Hawkesdene

s so great about making sure I wasn’t spending money on things they already had on site. Elizabeth and Jami were our go-to’s for the weekend of and they truly made my life a breeze. The entire staff were overwhelmingly helpful. THE FOOD WAS OUTSTANDING. They accommodate food allergies so well! They also just blew us away with the quality of the food and the amount provided AND the presentation. Accommodations are just unbelievable, too. Everybody walked away saying it was the best weekend of their lives. And I stand by that, too! Best weekend of my life!

just felt so right. And I'm so glad I stuck with my gut because we had the most magical, beautiful, dreamy and fun wedding weekend - it was beyond anything we could have ever imagined. 80 of our closest friends and family spent the weekend celebration with us starting with cocktail hour, dinner, s'mores & music by the fire on Friday. Guests enjoyed the property on Saturday (one of my favorite parts of getting ready was opening the doors to the bridal suite to say hi to my guests ALL DAY as they walked by). Our wedding ceremony and reception were absolutely perfect - everything was seamless and exactly as we imagined it. We absolutely could not have done it without the help of Jami and her team. They all went above and beyond to create the weekend of our dreams. The ONLY downside is that the weekend went by so fast. I wish we could have stayed for a week! Once you settle in, you'll never want to leave! From a recent bride dealing with the stress of planning a wedding & the big finances that come with it - Hawkesdene is all inclusive with food (you can also order the cake & desserts directly through them as well) (also, the culinary team was so sweet and amazing), is BYOB (a huge cost savings), has a huge decor closet (don't be afraid to ask - there is a ton of stuff to use in there!), has an amazing staff to help with all needs while on-site, and has unlimited snacks and mixers available for guests all weekend. Booking Hawkesdene allowed us to have our dream wedding within our budget. 10/10!!!

vendor they recommended was incredible and went above and beyond to make our weekend special. The food is excellent. The service is amazing. It is the perfect venue if you want a beautiful, comfortable, welcoming weekend in the NC mountains.

property. We can easily say it was the most perfect, care-free mountain weekend we could have imagined. To start, I can't tell you how many guests complemented the venue. The property is a private oasis surrounded by stunning trees, beautiful landscaping, creeks, and hiking trails. It's designed impeccably to bring people together and to enjoy the surroundings. We did everything from yard games, to s'mores, to board games, to hiking, to llama feeding, to rehearsal dinner trivia. The staff of 14 are extremely down-to-earth and pull off every event, dinner, and cleanup like it's nothing. We could not believe how efficient and friendly they were the entire weekend. I was initially skeptical about the quality of the food, given it's an all-inclusive venue and we didn't get to sample it beforehand (it's just too much work on their lean staff), but let me tell you, every single meal was DELICIOUS. We got tons of complements on the food and there are lots of options to choose for each menu. As for drinks, it's BYOB, which saved a ton of money, and Hawkesdene puts the drinks out nightly at a self-service bar station. It was totally care-free for us and for our guests, which was really important to us. One of the biggest perks of all is that Hawkesdene comes with a coordinator, Jami. Jami was an absolute joy (and God-send) to work with. She is so friendly, hard-working, and trustworthy and went well out of her way to ensure our weekend was fabulous. She really is incredible at pulling everything together. Hawkesdene also has an array of decorations and lots of basic items like chargers, linens, napkins, etc. to use. This helped save costs on rehearsal dinner and wedding/reception decor. I could go on and on about how perfect it was, but you should experience it for yourself. We're already considering a reunion there in the next 5 years!!

