The Blue Ridge Mountains are no stranger to elopements, but it’s often hard to find a spot that you 1. Don’t have to hike to and 2. Don’t need a permit to get married in a certain location. Having your elopement at Grandfather mountain checks both of these boxes and offers plenty of options for all kinds of couples!

I’ve put together the ultimate guide to eloping at Grandfather Mountain so you have less stress and more FUN leading up to your wedding day!

Pre- Grandfather Mountain Elopement

In order to elope at Grandfather Mountain, you must reserve your date AT LEAST 1 week ahead of time. In order to reserve your date, contact Todd Jones at Todd Jones at (828) 733-2013 or todd@grandfather.com . If you reserve ahead of time, the Bride + Groom will receive free admission to the park. The other guests/vendors etc must pay for their entry. Typically if reserved early and you know your guest count at the time of reservation, the guests will receive a discounted rate.

If you’re uncertain about your guest count or not sure who all you’d like to attend, your people can always reserve regular priced tickets on their own time at https://grandfather.com/tickets/ . Due to COVID-19 ALL patrons of Grandfather Mountain must reserve a time online, so make sure to let any guests you may be included in your day know what to expect.

The rates (as of 2022) are:

$22 per adult Senior (age 60+): $20 Child (ages 4-12): $9

Getting There

The entrance to Grandfather Mountain is located on U.S. 221, two miles north of Linville, North Carolina, and one mile south of the Blue Ridge Parkway at Milepost 305. The street address is: 2050 Blowing Rock Highway, Linville, NC 28646 (click link for Google Maps). The GPS coordinates are 36.08502N, -81.84646W. The road to the summit is referred to as Grandfather Mountain Entrance Road, Linville, NC.

GPS are famously unreliable in the Blue Ridge Mountains, as they don’t account for switchbacks etc, so to be safe, head to the link which has written instructions on how to navigate to the entrance: https://grandfather.com/visit/plan-your-visit/getting-here/

There is very little to no service when you’re traveling to the park, so make sure any additional guests have a map or you all caravan together so they can find your ceremony spot.

Choosing Your Ceremony Spot

The one major rule when it comes to eloping at Grandfather Mountain is: You can not reserve a specific spot in the park, nor can you interrupt the natural flow of traffic. (aka: no weddings in the middle of the road) Most people are kind enough to give you some space if you choose one of the more popular areas as your ceremony spot, but prepare yourself, especially in the fall, for there to be a few random people watching you say “I Do.”

• Ceremony Location Options:
  • No hiking just views: Cliffside Picnic Area To access: Just drive your car up the windy access road to location #5 on the Grandfather Mountain State Park Map
  • Option for a short hike OR no hike: Mile High Swinging Bridge. This is, dare I say, the main attraction of Grandfather Mountain (and no, it’s not a swinging bridge made out of rope…which is what I thought I was getting into the first time I visited LOL) This is the most popular spot for guests when they visit Grandfather Mountain. Unless you’re okay with A LOT of people around for your ceremony, I would leave this spot for photos post-ceremony.
  • Strenuous hike and MAJOR views: Grandfather Trail which is a total of 4.8 miles out and back. This hike has ladders, cables and strenuous features that make this perfect for the most adventurous couples. This hike takes a good chunk of time, so plan accordingly! This is a VERY strenuous hike, but the payoff is SO worth it. ***Not recommended for those who are afraid of heights or falling. To Access: Park at the swinging bridge parking lot and the trailhead is on the opposite side of the parking lot as the swinging bridge + gift shop
  • Don’t want the same place as others? Have your photographer (ahem…me 😊) go scout spots that aren’t on others’ radars, but still provide amazing scenery.

Additional details about choosing your ceremony spot:

• You CAN shoot before or after normal park hours, but there is an additional fee ($150) plus the normal admission price and must be reserved ahead of time.
• You may take photos anywhere on the property with the cost of your admission, but please stay on marked trails.
• The best time for your ceremony would be first thing in the morning right when the park opens in order to avoid crowds.
• The summit of Grandfather Mountain gets COLD. Unless you’re a polar bear, I would refrain from planning a winter wedding here.

Now you’ve got the ceremony details, but wait, I want to help you with the WHOLE thing friend, so here are a list of my local favorites to help round out the perfect elopement day.

Local Wedding Vendors

• Hair + Makeup
  • Bridal by Sierra: https://www.instagram.com/bridalbysierra/?hl=en
  • Steel Rose Studio: https://www.instagram.com/1steelrosestudio/?hl=en
  • White Willow Hair Studio: https://www.instagram.com/white.willow.boone/?hl=en
• Florals
  • Felicity Floral Design: https://www.felicityfloral.com/
  • Thistle + Twig: https://www.thistleandtwigflowers.com/
  • Double Bloom Flowers: https://www.facebook.com/doublebloomnc/
• Videographer
  • Summit To Sea Films https://www.summittoseafilms.com/
• Cakes/Dessert
  • Stick Boy Bread Co https://www.stickboybread.com/bakery
  • Cookies: https://appcookieco.com/
• Officiant
  • Kathleen Dupree: https://www.instagram.com/marrymekath/?hl=en
  • Vanessa LaRotonda https://www.instagram.com/adventure.officiant/?hl=en

Places to stay nearby for your post-wedding celebration

• On the Grid: https://www.stayappaframe.com/
• Off the Grid(ish) (with kitchenette + full bath) : https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/49655293?check_in=2022-09-23&check_out=2022-09-25&guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=c900f5f5-f448-4c16-9818-6c63ba866b02
• Hotel : https://thehorton.com/
• Resort: https://chetola.com/

Post-Elopement Dinner

Boujee

• gamekeeper https://gamekeeper-nc.com/
• artisnal http://www.artisanalnc.com/
• twigs http://twigsbr.com

Not so Boujee

• bbq https://www.thepedalinpig.com/
• pizza https://www.facebook.com/cpcboone/

I hope this guide helps take a few things off of your plate! Make sure to check out the rest of my website to see if we’re a good fit for your elopement day!