Planning a mountain wedding in Virginia: a weekend, not an afternoon

More couples are skipping the hotel ballroom for a weekend in the mountains, where their guests can stay together, eat together and actually spend time with each other. If you're picturing a wedding in Virginia's Blue Ridge, here's what to think about, and how it works at Wilderness Adventure, 40 minutes from Roanoke.

Why a whole weekend beats one afternoon

The biggest reason couples choose a camp-style venue is that everyone sleeps on the property. No shuttles, no hotel block, nobody heading back to town at ten o'clock. Our lodges and cabins sleep up to 130, with extra space for camping and glamping yurts on request. A Friday arrival turns a few hours of celebration into a weekend of catching up, and your guests get to know each other before the ceremony.

Choosing your ceremony spot

• Pond and gazebo: the classic outdoor ceremony, with water and long views across the property.
• The Main Lodge: a warm, rustic room with a big stone fireplace. Lovely for smaller ceremonies, cocktail hours and winter weddings.
• Outdoor pavilion: covered space for dinner and dancing, and the weather backup.
• Fields and creekside: for photos, first looks and quiet moments away from the crowd.

Always have a rain plan

Mountain weather changes quickly, especially in spring and summer. Pick a ceremony site you love and a covered backup you'd be happy with. Ours is the pavilion, which handles dinner, dancing and a ceremony if it comes to that. Tell your photographer and officiant about the backup in advance so a quick switch doesn't feel like a crisis.

Give your guests something to do

Guests at a weekend wedding have time to fill. Most of what's here needs no booking: canoeing and paddleboarding, tubing on Craig Creek, hiking and biking trails, fishing, volleyball, the 18-hole disc golf course and the fire pits. For a structured afternoon you can add guided rock climbing, the Giant Swing, ropes courses, guided hikes, wine tastings, catered picnics or even a square dance.

A sample weekend

• Friday: welcome drinks and the rehearsal dinner, then a bonfire and s'mores.
• Saturday: brunch, a lazy morning on the water or the disc golf course, then the ceremony, dinner and dancing.
• Sunday: brunch and mimosas, a last swim or hike, and goodbyes that aren't rushed.

Know what's included (and what isn't)

Our wedding packages range from a six-hour venue rental to an all-inclusive weekend with lodging, meals and beer and wine. Whatever you choose, budget separately for the cake, flowers, table decor, entertainment and sound, officiant, photographer and transport, as no package includes those. Children under 5 eat free and 6 to 12 year olds are half price on extra meals.

Where everyone sleeps

Assigning rooms is one of the nicest parts of a weekend wedding to plan. A few ideas:

• The Main Lodge has a bridal suite and bunk rooms of different sizes, good for the wedding party and groups of friends.
• Sly Lodge has rooms with full beds, a full kitchen and a patio with a grill, so it suits family groups. It's also wheelchair accessible.
• Shady Cabin and Royal Cabin each have a queen bed and sit close to the creek: a quiet spot for parents, grandparents or the couple.
• The Sneaky Cabin and the Old Homestead work well for smaller family groups.
• Campsites and glamping yurts are perfect for friends who'd rather sleep outside.

See every room on our camping and lodging page.

Food and drink

Our larger packages include the reception dinner with charcuterie and hot hors d'oeuvres, and the bigger weekends add a rehearsal dinner, welcome drinks and every meal from Friday dinner to Sunday brunch. You can add extra meals like a cooked brunch, a luncheon or a soup and sandwich bar. For drinks there are all-inclusive beer and wine packages, a bar tab option, and a non-alcoholic package.

A planning timeline

• 12 months or more out: set your budget and rough guest count, visit venues and book your date. Popular weekends go early.
• 9 to 12 months: book your photographer, officiant and any music. Decide whether you want one night or a full weekend.
• 6 to 9 months: send save-the-dates with a note that guests can stay on site, and start thinking about who sleeps where.
• 3 to 6 months: send invitations, plan guest activities and choose your drinks package.
• 1 to 2 months: confirm final numbers, allergies and room assignments, and walk through the rain plan with your vendors.
• The week of: print the weekend schedule for guests, because phones won't help much here.

Make it yours

The weddings people remember have a few personal touches. A bonfire with a s'mores bar on Friday night. Lawn games during cocktail hour. A sparkler send-off at the end of the night. A Sunday brunch where everyone swaps stories from the dance floor. Guided extras like a wine tasting, a catered picnic or a group climb give guests something to talk about for years.

Common questions

How many guests can we have?

Package prices are for up to 80 guests, with additional guests charged per person. Our lodges and cabins sleep up to 130, with camping on top of that.

Can we bring our own vendors?

Yes. With the six-hour venue rental you bring your own vendors and equipment, and our larger packages leave room for your photographer, florist, officiant and entertainment.

Can we get married in winter?

Yes. The Main Lodge, with its big stone fireplace, is ideal for a smaller ceremony or a winter wedding.

Questions to ask any venue

• How many guests can sleep on site, and in what kind of rooms?
• What's the backup if it rains?
• Can we bring our own vendors?
• Is there a coordinator on the day?
• What can guests do between events?
• How is cell service? (Here it's very limited, so plan to share schedules on paper.)

Tell us your date and roughly how many guests, and we'll come back with availability and a proposal, or come and see the property for yourself.