I didn't want to taint my wedding memories with a negative review, but our experience was so…read morefrustrating that others deserve to know what they're getting into: The Hibiscus is disorganized, unresponsive, and will nickel-and-dime you after the fact. I'm posting this 2 days after my reception. 1. They ghosted us after booking. I asked repeatedly for photos and pricing on decor they'd promised during our tour. Literal months of unanswered emails and calls. My mom resorted to checking their online calendar and showing up in person during setup for other events just to catch someone. Even then, we only got a rough quote for thousands of dollars with no photos of what they could actually deliver. With one month to go, my family decided to do all the decor ourselves. I worry they will now use photos of our hard work as their own; if they send you pics of decor, make sure to confirm their staff did it and not renters. 2. Critical requirements sent days before. Two days before our wedding weekend - when family was arriving and we were drowning in final preparations - they emailed asking for our bartending vendor's COI and sent detailed check in/out instructions for the first time. I'm lucky I even checked my email to see them. Even worse - when the COI provided didn't meet their specs, they expected me to mediate between them and the bartending company the day before my wedding, when I had a hundred other things to take care of. This should have been handled months in advance! 3. Hidden lighting charges. During our tour, we were shown the wall lighting and told it could be set to any color and brightness. I specifically said I wanted this because I hate harsh overhead lighting. They never mentioned it would cost extra. On our wedding day, I arrived to see only the overhead lights on. My husband had to call Nneka to come turn on the wall lights during cocktail hour, with guests already there. We were billed $250 for turning on these permanent fixtures we thought were included (reduced to $100 when my complaint went to management). 4. Unreasonable cleaning expectations and fees. After our reception we collected all items and trash, wiped tables, stacked chairs, and left the venue in good condition (see photo). They emailed me the next day claiming "it does not appear that any cleaning was done" and tried to charge us $400. After I pushed back with the photo, they reduced it to $250, saying we didn't sweep the floors and haul trash to the dumpster. A commercial venue expecting exhausted clients to leave the space move-in-ready for the next renter is absurd, especially when the full checklist is emailed to the bride only 2 days before the weekend. 5. Zero on-site support. Staff appeared briefly at setup, then vanished. No one was there during or at the end of our event. We were completely on our own, expected to leave the venue ready for the next renters, and lock the doors ourselves. My family poured our hearts into making this night beautiful, and it was--but no thanks to Hibiscus staff. This is a commercial venue but they manage it worse than an Airbnb. It made our wedding exponentially more stressful than necessary - so bad that I'm writing this when I should be enjoying newlywed bliss!

I do not recommend this place at all, for the following reasons:…read more1.- They charge you for absolutely everything; the price is exorbitantly high considering what they offer. 2.- They require a deposit, but I advise you not to bother cleaning or doing any cleanup work, because you won't get the money back anyway. We cleaned up, took all the trash to the dumpster, arranged the chairs one by one, and scrubbed and mopped the bathrooms, yet we still didn't get the agreed-upon deposit back--even though we did everything they asked of us. 3.- Also, you will be watched constantly during the event because they have cameras covering every angle to monitor what is going on. I also want to mention that they tell you to call if any emergency arises and they'll be on top of it; there were many issues on their end during the event, and they never answered.

The team at the Durant Nature Preserve and the Campbell Lodge are wonderful! They made the entire…read morerental process run smoothly and answered all our questions. They do have some specific rules for use of the Campbell Lodge, so make sure those are okay for your event before renting. We were able to have a beautiful event without any issues with the venue! For the Campbell Lodge, make sure guests navigate to the correct address at 3237 Spottswood Street. The lodge is not accessible from the Durant Nature Preserve main entrance. There is plenty of space in the Lodge, provided tables and chairs, and a large warming kitchen, ice machine, and walk-in cooler. The check out process went smoothly! We will definitely consider renting the Campbell Lodge again for future events!

We are super excited to have my upcoming wedding here! The Campbell Lodge has a capacity of up to…read more200 people and massive space both indoors and outdoors (two back patios, fenced, semi private)! Inside there are two fire places, a huge ball room area and a catering kitchen. There are also some small rooms which are great for getting ready in!! They are probably not bigger than 8 by 4 rooms but there are several of them. The back patio overlooks the lake and tree area. It can easily seat all 200 people. The whole place is also accessible for those in wheel chairs and has a separate mens and women's restrooms which is nice when you have a big crowd. Will post an update once the big day comes and more pictures on their way soon!

