By the time you finish reading this short post on how to plan a wedding in Raleigh we bet you will be able to save yourself some time and maybe even a little bit of money too.
A list of local wedding and reception venues seems like the most natural starting point. We know that some reading this will get married in the church they went to as a kid but plenty of others may prefer to rent a different venue and there will be a variety of great places to host your ceremony or the reception.
Contents
- 1 Raleigh Wedding & Reception Venues
- 2 Bridal Shops
- 3 Where To Get Your Invitations
- 4 Choosing The Right Florist
- 5 Wedding Photographers & Videographers
- 6 Bands & DJ’s
- 7 Hair & Makeup Stylists
- 8 Tuxedo Rentals
- 9 Where To Buy Your Wedding Cake
- 10 Caterers
- 11 Your Rehearsal Dinner
- 12 Raleigh Wedding Planners
- 13 Good Luck Planning Your Wedding In Raleigh
Following that we will get into the best bridal shops near you to buy a dress and many of the other things you will need. Wedding invitations, florists, photographers, videographers, bands, and DJ’s will be getting a shout out as well.
After all of that is out of the way we will move on to the top wedding hair and makeup stylists and shops to rent a tuxedo so you can make sure everyone involved is looking their best. The next few lists will be all about the food as we mention where to buy wedding cakes, caterers, and some great restaurants for hosting a rehearsal dinner.
And to get you out of here there will be a breakdown of the best wedding planners in Raleigh for anyone who wants to hand all of this work off to a professional. Often times many wedding planners in your area will have different packages available ranging from a little bit of assistance all the way up to doing it all for you.
A map will be shared towards the end that has all of these various venues pinned on it so that you can figure out which places are most convenient. In case you were curious all of our other blogs on cities in the South can be found at that link if you want to give them a look.
Raleigh Wedding & Reception Venues
Make sure everything goes as planned by choosing right location for a wedding and reception in Raleigh:
- The Meadows at Firefly Farm at 1945 The Meadows Ln
- Melrose Knitting Mill at 309 N Dawson St
- The Merrimon-Wynne House at 500 N Blount St
- The Pavilion at the Angus Barn at 9401-1 Glenwood Ave
- The Maxwell at 330 Gideon Creek Way
- The Dock at Seaboard Station at 121 Seaboard Ave
- Market Hall at 214 E Martin St
- The Stockroom at 230 at 230 Fayetteville St 2nd floor
- The Cotton Room at #6-050, Building 6, 807 E Main St, Durham
- Chatham Station at 110 N Walker St, Cary
- Chandelier Wedding & Event Venue at 1077 Darrington Dr, Cary
- The Carolina Inn at 211 Pittsboro St, Chapel Hill
- Paramount Event Venue at 5180 Paramount Pkwy, Morrisville
- Leslie Alford Mims House at 100 Avent Ferry Rd, Holly Springs
- The Oaks at Salem at 6304 Old Jenks Rd, Apex
Up to 1,000 guests can be accommodated in a range of indoor and outdoor event areas at The Meadows at Firefly Farm.
Melrose Knitting Mill has space for 180 seated people for weddings or receptions near you.
The Merrimon-Wynne House offers a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces with a seating capacity of 275 guests.
The Pavilion at the Angus Barn is one of Raleigh’s largest wedding venues and can accommodate as many as 100 to 400 guests.
With space available for 400 guests The Maxwell stands as a newly constructed luxurious local wedding and event location.
One of Raleigh’s most well-known wedding locations The Dock at Seaboard Station can handle 200 guests seated in one of the indoor or outdoor reception rooms.
Market Hall can accommodate up to 350 guests for weddings providing indoor ceremony rooms, outdoor covered patios, and indoor reception rooms.
For a standing or cocktail reception The Stockroom at 230 can hold 275 guests.
The Cotton Room in Durham has enough room for more than 400 people.
4,500 square feet of open space are available at Chatham Station in Cary which can house 270 guests.
With a capacity to host up to 200 guests for a non-seated reception or 150 to 160 seated guests The Chandelier Event Venue provides a range of styles and options for both indoor and outdoor settings.
Both indoor and outdoor locations for weddings Chapel Hill are available at The Carolina Inn.
The Paramount Event Venue in Morrisville has a capacity of 430 people and offers a variety of event spaces and party settings.
The Leslie Alford Mims House in Holly Springs offers a perfect fusion of historic flavor and modern elegance making it ideal for weddings with less than 200 guests.
