Weddings at Wunderland

September 30, 2026

A Forest Ceremony Venue Near Asheville, North Carolina

Wunderland Resort is an outdoor wedding venue on 35 acres in Old Fort, North Carolina, about thirty minutes east of Asheville. Ceremonies are held in a forest garden beneath a custom moon gate altar, seating up to 110 guests. Receptions seat 75 under tent. Packages run from two person elopements to full weekends with lodging on site.

What is the ceremony space?

The ceremony site is a forest garden the property calls the fairy forest, planted so that it holds foliage year round rather than going bare in winter. At the head of it stands a custom built moon gate altar, a circle you walk through rather than stand in front of.

The ceremony gardens seat up to 110 guests comfortably.

What that space does, practically, is remove the two problems most outdoor venues have. It does not depend on a single blooming season to look like anything, and it does not read as a field with chairs in it. It reads as a room, with walls made of trees.

The other thing worth knowing before you tour: the ceremony site, the reception space and the lodging are all on the same 35 acres. Nobody drives between the vows and the dance floor. Nobody drives home at midnight.

How many guests can Wunderland hold?

Ceremony gardens: up to 110 guests
Reception tent with round tables: 75 guests
An additional 20 by 20 tent is available for a DJ, a band or a dance floor
Overnight guests on property with the Full Spirited Wedding package: up to 28
Parking with the Full Spirited Wedding package: 40 cars

Groups above 75 for a seated reception can be accommodated with a larger tent rental at additional cost. Ask about it during your inquiry rather than after you have built a guest list.

What wedding packages does Wunderland offer?

Five packages, running from an elopement for two to a full weekend on the property.

Soulful Elopement, 2 to 10 guests, $1,275 with taxes included
Soulful Elopement Plus, 2 to 10 guests, $1,975 with taxes included
Sacred Ceremony, up to 75 guests, $2,175 with taxes included
Sacred Ceremony Plus, up to 75 guests, $2,975 with taxes included
Full Spirited Wedding, 110 for the ceremony, 75 for the reception, 28 overnight, starting at $7,875.

Prices as published at the time of this update. Confirm current pricing and availability with the concierge before you plan around a number.

What every package includes

The forested ceremony site
A custom spiritual ceremony performed by a licensed minister
Private bathrooms within walking distance of the ceremony
Access for a private photography session on the property
Basic tables, chairs and natural décor

What the Full Spirited Wedding adds

Two nights of accommodation for up to 28 guests across the villas, the glamping units and the Bishop house
An onsite host and ceremony coordination
The outdoor event tent
Parking for 40 cars
Early access for vendors and setup

Add ons available

Bouquet and boutonnière, champagne toast, a live acoustic musician, a fire or meditation ceremony, catering, and wedding planner services. A professional photographer can be arranged, with an option to own the images at a special rate.

See the full wedding packages.

Which season should you get married in?

There is no wrong season here, but they are genuinely different weddings. The property sits at roughly 1,400 feet in the Catawba River valley, low enough that the seasons arrive later and leave later than they do on the ridges above.

Spring, April to early June

Green up moving up the mountain, water running hard, wildflowers coming in. Choose it if you want the forest at its brightest and the creeks at their loudest.

Summer, June to August

Full canopy, deep shade, and the pond and the cold plunge at their best. Choose it if you want a weekend built around the water and the long evenings.

Early fall, September

Still green in the valley, with the first color starting on the high peaks above. Warm days, cool nights. Choose it if you want color as a backdrop rather than as the subject.

Peak fall, late October into early November

The valley floor turning gold and red, weeks after the high country has finished. Choose it if you want fall color in the frame, and book earliest of any season, because these are the most requested dates in Western North Carolina.

Winter, December to March

Bare ridgelines, long views, fire and sauna weather, and the fairy forest still green when everything around it is not. Choose it if you want the quiet version, the smallest guest list, and the most availability.

The fall color point is worth sitting with. Because the valley is low, it holds color into the first week of November, well after the mountains above it have gone bare. A first week of November wedding here can still be a fall color wedding. Our fall color timing guide walks through the elevation math.

What should you know before you book?