I've visited JC Raulston Arboretum many times. Sometimes I come for a stroll on my lunch break, but…read morethis occasion was for a friend's 40th Birthday celebration. She hosted a Harry Potter themed tea party at the White Garden. It was unseasonably hot for September, but thankfully there was plenty of shade at the location. It's a beautiful natural backdrop with trees and flowers. The white gazebo is quite lovely also. It's a beautiful place to walk around and it's also free entry. I haven't been to their Moonlight in the Garden event yet, but I'll keep trying to make it eventually.

Beautiful gardens with plenty of shade to explore. Loved what I could see of the rose gardens…read more Great spot for this wanting to get married there. Terrain wasn't too rough for anything who wants a casual stroll.

I went to a cocktail making class and I had so much fun. We made two cocktails and went on a tour…read moreof the distillery. Everyone was so nice and the place was so pretty. I will be back for sure

It was an easy access with our RV and the area spacious enough for parking. Communication and…read moreinstructions were nice and easy to follow. We had a nice one night stay and the goats... are TOO cute!! OMG... We did make a purchase of a bottle of gin. We were unable to do a tasting as they had a big party in there but that was ok. We bought it and had it later with a gin and tonic.

Attended 2 Adult birthday celebrations here. Very nice inside. Located in a shopping center.read more

From the owner: Raleigh's newest Event venue. Reach out today to book a beautiful wedding reception or perfect…read moregraduation party.

Spark Notes Version - I HIGHLY recommend working with A Southern Soiree! They will make your…read morewedding day magical. Extended Version: I was married at The Carolina Inn in May and I had the absolute privilege of working with Gina from A Southern Soiree. When you book a ceremony at The Carolina Inn, they include day-of coordination with one of the area wedding planning companies as a part of the package (amazing deal - everyone should get married at The Carolina Inn). Having seen A Southern Soiree in TONS of blogs and websites, I asked right away if I could work with them for my wedding. I ended up working with Gina, and based on my contract with the venue, assumed that we would just meet a couple of times to cover the basics and that Gina would primarily just be there to support the actual wedding day. I could not have been more wrong, in all the right ways! Gina was an absolute dream to work with and well exceeded my expectations throughout the wedding planning vision. She helped so much throughout the planning process. She was also professional, quick to respond to emails, had great ideas for my wedding day, and has such a great personality - I had so much fun at all of our meetings! When the day of the rehearsal dinner came, I had everything packed in my car and drove over to the venue, starting to feel overwhelmed with pre-wedding stress. As soon as I parked my car at the valet, Gina and her assistant were there coordinating getting my car unloaded. I gave Gina a rundown on what I had in all the boxes and where it needed to go, and she took over from there. There was no stressing out about setting out favors, making sure programs made it to the ceremony, etc. because Gina had it 100% taken care of. At the rehearsal dinner I was feeling overwhelmed, and Gina's assistant stood there with a glass of water for me the whole time just in case I needed it. They wanted to do whatever they could to make sure they day was stress free and that everything was wonderful. Gina and her assistant were like magical wedding planning fairies the day of the wedding making sure that everything was executed flawlessly. Before the wedding, people told me to mentally prepare myself for "something" going wrong, but when the wedding day came...nothing went wrong. Literally, everything was perfect, and I'm sure it was because I was so fortunate to have A Southern Soiree there to cover all the details. Even my father-in-law the day after the wedding could NOT stop talking about how amazing Gina and her assistant were. He was still in a state of disbelief over how they were able to pull everything off so perfectly. You can't go wrong choosing them as your event planning company and I would definitely recommend them to all of my friends and family.

Alyssa and her team executed an exceptional job! My daughter's wedding at the Umstead in Cary was…read moreflawless! Alyssa's support was incredible- from addressing emails promptly to arranging an extra in-person meeting. My daughter Nanny and I had complete peace of mind with her overseeing everything!! I highly recommend her for anyone considering a wedding at the Umstead or anywhere else this company serves. Alyssa excelled in coordinating with vendors and creating a timeline for my daughter's special day!

