A hotel with a rose garden, two lawns and a mountain-style lodge on one property. The day can move between very different looks without leaving the grounds.
I am an Asheville photographer. I travel to Charlotte for weddings, about 130 miles and two hours and ten minutes from home. This page uses the hotel's own site for facts and my own sense of light for the plan.
The Ballantyne, A Luxury Collection Hotel, is at 10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway in Charlotte. Its wedding pages describe indoor and outdoor venues, including the Rose Garden and event lawns for outdoor ceremonies, and a short walk to Stream Park and The Bowl at Ballantyne.
From a Stories by Esi session
Rose Garden, lawns and the Lodge
The hotel's pages list a Rose Garden of about 4,237 square feet, with an arch, a North Lawn of 3,200 square feet and a South Lawn of 6,400 square feet. The South Lawn is described as an open-air space beside the North Lawn and Stream Park, with a stone wall and natural light, and a ceremony setup is an option. A Terrace and a ballroom of 6,230 square feet are also listed.
Then there is The Lodge, which the hotel describes as a 40,000-square-foot North Carolina mountain-style hunting lodge with 35 guest rooms. If you love the mountains but want a Charlotte-area wedding, that is the part I would pay most attention to. A building with that character is a good backdrop for portraits, and its guest rooms could make a calm place for getting ready.
Rose Garden with its arch: the most intimate setting for portraits
South Lawn and its stone wall: open light and room to walk
North Lawn: a softer, simpler green backdrop
The Lodge: timber, stone and getting-ready rooms
How I would run the photo day
A large hotel wedding has many moving parts, so I would build a calm timeline with you and the planner. Getting ready happens in the rooms, then a first look in the garden if you want one, while the hotel is quiet. We would photograph the couple, family and wedding party in a block before the ceremony, so that you can enjoy cocktail hour afterward.
Then the ceremony, in the Rose Garden or on the lawn, depending on guest count. The hotel's pages list very different capacities for these spaces, and the numbers vary from page to page, so please confirm capacity and layout with the hotel's events team before you decide. After the ceremony I would steal ten or fifteen minutes with the two of you while the light is lowest.
From a Stories by Esi session
Season and light
Spring brings roses and fresh green, and fall brings warm light and cooler evenings on the lawns. Summer lawns are hot at midday, so I would plan the ceremony late and finish portraits at golden hour. In colder months, the Lodge and indoor spaces keep the photographs warm.
Open lawns mean wide skies, so golden hour here can be broad and gentle, not dramatic. If you want drama, we look for clouds, mist from a cool night, or the hour after sunset. I would walk the grounds with you at the time of day you plan to marry before the date, so I know which wall catches the last light.
Good to know
Before we go
Address
10000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28277Official info
Spaces
Rose Garden (4,237 sq ft), North Lawn (3,200 sq ft), South Lawn (6,400 sq ft), Terrace, Ballroom (6,230 sq ft) and The Lodge (35 guest rooms).Official info
The Lodge
Described as a 40,000-square-foot North Carolina mountain-style hunting lodge with 35 guest rooms.Official info
Questions
Asked and answered
Where would we take portraits at The Ballantyne?
The Rose Garden and its arch, the lawns with the stone wall, and The Lodge are the places I would look first. We would choose together when we scout the light.
How many guests can the Rose Garden and lawn hold?
The hotel's own pages list different numbers, so please confirm with the hotel. I would not plan your guest list from a third-party number.
Do you live in Charlotte?
No. I live in Asheville and travel to Charlotte for weddings. It is about two hours and ten minutes by car.
Tell me who you are, what you love, and the season you're in. I read every word.
I'm based in Asheville and travel to Charlotte for sessions, elopements and weddings. Tell me where you are, and travel details come with your collections.
