A Vintage, Old-World Glamorous Wedding at The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina

Jaclyn Iseler was 18-years-old when she met Joseph Christopher at a graduation party. Almost a year later, the two began dating and set off on a decade-long courtship. 

As lovers of travel, the couple found themselves visiting Italy after ten years of dating. “We were going to enjoy the day truffle hunting in the morning, and then lunch and exploring various wineries,” Jaclyn recalls. “I thought he might propose on this trip, but he completely surprised me when he arranged for the truffle-hunting guide to place the engagement ring box where the dogs would lead us. After the proposal, we enjoyed a yummy truffle-filled lunch and enjoyed some wineries in Tuscany! 

Planning a wedding in Asheville, North Carolina while living in Texas was no easy feat, so wedding planner Becca Knuth of Asheville Event Co. helped facilitate the process. Held at the luxurious Biltmore Estate, the bride and groom were married on the front lawn in front of the historic Vanderbilt house. With the front lawn being so expansive, the entrances were nothing short of grand – the couple’s parents walked down the aisle to Beauty and the Beast’s “Tale as Old as Time,” and the bridal party walked to “Music of the Night” from Phantom of the Opera. The bride made her entrance in a vintage Rolls Royce, which drove down the long Biltmore driveway to Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful.”

After the ceremony, guests were given an abbreviated tour of the Biltmore House and exited onto the Library Terrace for a sunset cocktail hour. “Our inspiration for the whole wedding day was very romantic and ornate, with a vintage and old-world glamorous touch,” explains the bride. “Think Great Gatsby meets Beauty and the Beast. We wanted the Biltmore House to speak for itself during the ceremony, so we kept the ceremony décor simple and timeless. Our reception was amazing – just like a dream – but a special detail that I want to note was our amazing wedding cake!

So huge and adorned with roses from top to bottom, it was the first thing you saw when you walked into our reception.”The groom has an inside joke where his friends call him “the panda.” So, as a surprise for his new wife, he arranged a full-on panda flash mob during the reception. When the DJ began playing a song, the newlyweds looked over to see about 20 of Joey’s friends wearing panda ski masks. They all formed a circle on the dance floor, jumping up and down, and proceeded to throw him up in the air like he was flying – an incredibly fun surprise that brought all guests to the dance floor.

“We didn’t want the night to end, but we felt everything was so perfect and we were so happy with the outcome,” says Jaclyn. “We were so happy that all our guests loved Asheville and our venue as much as we did when we first visited. We were overjoyed everyone we loved was there and had an amazing time; and we were, of course, happy we were now married!”