Asheville has always been a very popular destination wedding city. I believe that recently it was named as one of the top wedding destination cities in the nation; if not the top destination city. This is for good reason too! If you have ever visited the area then you know about the enormous natural beauty both in and around Asheville. It is a beautiful area that, quite frankly, will never change as most of the western tip of the state is protected federal and state lands. The weather is very mild too; especially during the popular wedding months like May/June and September/October/November. There are so many wedding venues that leverage this regional advantage and serve this industry well with both gorgeous venues and outstanding service. Asheville really is the wedding capital of the USA. Everything was great for this bustling business until September 27th, 2024 when this mean hurricane named Helene blew though the area. Then everything changed…At least for a little awhile…
The Immediate After Effects
Unless you don’t pay any attention to the news, you know that Helene caused untold and immeasurable damage to Western North Carolina. It was bad and for some areas the devastation continues to effect everyday life. Some areas, like Chimney Rock, just don’t exist anymore and it will be years before this area is fully able to recover. Most areas have been effected in one way or another by the storm. Even in towns that were not washed away by flash floods most were without basic utilities for an extended period of time (e.g. power, water, Internet, etc.). This all happened during the height of the Fall wedding season in this area which negatively affected a lot of wedding plans as the venues were just not able to provide service in the days and weeks immediately after the storm. Most people are considering Helene a one in a 1,000 year storm event and there was just no way for people to predict how bad it was going to hit the area. There is just no way to minimize or diminish the impact Helene has had on this area. To do so would cheapen and diminish the suffering folks went through (and still going through for some) and the efforts put forth by the amazing first responders, line-men, doctors, nurses, and everyone else who has been working non-stop to restore a sense of normalcy to the area.
The good news is that recovery is progressing rapidly and Western North Carolina is slowly get back onto its feet and welcoming guests back to the area…
Moving Forward…
As stated earlier, not everywhere was affected the same. Believe it or not, some venues actually had weddings on 9/28, the day after the storm. Yes, some areas are still down and will be down for an extended period but there are a million shades of gray in-between both of these extremes. Most wedding venues in Asheville and the surrounding area were reopening during the month of October and this will continue through the month of November and beyond. Just about everything will reopen and will be welcoming couples for their wedding ceremonies in the coming months. This is especially true for the 2025 wedding season and I don’t know of any wedding venues that are not taking bookings for 2025 dates. The expectation with all venues and vendors is that things will be back to normal for the 2025 season. We are not going to let this storm take anymore from us than necessary.
For a unique wedding option like Hitched Traveling Chapel, you can literally have your wedding anywhere you want as we come to you. So you are not necessarily restricted by the location or availability of a given venue. If it is legal/allowed for us to setup our cute horse-trailer chapel, then we can turn anyplace into a unique venue for your wedding. We are open and available now and for any date in the future.
So if you are considering having your wedding in the Asheville area, please don’t change your mind or reconsider due to Helene. As stated earlier, many venues (including us) are open now or will be open for the 2025 season. The best thing you can do to help this area recover is to support this area with your business. The local vendors want your business, will earn your business, and will provide excellent service to anyone who books with them in the future. You can take that to the bank!
