THE BACK STORY OF OUR DESTINATION WEDDING VENUE IN THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS OF NC
When my husband, Stephan, and I moved from Germany to the US, we ventured to North Carolina on a late-fall trip and discovered Nantahala. A hidden gem. Clearly undiscovered. It was so quiet, we initially wondered if it was too quiet. But then we saw this vista and knew we’d found home.
Most of Lake Nantahala’s 29 miles of shoreline is National Forest, protected from development, so this view will never change. The water is crystal clear and 300 feet deep in parts. It also benefits from a high flow rate since it’s connected to the Nantahala River (famous for whitewater rafting).
Average high temps range from low 70s in April, May, and June to low 80s in July and August and back to the low 70s in September and October. For us, that means gorgeous swimming for six straight months!
By the time our daughter Jess became engaged, we’d purchased a second piece of property near the lake but hadn’t decided what to do with it.
Then it became clear. Jess and her fiancée were both in the Navy with friends stationed all over the world and their families spanning from coast to coast. They knew they had to choose a place that would make traveling worthwhile. They chose the fairy tale land of Nantahala. And the weekend was magical indeed.
The success of our first wedding in Nantahala was the catalyst for developing our property into a full blown destination wedding venue. We want to share the magic and ensure every couple that comes through starts their marriage with the clean mountain vibes that my daughter still feels when she revisits her wedding photos today.
Every mother wants her daughter to have the wedding she dreamed of as a little girl, so it becomes a shared dream. I let that be my compass as I help all of my guests bring their wedding visions to life!
Jody Hafey
Read more about Lake Nantahala.
Nantahala Weddings and Events embodies the dream my mother made into reality over the course of the last decade. The outcome is an intimate haven where nature, love, and community converge.
After my 2014 wedding – the first to countless others – I returned to my career in the U.S. Navy, stationed onboard USS NEW ORLEANS and USS CAPE ST. GEORGE. Meanwhile, Nantahala Weddings flourished! Fate beckoned with an expansion of the venue to 6.5 acres which enabled lodging and the revered Chapel in the Sky.
In 2020, my mother proposed a life-altering question: would I join her as co-owner? The mountains’ allure and the opportunity to collaborate with couples in curating their flawless wedding experiences made my decision clear.
Fast forward to 2023: our family of five, with kids aged 4, 2, and 6-month old baby, shifted from a military life in at the U.S. Combatant Command in Germany to a mountain life surrounded by the Nantahala Forest and couples living the best day of their lives. My husband embraced our new surroundings by kindling our children’s wilderness exploration to amplify our joy of life on the lake.
Our Story would be incomplete without acknowledging that any trip to Nantahala serves as a catalyst for transformation. Your pulse of existence adapts to mountain time—a cadence that compels introspection and presence. This path already starts to reveal itself as one navigates the serpentine Wayah Rd, an enchanted prelude to the treasures bestowed by the Nantahala Forest—a gift that renders one fully immersed in the now.
Jess Hafey Kawamura