If you hadn’t noticed by now, we LOVE the mountains, so we were super excited when Jackie and Jared reached out to us about their fall wedding at Hawkesdene in Andrews, NC! On top of having a great vibe for their wedding, these two are some of the kindest and most generous people I think we’ve ever met. After spending time with us for their engagement session, they had already invited us to Jared’s birthday/Halloween party, and planned to come over for a game night! To top it all off, they were gifted some Pappy Van Winkle whiskey at their wedding and were insistent that we try a sip with them. Talk about good friends!

Hosting a Late Fall Wedding at Hawkesdene

Hawkesdene was an ideal wedding venue for Jackie and Jared because they wanted their wedding to have a “retreat” feel where their family and friends could spend the whole weekend and stay on the property. The venue has an entire campus of cottages, hiking trails and amenities in addition to being a wedding venue. It boasts multiple ceremony sites, beautiful grounds for photos, and… the best part… a llama and alpaca stable!

Jackie started her morning in the Bridal Salon, which was directly across from her cottage that she stayed in the night before. Her and her bridesmaids had their make-up done while their tuckered little flower girl took a nap. Meanwhile, Jared got ready in the Main House after playing a little pool and sharing some whiskey with his groomsmen and the llamas.

Exploring the Grounds at Hawkesdene

All dressed up and ready to go, Jackie and Jared were eager to see each other and start taking some epic portraits around the Hawkesdene property. They had an adorable first look and then adventured around with us to take all of the woodsy mountain-vibe photos.

A Simple Outdoor Ceremony

Jackie and Jared’s ceremony was held in the Pergola Garden, across from the main house. It wasn’t a super long ceremony, but it was jam packed with emotion. They had three friends stand and give readings and many happy tears were shed.

Fall Mountain Views from the Hawkesdene Overlook

One of the most attractive parts of having a wedding at Hawkesdene is that they have an open-air pavilion with an incredible view. After the ceremony, Jackie and Jared wanted to have a private moment together up there and watch the sun set. A very daring venue employee loaded up his golf cart with all four of us and the camera gear and drove us up an insanely steep switchback trail to the top of the overlook. We have never clung on so hard for dear life! But when we made it to the top, it was totally worth it. Jackie and Jared popped some champagne, enjoyed the view, and just took some time to be with each other and reflect on the day.

Celebrating a Beautiful Fall Wedding Day

Jackie and Jared’s friends know how to party! Because pretty much everyone was staying on the property, the dancefloor was packed all night and our happy couple had an epic sparkler exit (to their cottage that was only a few hundred steps away!). Later on in the night, they gathered again with their friends and family around the bonfire and made s’mores.

Venue and Catering: Hawkesdene | Florist: Andrews Florist & Gift Shop | Cookie Cake: The Batch Maker | Individual Cookies: Red’s Scratch Made | DJ: Remix Weddings | Hair and Makeup: Dianna Vanegas | Wedding Dress Designer: Justin Alexander | Wedding Dress Purchase Location: Poffie Girls | Suits: Jos A. Banks | Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Revelry