Castle Ladyhawke

ce and expertise was priceless and so helpful as I navigated planning a wedding 5 hours from home. The vendors they recommended blew us away and we could not have imagined anything better! Beyond their amazing help throughout planning, when the day of came, they went above and beyond!! Hunter consistently checked on me and handled so many logistics that would have otherwise made me feel overwhelmed. The most pivotal moment came when I could not get my dress up past the waist seem and after 3 bridesmaids tried and failed, Hunter came in and zipped me up in a few seconds - literally saving the day! I would not have been able to have such an amazing wedding day without her and the Castle Ladyhawke team and will forever be so grateful!

ay and this venue hugely contributed to that. The food was also delicious, we got so many compliments on it (and some of our guests were professional chefs!). We got to stay in the castle that night and it was really a special way to start our new married life! Also the staff were wonderful, very friendly & easy to work with. I'd give it 10 stars if I could!

he misfortune of working with Hunter and Emma from the venue, and the level of communication, support, and service was highly lacking, especially for a venue and organization of this scale and cost. There were a number of instances, the most egregious which, will be detailed below, where communication was either flat out incorrect or just slow. Ultimately, communication from the Ladyhawke staff was the biggest stressor around planning our wedding and facilitating the event day-of. Additionally, it was also further disappointing as we shared feedback during the experience and even afterwards, summarizing to which we did not get a response, showing a lack of etiquette or any sense of responsibility. One of the biggest misses from their team was our wedding rehearsal. We were informed in our initial planning meeting that our rehearsal would be at 9AM the day before the wedding, prior to the arrival of any other party having an event the prior day. We learned (at our prompting) in our final planning meeting 2 weeks from the event that they had allowed another party to book their prep over that slot. We had to urge the venue to work with the other party to find a solution to do this the day prior. This still ended up not even being a true rehearsal where you do a mock version of the ceremony, more of a “this is where the ceremony will occur” as opposed to practicing what we would do. Everyone involved was disappointed in this and we had to do our own practice run through which still didn’t help as we didn’t get run through the actual ceremony. The other major miss from their team was we in this initial meeting were told if we had a shuttle, people could leave cars in the lot and come back for them the next morning, to ensure everyone’s safety given there would be drinking and this was an unfamiliar, windy mountainous area. At the end of the evening we were told this was no longer an option and everyone needed to leave. We were able to figure out sober drivers, but this could have been catastrophic, especially for guests unfamiliar with the area and driving on mountain roads. This showed extremely poor and disingenuous communication, and if leaving cars until the morning was no longer option, this information should be communicated with your clients. This is just the two most egregious issues. There were numerous other instances where communication from the Castle Ladyhawke team was lacking, disrespectful, and seemingly, the only way to reach them is to pester their team multiple times until someone finally responds, which felt bad having to reach out 3, 4, or more times to maybe get an issue resolved. In some instances, we did not even get responses leading to more stress the day before and day of the event. It was unfortunate that the staff was this difficult to work with for a venue of this scale, and a venue with such a large price tag. The indifference from the coordination team was deeply disappointing, seeing how little they cared. Again, beautiful venue, awful planning experience.

were thinking and things we liked and didn’t like, and then told her we trusted her and were perfectly fine walking in the day of and seeing what she decided! The day went so smoothly from start to finish and we were treated like royalty. Emma made us feel like we were her favorite couple ever and was a dream to work with. The castle was stunning and the food was phenomenal. The bakery, florist, and DJ included in our package were so easy to work with and they had exceptional services and products. The Bread and Butter cake was delicious and beautiful, the flowers were even better than I’d hoped. All I told Ray’s was the types of flowers I liked and didn’t like, and sent some photos of bouquets I liked but left the rest up to them. What they delivered were literally the bouquets and chandelier arrangement of my dreams. Dow Oak Events had people on the dance floor the whole night and let us send “must play” and “play if you think it works” songs. Ryan was so kind! The castle is incredible and having it to ourselves for the whole day, staying the night in it, the care the team took of us from start to finish, the food, the cake, the flowers, the DJ, not having to worry about a thing…I feel like we got such a deal for quality and attention we got. Would recommend Castle Ladyhawke a thousand times!

