create sustainability are using LED high-efficiency light bulbs, integrative pest management, reducing the use of fertilizers and weed growth, and so much more.
You can even choose from several different facilities throughout the venue to create a day that aligns best with your wedding vision, from the Heritage Garden which has a beautiful wooden gazebo, to the Baker Exhibit Center, which is a spacious, light-filled hall to the Event Lawn which is an open lawn with built-in outdoor string lighting, views of the greenhouse, and has perennial and seasonal plantings.
To learn more about the different venue options you can choose from and the Arboretum’s Green Wedding Program, go here. Plus, this venue can be used as the venue for your ceremony and reception – it’s the best of both worlds!
This venue will add so much beauty to your photos. I enjoyed incorporating the arboretum’s beautiful gardens and unique landscape into Hayley and Mark’s photos. One of my favorite images is from their ceremony at the amphitheater, with the tall evergreen trees in a line as a backdrop!
Bring Along Your Fur Baby
If you choose to plan a wedding at the North Carolina Arboretum you can also bring along your fur baby to be a part of your special day.
It goes without saying that dogs are ALWAYS welcome at your engagement session and at your weddings with me! I love it when couples tell me that they want to have photos of their dog at their wedding.
I especially love it when they tell me they hired Wags and Garland as the dog handlers during the wedding to ensure their fur baby was being taken care of and wasn’t taking away from anyone’s experience at the wedding.
Hayley and Mark had their fur baby present at their wedding, and I loved the first look Hayley and their dog shared before the ceremony.
Wags and Garland will provide your dog with the best care and also make sure all their special wedding day moments are captured. They did a phenomenal job taking care of Hayley and Mark’s dog and making sure they were available and happy for photos! Just look at them!
Hayley and Mark’s Wedding Vendors
I wanted to give a shout-out to Hayley and Mark’s wedding vendors, who created all the behind-the-scenes magic for their wedding and who made this day so special:
Florals
Style and Stigma provided the florals for Hayley and Mark’s wedding, and it really set the stage for their wedding day! Having a color scheme and choosing unique florals allows you to personalize your wedding and make it one-of-a-kind!
It was so much fun capturing the vibrant colors of the flowers at the ceremony and the reception space. I loved the arboretum’s use of its open space in front of the greenhouse.
Food
You’ve heard it before: What your guests remember the most from any wedding they attend is the food and whether the seats at your ceremony were comfortable.
Providing your guests and yourself with delicious food at your wedding reception is essential to having an incredible wedding! Having been in the industry for so long, I have eaten a fair share of wedding meals catered by many amazing caterers.
Sage and Spice were the perfect choice for Hayley and Mark’s wedding. They provided delicious buffet-style catering for Hayley, Mark, and their guests.
Planning
Carolina Love Events provided planning and coordination for Hayley and Mark’s wedding. Having a venue as big and spread out as the North Carolina Arboretum it’s imperative to have someone as skilled and professional as Carolina Love Events to make sure everything runs smoothly.
There are a lot of moving parts on a wedding day—coordinating with the caterer, hired help, the DJ, and guests. It’s a lot of work, and it’s nice to know that behind the scenes, you have help and fewer things to stress about on your wedding day.
Music
Something about live music really creates a calm, mesquite atmosphere. I love it when couples incorporate live music for their ceremony and/or cocktail hour. Hayley and Mark had live music for their wedding and cocktail hour.
It was a great way to add a more immersive touch to the wedding and it really adds a magical feel to the day that is not only unique but also so much fun.
DJ
When it comes to your wedding reception, you definitely can’t go wrong with a DJ! Whether you want to dance the night away with friends and family or have a more relaxed, chill reception to mingle and chat.
The music at your reception really brings the whole party to life so this is definitely something you don’t want to ignore. In my opinion, the best DJs are the ones that get the party going, and can keep your guests engaged during the reception formalities such as the first dance, parent dances, speeches, etc.
Hayley and Mark hired East Coast Entertainment for their wedding and they did a fantastic job.
Photography
What would a wedding be without the perfect wedding photographer?? Hayley and Mark hired Sean Szitas Photography for their wedding photos and it was probably the BEST choice they made when picking vendors – but I might be a little biased! (;
In my opinion, your wedding photographer is the vehicle on your wedding day that moves the timeline forward. There are so many things that happen before your wedding ceremony even kicks off, and your wedding photographer is there to capture them all without making you feel rushed or stressed.
A wedding photographer needs to be able to keep the couple and the wedding party on schedule but also have fun and help that reflect in the photos you take.
My favorite part of their wedding day was capturing the beginning of the reception They had so much beautiful reception details and I enjoyed capturing those beautiful details with the arboretum as the backdrop! By this time, their wedding day was starting to wind down, and I loved giving Hayley and Mark ten or so minutes to enjoy time with their friends and not worry about having photos taken.
I took this time to capture some of the gorgeous reception details and gave them a bit of space to be with their guests. They were able to go table to table and have some time with everyone to thank them personally for coming. We even got pictures with all of the guests during this time (which, trust me is something that not a lot of people get).
I loved capturing the joy and magic on Hayley and Mark’s wedding day! They were surrounded by awesome friends and family who helped make their day enjoyable, and they were surrounded by beautiful gardens and nature at the arboretum, so documenting that joy wasn’t too hard.
What To Know if You Want To Plan A Summer Wedding
Every couple has an ideal season for their wedding. Hayley and Mark decided summer was the time of year that most aligned with their wedding vision, so they planned the summer wedding of their dreams at the Arboretum.
It’s good to know in advance what you’re getting into, along with all the pros and cons, when planning a summer wedding. If you are considering planning a summer wedding, let’s talk about what having a summer wedding means as opposed to having a spring or fall wedding.
Hotter / unpredictable weather
First, we have to talk about the weather. The summer is going to be hot, so it’s important to accommodate your guests for this climate if your ceremony is going to be outside.
You can do this by providing fans or shades for your guests, having hydration stations, and considering renting a tent, canopy, or umbrellas to provide shade.
Also, in the summer rain showers can pop up out of nowhere but also be gone as quickly as they came.
Summer Vacations
Many people take vacations during the summer, so if you want to have a wedding at this time of year, make sure your guests get their wedding invitations and the chance to RSVP as soon as possible so they can plan ahead.
Pros of a Summer Wedding
- Greens and golden sunshine: Oh, how I love a gorgeous green backdrop of trees and that beautiful golden summer sunshine. The natural light and colors in the summer is just incredible.
- Longer days mean more sunshine—the options become endless! Your ceremony can be later in the day, such as at 5:00/6:00 p.m., and you can still have cocktail hour with an outdoor first dance and dinner with sunlight to spare. I love a good 8:30 p.m. sunset time.
- July and August aren’t super busy months for weddings, so planning and booking won’t be as competitive.
Ready to Plan a North Carolina Arboretum Wedding?
I hope you found this guide helpful, that you are excited about the possibility of planning a North Carolina Arboretum wedding, and that it was also helpful for you in deciding whether to plan a summer wedding… or maybe not!
No matter what time of year or which venue you choose, the most important thing about your wedding is that this day is about you and your partner and celebrating this thrilling new chapter in your relationship.
Also…
If you 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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