The dilemma of Boone wedding venues
After living in the High Country for a while, and now, owning our own wedding venue, I’ve realized a lot of couples looking to get married in the 828 limit themselves to Boone wedding venues. They move their timelines, and stress over the location all because they want to say they’re getting married in Boone, North Carolina.
Who could blame them? Boone is the home of so many amazing things that people want to revisit, whether you’re an Appalachian State University graduate, or you grew up vacationing here for the awesome ski and snowboarding options (Appalachian Ski Mtn., Beech Mountain Ski Resort, Sugar Mountain Ski Resort), or you went to a wedding that happened in Boone that you want to replicate. Just know, if what you’re looking for is to get married at a venue with beautiful views, an adventurous getaway, and a location your guests will rave about, you have many options.
My biggest advice for someone looking to get married in the mountains would be to expand your search. Even looking 20 to 45 minutes outside of W. King St. will open up your options, potentially saving you time and money without sacrificing the appeal of the High Country.
That’s what my husband and I did . . . here’s our story:
We own a wedding venue in town, but got married 45-minutes away from Boone
We tied the knot over 20 years ago and to this day, many of our guests still tell us that our wedding was the most memorable.
I had moved to the area from Chicago, Illinois, to work my first job out of grad school and my husband-to-be had graduated from AppState. When it came to choosing a wedding venue, we knew we wanted to get married somewhere near Boone and found our dream spot at Watauga Lake.
Though not in Boone, in fact, it’s 45-minutes away from the Boone area, it was a place very special to our hearts. My husband’s family had camped on the lake for years before I came along, and he introduced me to life out there, amongst the beautiful tree-lined waters.
“It’s more than a wedding, it’s an adventure”
We sent out postcards of Watauga Lake as our wedding invitations to friends and family across the country. We said, “It’s more than a wedding, it’s an adventure,” and that it was. We suggested to guests that in addition to hanging out and even camping on the lakeside wedding venue, they could enjoy boating, swimming, fishing, hanging out by the campfire, and of course, excursions to Boone.
Most of our guests had never been to the area and journeying into the deep woods of Tennessee was a first. Many were accustomed to wedding venues such as hotel ballrooms and decorated clubs, so we knew they were in for a surprise.
We pitched our party tents, set up the bbq, invited friends to play guitar, and set out the moonshine – a welcomed change from the ordinary. Guests were welcome to dress for the outdoors and relax at the lakeside. We invited everyone to share their talents with a pre-wedding talent show where kids played their instruments, cousins sang, and friends jammed with guitars and keyboards. The sun was beaming and the lake would ripple as boats passed by.
It was perfect to have Boone only 45-minutes away, offering another activity for those who wanted to shop and explore the area. However, we kept most of the wedding activities close to the lake.
Our rehearsal dinner was at The Captain’s Table and our family style brunch after the wedding was at Shirley’s. The entire weekend invited guests to discover places and things they had never experienced and would have never visited if it wasn’t for our wedding.
At that time, we never dreamed of owning a Boone wedding venue. We weren’t even in that business. Years later, however, we bought the farm, as an investment, and soon realized that it also offered a space like the lake, that was rustic and natural and absolutely beautiful. We don’t offer lake views, but there is a small pond and like our wedding, guests can set up tents and camp and warm up by the campfire.
To conclude. . .
While the White Fence Farm Wedding & Event Venue would be my recommendation for couples looking for a rustic Boone wedding venue, Watauga Lake holds a very special place in our hearts and will always be my all time favorite place to say I DO.
