The Durham Museum

ent spaces were perfect for all the different portions of the evening. We started with cocktail hour on the Track Level, and guests were able to explore the museum exhibits, which is very cool and unique. We had dinner in the Grand Hall, which was very comfortable for our 300 guests. I was originally worried about the acoustics in this room, but we rented a speaker system that worked extremely well for prayers and toasts. Guests moved to the Swanson Gallery for dancing and desserts. We also set up some cocktail tables so guests could enjoy the band without having to be on the dance floor. Guests that wanted a more quite area for conversation were able to stay in the Grand Hall and chat. I cannot say enough about the accommodating staff and unique charm of the Durham. We would highly recommend this space to any couple planning their big day!

f my questions. She was easy to reach over email and phone, which definitely helped relieve any stress I felt. In my humble opinion, there truly is no place more beautiful to get married at than The Durham!

sts were able to look through the permanent exhibits. The staff was great to work with and day of they helped make sure things went smoothly.

re everything went smoothly and even offered suggestions that were perfect. We could not have asked for a better night!!

ing some research on the internet and speaking to the event coordinator, Hannah Decker, she recommended the Swanson Gallery which was absolutely perfect!!! We only needed the space for our ceremony so it was everything we needed to privacy, a back room to get ready in, an aisle perfect for any bride. Not to mention she was very accommodating about letting us do personal touches. We didn't do anything big but we got to bring in our own arch, flowers, decorations, etc. The day of our wedding though, Hannah was the ultimate rock star!! She was very good about keeping things flowing and checking in on our flowers (we got them from another place and they didn't show up until 10 minutes beforehand, yikes!). But she always reassured me that everything was going to be okay and we got this. Hannah was also just an amazing person to work with in general! Very personable, funny, gave great suggestions, even let my bridal party take photos through the museum. My husband and I really enjoyed our time at the Durham museum. We are so happy that we got to start off our 1 year anniversary at the beautiful building. Worth every single penny!!!

ou'll need to hire separate vendors for equipment, etc. So the only suggestion I'd make is to be sure to test out the sound system with your vendor beforehand. Due to covid we held the ceremony in the large main hall, to provide more space. So our sound vendor had some issues with managing the echo during the ceremony, and in retrospect it would have been good to experiment with this beforehand to get it right. But at the end of the day, no one seemed to mind that much since the building was so gorgeous and impressive!

- Multiple spaces allows for people to get away, but it's still centralized enough to where it's never too spread out - Multiple options for food/drink vendors who are all reliable and have worked with the venue before - Very organized, reliable, and easy to depend on (no fear of "going under") - Staff/coordinators were very organized, helpful, and accommodating (even gave us lower part of musem for free to encourage guests to spread out for Covid precautions) - Safe and well guarded - Very centralized location/proximity to hotels - Lots of parking Cons: - Acoustics in Main Hall made speeches a little hard to understand at times, but side big hall was PERFECT for the band/music - Rentals are not included, but (2) reliable vendors are available to choose from - Setup for a Saturday event cannot start until 2pm for the side hall and 3pm for the main hall

space. She was by far the most attentive vendor I worked with, and was extremely fast with replying to my emailed questions. That was so reassuring for this stressed out bride.

I highly recommend!

edding day couldn’t have happened without the help of the Durham staff. They are so lovely to work with and we are so thankful for their help and patience during this uncertain time of the pandemic!

ctions. We loved that guests were able to go through the exhibits all night long if they wanted. I loved having my wedding here at the Durham. We used Elegant Edge Events for catering, and they also did a great job.

d & exceptional staff).

m fit us perfectly, and would have had plenty room for more if needed. Both Annabelle and Hannah, the Rental/Event Managers, were extremely responsive and helpful. Throughout our planning process Annabelle changed roles, and our reception was handed off to Hannah. They did not skip a beat. You have to provide all your own equipment, chairs, tables, etc. but I really found that as a way to further customize everything and cost savings with being able to use any caterer of your choice. I would definitely choose the Durham again if I were to go back in time!

ding) I would book it as far in advance as possible because it books quickly. Tables, chairs, catering, etc. are all separate which can be quite the task but it's also nice being able to bring in whatever caterer you want which was important to us. It's decorated beautifully for the holidays and we barely had to decorate the venue at all, partially due to the massive beautiful tree hanging from the ceiling :) If you're willing to put in a little extra effort with the additional vendors this venue is a classic, must-have for the perfect wedding!

sed with the Durham as well. If you happen to be looking for somewhere you can hold a wedding and reception - look no further as the Durham truly is a memorable location. Thank you!!

ough the museum during the cocktail hour, and getting treats from the Soda Shoppe for dessert. Because the building itself is so beautiful, we didn't need to have any additional decorations and still achieved the art deco/vintage look we were going for. I would absolutely recommend this location, it is gorgeous, has phenomenal staff, and something for all of your guests to enjoy.

t for our wedding. This art deco architectural wonder is a breathtaking space that already has so much detail and beauty; there really isn't much decorating needed. The staff were helpful and easy to communicate with from day one. We had our ceremony in the West End and our reception in the Great Hall. The space is so large and versatile, there are various layout options. We, as well as our guests, were completely mesmerized by how beautiful our wedding looked against such a stunning backdrop. The Durham Museum perfectly made our Winter Wonderland- Holiday Sparkle wedding dream a reality! Thank you!

ch is also when they have their beautiful Christmas tree up. We rented the entire great hall plus the soda shop which was a HUGE hit to all of our guests! We had a nice flow and plenty of space to have the ceremony and reception there, and with a December wedding it was nice for our guests to not have to drive anywhere after the ceremony to get to a separate reception hall. Annabelle, the event coordinator, was awesome throughout the entire process. Anytime we had questions she was quick to respond and also gave a lot of great recommendations for food/drink vendors. We live in Kansas City and when we were wanting to schedule a last minute walk through at the Durham she made sure to make time for us. Honestly, any interaction we had with anyone there was great and they were all helpful. Another great thing about getting married there is that you don’t need to decorate because the beauty of the building speaks for itself. If I had to do it all over again, without a doubt I would still pick the Durham.

. I can’t tell you how many compliments I got on the venue, it’s truly just so beautiful!! Annabelle was lovely to work with, as was everyone else we encountered. I can’t recommend the Durham enough!!

en when I had a million questions 🙂. I will definitely be recommending The Durham to any future engaged couples that I know!

n the Swanson gallery it smelled like a florist shop. We were able to choose our own vendors with no extra fee; it’s exactly what we wanted with a venue and the Durham went above and beyond to make everything smooth.