Elegant wedding venues in your area like The Oaks at Salem in Apex offer lots of possibilities for both indoor and outdoor partying.
Bridal Shops
Buy your dress at one of the best bridal shops near you that will also carry many other items you may need:
- Maggi Bridal at 6021 Glenwood Ave
- Vow’d Raleigh at 4151 Main at North Hills St #105
- Gilded Bridal at 421 N Boylan Ave
- Savvi Formalwear & Bridal at 6220 Glenwood Ave
- Alexia’s Bridal Boutique at 400 W North St
- White Bridal Boutique at 311 Blake St
- Gavin Christianson Bridal at 125 E Parrish St, Durham
- Channy Bride & Beyond at 201 W Chatham St #100, Cary
- A&Bé Bridal Shop at 210 E Chatham St #200, Cary
- Bridal Boutique of North Carolina at 115 Quail Fields Ct #100, Morrisville
- Larisa Style at 1500 Town Side Dr #104, Apex
Where To Get Your Invitations
Order invitations and envelopes in your area from:
- If It’s Paper at 445 Daniels St
- Cute Buttons Gift & Paper Boutique at 3708 Benson Dr
- KSH Creations at 5619 Hillsborough St #J
- Paper Source at 8030 Renaissance Pkwy #865, Durham
- Ivy & Linen Design Co.
- Blush & Blue Designs
- Revelry + Heart
Choosing The Right Florist
Everything will look incredible if you let one of these florists help you pick out the flowers:
- The English Garden at 8820 Gulf Ct #A
- Fallon’s Flowers at 700 St Marys St
- Watkins Florist at 1612 N Market Dr
- North Raleigh Florist at 2731 Capital Blvd
- Daniel’s Florist at 2829 Jones Franklin Rd
- Eclectic Sage at 101 Northway Ct
- Watered Garden Florist at 955 Trinity Rd
- Mews Designs Florist at 8505 Glenlake Ct
- Floral Dimensions at 3401 University Dr, Durham
- Flowers by Gary at 4914 N Roxboro St, Durham
- The Flower Cupboard at 4216 NW Cary Pkwy, Cary
- Cary Florist at 100 Parkthrough St, Cary
- Every Bloomin’ Thing at 407 E Chatham St, Cary
- Chapel Hill Florist at 200 W Franklin St #120, Chapel Hill
- Folie à Deux Events at 209 Lloyd St #320, Carrboro
- Lavender Lane Flowers & Gifts at 1752 Olive Chapel Rd, Apex
- Basket Tree Florist at 829 Perry Rd #7702, Apex
Wedding Photographers & Videographers
You will be very busy when the time comes so let one of these local wedding photographers and videographers keep an eye on the crowd to catch everything:
- Joe Payne Photography
- Jhagan Photography
- Images by Amber Robinson
- Leah Marie Photography + Stationery
- Azul Photography
- Joanna Sue Photography
- Tom Waldenberg Photography
- Ballistic Photography
- Twenty-One Films
- Morgan Henderson Photography
- Alycat Photo & Video Services
- Jen Hagan Photography
- Heba Salama Photography
- In His Image Photography
Bands & DJ’s
Nobody will ever forget the reception if you book the right band or DJ:
- Irresistible Groove
- EastCoast Entertainment
- Sleeping Booty Band
- The Shakedown
- Bunn DJ Company
- All Around Raleigh DJ
- DJ Harlem
- CWDJ Entertainment
- Cool Receptions
- Ninety Nine Entertainment
- Save The Date Music
- DJ Ones
- Stylus S.E.
Hair & Makeup Stylists
These wedding hair and makeup stylists near you will make sure that you really stand out:
- Karen Michelle Clark at 3509 Haworth Dr #301
- Wedded Kiss at 851 Washington St
- Wink Hair + Makeup at 1039 Dresser Ct
- Sweet T Salon at 404 E Six Forks Rd #181
- OnLoKtionMakeup Artisrty at 1708 Tealwood Pl
- Reign Beauty at 3708 Benson Dr #201
- Posh The Salon at 610 W Main St #101, Durham
- Boho Beauty & Co. at 560 E Chatham St, Cary
- Mina’s Studio at 400 S Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill
- Color Salon & Spa at 3582 Davis Dr, Morrisville
- Maeve Salon & Color Bar at 1121 Apex Peakway, Apex
- Styled By Sofia
- Theresa Burden Makeup Artistry
- Tease + Blush
Tuxedo Rentals
Remember to rent a tuxedo for the groom and groomsmen in your area at:
- VIP Formal Wear at 4325 Glenwood Ave #1042
- Bernard’s Formalwear at 734 9th St, Durham
- Jos A. Bank at 505 Daniels St
- Men’s Wearhouse at 8531 Brier Creek Pkwy #101
Savvi Formalwear & Bridal from our local bridal shops list also offers tuxedo rental services.
