A pair of white high-heeled shoes appear to be floating or falling against a bright blue Chestnut Ridge sky scattered with clouds.

Chelsea & Ely | A Joyful Spring Wedding at Chestnut Ridge in Asheville, NC

A bride in a white gown walks outdoors at Chestnut Ridge, holding hands with a woman in a white suit who leads a dog on a leash. Guests watch nearby near a white building under a partly cloudy sky.

Chestnut Ridge Wedding Photographer | Lesbian Wedding Photographer Asheville | LGBTQ+ Wedding Photography Western North Carolina

Some wedding days just shimmer. From the first peek of morning light over the Blue Ridge to the last song of the night, Chelsea and Ely’s spring wedding at Chestnut Ridge was filled with the kind of bright, unstoppable joy that makes your whole chest feel full. I am so deeply honored to have been their Asheville wedding photographer for this beautiful, love-filled day.

Chestnut Ridge: One of Asheville’s Most Breathtaking Wedding Venues

Wedding invitation suite, white roses, a green ring box with a ring, jewelry, and white bridal shoes arranged on green grass.
A white blazer on a hanger is suspended from a tree branch outdoors, with green foliage and tall shrubs in the background.
A white lace wedding dress hangs on a wooden hanger beneath a large, circular chandelier adorned with greenery and sparkling disco balls in the bright, elegant Chestnut Ridge venue.

If you are searching for a Chestnut Ridge wedding photographer, let me paint you a picture: rolling mountain pastures, sweeping panoramic views of the Blue Ridge Mountains, warm golden light that seems to pour from every direction, and a venue that feels both grand and intimate at the same time. Chestnut Ridge, located just outside of Asheville, NC, is genuinely one of my favorite places to photograph weddings in all of Western North Carolina — and Chelsea and Ely’s spring celebration reminded me exactly why.

Chestnut Ridge in spring is something else entirely. The trees are bursting with fresh green life, the air is warm and soft, and the light has that honeyed, dreamlike quality that makes every frame feel effortless. As a Chestnut Ridge wedding photographer, I have watched this venue transform across every season — and spring is truly its most magical.

What Makes Chestnut Ridge Perfect for Wedding Photography

Chestnut Ridge offers a photographer so much to work with:

  • The mountain views are unmatched in the Asheville area — panoramic, dramatic, and stunning at every hour
  • The grounds give you endless variety: open fields, wooded paths, manicured gardens, rustic structures
  • Golden hour at Chestnut Ridge is extraordinary — the way the last light hits those mountains is genuinely unforgettable
  • Both indoor and outdoor ceremony and reception spaces allow for flexibility regardless of weather
  • The scale feels intimate even for larger guest lists — it never loses that warm, personal feeling

If you are comparing Asheville wedding venues, Chestnut Ridge belongs at the top of your list — and I would love to be your photographer there.

Chelsea & Ely: Pure, Radiant Joy

Two brides, one in a white suit and the other in a white wedding dress, hold hands while walking on grass with a barn and tree-covered mountains in the background.
Two brides in white gowns embrace and smile outside a large, modern white barn with black doors, surrounded by trees and mountains under a partly cloudy sky.
Two brides stand facing each other, holding hands and smiling, in an outdoor wedding setting with empty wooden chairs and green trees in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
A couple in wedding attire stands beneath a large, leafy tree on a grassy lawn, with a wooden fence and green foliage in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
Two brides embrace and smile joyfully under a sheer wedding veil outdoors, with greenery and mountains blurred in the background.
Two brides in wedding attire stand on a modern wooden staircase, holding hands and gazing at each other. One wears a suit, the other a long white gown with a train. The setting is bright with white walls and natural light.

From the very first time I spoke with Chelsea and Ely, I knew this wedding was going to be something extraordinary. These two women bring out the very best in each other — their laughter is easy, their love is completely unguarded, and their happiness on their wedding day was absolutely contagious.

The moment Chelsea saw Ely for the first time is one I will carry with me for a long time. That kind of joy — completely unperformed, completely real — is what wedding photography is for.

Throughout the day there was so much life. Happy tears and bright laughter and dancing and the beautiful, beautiful chaos of two families coming together to celebrate. Chelsea and Ely set the tone from the start: today we celebrate loudly, love fiercely, and hold nothing back.

Two Brides, One Perfect Day: Photographing LGBTQ+ Weddings in Asheville

A bride in a white gown and a groom in a white suit dance together on a large checkered dance floor, surrounded by seated and standing wedding guests under hanging greenery and disco balls.
Two people clink wine glasses in the foreground while a musician plays the saxophone in the background. The photo is in black and white, with dramatic lighting highlighting the scene.
A three-tiered wooden cart filled with multiple champagne glasses, each containing champagne, set against a blurred outdoor background with greenery.
A bride and groom dance together on a large white checkered dance floor in a beautifully decorated reception hall with elegant tables, green foliage, and hanging lights above.
A bride in a white lace wedding dress holds a bouquet of pastel flowers while standing on green grass outdoors. Her face is not visible in the image.
A hand holding a bouquet of white and pale pink flowers with greenery, raised against a partly cloudy blue sky. White ribbon trails from the bouquet, and the person wears a delicate bracelet.

