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Let’s Talk About Everything You Need To Know Before Booking Your Crooked River Wedding, Shall We?
So you’re looking to get married in the Appalachian mountains of Southwest Virginia? Well, I couldn’t suggest a more picturesque place to tie the knot!
As a longtime Southwest Virginia local, I’m definitely a bit biased when I say it’s one of the prettiest places in the United States. With lush greenery and endless mountain ranges, there isn’t a bad view around. And, nestled right in the heart of it, is the Crooked River wedding venue.
It’s a stunning venue that’s close enough to larger towns to easily plan the wedding of your dreams, but rural enough to feel like you’ve escaped to a mountain retreat. Need a bit more convincing before booking your big day here? No problem! Let’s get to it.
The Crooked River Estate
Nestled in one of the valleys in between Hiltons, Virginia and Mendota you’ll find this breathtaking wedding venue. Although rural, this area is heavily trafficked for its one of a kind scenery and hiking trails. Before you see anything else at the Crooked River wedding venue, you’ll be in awe of the incredible views of the mountains as you drive to the venue.
The Crooked River wedding venue is situated on an expansive 200 acres of land and includes a vast landscape for you to host your nuptials in the mountains. The outdoor ceremony space is beside a small river, which makes the perfect backdrop for a wedding as well as portraits afterwards!
The Grist Mill (“The Lodge”)
Otherwise known as “The Lodge,” the Grist Mill will be the focal point for your Crooked River wedding. It’s the first building you see as you enter the Crooked River estate and what an impressive view for guests to take in!
The grand 17 foot tall doors flanked by intricate old world masonry look as if they’ve been plucked from a villa in the Italian countryside. Upon entering The Lodge, you’re truly blown away by the height of the 37 foot ceilings and even taller stone fireplace! To add to it’s grandeur, you’ll see the endless windows featuring unobstructed views of the Appalachian mountains surrounding you.
Tobacco Barn (Couples Cottage)
Although the first thing that comes to mind when I envision a traditional southern tobacco barn is a very rustic open ended barn with little keeping it upright–that’s far from the case with the one at the Crooked River wedding venue!
The Tobacco Barn is *actually* a stunning two story cottage that houses both the Bride & Groom suites. Ladies get the top story, which has high vaulted ceilings and lots of large windows to bring in that natural light from every angle. I also love the unique furnishings throughout the space–there’s a swinging queen sized bed and an ornate teal door! (I mean, talk about the photo opportunities!)
Gentlemen get to lounge on the lower level and take advantage of the large screen TVs, game tables, and full kitchen. Although it’s not as naturally lit, there are plenty of great spaces to grab photos of the getting ready process for your Crooked River wedding.
Fun Crooked River Wedding Facts You Definitely Need To Know
I absolutely love a Crooked River wedding. With its ability to host up to 200 guests comfortably inside and plenty of handicap friendly spots, it’s definitely a gem in Southwest Virginia!
Average cost of a Crooked River wedding? Well, I don’t have a specific number for you but they do list the starting cost at $5k. From couples in the past, I’ve heard that it may be somewhere in the $8-10k range for use of the venue for the entire weekend.
Let’s Talk Logistics: Being in the mountains of Virginia, it is about twenty or so minutes from Bristol or Kingsport. What does that mean for you? There are a lot of narrow, windy backroads to navigate on your way to and from the wedding. The parking situation is also a bit limited, so if you’re planning on having a larger wedding or a wedding with alcohol you’ll need to discuss group transportation options.
Unplugged wedding? No problem! There isn’t great cell service when to start to get into rural areas of Southwest Virginia, so make sure to inform your guests before arriving to your Crooked River wedding to download Google map routes and send off those urgent emails beforehand!
Getting ready at the Tobacco Barn can be a bit of a pickle if you’re not planning on doing a first look before the ceremony! With the ladies getting ready on the second level and the gents down below, sneaking out can be a bit of a puzzle. (Not to mention all of the gorgeous & enormous windows around!) It’s doable, but there will definitely need to be pre-planning and lots of coordination involved!
Wondering About Wedding Photography?
Luckily, with a Crooked River wedding the possibilities are endless! With a gorgeous expanse of 200 acres of rolling hills and mountain views, there isn’t a bad spot to be found. The more I visit the venue the more certain I am that I could photograph 100 weddings without taking the same photo twice!
I truly enjoy every Crooked River wedding I photograph (especially living about twenty minutes from it!) and am always so excited to go back. If you’re planning your wedding in Southwest Virginia either as a local or from afar–get in touch! I would love to show you around and capture your wedding day.
Still searching for more wedding photography inspiration? No problem! Let me list a few helpful blog posts below:
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i'm danielle
I'm a Virginia-based wedding & portrait photographer capturing photos that look like actual ART.
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