ng for us. Since Castle Ladyhawke offers so many services with their venue, it was perfect for arranging things halfway across the country. The location is in the mountains so the overlook of the trees is stunning. We got married in October and some leaves started to change so it was especially beautiful. The castle had many amazing details and decor throughout. You will really feel like royalty just being in the castle! Make sure to take the time to explore the fun rooms like the pub and knights chamber! Our wedding coordinator, Emma, was the highlight of this venue (aside from it being a castle of course). Emma was thorough, organized, professional, and also friendly. We got married about a week or so after the devastating hurricane that came through WNC. Fortunately the castle location and lodges were safe and all the staff were okay. With all the stress of the wedding planning, Emma was fantastic. She was reassuring, uplifting, and hardworking to make sure everything was taken care of for our special day. The food was also delicious and the cake was perfect! Funny enough my new husband didn’t know about anniversaries cakes and ate some of it the second night after our wedding because it was just that good! 😆 The vendors suggested by the venue were also great! We ended up loving them all especially the DJ (Dow Oaks Events) as they were fun, reassuring during stressful times, and professional. The transport company Mountain Motor Coach was also friendly, fun, experienced, and professional! We loved that we could bring our dogs for the ceremony as well! There are so many great things to say about this place. If you are considering it, trust us, they are worth it!

If you are looking for a place to get married you simply can not do better than this.

ow awesome the castle staff was during the event. Our goal was to create a memorable wedding & have some fun. We achieved that! We highly recommend the castle!

elpful in answering all of our initial questions and showing us different contracts options. Neither my husband nor I were really into wedding planning and making a lot of decisions, so the all-inclusive package was the right thing for us. Makenzie was very helpful in assisting with the Bear Lake lodging piece. Our wedding planner, Kelsie, was extremely helpful and quick to respond to any of our questions and needs throughout the planning process. We were extremely happy with all of the vendors included in our package for the catering, cake, flowers, entertainment. The staff were extremely helpful and attentive on our wedding day, making it go as smooth and stress-free as possible. Kelsie even went above and beyond and offered to pick up our guests from the Bear Lake Welcome Center when they had a flat tire. The wedding venue itself is absolutely gorgeous and our guests loved exploring the castle. I highly recommend this venue if you're looking for a beautiful and unique place to get married with a gorgeous view.

edding process. I was continually amazed by how laid-back yet professionally everything was handled, which allowed us to have control over what we wanted but gave us much needed direction too! We will definitely be visited the property as a yearly anniversary trip because it truly is that beautiful and special!

s are happy! If you are considering Castle Ladyhawke as your venue, I can't recommend them enough! Not only is the property stunning, but you can rest assured that you can count on the staff to make sure your special day runs flawlessly.

timate elopement on a weekday with just our immediate family present (fewer than 10 people) and signed the venue purely off a virtual tour as we live out of state. Because of the elopement package, I was able to be my own planner to curate all the details I thought about which I loved. Morgan was an absolutely incredible thought partner through out my 10 month planning journey and was a fantastic day-of coordinator to ensure every detail went off without a hitch. Every question I had was answered promptly, all the preferred vendors we booked were fantastic, and the cocktail hour bites + cake were delicious with rave reviews from all our guests. The entire staff during rehearsal and our wedding day were incredibly kind, thoughtful, and helpful which made the day even more memorable. Our wedding felt like a dream thanks to the entire team at Castle Laydhawke and I cannot overstate how highly I recommend this venue.

e the groom's bow tie and they got stuck in traffic. Morgan, along with our guests, jumped into action and figured out how to tie it. As I was getting ready to head down the stairs for our ceremony, Morgan touched my shoulder and said "I know I told you before but you look beautiful. Talk about a great calming boost on my way down to the ceremony! Then when it was time to cut the cake, we had no idea how to cut it and not make a mess of the cake. Morgan walked us through the process and we had a flawless cake cutting! Morgan and the rest of the Castle Ladyhawke team helped make our day truly magical and unforgettable. Thank you Morgan!

