Hawkesdene

My (now) wife and I got married at Hawkesdene in September and could not have had a better experience. When we started envisioning our wedding, we pictured a wilderness retreat where we could spend quality time with our friends and family, and as a same-sex couple, we were especially keen on finding a venue where we felt valued and supported. Hawkesdene ended up being exactly what we were looking for.

From start to finish, the team at Hawkesdene was incredibly helpful and accommodating. We started with a tour of the property, which was very well-manicured and included cute spots to sit and relax, a bonfire with ample seating, and a creek to dip your toes into. Spread throughout the grounds were a dozen or so cabins, each well-equipped and varied in size, making it easy to accommodate different groupings of guests. After we chose the venue, we went and stayed a night on the estate and had a planning session with Jami and Ashley. They were both incredibly knowledgeable and both accommodated our requests and advised us when we had any hesitations. Throughout the planning process, Jami and Ashley were very responsive to any questions we had about the property, our invitations, other vendors, etc., which was immensely helpful.

On the weekend of our wedding, which ran from Thursday through Sunday, we had an amazing time with our loved ones! Our guests ranged from less than a year old to over 90 and everyone was well-accommodated and had an amazing time. The food was excellent, everything ran smoothly, and we got to spend a ton of time with everyone! On the day of our wedding, Ashley took care of all the décor for us and executed on our vision perfectly. We also had rain on our wedding day, and Jami and Ashley kept a close eye on the forecast and walked us through contingency plans in case we needed to change ceremony locations. We really valued being able to show up on Thursday, tell Jami and Ashley what we envisioned, and not have to worry about anything the whole weekend.

We feel very fortunate to have had our wedding at Hawkesdene and highly recommend it for anyone searching for an outdoor retreat with your loved ones.

Hawkesdene is such a special venue. You can see it from just looking at the pictures of the
beautiful grounds and the backdrop of the western Carolina mountains. But what makes it so
wonderful is truly the people and the experience.
Our experience venue shopping was unlike any other with Hawkesdene. From the beginning
everything was transparent and perfectly laid out. We browsed the website and found all the
information about the venue, pricing, and many other details. Rob provided us with a
personalized quote within 24 hours of reaching out. From then there was an open line of
communication. There were no surprise add on costs and everything was included to create a
seamless experience. The guest payment process was also very smooth.
We made the trip from Florida to do a site visit and were sure the moment we arrived that we
found our venue. During our tour, Rob explained the entire process from booking to what the
weekend would look like. Then we had the opportunity to tour every single cottage and Jaylen
took us up to see Hawk’s Nest. It was all breathtaking.
From there we were introduced to Jami, superwoman, who walked us through the entire
planning process from napkin colors to guest accommodations and timelines. We were able to
do our planning session on site and go over every single detail at length.
The actual weekend was nothing short of magical. Multiple guests came up to us and said that it
felt like a movie. The staff were so kind and attentive and treated our guests with so much care.
We arrived on Thursday and left on Sunday. While there we did the Hawk’s Nest group hike, a
field day with different lawn activities for the kiddos and adults, bonfires, Karaoke, and
nightvision manhunt for the daring. The food was delicious and the logistics of it all seamless.
We had the Mexican in the Mountains and Smoky Mountain Barbecue menus and a la carte for
wedding day. Breakfast and lunch were delicious. Many of our guests loved the potatoes,
croissants, and raved about the barbecue. Our wedding day was wonderful. Hawkesdene
beyond exceeded our vision!
I would be remiss if I also didn’t mention how incredibly talented and attentive Ashley is. She
was an absolute wizard with florals and decor details. Many of our guests experienced flight
delays and cancellations and she communicated with us to ensure that they would have dinner
once they arrived. We had a positive experience with every single member of the staff we
encountered.
Wedding planning is such an involved process and it is such a breath of fresh air to encounter
businesses that are transparent and honest. There is much more we could say about
Hawkesdene. It perfectly fit our vision of a weekend away with our loved ones to connect and
reset. Thank you to all of the wonderful people at Hawkesdene for making this a weekend we
will never forget!

We had a wonderful time at Hawkesdene for our wedding (December of 2025). We had 50 guests, and all were able to stay onsite with us for a Thursday through a Sunday. The staff (especially Jami and Ashley) were so wonderful to work with and were always ready to answer questions that came up as we were planning our visit. The food was delicious, the cottages and main house were lovely, and the staff did an amazing job executing our vision! It was so nice to be able to hand off our decor and our plans for the weekend and then be able to relax and enjoy our stay knowing that they had everything handled. Ashley also did a great job helping us with our ceremony rehearsal, making sure to note some of the common moments that trip people up and make sure we practiced and were prepared for them. Our decor was set up exactly how we envisioned, and everything was packed back up for us afterwards so loading up our cars on checkout day was easy! We had a very unfortunate turn of events on our wedding day (we had to put our dog down via video call right after our ceremony), but the staff handled the situation with such grace. Because of the unexpected nature of the situation, we made some very last-minute adjustments to our timeline for the day, and they handled those smoothly. The bartender Megan even created a special cocktail in honor of our boy which was so above and beyond! To keep this review as honest as possible, there is only one thing I'd note for both Hawkesdene staff to be aware of and for future guests to take into consideration. We had a few allergies with our guests (some peanut/tree nut allergies and some shellfish allergies). While the staff did a great job noting what things were at meals so no one accidentally ate something they shouldn't have, we did have a few items show up at mealtimes that we had expressly asked to either substitute and/or not have available. Peanut butter was included at breakfast service near the toast station although we had requested that no peanuts be used all weekend, and on the wedding brunch day we had requested to substitute out the Shrimp and Cheddar Grits they usually serve with just Cheddar Grits (as we had also noted we didn't want shellfish all weekend either due to allergies) but what was served was the version containing shrimp. Again, they did note specifically what items were, so as long as guests are aware it shouldn't be a big issue, but something to be aware of on both sides for the future as it would have been a simple thing for my youngest sister (8) to get some peanut butter without realizing it and have a reaction. Thankfully her allergies are not too intense and haven't required an EpiPen to be used yet (although she has one), but I know some people have much more severe allergies that can act up even just in the vicinity of nuts so if it had been that type of allergy the situation could have been bad. We would absolutely recommend Hawkesdene to anyone looking for a great mountain location to get married though, it was an amazing time, and we have heard nothing but compliments from our guests on the venue, the staff, and the great time they had! If we have another occasion to try to get together with another large group, we will definitely be reaching back out! Thank you Hawkesdene for a wonderful wedding weekend! :)