Where To Buy Your Wedding Cake
A tasty and stunning wedding cake in Raleigh can be purchased from one of these bakeries:
- Edible Art Bakery & Dessert Café at 4351-115 The Cir At N Hills St
- Cupcakes d’Amour at 1116 Carlow Ct
- Sugar Euphoria at 606 N Person St
- Groovy Duck Bakery at 3434 Edwards Mill Rd #110
- Southern Sugar Bakery at 4517 Lead Mine Rd #B
- Artylicious Cakes at 8410 Six Forks Rd #104
- The Cupcake Shoppe Bakery + Coffee at 104 Glenwood Ave
- Ashley Cakes at 954 Broadhaven Dr
- Capital Cakes at 5204 Pine Way Dr, Durham
- Miel Bon Bons at 1011 W Main St, Durham
- Once In A Blue Moon Bakery & Café at 115 W Chatham St #G, Cary
- The Kupkake Fairy at 10123 Chapel Hill Rd, Morrisville
- Bestow Baked Goods at 4208 Lassiter Rd, Holly Springs
- Bella Cake at 2800 Lemnos Dr, Apex
Caterers
The right catering company will make sure that everyone leaves with a full belly:
- Cannon Catering
- Catering By Design
- Empire Eats Catering
- Rocky Top Catering
- Catering Works
- HL Catering Company
- PoshNosh Catering
- Graze Charcuterie
- Southern Harvest Catering Company
- Fluent N’ Food Catering
- The Catering Company of Chapel Hill
- Artful Libations
- Donovan’s Dish
Your Rehearsal Dinner
Our favorite rehearsal dinner venues in town would be:
- Second Empire Restaurant & Tavern at 330 Hillsborough St
- Caffe Luna at 136 E Hargett St
- Saint Jacques at 6112 Falls of Neuse Rd
- Margaux’s Restaurant at 8111 Creedmoor Rd
- Vidrio at 500 Glenwood Ave #100
- Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar at 309 N Dawson St #1313
- Taverna Agora Greek Kitchen & Bar at 326 Hillsborough St
- Winston’s Grille at 6401 Falls of Neuse Rd
- Parizade at 2200 W Main St, Durham
- Chef’s Palette at 3460 Ten-Ten Rd #118, Cary
- Lugano Ristorante at 1060 Darrington Dr, Cary
- 411 West Italian Café at 411 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill
- The Mason Jar Tavern at 114 Grand Hill Pl, Holly Springs
- Tandem at 200 N Greensboro St #1-A, Carrboro
- Daniel’s Restaurant & Catering at 1430 W Williams St, Apex
Raleigh Wedding Planners
Get a little bit of help or a full service package from one of the best local wedding planners:
- Premier Party Planners at 5401 Oldtowne Rd
- Chad Biggs Event Planning & Design at 4441 Six Forks Rd #106-352
- A Southern Soiree at 851 Washington St
- Sally Oakley Weddings & Events at 313 Georgetown Rd
- Harmony Weddings & Events at 1209 Linwood Ave, Durham
- Mad Dash Weddings at 100 Avent Ferry Rd, Holly Springs
- McLean Events at 121 B N Salem St, Apex
- Events by La Fete
- Elana Walker Events
- Emily Katherine Events
- The Gathering Co.
- Southern Skies Events
In the past we have also discussed:
- Planning Your Marriage In Charlotte
- Planning Your Marriage In Winston-Salem
- Planning Your Marriage In Asheville
- Planning Your Marriage In Columbia
Good Luck Planning Your Wedding In Raleigh
You should feel way more prepared to plan your wedding in Raleigh after reading all of that. The best planners near you were covered if you want to go that route, or you can save some money and do a lot of this on your own now.
We tried to break it all down including local wedding and reception venues, bridal shops, invitations, florists, photographers, videographers, bands, DJ’s, hair and makeup stylists, tuxedo rentals, caterers, the cake, and of course some good restaurants for a rehearsal dinner in your area.
At this point we don’t really know how else to help but we definitely hope that you go on to plan a great wedding in Raleigh!