We had our son's Rehearsal Dinner and Meet and Greet at The Glass Box. Though our son and his bride…read morelive in Raleigh, this was a long distance event for us. Planning couldn't have been easier- our coordinator was very easy to reach and always quick with an answer with any questions we had. The venue is charming and the roof top view is stunning. We chose to have a "Before They Say I Do BBQ" and the deck provided a nice space to set up stations for our caterer.The list of vendors provided by Empire Eats made providing linens and any items needed easy to set up. The only suggestions we would offer is know in advance that this is the top floor of The Stockroom. If there are 2 events scheduled, you'll be sharing the only elevator with the other venue. Loading and unloading prior and after the event can be a bit tricky. There is no designated area loading zone. Be sure to ask in advance for a cart and it will be provided.Also, if you're having a summer event, know that it can be very hot. When the door to the deck is open, it compromises the A/C and it can be a tad bit warm.

From the owner: The Glass Box is a touch of modern luxury located in the heart of Downtown Raleigh. The bright and…read morechic suite is bathed in natural light from floor to ceiling windows, offering amazing views and a private outdoor balcony. The hardwood floors reflect the warmth of the space and the butler's pantry provides the ability to celebrate in style without having to leave the suite.

Cross + Main is an event space located in NC (Wake Forest / Raleigh / Durham area)…read more I flew out there real quick to attend my nieces wedding. It was small, intimate and purposefully lowkey. The space itself was pretty solid. The interior was perfect for what she was looking for, and I certainly felt comfortable there. Big enough for a wedding reception for sure. Decent menu, good desserts and drinks. Lighting and seating were great! Does not have to be a wedding, but for any sort of party that you'd want room, catered, dancing etc, and you happen to be in Raleigh, this place should be on your short list.

The Boondocks Events is so romantic. 100 year old reclaimed floors and support beams. Spacious…read moreand comfortable. Out of the hustle and bustle of the city to a quaint town with a small town feel

I had a great experience during my stay here. The room was very spacious and ready for me to check…read morein right on time. I am not a big breakfast eater, but the breakfast buffet had a combination of both hot and cold foods with a wide spread of offerings. Most importantly, there is plenty of coffee. This location is in a nice area. There are plenty of restaurants in walking distance in the plaza for food to eat. It's fairly close to the airport as well. Overall, solid hotel and I'll look into staying again my next time in Raleigh.

Nice 2 night stay. Great room and wonderful shower. Quick elevators. Nice lobby area. Decent…read morebreakfast. Great location near the highway, lots of restaurants, and shopping. Friendly staff. Valet parking attendants very nice, but big run for the valet Parker's to get your vehicle, so text for valet 20-30 minutes in advance.

Went to the pool as a guest. There was food and alcohol available for purchase, 3 fantastic…read moreslides, an awesome kid pool, and a few shady shelters if the sun became too much. The bathrroms were clean and cool. Cant wait to go back!

We are not members of North Ridge Country Club but recently had the opportunity to host our…read moredaughters wedding reception in the grand ballroom. Our experience with NRCC from start to finish has been exceptional and we would be thrilled to host another event there should we have the opportunity. Cam, the events coordinator at NR was excellent to work with. We meet 4 times prior to the wedding and she was always extremely well organized and professional. She kept the many details straight, provided excellent suggestions and had a fun and pleasant manner. On the actual wedding day, Cam was helpful, calm and gave us the sense that she was completely committed to making sure everything was perfect. We enjoyed having her be a part of the day and despite her completely professional manner, consider her a friend. The rest of the staff also exceeded our expectations. From the sweet women who serve as receptionists in the lobby, to all of the wait staff - we did not encounter one person who was not doing their job with excellence. The ballroom itself is a gorgeous room with soaring ceilings and spectacular chandeliers. When we added the custom linens, that are part of the wedding package, flowers and candlelight, we had truly breathtaking setting that will live long in our memories. Our guests raved about the food as well. The appetizers were served by waiters and were so plentiful some guests told me that they had to finally say no to save room for dinner! The meal was served very efficiently and elegantly. The food was hot, presented well and comparable in quality to a fine restaurant. We recommend North Ridge with great enthusiasm as a wedding venue. The only regret I have is how quickly the night passed by. Thank you to Cam and all the other staff for helping make our daughters wedding one of the most memorable nights of our lives.