A Complete Wedding Weekend at The Omni Homestead Resort: Luxury Destination Weddings in Hot Springs, Virginia
Set within the rolling landscape of Virginia’s Allegheny Mountains, The Omni Homestead Resort offers a refined take on luxury destination weddings in Hot Springs, Virginia. Here, couples and their loved ones can gather together for a complete wedding weekend experience that blends historic charm with modern indulgence, and world-class amenities with a storybook setting. From blissful spa rituals at the famed Warm Springs Pools to lavish ballroom receptions, The Omni Homestead Resort is one of Virginia’s most remarkable wedding venues, expertly designed to be an all-inclusive escape for immersive, multi-day celebrations.
Why Hot Springs, Virginia is an Ideal Luxury Wedding Destination
For couples searching for mountain wedding venues in Virginia, The Omni Homestead Resort and its surrounding area is as idyllic as it gets.
“It’s kind of hard to beat,” says Raechel Kiefer, Catering Services Manager at The Homestead. “Hot Springs, Virginia is a location that most people would refer to as a charming destination with stunning views of the area’s endless rolling hills, fresh mountain air, and some of the friendliest people you will ever meet. Upon arrival, the reprieve from life’s normal hustle and bustle and that feeling of relaxation are almost instantaneous.”
Logistically, the resort is located within easy driving distance of major cities and airports, making it a convenient and easily accessible destination for out-of-town wedding guests. Due to its mountain surroundings, each season at The Omni Homestead Resort lends a different type of atmosphere and visual appeal to the wedding weekend experience.
“Our peak season is May-October,” says Rachel Withrow, also a Catering Sales Manager at the resort. “May-August focuses on warmer weather, outside ceremonies, and gathering by the pool. September and October focuses on natural surroundings with the changing of the leaves.”
“We can host weddings 365 days a year,” Kiefer adds. “But because of Mother Nature’s touch on our surrounding trees and the cool mountain temperatures, Autumn is our most popular wedding season. Some of the top activities in Autumn are taking a relaxing soak in the Warm Springs Pools, hopping on a brews and views tractor tour of the property, roasting s’mores by the firepit, getting a morning massage with a relaxing afternoon at the adults-only serenity garden to follow, and hiking or horseback riding through one of our many trails on the property.”
A True Wedding Weekend Escape
The Omni Homestead Resort is the type of destination that beckons visitors to arrive before or linger after the wedding weekend, simply so they can indulge in the full Omni experience at their leisure.
“Here’s my perfect day at The Homestead,” shares Kiefer: “Wake up early and order room service breakfast because you really just can’t beat an order of French Toast with a side of bacon in bed! Then I would head to a late morning massage or facial in our incredible spa. After the service, I would plan to relax in the Serenity Garden for the afternoon, soaking up the sun and indulging in one of the Serenity Garden Café’s refreshing mocktails. After my spa day, I would head to dinner in Jefferson Restaurant and order all of my favorites—Kale Caesar Salad, Filet Mignon, Creamed Spinach and Onion Rings. The onion rings are an absolute MUST. For my night cap, I would grab an Espresso Martini from the Presidential Lounge and grab a fire pit spot on the front porch.”
Withrow also insists guest try a 50-minute soak in The Homestead’s Warm Springs Pools, which are fed by naturally warm, mineral rich springs. The pools have attracted visitors for centuries, including several U.S. presidents.
Wedding Venues at The Omni Homestead Resort
A wedding weekend at The Homestead can cater everything from private elopements to lavish celebrations for 600 guests, all depending on the venues a couple selects.
“We have 483 guest rooms available,” Withrow explains, “76,000 square-feet of indoor meeting space, and can realistically accommodate weddings in our Grand Ballroom up to 600+ guests. Our sweet spot is anywhere from 12 guests to 300 guests.”
With beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces available, there’s also a great deal of flexibility in terms of how couples and their planners want to map out the flow of events.
“Our most popular venue spaces for hosting a ceremony are the Casino Lawn, East Lawn, and Old Course Pavilion Lawn,” Withrow says. “They each offer their own unique landscape that our clients choose as their spot to say, ‘I do!’ Our most popular venue spaces for receptions are the Crystal & Empire Ballrooms and Old Course Pavilion. The Homestead classic location of the Crystal & Empire Ballrooms located within the resort feature natural light, chandeliers, and space to accommodate up to 200 guests for dinner and dancing. The Old Course Pavilion is our newest offering, debuting in 2024, built adjacent to our historic Old Course with surrounding resort and mountain views as its backdrop!”
Omni’s sprawling lawns also provide a dream canvas for planners and event designers to create luxurious, large-scale tented receptions. Kiefer shares, “We have had our couples, along with their planners, come up with some over-the-top designs using sailcloth tents and clear span tents along with draping, creative flooring, staging, and lighting installations, and floral design to tie it all together.”
Signature Experiences for a Hot Springs, Virginia Wedding
The Homestead welcomes any and all couples looking to celebrate love in Hot Springs, Virginia. Couples who are drawn to the property are often looking for an all-inclusive venue where they can arrive ahead of their wedding weekend with their closest friends and family, and enjoy some quality time before the larger group arrives on Friday.
“The clients typically want to kick off the weekend with an intimate rehearsal dinner with their wedding party,” says Kiefer, “and then to follow, will invite all guests to a private welcome party before the big day. On the wedding day, we will have hair and makeup going in one suite, and typically the other half of the party can be found taking advantage of one of our many available resort activities. After exchanging vows, it is the culinary team’s time to shine. They pass exquisitely prepared hors d’oeuvres while guests sip champagne or the evening’s specialty cocktail, then sit down for a wedding meal not only planned with love by the wedding couple but prepared with love from our expert chefs. Then to the dance floor they will go to dance the night away.”
To create a stronger sense of place and give guests a true destination wedding experience in Virginia, there are several unique touches couples can incorporate into the celebration.
“Some couples select items for their welcome bags that are representative of our resort,” shares Withrow. “Examples include our Warm Springs Pools bath minerals, the Hot Springs, Virginia history book, Virginia peanuts, logo apparel from our shops, Virginia wine, and more. Another popular idea is featuring a watercolor of our iconic tower on the invitation.”
“My suggestion to my clients is ‘do what is true to you,’” Kiefer adds. “I once had a bride who had a creative hat business—and as a wedding favor, she made trucker hats that said, ‘Happiest in Hot Springs’ for all of her guests that we passed out to everyone while they were the dance floor. I had another client who was a chemist, so her seating chart display was a large interactive wall of beakers. Guests found their beaker and ‘filled it’ pulling the tab. When it was full, their table number appeared. Another fun, yet very personal detail one of my former weddings had: in lieu of a formal guest book, they set up an easel and blank art canvas with a table of brushes and paints. During cocktail hour, the guests took turns painting images or well wishes on the canvas. This not only turned into a unique activity for the wedding guests to participate in throughout the evening, but a one-of-a-kind piece of abstract art that the couple can display in their home that will be cherished forever. It’s the personal touches like that, that your guests will remember.”
The Omni Homestead Resort is a destination that simultaneously feels like a luxurious mountain retreat and a homecoming, all rolled into one. It’s impossible not to feel welcome when greeted by friendly staff and the exquisite scenery of Hot Springs—a first impression that every couple wants for their wedding weekend.
As Kiefer states, “We have some of the most incredible associates who have made it their life’s work to serve others and go above and beyond to do so every single day.”
Visit omnihotels.com for more information.