The North Carolina Arboretum Reviews
Reviews
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
-
![Gabriella]()
Gabriella Sent on 10/25/2023The Ceremony of Our Dreams! ♥
Choosing the NC Arboretum as our ceremony site for our September 2023 wedding was one of the best decisions we made during the wedding planning process! The natural beauty of this location set the stage for unforgettable first looks, heartwarming family photos, and a ceremony that we’ll remember forever!
From day one, Jessie Coates became our guiding light, working tirelessly with us for over a year and a half. Her attention to detail was nothing short of awe-inspiring. She possesses a wealth of knowledge about every nook and cranny of the Arboretum and was instrumental in making our vision a reality.
On the day itself, we had the pleasure of working with Elena, and she was an absolute dream! She whisked us around in a golf cart to different photo sites, making the experience not only convenient but also incredibly enjoyable. She definitely added an extra layer of magic to our day!
If you're on the hunt for a venue that seamlessly combines natural splendor with a team of exceptional individuals, look no further. The NC Arboretum and its dedicated staff, led by the incredible Jessie Coates and Elena, delivered an experience beyond our wildest dreams. We wholeheartedly recommend this stunning location for anyone seeking a picture-perfect wedding day!
-
-
![Sam]()
Sam L. Sent on 06/20/202310/10 All Around
I would recommend this as a wedding venue and reception to anyone! It’s a beautiful place for a low key or extravagant ceremony. Elaina was our super helpful day of wedding coordinator. She helped with a timeline, staying on track, making sure we got food, and the team helped set everything up and break it down. -
-
![Allison]()
Allison Sent on 06/02/2023Perfect venue, even on a cold and rainy day!
From deciding to get married to wedding day was four months for my spouse and me. Despite that short timeline, the team at the Arboretum helped us put together the perfect brunch wedding in early April. We knew choosing the brunch option with outdoor areas was a bit risky for that time of year, but we took the chance. Special shout-out to Elaina as her bright smile and warm energy made me believe that no matter what, it would be a perfect day. It was 40 degrees and rainy, and it was still the perfect day. The venue staff made everything seamless and supported us with every little question and concern. They jumped into action when there was an issue with the sound system (not theirs) and figured out a solution quickly using their equipment. Their bar staff kept everyone happy and warm on the inside! I look at our wedding pictures every day and still am so happy we chose the Arboretum. Rain or shine, you'll be happy to be married there. -
-
![Lana]()
Lana Sent on 10/13/2022This is the best place for a small wedding!!!
I wanted to have a smaller wedding with just our closest relatives in attendance. However, I also wanted my wedding to feel grand and beautiful even though it was going to be intimate. This vendor is amazing and the grounds are the most picturesque for wedding photography! I cannot recommend them enough! -
Rachel Sent on 06/05/2022
Best Garden Elopement!
My husband and I worked with Elaina - who was great! - to coordinate our intimate ceremony at the NC Arboretum. We got the elopement package which made everything super simple - flowers, cake, officiant, and photographer were all included. We got married in the Heritage Garden which was the perfect spot for a Spring elopement. The Arboretum is also pet friendly which allowed us to have our dog there which was so special! We highly recommend this located for a wedding ceremony or reception. -
-
![Flourish]()
Flourish Sent on 09/09/2021Dreamy, Garden Wedding Venue
We are wedding planners and love working at The NC Arboretum. For one, the venue is absolutely stunning and gives you so many amazing photo ops! Additionally, Jessie was particularly lovely to work with. She was very responsive and attentive. She was around throughout the night and helped to ensure everything was handled on the venue's end. We can wait to work there again! -
![Amy]()
Amy B. Sent on 05/29/2019Garden Wedding in May
So very happy with how we were treated .. the staff is amazing in every way !! Perfect place for a beautiful wedding ❤️ -
-
![Allison]()
Allison Sent on 08/22/2017Working with Kate at the Arboretum was so easy! She was a very quick responder and was always helping to accommodate us, right up until the wedding began! They get your deposit back very quickly as well. It is a beautiful place to have a wedding! -
![User1318991]()
User1318991 Sent on 09/08/2013We selected the North Carolina Arboretum because of the beautiful gardens and the gorgeous building we could use as a back up if there was rain and we couldn't get married outside. We were incredibly surprised by the low price. Angelica was so responsive to our needs throughout the planning process and the day of-- even changing the ceremony location from outside to inside at the very last minute due to rain and creating a beautiful ceremony set up for us. We were thrilled with how the wedding turned out and the staff at the Arboretum were a huge part of that. Just one note-- listen to them when they suggest hiring a day of coordinator. We were so happy that we did and it was well worth the cost. -
![Erin]()
Erin Sent on 09/28/2021Our Dream Mountain Wedding
The NC Arboretum was our first and only pick for wedding reception location and it did not disappoint. Working with the staff for over a year to plan led to the wedding of our dreams. The entire process was professional, inclusive, safe, and fun. Our guests enjoyed the outdoor Events lawn as much as we did. I was particularly impressed with the staff the day of who were attentive, professional, and engaging with our guests. -
-
Sara Sent on 06/06/2019
Highly recommend!
