Hawksdene is an all inclusive, retreat style, private estate located on a 70 acre compound within the Nantahala National Forest. Our wedding guests will enjoy a relaxing stay in one of the estate's 44 luxurious rooms. You'll be able to enjoy your morning coffee from a cabin porch, take a stroll around the lush gardens, visit with alpacas and even hike to a peak with long range mountain views. Please visit the Hawkesdene website to learn more about the estate + grounds: https://www.hawkesdene.com/grounds/

The wedding retreat begins on Monday, April 1st and ends on Thursday, April 4th. Yes, you read that right, Monday through Thursday. There is a special explanation but we won't bore you with the details. The ceremony and reception are on Wednesday, April 3rd. We have events, activities and dinners planned each day under the "Schedule of Events" tab. While we truly hope everyone is able to celebrate our wedding with us, we also understand that this entails time off of work and travel. Hopefully, you can make it and will be able to enjoy a mini vacation and getaway with us; but if not, we completely understand!

Uhh, why not?! We love the mountains and we'd spend every waking hour there if we could. We simply don't get the chance to see our family and friends nearly as often as we would like, and so, when we pictured our perfect wedding, we wanted more than anything to have the chance to spend time with each person there. Trying to fit that all into one night seemed like it would be a challenge, and we are SO thrilled that our venue has provided us with the perfect opportunity to stay and spend time with each person who will be celebrating our marriage with us. As soon as we saw Hawkesdene, we knew it would be the perfect way to share our love of the mountains with everyone. The wedding will be "retreat" style so we can spend some good quality time with the people we love the most.

Guest arrival is at or after 4pm on Monday, April 1st, 2024.

Guest departure is at 11am on Thursday, April 4th, 2024.

At Hawkesdene! There is ample room for all of our wedding guests to stay onsite. No need to travel back and forth from a hotel or airbnb; plus this is a part of the experience! Once we enter the Hawkesdene estate, it's all ours for the taking. We have exclusive and private use of the full 70 acre estate and guests will enjoy luxury accommodations in on site homes and cabins throughout the estate grounds. Be sure to visit the "Estate + Accommodations" tab for a direct link to the Hawkesdene website where you can book your room and pay for your stay! There is a $500 estate lodging fee which covers your lodging, drinks and food! It's ALL inclusive!

Hawkesdene is an estate in the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina. The venue is right near North Carolina's borders with Georgia and Tennessee. Depending on where you come from, it may be easier to drive or fly, but know that the nearest 3 airports are each about a 2 hour drive away from the venue. For more information about travel, please see the "travel" tab above!

Guests will be asked to pay $500 per person (over 10 years old) for their stay and meals on the estate with their RSVP. This fee goes toward the cost of lodging and food for each guest's entire stay at the estate: Monday, April 1st through Thursday, April 4th. This cost does not change if a guest chooses to stay less than 3 nights. We understand this is a significant cost and we appreciate everyone being willing to attend this event and celebrate our wedding with us. To submit your payment, please go to: https://www.hawkesdene.com/guest-payments/ and fill out the payment form. Be sure to click Janessa & David in the drop down menu so that your payment is contributed to the correct wedding.

No, you are welcome to stay for however long you'd like! The wedding ceremony and reception will be on Wednesday, April 3rd; the rehearsal dinner will be on Tuesday, April 2nd. We would love to see everyone for as long as your schedules allow, but we understand that traveling and taking days off isn't easy. We truly appreciate all the time you will spend with us! Please do note that the estate fee will not change when a shorter stay is booked.

Yes! Each meal is prepared farm to table, on the estate. There will be vegetarian options available at each meal. Please let us know if you have any other dietary restrictions and we can pass that along to the estate's Chef and kitchen, who are more than happy to accommodate! There will be a question specific to this when you process your RSVP, so we will be certain to notate it!

The wedding retreat will be in the mountains in early Spring! Every day will be casual and mountain vibes. Pack your favorite cozy sweater, some hiking boots and some s'mores friendly outfits! The evening of the rehearsal dinner will be dress attire and semi formal. The wedding will be formal or black tie attire. Please be aware (especially for the wedding ceremony) that the dance floor and reception area are concrete, but the walkways and likely ceremony location are gravel / rocks. We advise wedges or heel protectors. If you plan to do any exploration outside of Hawkesdene, be sure to pack accordingly. Swim suits, hiking clothes and shoes, etc.! We want you to be comfortable! Bring your dancing shoes and get ready for cozy vibes!

We haven't decided yet! There are so many fantastic locations at Hawkesdene - this will just have to be a surprise! What we do know: it will be outside, weather permitting. We will have tents on call if necessary. Most settings will be grass or gravel, so keep this in mind when picking out your shoes! Travel will not be necessary, everything will be inside the estate gates.

Please RSVP above by clicking the "RSVP" tab and entering your name. Please be sure to answer the questions included to ensure we make your stay as enjoyable as possible! Please also confirm your stay by making your estate fee payment on Hawkesdene's website: https://www.hawkesdene.com/guest-payments/ * When completing the payment form, be sure to click on "Janessa & David" in the drop down so your request for payment is sent to us for approval, not another bride and groom. (Don't worry, the estate manager won't apply your payment unless we approve it). You may also RSVP using the formal response envelope sent to you in the invitation! However, please note that your reservation will not be confirmed until you've booked your stay using the Hawkesdene website.