Candlelit Receptions Under Velvet Lanterns and Stars at This Asheville Wedding Venue

We learned early on that some of the most memorable moments at House Boheme happen after the sun dips behind the ridgeline. When brass string lights flicker on and velvet lanterns cast their amber glow across reclaimed wood tables, something shifts. The mountains go quiet, the stars emerge over Appalachia, and your reception transforms into an intimate evening that feels suspended in time.

Creating Evening Magic with Lighting That Tells Your Story

Your reception doesn't need to end when the sun sets. At House Boheme, we've designed our lighting to work with the natural rhythm of a mountain evening, creating an atmosphere that deepens as darkness falls. The brass string lights and vintage lanterns aren't just functional, they're part of how your celebration unfolds, turning our 22 acres into an intimate world that exists only for you and your guests.

How Brass String Lights and Vintage Lanterns Change Everything After Dark

The commercial-grade brass string lighting we installed across our spaces does more than illuminate your reception. It creates pools of warmth that draw guests together, turning our covered patio and outdoor areas into rooms without walls. You'll see your grandmother laughing with your college roommate under the soft glow, faces lit by light that feels both elegant and unforced.

Our vintage lanterns, each with their own patina and character, bring an old world intimacy to your celebration. We position them on the farmhouse tables, along pathways, and throughout the lounge areas. They cast shadows that dance across the vintage Moroccan rugs and make every conversation feel a little more private, a little more yours.

When you add the stars overhead, you have three layers of light working together. The brass strings provide structure and visibility. The lanterns add pockets of romance. The night sky reminds everyone where they are, tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains with nowhere else to be.

The Covered Patio Becomes Your Evening Living Room

Our covered patio serves as the heart of most evening receptions. With its integrated wood stove hearth and those double glass doors that slide open to reveal the mountain panorama, this space gives you weather protection without sacrificing the outdoor experience. You can seat 100 guests here comfortably, and when the string lights come on overhead, the whole area glows.

The patio connects directly to our main level through those glass doors, so your indoor bar setup with pass-through windows can serve guests seamlessly. Your bartender hands drinks through the window, guests grab them without missing a beat of conversation, and the flow between inside and outside feels effortless. That matters when you want people moving freely rather than clustering in one spot all night.

We've watched couples start their reception on the patio as dusk falls, then gradually migrate to the flagstone patio below as the evening deepens and the dancing begins. The lighting follows that journey, with warm patio lights giving way to the more intimate glow of lanterns as guests make their way down.

Lounge Spaces That Invite Guests to Linger

Evening receptions need places to sit that aren't dining chairs. We provide handmade willow patio furniture, teak loungers, and multiple seating areas specifically so your guests can settle in with their drinks and stay awhile. Under the lantern light, these become the spots where your uncle tells stories, where your bridesmaids kick off their heels, where unexpected friendships form.

The speakeasy bar in our lower level walkout adds another dimension after dark. Built from reclaimed tiger-wood salvaged from the upstairs bridal suite bathroom floor, this hand-built bar has the kind of character you can't manufacture. When guests discover it, usually around the time the formalities are over and the real party starts, it becomes its own destination within your reception.

Where the Mountains Meet Your Celebration

You're 22 acres into the Blue Ridge, far enough from light pollution that the stars actually show up. On clear nights, the Milky Way stretches overhead while your reception hums below. That contrast, between the vast quiet of the mountains and the contained warmth of your celebration, creates a feeling guests remember.

Our Peninsula Garden, that 12,000 square foot grass area surrounded by fruit trees, works beautifully for evening receptions when you want more room to spread out. The trees create natural boundaries, the garden feels contained despite its size, and when we light it with our brass strings and lanterns, it becomes an outdoor ballroom under the stars.

Access to electricity throughout the property means we can bring lighting anywhere you need it. The solar ground lighting along pathways keeps guests safe without disrupting the ambiance, and the warm patio lighting we've installed gives you visibility where it matters while keeping the overall mood soft.

Setting Up Your Evening Timeline

Most couples who want this kind of reception start with a golden hour ceremony, move into cocktails as the sun sets, then settle into dinner as darkness fully arrives. By the time toasts finish and dancing starts, the transformation is complete. What was a mountain vista at 6 p.m. becomes a canopy of stars by 9 p.m., and your reception exists in its own glowing sphere.

We provide ten 4'x8' poplar wood farmhouse tables with matching benches, each seating 8 to 12 guests. Under lantern light, these long tables encourage the kind of communal dining where conversations spill across seats and everyone feels part of one big gathering rather than isolated at small rounds.

The artist-made ceramic dinnerware from Pineapple Studios and hand-blown Moroccan glassware catch the light in ways that standard rental plates never do. When your guests lift their glasses for a toast, you'll see dozens of small fires reflected in the hand-blown glass, a detail that looks spectacular in photos but feels even better in the moment.

Why Evening Atmosphere Changes the Energy

Something about nighttime makes people stay longer, talk deeper, and dance harder. The world shrinks down to just your celebration, lit by brass and flame and stars. Without the distractions of daylight, without checking phones because the lighting isn't conducive to scrolling, your guests become fully present.The two on-site vendor liaisons we provide make sure the lighting transitions happen when they should, that lanterns get repositioned as the evening evolves, that the ambiance you imagined actually materializes. You shouldn't have to think about whether the patio lights are on or the lanterns need adjusting. You should be dancing with your new spouse under the stars while we handle the details.

We're located at 872 Freemantown Rd in Rutherfordton, about 40 minutes from Asheville. Evening receptions here feel removed from everything, which is exactly the point. Your guests drive up the mountain, park in our two acre lot, and step into a celebration that could be happening in another era entirely. Then they look up, see the stars, and remember exactly where and when they are. If you want your reception to feel like an intimate gathering that happens to include 100 of your closest people, evening lighting makes that possible. The darkness creates boundaries, the lanterns create focal points, and the stars remind everyone that they're witnessing something that won't happen again. Your wedding, your mountains, your night.

Ready to see how brass lights and velvet lanterns might transform your celebration? Reach out through our inquiry form at houseboheme.com or contact us at 804-314-2812. We'll walk you through what's possible when you let the mountains and the stars play a role in your reception design.

FAQS

When do the string lights and lanterns get turned on? 

We typically illuminate the brass string lighting as golden hour begins, usually around 90 minutes before sunset. The vintage lanterns come on slightly later, as dusk deepens, creating a gradual transition from natural to ambient light. Our on-site vendor liaisons manage the timing so it enhances your celebration without you having to think about it.

Can we have our ceremony and reception in the same evening outdoor space? 

Yes. Our Peninsula Garden and covered patio both work beautifully for this approach. We can set up ceremony seating, then flip the space during cocktail hour while your guests explore other areas of the property. The lighting transformation between ceremony and reception makes the same space feel completely different.

What happens if weather interrupts an evening outdoor reception? 

Our covered patio seats 100 guests comfortably and provides weather protection while maintaining the outdoor atmosphere. We also have indoor spaces on the main level and lower level walkout that can accommodate your celebration. The brass string lighting and lanterns work in any of our spaces, so the ambiance you want remains consistent regardless of weather.

Is there enough light for guests to move safely around the property at night? 

We've installed solar ground lighting along pathways and warm patio lighting in key areas specifically to keep guests safe after dark. The combination of ambient lighting for atmosphere and practical lighting for visibility means guests can move between spaces comfortably. Our ADA-compliant restroom on the main level patio ensures accessibility throughout the evening.