Asheville, NC

Friends April and Greg got married on March 26, 2011 in Asheville, North Carolina, and since I was in the wedding, this meant a spring vacation for the two of us! April grew-up in Asheville and moved to Florida in the 10th grade, so she chose the location for her wedding to Greg at the Biltmore Lioncrest. We've never traveled to Asheville or the Biltmore so we were excited to visit for numerous reasons.

I talked Dan into leaving Tallahassee at 6am for NC on Thursday so that we would be sure to arrive in time to tour the main house, and more importantly, take the wine tasting tour. Arriving around 3pm, we headed straight for the main house built by George Washington Vanderbilt II, completed in 1895. The first party held at the house was on Christmas Eve in 1895 and showcased the 250 rooms of the largest privately-owned home in the United States. The Vanderbilts chose the location because of the climate and scenery which was perfect for a summer escape from New York where they lived. We agreed, the views as you walk to the house are breathtaking with the mountains as a backdrop.

After the house tour, we headed for the old dairy which is now a winery. The Biltmore has many different types of wine varieties from champagne to merlot that are grown from grapes from their vineyards as well as from vineyards in Washington, Oregon and California. We tasted seven of the wines at the regular tasting then moved on to the premium tasting for a couple more swallows of their more expensive blends. Since the winery was closing (yes, we almost closed the place down!), we decided to eat on the Biltmore grounds and headed for Cedric's Pub, named for Cornelia Vanderbilt's favorite dog (Cornelia was George's daughter and only child). After feasting on pub fare that included buffalo calamari, mushroom and leek soup and a Scottish egg (hard-boiled egg encrusted in breaded sausage) salad, we collapsed in our rooms, exhausted from all we managed to pack in to one day.

Friday, I had "Breakfast with the Bride" at the Corner Kitchen, a quaint little two-story restaurant with fabulous mimosas and omelets. Afterwards, Dan and I had a few hours for more siteseeing so back to the Biltmore we went. This time, we toured the gardens and greenhouses for a couple of hours. The Biltmore has 8,000 acres of land, 75 acres make-up the gardens. The azaleas weren't blooming yet but the tulips were and the grounds were still beautiful even though spring had not quite sprung yet. We walked to the bass pond and waterfall, both looked like they were something out of a movie, then had to hussle back for me to make the rehearsal at 2pm and rehearsal dinner at 6:30pm (at 12 Bones Barbecue) after the bridesmaids' nail appointment at 3:30pm.

The wedding was held at the Biltmore Lioncrest at 11:30am and the bride and groom both looked wonderful. The day couldn't have been more perfect (which usually isn't the case on wedding day), weather was cloudy but a fantastic setting for the plantation/country manor landscape in which it was set, the ceremony was nice even getting a couple laughs when April's ring didn't exactly fit, followed by a lively reception with delicious food of crab cakes, sirloin, stuffed chicken, spring vegetables and strawberry buttercream cake. Congratulations April and Greg and thank you for having a destination wedding so Dan and I could have a much-needed mini-vacation!!