Four things that matter more here than at a conventional venue.

There is effectively no cell service on the property

This is real and you should plan around it rather than discover it. Guests will not be able to text each other across 35 acres. Vendors will not be able to reach you from the parking area. Rideshare will not be summonable from the fire circle.

What to do about it:

Print directions and a schedule for every guest
Give your vendors a physical map and a set arrival time rather than a phone number
Appoint two people as runners
Arrange transportation in advance instead of at the end of the night

Guests reliably describe the disconnection as the best part of the weekend once it stops being a surprise.

The resort may have other guests during your event

Wunderland is a working resort, not an empty venue rented by the day. There may be overnight guests on property during your ceremony and reception. The resort informs those guests in advance and works to protect the privacy of both. Ask about a full property buyout during your inquiry if that matters to you.

The ground is a forest floor

Plan footwear accordingly and tell your guests. This is a real forest, on a slope, in the mountains. Heels that work on a lawn do not work here.

You need a North Carolina marriage license before the day

A marriage license in North Carolina is issued by a county Register of Deeds and may be used anywhere in the state, regardless of which county issued it. It is generally valid for 60 days from issue, both parties must appear together to apply, and identification is required.

Get the current requirements, fee and office hours directly from the McDowell County Register of Deeds or the North Carolina Judicial Branch marriage page rather than from any wedding blog, this one included.

What is there for guests to do around the wedding?

The advantage of a destination this size is that a wedding becomes a weekend rather than an evening. On the property there is a natural water cold plunge, a sauna, fire pits, a grounding trail, stargazing areas and hiking access straight into Pisgah National Forest. On site massage and guided meditation can be arranged. See all amenities.

Ten minutes away, downtown Old Fort has two breweries, a distillery with a full restaurant, a bakery, a free state history museum and one of the more welcoming mountain bike trail systems in the region. Our Old Fort guide covers the whole town, which is a genuinely useful thing to send guests along with the invitation.

Thirty minutes west is Asheville. Twenty five minutes north, on a clear day, is some of the best fall color in the eastern United States.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a wedding at Wunderland cost?

Published packages run from $1,275 for a Soulful Elopement of two to ten guests up to $7,875 and above for the Full Spirited Wedding, which includes two nights of lodging for up to 28 guests. Confirm current pricing with the concierge.

Can you get married at Wunderland with only two people?

Yes. The Soulful Elopement package is built for two to ten guests and includes a licensed minister and a custom ceremony.

How many guests can attend a wedding at Wunderland?

Up to 110 for the ceremony and 75 for a seated reception under tent. Larger seated receptions are possible with an additional tent rental.

Is there lodging on site for the wedding party?

Yes. The Full Spirited Wedding package includes two nights for up to 28 guests across the villas, the glamping units and the Bishop house. Other packages offer the option to rent a villa for the afternoon or overnight with early check in.

Do you need your own officiant?

No. Every package includes a custom spiritual ceremony performed by a licensed minister. You may bring your own officiant if you prefer.

Can you bring your own caterer and vendors?

Catering and planning are available as add ons, and vendors are accommodated with early setup access in the Full Spirited Wedding package. Discuss your specific vendor list during the inquiry.

Is Wunderland a good elopement venue near Asheville?

It is built for it. Two of the five packages are designed for two to ten guests, the ceremony site is private, the officiant is included, and Asheville is thirty minutes away.

How far is Wunderland from Asheville?

About thirty minutes east on Interstate 40, at exit 73 in Old Fort.

What happens if it rains?

The reception tent is a fixed part of the package structure, and the forest canopy over the ceremony site changes the character of rain considerably. Discuss a weather plan with your onsite host during planning.

How do you book a wedding at Wunderland?

Start with the inquiry form on the weddings page. The resort responds within 48 hours.

If you would rather speak with someone first:

Phone: 828.419.4632
Email: concierge@wunderlandresort.com
Address: 448 Curtis Creek Road, Old Fort, North Carolina 28762

Venue searches typically run nine to fourteen months ahead of a wedding date, and October dates in Western North Carolina go earliest of all. If you are looking at next fall, now is the right time to be looking.

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