we knew this was our place. We were so confident, that we put down our deposit and signed our contract without even seeing the place in person. Looking back, it was worth every penny. From start to finish, Rob and Jami made the process effortless. Jami was always available for questions and offered plenty of options regarding decorations or ways to include special touches throughout the weekend. As someone who is very “hands on”, I had a hard time trusting that my vision would be carried out without some effort on my part. From the moment we stepped on site for the weekend, the staff were quick to offer their assistance and Jami swept me away for a final walk-through meeting. After handing off the decorations that we had brought, we did not have to lift a finger or think about anything other than enjoying our weekend. Every. Single. Moment. Was. Perfect. I say this as someone who always worries about the “what if’s”. I kept waiting for something to not go according to plan and that never happened! Everything was everything that we could have dreamed of and more. Every meal was delicious, every event was perfectly decorated with a mix of our decorations and those in the barn, and every moment we kept looking forward to what would be next. Obviously asking people to travel to stay somewhere on-site for a weekend seems like an out of the box idea. We had not seen a lot of our guests in a long time due to COVID and this was the perfect setting to reconnect. Once they arrived, they knew exactly why this place was so special to us and didn’t ever want to leave. There were so many different activities that appealed to all ages and so many cool spaces to discover. Our friends and family came for a wedding but ended up creating fun memories and making new friends for life. This alone, we are thankful for beyond measure. They are already asking when they can go back. The food is absolutely to die for. The first night we chose “Southern Comfort” and the buffalo chicken dip was an absolute hit. The pimento cheese mac and cheese was hard to not go back for seconds and thirds. The second night we had “Mountain BBQ”, which smelled wonderful smoking all day long. What guests are still talking about is the blackberry cobbler with fresh lemon whipped cream. OMG it was so good. For the reception, we had guests tell us that the food was the best that they had EVER had and was so impressed. Every breakfast and lunch was wonderful. Our guests complimented how delicious it was, but also versatile for those who had certain preferences (ie. Vegetarian, nut free, etc). We said multiple times that the food could not have been more perfect based on our favorites. We did opt for a Bloody Mary and Mimosa bar on the morning of our wedding, which our guests thought was such a fun addition to the already delicious brunch (the grits were amazing). We cannot thank the staff enough for all the hard work that went into the weekend. Each person that works at Hawkesdene is a true blessing and some of the nicest people you will ever meet. Rob and Jami – you are such special people and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making this very special moment in our lives a once in a lifetime experience.

s the best place for our destination wedding. Rob (the owner) and Jami (the coordinator) were always pleasant to work with and allowed for us to create the weekend of our dreams. The fact that you rent the entire venue (and that most guests stay on-site) allowed for my mother and I to truly make my dream of a garden wedding weekend possible. We were able to create three different experiences décor wise for the welcome dinner, rehearsal dinner, and the wedding itself. We had ~100 guests for our wedding weeding and the amount of activities and things to do at Hawkesdene kept them busy and excited for all three days. We set up a group hike, scavenger hunt, yard games, and tea ceremony for them to enjoy. There are also many spots to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The fire pit and smores was also a huge hit. The food for the weekend was delicious. We were however, a little anxious having not had a tasting. But the ability to talk through our visions for the dinner menus was nice and was indeed a success - we have nothing but wonderful things to say about all meals, breakfast and lunch included. The staff also deserve a note of praise as they were all so kind and professional. Financially, Hawkedene is a wonderful choice if you have a decent sized budget and are looking to have a wedding experience rather than just a one night affair. It was truly wonderful to have all the people we love most spend three whole days together with us in the mountains. Hawkesdene made our wedding dreams come true!

our dogs could only stay outside. could not wrap my head around spending thousands of dollars and a place you get for a day! We finally found the Hawkestene and we stopped looking. This venue is not like any other venue I ever seen before. First, it is a 3 day weekend event that can house over 70 friends and family and second our dogs could be with us the entire time. I was sold after we took a trip to the NC mountains and actually saw the gorgeous venue. WE fell in love with this place right away. IT WAS PERFECT. We finally got married in OCT 2020 and from the minute we showed up on property till the second before we left the staff was amazing. I do not think we could have made it through the planning or the day with out Jami. She is an actual miracle worker! The entire staff was incredible. They made us feel like family, everyone was so welcoming and accommodating to everything we asked. The food was absolutely amazing! Everything tasted like a home cooked meal. My family and friends are still talking about it and I cannot tell you how many people told me this was truly the best wedding they have ever attended. It is a vacation, family/friends reunion and wedding spot all wrapped into one! To any bride or groom out there that is looking for a unique and stunning location Hawkesdene is it.

y; It was so much fun because the location and food is absolutely awesome and it gives you more time to enjoy your time with everyone and takes pressure off of you at the reception. The location is gorgeous nestled into the mountains, amazing spots for pictures, fun hiking trails for the guests, and the staff was so flexible and accommodating to every thing we needed or wanted over the weekend. 12/10 DEFINITELY recommend. We want to convince friends to get married here so we can have an excuse to come back.

