I am surprised to be the first to write a one star review. Unfortunately, it seems that as the business has grown, it has compensated with more fees and less service. Mix that in w...ith how truly remote this location is, and you have a recipe for a wedding disaster.
My husband and I wanted a unique and vintage-inspired wedding, so we initially appreciated being able to choose our own off-beat vendors, but finding any vendors for this venue was a nightmare. Jody kindly provides an outdated vendor list, but there are only actually a few local vendors in the area. Some vendors on her list refused to return there. Contract with your vendors before you commit to this venue because you may end up with virtually no options and be stuck with the venue. Most vendors that you do find will charge overnight or travel fees from Atlanta or Asheville.
Do not underestimate how remote the location is. Heed the warnings for winding roads with drop-offs, no cell service and unsafe travel at night because of how dangerous the roads are. We were willing to deal with all that, assuming it would be beautiful and peaceful, but there is new construction overlooking the ceremony area for Jody’s step-daughter’s house. It is a huge eye sore that wasn’t there when we toured the property, and now it dissolves any illusion of intimacy.
The venue itself caused a fiasco. We hosted a welcome dinner on Friday and the surge breaker was overwhelmed by the keg, food truck and venue's sound system and had to be reset over 40 times. OVER 40 TIMES, the music stopped, the kegerator lost pressure so the beer was constantly foamy, and the grill stopped and had to be repeatedly reheated so it took hours to serve. Some guests went home hungry after traveling hours to arrive. And yes, the wifi was NOT in working condition. When we notified Jody, she refused to acknowledge or comment.
Simply do not have your wedding here if you or a guest have a disability. There is a service, at a cost, for a 4WD Kawasaki Mule but that is only to get to and from the ceremony and reception. The venue itself is by no means accessible, especially the bathrooms. The owner suggests booking the Mateo Cabin (2-night minimum) closest to the ceremony area if you want a bathroom for cocktail hour and ceremony.
The craziest thing, was the venue manager Daisy refused to allow champagne, liquor or mixed drinks during cocktail hour despite having a licensed bartender, liability insurance, and paying for cocktail hour transportation service. The manager did not notify me, the planner, nor the owner of this sudden policy change. I was told I would be refunded for the transportation fee for “cocktail” hour but when I got the security deposit back, she withheld a dog penalty, claiming that our dog stayed in a dog-free Airbnb cabin, which is not true because our dog stayed with us, as everyone including the planner can attest. She pocketed an Airbnb penalty from our venue security deposit. The owner hasn’t communicated with us regarding any of our concerns after the wedding, despite all the attentive communication prior to payment for the venue.
Most of our best wedding experiences were off the property. I wish we got married at Wayah bald itself. If you love this area, most of your photos will be in free, public places anyway. The links to directions for those areas on Jody’s website do not work, but the kind people at nearby Lake’s End Marina in Topton, NC have guides that can point you in the right direction.