Being a lesbian wedding photographer in Asheville — a photographer who genuinely loves and celebrates queer love stories — is one of the most meaningful parts of my work. Chelsea and Ely’s wedding wasn’t just a beautiful event. It was a celebration of who they are, who they love, and the life they are building together. That deserves to be documented with the same care and intention as any love story.

If you are a same-sex couple, LGBTQ+ couple, or two brides planning a wedding in Asheville or Western North Carolina, I want you to know: you are completely, enthusiastically welcome here. I photograph queer weddings, lesbian weddings, gay weddings, and celebrations of all kinds — and I show up for every single one with my whole heart.

The Asheville area is one of the most beautifully inclusive places in the South to get married. Venues like Chestnut Ridge welcome all couples, and the community here is warm, affirming, and celebratory. As an LGBTQ+ friendly wedding photographer in Asheville, I am proud to be part of that.

Spring Portraits at Chestnut Ridge

Two brides in white dresses embrace and smile outside the Chestnut Ridge barn on a sunny day, with green mountains and a partly cloudy sky in the background.

After the ceremony, we wandered the grounds of Chestnut Ridge as the afternoon light shifted and softened toward golden hour. Chelsea and Ely were completely natural — totally at ease, totally present with each other, completely in love. The Blue Ridge Mountains stretched out behind them, the spring light fell soft and warm across the pastures, and the photos made themselves.

This is what I love most about Chestnut Ridge wedding photography: the venue does so much of the heavy lifting. No matter where you stand on those grounds, the backdrop is extraordinary. But what made Chelsea and Ely’s portraits truly special was them — their ease, their joy, their genuine delight in each other.

Planning a Chestnut Ridge Wedding: What to Know

A three-tiered wooden cart filled with multiple champagne glasses, each containing champagne, set against a blurred outdoor background with greenery.
A woman in a white dress holds a glass of champagne while a man in a suit sits beside her, both appearing to be at a formal event. The focus is on the womans hand and the glass, with soft, warm lighting.
A wooden table set for a formal event with tall glass candle holders, white candles, green foliage, a beige cloth runner, gold cutlery, a water glass, and a plate with a beige napkin.
A circular chandelier decorated with green vines and four silver disco balls hangs from a ceiling with wooden beams and white walls. Warm lights are attached around the chandelier.
A green salad on a decorative plate sits on a wooden table set with gold utensils, a crystal glass of water, candles in tall glass holders, and leafy greenery as a centerpiece, illuminated by soft, focused light.
A metal rack holding several wine glasses casts a detailed, patterned shadow on a sunlit concrete surface at Chestnut Ridge. The shadow reveals the shapes of the rack and glasses in the bright outdoor light, adding charm to the scene.

If you are in the early stages of planning and considering Chestnut Ridge as your venue, here is what I would tell you as a photographer who knows this property well:

Book it early. Chestnut Ridge is one of the most sought-after wedding venues near Asheville, NC, and spring and fall dates fill up fast.

Plan for golden hour portraits. The light at Chestnut Ridge in the hour before sunset is extraordinary. Build time into your timeline for portraits outside — you will not regret it.

The mountain views photograph best with simple, clean styling. Big, bold florals and natural textures complement the setting beautifully. Let the landscape be part of your aesthetic, not compete with it.

Every season is stunning. Spring brings fresh greens and wildflowers. Fall brings that iconic Blue Ridge color. Summer evenings glow. Even winter at Chestnut Ridge has a spare, dramatic beauty that I love photographing.

Let’s Work Together

Black-and-white photo of two people clinking wine glasses in the foreground at Chestnut Ridge, with a saxophonist playing in the background and light shining through the glasses.
Black-and-white photo of two people clinking wine glasses in the foreground at Chestnut Ridge, with a saxophonist playing in the background and light shining through the glasses.

I am Nathan Rivers Chesky, an Asheville wedding photographer and videographer specializing in documentary, emotion-first wedding photography that captures real moments and real love. I serve couples across Asheville, Black Mountain, Weaverville, Brevard, Chimney Rock, and all of Western North Carolina — and I travel worldwide for destination weddings.

I am proud to be an LGBTQ+ inclusive wedding photographer who warmly welcomes and celebrates lesbian weddings, gay weddings, queer weddings, two brides, two grooms, and all love stories. Every couple deserves a photographer who shows up with genuine enthusiasm for their specific, beautiful story.

Whether you are planning a full celebration at Chestnut Ridge, an intimate mountain elopement, or something in between — I would love to hear from you.

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