every email/call we needed and communicated so well with our other vendors. I want to say a special thank you to the Hawkesdene chef as well, who made sure that my guests with allergies always recieved the allergy-free version of what we were eating, no matter what. She was perfect, sweet, and always reached out to make sure everyone was covered - not to mention, her food was AMAZING. Everyone is still talking about all the meals a week later :) If you want a venue that has everything and truly caters to what you want for your special day or weekend, book your wedding with Hawkesdene, you won't regret it. We're already looking to come back here again for a family reunion!

of the staff, they took any stress we had away! The day of the wedding it rained and it was not in the spot we all had practiced but it really did not matter. It was better than what was planned! The wedding was cozy and intimate. The food everyday was spectacular! Never a bad meal. We happened upon this place by accident and were extremely lucky. Even from a distance Jami was always very prompt with my questions. If you are looking for a beautiful venue look no further.

ered. Not only did I get the wedding of my dreams, but all my guests had a fun-filled, stress-free weekend that they are still raving about. Every member of the staff was kind, helpful, and courteous, every meal was five star. Chef Caroline did an amazing job of accommodating our guests' food allergies and providing delicious food for everyone, not to mention the AMAZING cake and gluten free, dairy free cupcakes! Between the llamas, yard games, hiking trails, peaceful outdoor lounge areas and nearby attractions - there's never a time where we weren't sure what to do with our time. If you're on the fence about Hawkesdene, take the plunge - you won't regret it!

decorations, all the tables, chairs, place settings, etc as included. I really loved that everyone was able to stay on-site (open bar!) and there was no curfew which kept things relaxed. It was downright easy to plan and all my guests were super impressed because it seemed like I had really done a lot - which I hadnt! Planning wise the venue wasn't great. They advertised that Jami would help with coordination but beyond asking me for a timeline (which I worked out with the much more helpful photographer) they didnt really help plan anything. The weekend of the wedding I know they did a lot of work behind the scenes to keep things flowing and it did! It was perfect and magical from my perspective! Unfortunately, the family and friends who were tasked with interacting with Jami described her as abrasive and unhelpful. I was definitely disappointed to hear that. All in all, this was definitely a five-star venue! We keep looking back at​ our wedding and going..."perfect....it. was. perfect!"

ng to any and all emails and always had answers for me. The estate itself was beyond beautiful. It's elegant without being stuffy. So beautiful, in fact, that we didn't feel like we had to do a ton of decorating for the actual wedding, keeping it simple. The staff was AMAZING. They stayed out of the way, really letting us feel as though the estate was ours to use with no limits. We were able to relax and enjoy our guests! They were also available to answer any questions or any requests we or our guests had. Chef Caroline is a five star chef! As a food reviewer, the food was an important part of it for me and they did NOT disappoint. Every single meal was incredible! We all joked when we got home that we missed having amazing meals cooked for us for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you are on the fence, BOOK IT! It is worth every dime. They helped create my dream wedding and I honestly feel like I didn't do a ton of work. I wasn't stressed during the whole process and I built a trust with them that the actual wedding weekend was easy and stress free!

is venue enough. The staff make the process easy especially if you are planning from out of state. Best decision we have ever made!

kept coming across excellent reviews on Hawkesdene. We contacted them and we were invited by one of the owners, Rob, to come stay overnight for a full tour of the property. Jami, the manager, planner, host and simply the “everything”, spent a full day with us giving us a grand tour. It was like a vacation in and of itself. We were SOLD. But the decision belonged to our son and his fiancé. They went for their own visit and that sealed the deal. This was the beginning of a yearlong experience that resulted in the most beautiful wedding we could have ever imagined. Jami worked tirelessly with us to make sure we gave our kids the fairytale wedding they dreamed of. She was such an absolute pleasure and was like part of our family by the time our adventure was over. The entire staff of Hawkesdene was off the charts. The food was out of this world. The rooms and the property were kept in such immaculate condition. All of our requests were met with a Yes, Yes, Yes!!! No was simply not part of the vocabulary at Hawkesdene. The culmination of this amazing service came on the day of the wedding, well actually minutes before the wedding. It had been raining all day and we were forced to set up for the ceremony under the pavilion. Even though everything looked beautiful, we really wanted the ceremony outside under the beautiful canopy of trees. The ceremony was set for 5:30 and the weather started clearing at 4:30. Rob and Jami knew how bad we wanted the wedding outside, and at 5:00 they decided to make the change. It was amazing. They jumped into action and literally reset the entire ceremony location out under the trees in about 20 minutes. It was incredible to watch Jami and her staff in action! Suffice it to say, the ceremony was beautiful, the party a huge success, and our son, and now daughter-in-law, had the fantasy wedding they dreamed of for so long. Needless to say, if you are looking for the wedding of a lifetime, Hawkesdene is your place!!!