I attended my niece’s wedding at Hawkesdene and it was the best wedding I’ve been to ! The food was fantastic and they even did special request for allergies ! The staff was all amazing especially Jami ! They even have alpacas! The grounds were exceptional! They have a mountain top for pictures that is just magnificent! Only bad thing … we had to leave !

My daughter was Married at Hawkesdene September 13. 2025. What a glorious weekend it was. Our guests checked in on Thursday and checked out on Sunday. I did not hear one complaint the entire time we were there. Jami, Ashley and all the staff had everything under control from beginning to end. My daughter said it was the wedding of her dreams. The food was AMAZING. Every meal was different and delicious!!! The venue and all the cottages are beautiful, warm and welcoming. As most/all Mother of the Brides worry whether everything will be taken care, it certainly was. I did not have to micro manage anything because Hawkesdene did everything for us while we were there. I still cannot believe how wonderful it all was. Everyone was so nice and helpful as well. Jami, Ashley and the all the Staff Rocked It Out!!! Thank You from the bottom of my heart - Hawkesdene made my daughters the best wedding we have ever been to. Our guests have also told us this numerous times. You cannot go wrong with this venue. Thank You, Karen W

If you're searching for a wedding venue, look no further than Hawkesdene. The venue is absolutely stunning—you already know about the magical mountain views and gorgeous grounds!

However, what truly sets Hawkesdene apart is the incredible team, led by Jami. They were tremendous in helping my wife and I bring our entire vision to life.

From those late-night emails during the planning phase to last-minute, day-of tweaks, their support was unwavering.

We never once lacked faith in the outcome. Jami and the team handled every detail with such professionalism that we were able to relax and fully enjoy our day.

Hawkesdene delivers both the dreamy setting and the flawless execution. They are simply the best!

Hawkesdene is fantastic. The grounds, event venues, service, staff, and FOOD made it the best wedding experience we could've asked for and more. While other places would charge extra for every little request, Hawkesdene offers those requests as part of the wedding weekend experience (bonfire, smores, lawn games, wedding day brunch, etc.). Many of our guests said it was the best wedding they've ever attended, and I can't help but agree because of the experience that Hawkesdene provides. The grounds have endless places to enjoy the peaceful beauty of the NC Mountains, and the views from Hawks Nest are beyond amazing. I can't write this review without giving a special shoutout to Ashley the wedding coordinator for not only making the experience seamless and for risking the outside ceremony with us despite the weather forecast, but for her going above and beyond for one of our guests that had an emergency, driving them from and back to the venue in the middle of the night. I am so SO glad we chose Hawkesdene as our venue, and I can only hope we get to come back as guests someday! Tip: add an extra night after the wedding day if you can to enjoy time relaxing around the property and exploring the area!

The service, attention to detail, and professionalism were top-notch. The food was exceptional at every meal. Our family and friends could not stop telling us how delicious the food was. They have so many items available for use, which saved us tons of money on decor. Ashley and Jami, took care of everything from the minute we arrived on site. We are so grateful to have had a beautiful, relaxing, family reunion style wedding in the mountains at Hawkesdene!

We had a wedding weekend that was basically a two family reunion as well. We could not ask for a better experience. Jami Ashley and Rob along with Jalen and the rest of the staff were all stars. They not only set things up for success but if unplanned things happen they handle it so well and you feel reassured they have done this a million times. The venue was in excellent condition, the food was splendid and the setting is just so special. Thank you to the whole team they knocked it out of the park.

I cannot say enough good things about Hawkesdene and their staff. From the time we reached the venue until the moment we left we were met with wonderful and friendly staff, AMAZING meals, clean and comfortable rooms and beautiful scenery.

When touring venues, my now husband and I knew we wanted to be in the mountains but wanted to find a venue that combined elegance with the rustic and authentic feel of Western NC. Hawkesdene was the perfect combination and our vision truly came to life through our planning with Jami and Ashley.

We were so spoiled by all the meals we had - I cannot say enough good things about their chef on site. Every meal we had was 10/10 and exceeded all our expectations. (Which were already high after reading such great reviews!!)

Another thing that impressed me was how well all the staff work together - from the team driving us on UTV’s to the bartenders to the housekeeping team and everyone behind the scenes, Hawkesdene is such a well oiled machine where as a guest you relax and things fall into place around you. We were so impressed by how quickly they turned things around and were able to answer our questions and assist us with our requests.

We truly cannot say enough good things about this venue and would recommend it to anyone. We had guests say they want to bring their companies there for corporate retreats and some say that they want to have their weddings there too (and I sure hope so, so i can go back!😊)