lly wanted this to go as smoothly as possible for not just myself but for the workers. One thing I was adamant about was no shellfish as we had multiple family members with a severe allergy. They decided to tell me the day of that they could not change it and they had shellfish there, after a whole year of letting them know this was a priority and them agreeing as well as understanding that they would not have it there but then did. very frustrating... The whole process of trying to make sure every vender they hired was on the same page was another hassle. It was truly miserable experience more so for someone that wanted simple wedding, I couldn't even get that. I was charged for things I shouldnt have been charged. They also charged a family members card instead of mine, after many attempts to which they said they would fix, they did not and its been over a month. Personally it was a beautiful location, but it was more of a headache then it should have been especially with how much was paid for such a short time and no help from the staff, with countless mess ups. I don't recommend this venue.

ve, or table cloths, etc. When my husband and I were planning to get married, I knew It had to be in the mountains and I was hoping to find some sort of package that took care of the important stuff, so that I didn't have to go searching for a bunch of different vendors. So, when I came across Castle Ladyhawke, I just HAD to reach out. We chose their elopement package and it was just absolutely perfect for us. Not only are the views (obviously) amazing at this location, but the staff was great on our wedding day. Mason was my first contact when reaching out and she was so helpful and attentive and able to answer any questions in a timely manner. Morgan (our event coordinator with Castle Ladyhawke) is a sweet angel and was beyond helpful in every way. She was always quick to respond to questions/concerns before the actual wedding day. On our actual wedding day, she kicked butt and made sure everything was running smoothly and getting things done the way they were supposed to (even if our families were being slightly crazy and making it harder than it had to be - I'm sure you know how that goes). She was so patient and kind and truly a pleasure to work with. I honestly couldn't have chosen a better venue to have our special day at. Thank you, to everyone at Castle Ladyhawke for making our wedding day amazing!

very step easy and fun and made sure I had no stress going into the day of my wedding. She was the bomb!! My wedding at the castle was everything I could have dreamt of and more. Truly a fairytale and the best day of my life. :) I promise you will not regret it if you book the castle for your wedding!! (I also highly recommend Rays Florist in Sylva- he made my vision come to life and it was perfect!)

han one. I would recommend Castle Ladyhawke for its beauty, but most importantly recommend Ladyhawke because of Morgan. If you want someone who will make you feel taken care of, wants to work with someone extremely professional, and wants their dream wedding to come to life - I would recommend Morgan and Castle Ladyhawke. The best day ever!!

ll of our guests had the best time!

ommodations! You will be amazed!

was a magical day. Can't thank everyone there enough!

. There were many things to consider during the planning process. The staff helped as much as they could within our contract. We had a wedding planner helped out as well. Our wedding turned out great. The food was amazing. Everyone had so much fun. One day, my husband and I look forward to revisiting Castle Ladyhawke for our anniversary or renewal vow.

Castle Ladyhawke. I could not get over how authentic this venue looked. It was like going to Scotland or Norway. The staff were extremely friendly and had everything put together very nicely. If you are looking for a one of a kind experience vs most other wedding barns and buildings then I highly recommend this venue to you. It truly was amazing.

. From Morgan and Callie making sure that every detail was perfect to the servers and valets who made sure that everyone was taken care of. I especially would like to say a BIG thank you to the valets that were working that day because they helped an elderly family friend who was having trouble getting up and down the stairs get to where she needed to go. If I could get married every week at Castle Ladyhawke I definitely would. If you are thinking about getting married here, DO IT!! You will not be disappointed.