wedding met expectations would be a lie because it truly exceeded every and all of our expectations. Jami, the coordinator on site, was absolutely amazing and we can’t wait to plan a trip again to Hawkesdene. Seriously, don’t even think twice this is the wedding venue for all!!!!

ests onsite, and allowed guests to become closer and get to know each other prior to the wedding day. There were plenty of activities both onsite and in the area to do, and there was never a dull moment throughout the 4 days. The wedding day itself was smooth and easy due to the excellent service and planning on the part of the Hawkesdene staff. So thankful for such an amazing weekend, and would definitely recommend this venue to other couples.

er team were there every step of the way. No matter what we needed they were there to help.

e to spend a beautiful weekend with friends and family to celebrate! We felt so lucky that we got to spend so much quality time everyone. Hawkesdene has a unique way of brining people together. It really created a bond among all of our friends and family. People who had never met before, left on Sunday being best friends. From the beginning, Jami and Rob were so great to work with. They are laid back, but professional and responsive. I always felt like the wedding would be in good hands. They were very easy to communicate and plan with leading up to the weekend. The wedding weekend could not have been better and I owe all of that to Hawkesdene! The grounds are magical and so beautiful, and it definitely set the tone for the whole weekend! It has a way of relaxing you and calming you. All of the guests could not get over how beautiful it was! The staff is very attentive as well. And the food all weekend was just to die for!! Every meal was delicious. Jami was our day of coordinator and couldn't have been better at it. She has a way of getting stuff done but without being too bossy or rude...like some coordinators can be. I felt super confident with her running the show. I still day dream about our wedding day and am still in awe about it. I am so thankful that we chose Hawkesdene. Hawkesdene is truly a magical place!!

ing of my dreams and a 3 day celebration that none of us will forget. Highly recommend and worth every penny spent.

they seemed to appear out of nowhere to make it happen. They were friendly and made everyone feel welcome.

Hawkesdene, Jami had thought of nearly everything. I communicated with her primarily via email (sometimes multiple per day) and she was always incredibly well organized, would respond with what has worked well in the past or suggestions for how to accomplish what I had envisioned, even if it has never been done before. We chose Hawkesdene because we love the outdoors and spending time with our friends and family and this venue lived up to all of our expectations. From the moment we arrived on Thursday to when we left, Jami and her team made everything so easy that we were able to maximize our time enjoying the things we love with minimal stress. We even had a group hike to a lovely hidden waterfall, had local craft beer on tap 24 hours a day, and had a group yoga class during our time there. Not only did we have a fantastic time, but our guests are still complimenting the kind staff, delicious food, beautiful accommodations, and how much fun they had throughout the entire weekend.

Hawkesdene met and exceeded all expectations. Rob, Phil, Jami and all of the staff were excellent from start to finish. Any questions or concerns throughout the almost one-year process were quickly and professionally answered and/or resolved. Not enough adjectives in the world to describe the food – Phenomenal, Amazing, Delicious, Fresh, Wow! The accommodations – clean, comfortable, beautiful, luxurious, well-maintained. The grounds - gorgeous. Mother Nature decided to have keep winter alive in April, effectively ending the idea of an outdoor ceremony. Jami, her crew and Andrews Florist created an absolutely beautiful site in the pavilion, all within an hour of the ceremony! Everyone was kind, helpful, and friendly from start to finish. It was a beautiful weekend.

ress free. Rob and Jami were very efficient and always communicated. My family and I had an amazing time and we fell in love with the property. I never imagined getting married could be stress free and this was thanks to Jami and her team. Hawkesdene's own chef, Caroline, baked our cake and was also able to make my husband's tres leches cake. Choosing Hawkesdene was the best decision ever!!!!!!