The Events team at the Arboretum was amazing to work with! They were really on top of things in the months leading up to the wedding, and on the day of I didn't have to worry about anything - which is exactly the way it should be! We are so happy we chose this venue and their day of coordination services for our wedding! -
-
![Laura]()
Laura Sent on 06/21/2022Perfect Summer Venue
The wedding team at the Arboretum is amazing! They are profesisonal, organized, and eager to help out their couples (especailly those who do not have a wedding planner and aren't really sure what to do). I would highly recommend this venue to anyone who wants a gorgeous outdoor venue but who also has a fairly high or flexible budget. -
Michal Sent on 07/12/2022
Garden wedding of our dreams!
The North Carolina Arboretum is an absolutely gorgeous venue! We had our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception outside at three different adjacent sites within the gardens and it provided such a convenient way to change up the scenery with only a few steps for guests to take between events. The size of the space was absolutely perfect for our ~130 guests and we spent very little on additional decor since the space is already so breathtaking. We truly could not have asked for a more picturesque evening! We were able to include our dog within our ceremony which was very important to us, and we LOVE that we can return to our exact ceremony spot for years to come each time we pass through Asheville since it's a public garden space! We knew from reading other reviews that the folks working the event side of the arboretum are VERY busy and we did experience slower response times here than with our other vendors, but regardless we still always received a thorough response to our questions and were communicated with very politely and respectfully throughout the whole process. Arboretum event staff were also wonderful on the day of in getting everything set up and taken down smoothly! Also, while we were fortunate to have great weather on our wedding day which allowed all our events to remain outdoors, I'll add that a great perk to the arboretum is that their indoor rain plan is still a very pretty space with lots of natural light and high ceilings. Overall, we were so pleased with our experience here. We absolutely LOVED our wedding day and are convinced we picked the most beautiful spot in Asheville :) -
-
Nathan Sent on 10/27/2019
North Carolina Arboretum
The grounds here are gorgeous and the staff is awesome! However, our wedding coordinator left before our wedding and her replacement was not very good. Our wedding turned out very nice and everyone had a great time. -
-
Laura Sent on 09/08/2018We were looking for a reasonably affordable venue in Asheville where we could have an outdoor ceremony (with a great rain plan, because Asheville) and an indoor reception at the same spot. As soon as we saw the Arboretum we knew we had found our venue! The location itself is SO fantastic. There are several different locations on the property, both indoor and out. We had our ceremony and cocktail hour outdoors in the gardens -- they are BEAUTIFUL and everything was more gorgeous than I had ever imagined. It feels secluded but it's easy for guests to travel to (and park!), and some of our guests really enjoyed arriving early to explore. Our reception was inside the Baker Center -- we loved those high ceilings, the fireplace, and huge windows.
