- In the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains sits the immense Biltmore Estate outside of Asheville. It is the largest privately owned home in the U.S. Built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1995, the wealthy New York City businessman and heir built a European-inspired, 250-room mansion. The resplendent grounds were designed by Central Park landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. "The Knot" named the Biltmore its 2008 and 2009 "Best of Weddings" pick given its breathtaking mountain vistas, stunning grounds and French chateau setting. Up to eight locations are available to accommodate an intimate wedding of 20 at the inn or a lavish ballroom wedding that accommodates 400 people.
- Bald Head Island sits along the southern coast of North Carolina on Cape Fear. Long before the tourists came, the island's history was filled with tales of American Indians, Italian explorers, notorious pirates and wealthy gentlemen landowners. The Old Baldy lighthouse was built in 1817 and is North Carolina's oldest standing lighthouse. Dedicated preservationists sought permanent protection for three-quarters of the island, marshes and east beach, making Bald Head Island and Old Baldy the ideal backdrop for a romantic destination wedding. The interior of the lighthouse is available for small events, but food and drink are not allowed inside.
- When the bride and groom want their wedding day to be abloom in a sea of flowers, Airlie Gardens in Wilmington is an option. The beauty of the grounds negates the need for any decorative floral arrangements except a simple bridal bouquet. Originally part of a land grant from King George in 1735, it wasn't until the early 1900s that the garden took shape. Owner Sarah Jones hired architect Rudolf Topel to design a formal garden that included more than 5,000 camellias and a half-million azaleas. While the garden is not as expansive today, it is still a breathtaking wash of color, particularly in the spring; summer and fall are a different type of beautiful, too. Wedding venues incorporate the natural beauty of the gardens including an open lawn, a natural grass-carpeted aisle in the pergola garden or the pergola. Perhaps one of the most unique sites available is the Minnie Evans Bottle Chapel constructed entirely of glass bottles fashioned together with cement and metal.
- For a bride who fancies himself to be a modern-day Scarlett O'Hara, a wedding at a grand plantation might be just what the southern girl ordered. The Green River Plantation in Rutherfordton is in the western part of the state and is listed on the National Register for Historic Places. The 1807 plantation home is perched alongside the flood plain of the Green River and true to the style of the day, a lush English garden was planted to complement the grandeur of the home. Included in that garden was also a traditional boxwood maze. Still a private residence, the plantation is available for weddings with a variety of venues to choose from: the tea room, drawing room in the main house, gate house, open pavilion or the open lawn.
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