The Enchanting Places to Get Married in Durham, NC
Should you and your sweetheart love baseball, this may just be the place to catch each other. The Stadium will hold up to 10,000 of your closes friends. Should the weather not be the best, 2,500 of your very best friends and family will have a roof over their head.
The Ball field is well manicured with a great sound system. What a wondrous way to share your vows of hope and love with the gathered witnesses.
At the end of the ceremony you can reserve a section for the reception. They have a fine selection of foods and beverages.
If you do it on game day, you may be able to time it so that your guests can take in a game after the reception. It can be a fun day for all.
Durham Bulls Athletic Park
409 Blackwell St
Durham, NC 27701
(919) 956-2855 (BULL)
North from the Durham Centre is a fantastic and magical place that does sometimes host special events, such as weddings. At the Museum of Life and Science they have a building which houses species of butterflies from around the world. The exhibit is known as Magic Wings.
The entry to Magic Wings with its statuary, ramps and steps would make a wonderful setting for the ceremony. The Magic Wings exhibit with its plethora of butterfly species floating by and occasionally landing close to you provides a fabulous backdrop for those posed pictures.
For the kids, old or young, there are a multitude of diversions to keep them entertained.
An enchanting wedding here among the rare and colorful butterflies would leave the new couple with dreams of romance on their wedding night.
Museum of Life and Science
433 Murray Avenue
Durham, NC 27704
(919) 220-5429
One final place west of the Durham Centre is the famous Sarah Duke Gardens. They often hold weddings in the gardens and have ten suggested areas with party size figured in.
The Sarah Duke Gardens have fifty five (55) acres on the West Campus of Duke University. The have terraces, arbors, streams, bridges, an amphitheater and green areas. All of the settings for your special wedding are unique and exotic.
Some of the locations, such as Blomquist Garden of Native Plants are intimate and private. The small open gothic structure in the garden may hold perhaps twenty people under its roof with room for another ten or so in ear shot. You can’t get much more intimate than this.
The Amphitheater located behind the Doris Duke Garden Center can hold about one hundred and fifty people quite comfortably. It has what looks like a Greek style seating with long semi-circular stone benches with grass between the rows. Behind the stage area is a serene pond often visited by wild birds. The setting is excellent for both the wedding and the pictures that follow. Both the Amphitheater and the pond make beautiful backdrops.
There are several locations in the garden that make excellent sites for catered receptions.
If considering this location, it may be beneficial to tour the grounds first as there are many unique and special settings within the garden to help make the day more memorable. Plan on spending several hours as this fifty-five acre garden has many hidden pleasures for those who love unique plants and settings. Each arch you pass through and bridge you pass over brings you to plants and flowers that have an outstanding range of color and shapes.
One of my favorites is a Japanese tree that has a million roots (a slight exaggeration) that looks like it is centuries old. I was told by one on the staff, perhaps a volunteer, that is was just about fifty. It still looks much, much older.
Another favorite place is “The Terraces”; a very unique garden. It is truly one terrace after another of plantings. The plants are changed seasonally so that each terrace is in bloom for nearly the full year.
One caution in the using the gardens is if you have people who will be attending who need to use a wheelchair or walker; in this case choosing one of the sites, such as the Amphitheater, near the Doris Duke Center would be helpful to your guest. Much of the trails to the more distant sites are gravel, making travel by these modes very difficult.
I found this out for myself when I pushed my aging mother through much of the gravel in the gardens. She wanted to see everything, every single flower and tree; no matter how badly my arms ached.
Sarah P. Duke Gardens
426 Anderson Street
Duke University
Durham, NC 27708
(919) 684-3698