gh! The suite is huge! Makeup area is a separate room, so we had so much room for fun photos and video! And it has a balcony and so much natural light! Loved the huge elegant bathtub in a room with the view! Wherever you go in the Castle, mountain views are spectacular! We even went all the way up the stunning spiral staircase to the top of the tower, so many gorgeous photo opportunities! Loved the staircase as well!! This is a dream location for the couples and for any photographer/videographer. The ambiance of the Castle is so amazing. So many different spaces inside and outside for the guests to roam around. The ceremony site is gorgeous and spacious, right next to the Castle walls with the mountains behind. We absolutely loved Kelsie, the Wedding Director! She knows the answer to any questions and she’s such a huge help! She just makes you feel completely relaxed and chill. It means a lot, especially on a wedding day! We’ve been filming weddings for many years and I just simply can’t compare any other venue in North Carolina to Castle Ladyhawk. So beautiful and welcoming the Castle is. It’s a rare find!

good things about them honestly, absolutely beautiful venue!

mmendations and now feel like new friends.

re year leading up to it and have not been able to stop talking about how beautiful, and unique it was. It felt like a true fairytale. The staff here became like family. They were beyond accommodating! Every concern we had, they nurtured and put our stresses at ease. They had a solution for every problem we could foresee possibly happening. (Just to mention, we had ZERO problems) . Kelcie and Callie are so sweet and so professional. The vendors they recommended for us to use were absolutely incredible. The chef's food was AMAZING! I still think about the truffle mashed potatoes! I wish we could have our day all over again. It was comfortable for not only us, but all of our wedding party and our guests. Everyone had such a great time, and again have not stopped complementing our venue. I recommend this place to any bride looking for an absolute dream come true, fairy tale wedding. Thank you Castle Ladyhawke for making our day absolutely perfect. -The Sullivan's

eir micro wedding package was EVERYTHING! I completely put my trust in their food, cake, and bouquet and they nailed every one! this was the perfect thing for me as I was out of state and unable to be there in person for what most traditional weddings need. not to mention when we went to tour other venues this team was the only one who seemed fully prepared to "woo" us and had a full brochure of everything we could think of. they had all of the little things prepared for us that really let us put our full trust in them. they felt like friends to both of us from beginning to end! also its a GORGEOUS venue obvi

use we had a lot of allergies to work around! Castle Ladyhawke sits on top of a steep hill, but the view is so worth it. You may want to advise your guests to carpool or arrange for transportation. It's such a beautiful location with so many spectacular options for your wedding ceremony and reception. The staff members are great and easy to get along with, too! We had a large wedding party and had to go with our backup plan of having the wedding indoors. The Castle accommodated our every need! I'm grateful for how great they were to work with over the months leading up to the wedding. Again, I'm so grateful for Castle Ladyhawke, their lovely locations and views, their friendly staff, and everything they encompass. We definitely want to go back and visit someday, for one reason or another! :) Again, thank you so, so much for giving us the fairytale wedding of our dreams!

very professional. They answered every question we had and kept us on track with final decisions. They was gorgeous and went smoothly. I never had to worry about a thing and was able to enjoy the day, then wake up in the quiet castle in the clouds.. magical <3

s in all seasons. Working with couples at the castle is a photographers dream. This venue offers beautiful backdrops from mountainscapes to interesting interior and exterior views of the castle itself. There isn't another venue in Western North Carolina quite like this one...all brides and grooms who have the chance to get married here will love their unique and dreamlike collection of pictures to tell the story of their castle wedding!

about it. Special thanks to the chef and his staff. The castle is seriously the most beautiful venue and we are so extremely honored that we were able to have our special day there. Honestly, the mountain backdrop is to die for! I promise you will no regret this venue choice!!

venue is absolutely gorgeous, but the staff are what makes it exceptional! I look forward to working with them again and planning many many more events at what I’ve dubbed the ‘Castle in the Sky!’ Thank you!

. They were responsive in pre-wedding correspondence, their staff were friendly and helpful on wedding day, their in-house catering was delicious, and they were flexible to work as a team when wedding day changes were made. I enjoyed my experience with Castle Ladyhawke and definitely recommend them to others looking to have a dream wedding day in a mountain castle!

g and executing your wedding vision painless, flawless, and lots of fun. They're so much fun to work with, and the venue in all it's beauty speaks for itself. You can't afford NOT to have your wedding at Castle LadyHawke!

recommend them for any special event!