FAQs

Is there a dress code?

Welcome drinks on Friday night are casual and hosted at a beloved downtown brewery.

Our wedding and reception on Saturday are semi-formal. Think suits, but not tuxes. Everything will be outside and tented, so we encourage you to bring a warm layer for after the sun sets. We will be on the grass, so plan your footwear accordingly--no stilettos!

Do I need to rent a car for the weekend?

We recommend rental cars or carpooling with other guests for getting around outside of the wedding. (Maybe check out a local hike if you have a car!) You can get away without a rental car, but in that case we’d recommend staying downtown (so you can walk to restaurants) and coordinating your airport rides in advance. Uber and Lyft availability is extremely limited in Morganton and should not be relied on, especially for the wedding.

On Saturday, we will be providing shuttle service from two hotels (Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Morganton Historic District & Hampton Inn Morganton) to get you to and from the wedding venue. If you are in a bed & breakfast, Airbnb, or VRBO downtown then you can easily walk to the Fairfield Inn & Suites for the shuttle. See the bus schedule here.

Which airport should I fly into?

We recommend Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), or Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Charlotte has the most flight options, but is half an hour further. Other NC airports in Greensboro (GSO) and in the Triangle area (RDU) would be a longer drive, but may have good options depending on where you're coming from.

If you’re not renting a car or carpooling, there is a shuttle service called the Hickory Hop that runs from the Charlotte airport and could get you to Hickory (~30 minutes from Morganton) where you could grab a Lyft, Uber, or cab to Morganton.

Where should I stay?

We have room blocks at the hotels below. You may be able to find rooms outside of our blocks if needed.

Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Historic Morganton, 400 North Green Street

Hampton Inn Morganton, 115 Bush Drive

Hotels fill fast during peak leaf season in October! We recommend booking as soon as possible. Local rentals are also available through Airbnb and VRBO, many of which are downtown and walking distance to the Fairfield Inn & Suites. If you would like recommendations or a proximity-to-the-wedding-venue check, please contact Dorothy or Charles.

I'm interested in group accommodation or carpooling. Can you help me coordinate or let me know who else is attending?

Of course! We can help recommend other attendees who may want to split accommodations or be flying to/from the same airports for carpooling purposes. Let us know and we'll connect you!

Where are the wedding and reception?

Our ceremony and reception will be on Dorothy’s family’s property outside of town on the Catawba River. It will be a tented, outdoor event. If you are driving to the wedding instead of taking the shuttle, you will see signs posted to direct you once you get to Docastee Road off of North Carolina Highway 126. Put 2017 Docastee Road into your GPS!

Can I bring a guest?

Please only bring a guest if your invitation specifically indicates that you can bring a guest. Talk to us if you have any questions.

Are children invited?

We are only inviting a few older children who are our family members to our wedding, largely due to the time of our ceremony! Please only bring your kids if your invitation specifically includes them. If you need to travel with your children, we’re happy to recommend sitters in the area.

Will there be vegetarian/vegan meal options at the wedding?

Yes! If you have food allergies, let us know, but we have planned options for our vegan and vegetarian guests.

What COVID-19 precautions will be in place?

We ask that everyone joining us to celebrate be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. We will not be requiring masks at our ceremony and reception as we’ll be outside and do not expect unvaccinated guests. If you have questions or concerns, please be in touch!

So, what’s there to do in Morganton?

We’re so glad you asked! You can read about fun things to do on the Discover Burke County website here. We love the local hikes around Morganton - read below for more info on that! There are also incredible local breweries and wineries, including Catawba Brewing Company, Fonta Flora (check out their Whippoorwill Farm location ~25 minutes from downtown), and Silver Fork Winery. The Catawba River Greenway is also a great way to start your day with a riverside walk.

Our favorite restaurants downtown are Root & Vine, Treat, Moondog Pizza, Homer’s, and Pat’s Snack Bar. Outside of downtown, we love Habanero’s (both locations!), Blue 42s Burger Bar, Mountain Burrito, Asian Fusion, and El Paso.

In addition to the downtown breweries, Brown Mountain Bottleworks has a great bar and selection of beers for to-go purchases. Craft’d is a wonderful wine bar with in-store shopping and a cheese counter. Finally, you can’t miss stopping in Hamilton Williams Gallery & Studio for pottery, art, and crafts from talented local artists.

Any good hikes around?

Oh baby, let's talk about hikes! We're just going to post a few that will appeal to a wider audience here, but let us know if you want a real challenge and we'll think of something.

If you want a great view, here are three of our favorites:

Hawksbill is definitely the hike we'd do. Great view at the end, not too far from town, not too long, but definitely a scramble and shouldn't be taken lightly.

Wiseman's View is for those who want a good view but barely a hike, mostly just a short walk.

Rough Ridge is the hike we got engaged on! It is a farther drive away, but great views and easy hike (harder than Wiseman's View, but easier than Hawksbill).

If you just want a nice walk in the woods closer to town, here are two good options:

Catawba River Greenway is a nice, easy walk that you can take as far as you want.

Fonta Flora Trail is another easy walk in the woods that is being built out so it is new and popular and well-maintained. The Greenway is more of a paved walk, whereas Fonta Flora is more of a trail.