The major caveat with this venue is that it is a public space, and its primary purpose is the educational programs and services it provides -- it is NOT a full-service venue that only does events, like many other venues in the area. For that reason, there are a lot of rules and restrictions: you only have a short amount of time to set up, only certain vendors are allowed, no liquor, etc. The upside of this is that we loved the fact that they focus on environmentally friendly processes and vendors, and we also loved that our wedding was supporting all of the other programs and services that the Arboretum provides. But the events team does not work full-time, and when we had some last-minute issues with our rain plan, we ended up having to go to the venue in person to find someone to help. It all worked out, but caused some unnecessary stress.
All in all, I would absolutely hold our wedding there again. Just be sure to read through the rules and restrictions carefully, and realize that you will be dealing with a public venue whose first priority is not events. For us, that was worth it for the location and gorgeous scenery. It felt like a true Asheville wedding. -
-
![Kelly]()
Kelly Sent on 07/13/2021Beautiful venue, terrible responsiveness
Let me start by saying the Heritage Garden was the most beautiful spot for our recent wedding ceremony; however, working with the staff at the North Carolina Aboretum was a terrible experience throughout the planning process leading up to our wedding day. The person we worked with was very non-responsive via email, and when we went to her supervisor to request quicker responses, they thought there was nothing wrong with taking 5 business days to respond to a simple email regarding our wedding (I am told by other wedding vendors that 24-48 hours is industry standard for clients). Additionally, the information we were given when we signed the contract provided a list of things that could be rented for our ceremony, but when we asked to rent a microphone for our ceremony, we were told they couldn't provide this despite telling us they could via their literature. When we expressed our concern about this, they told us it "wasn't a big deal," which is not really what you want to hear as a bride the week before your wedding. Our wedding day itself was great and the venue itself is absolutely beautiful; however, it came at the cost of a lot of stress and dissatisfaction in the lead up to the day. -
![Sophia]()
Sophia Sent on 08/24/2022Beautiful Venue - Terrible Staff
The NC Arboretum is a beautiful wedding venue. We had an extremely simple ceremony only package with an add on of a toast on July 8, 2022 in the Heritage Garden. We signed our contract a full year and one month prior to our date. We had no outside decorations/florals. Our vendors consisted of a photographer, string duet and coordinator/officiant. We had a roughly 40 person guest count at our micro-wedding. All that to say, our wedding ceremony was very very simple.
Jessie Coates (Events Supervisor) and Elaina Busch (Event Coordinator) are incompetent and incredibly difficult to communicate and work with. As other reviewers have mentioned, I would reach out with questions as I planned our big day and not receive a response. The contract states we should expect to wait three business days for a response from them but they often exceeded that substantially or I would just never hear back and would have to follow up over and over. They added to the stress of wedding planning by being unreliable. At one point they sent me a contract that had my name and another groom (not my fiance). Another time I saw that instead of "ceremony only package" "essential elopement" was listed. We wanted to know the rain plan the week of our wedding and kept having to follow up for a response - I saw in the contract that it should have been sent to us by them 30 days prior to the event. We followed up over and over to pay the charge for the add on toast and finally received it the day before our wedding. I thought perhaps they were busy with other couples who had more immediate needs. But the week of our wedding they treated us the same way. Their attention to detail was very much lacking. The latest issue we have had is that they have lied to us about the return of our security deposit. On Aug 10, Jessie sent us an email stating "The finance department confirmed the check was sent when Elaina reached out last week. You should have it by the end of the week!". This was false as confirmed by Elaina over the phone today, Aug 24, after we called and emailed multiple times as we assumed it had gotten lost in the mail. The $1,500 check had not been sent as Jessie claimed it had been. I have many more examples and email documentation of the extreme lack of attention to detail and customer service. If your wedding is more complex I would not recommend holding it here as our very simple ceremony was a struggle due to the event staff. The Arboretum should consider bringing on new staff who are better equipped to help couples plan their wedding day. Out of all our wonderful vendors these two stood out in a bad way. It is sad that such a gorgeous venue is being represented to the public by Jessie and Elaina.
Are you interested?
Are you interested?