Golden Horseshoe Inn

The Golden Horseshoe Inn is truly a piece of heaven on earth! It's hard not to start gushing about how magical our Elegance Elopement was, and how genuine, kind and attentive Heather and Monique were throughout the planning process and then on the day itself. The GHI team really is hacking the wedding industry in the most beautiful way! :)

From the moment we visited the GHI website, we fell in love -- the mountain location, the drop-dead gorgeous photography, the all-inclusive packages. Heather was incredibly attentive and communicative, answering my questions super quickly via email and just making us even more excited for the big day!

Upon arriving, we felt right at home. In our 8 years together, Ian and I never really had the chance to feel like guests of honor, and having the whole venue and day devoted to the two of us was so special. All we really gave Heather as inspiration for a theme was “hippie, rustic, boho” -- and she conveyed this PERFECTLY in the sweetheart’s table, décor at the outdoor ceremony site, everything! It was like Heather and Monique had known us for years. Monique was also our officiant, and she was super sweet and patient as she kept having to hand me tissues. :) While we enjoyed cake and champagne, Monique even surprised us by playing the soundtrack from the movie that brought Ian and I together and that Ian had mentioned in his vows. The entire GHI team is so thoughtful and makes you feel like VIPs for a day!

The bouquet, boutonniere and cake were simply gorgeous! I absolutely loved my bouquet and the cake was probably the best we’ve ever had. It was so special to have all these details taken care of and ready for us to enjoy so we could spend the day focusing on each other. Highly recommend the mountaintop photoshoot for truly epic shots! We also immensely enjoyed our stay in the Chestnut Hills Cottage as the honeymoon cottage add-on.

I haven’t even mentioned the photography!! Where to begin! Heather’s loving, warm personality is infectious, and she went out of her way to make us feel at ease in front of the camera and help us with natural poses, expressions, etc. The photos themselves are absolutely priceless and Ian and I will treasure them forever. We can’t thank the GHI team enough, and we'll be looking for excuses to come back soon!

My husband and I got married at the Golden Horseshoe Inn last week, and I can’t begin to describe just how wonderful of an experience it was. I feel like five stars isn't enough!

I was looking for venues in Virginia that specialize in small ceremonies and elopements, and I thankfully came across GHI on Google. From the website alone, I felt like I found something special. Heather, GHI’s owner, does a fantastic job of providing all of the information you could want on the website. I submitted an inquiry through the website and heard back from Heather that same day. In the first email I received from her, I could tell that she loves what she does, and that she tries to make the planning experience as stress-free as possible.

We had about three weeks to plan the wedding, and it could not have been any easier. You’re provided with a planning guide that helps walk you through all of the decisions you need to make (e.g., cake flavor and style, colors for your bouquet, music to walk down the aisle). You’re also given a checklist which I found really helpful as my husband I worked our way through all of the different decisions. Heather was incredibly responsive while working through the wedding plans, and I was confident that she and her team would have everything in order when we arrived for our wedding.

The wedding day was spectacular. We were given a day of timeline, and at no point did we feel like we were being rushed. When we arrived, the venue was set up and Heather took us for a tour and make sure we liked how everything was set up. She and her team really had a good sense of our taste and there was nothing we wanted changed. Alan, the GHI officiant, did a wonderful job officiating the ceremony and welcomed the tailored ceremony script I had provided. After the ceremony, Heather and her team gracefully guided us through the rest of the afternoon—the toast, the cake cutting, the first dance.

And then we had fun going around the GHI grounds on a photo shoot. Heather is also a phenomenal photographer and when you get married at GHI, I strongly recommend adding on the photo shoot up on Skyline Drive. She has great locations picked out for photographs, and there was also something magical about standing on the rocks at one of the lookouts, enjoying the beautiful scenery with my new husband. We are so happy with the photo preview Heather gave us, and can't wait to see the final set!

Also, Heather has awesome vendors that she works with. My bouquet was breathtaking, and something I could have never dreamed up. I spent the two days after my wedding talking about how much I loved it. And the cake was absolutely delicious—I can’t wait to enjoy it again next year!

All in all, the experience with GHI was everything I could want it to be: stress-free and fun. I felt like we were in good hands with Heather and her team, and that was absolutely the case the day of our wedding. If you’re looking to elope or have a small, intimate wedding, please choose GHI. You won’t be disappointed!

The Golden Horseshoe Inn venue made our wedding the best day of our life! I couldn't have dreamed of a better place to celebrate our special day. Heather, Monique, and all the staff went above and beyond to ensure everything was perfect. Thank you for everything! We now have many beautiful memories that we will cherish forever.