Sophisticated Elegance, Five Star Service
$21,500 starting price
Raleigh, Cary, Wake County, Apex, Durham
Service area
151 to 200 guests
Haley
CATERING SALES MANAGER
Typically responds within 24h
Luxury wedding venue nestled amongst the treetops in Cary, North Carolina. Experience sophisticated elegance with our panoramic nature views and five star service. From the moment you step foot onto our grounds, you will be greeted with welcoming smiles and warm hospitality. Let us take care of every detail for your forever day, your vision come to life. Whether you are wanting an intimate ceremony or a large extravagant soiree, we tailor every experience to you as a couple. You can look forward to delicious tastings from our Five Star culinary team led by James Beard nominated Executive Chef Steven D. Greene, relaxation and serenity before your big day in our Five Star Spa, and comfortable rooms for you and your guests.
Pricing details
Starting prices
Reception:
Contact for price
Ceremony:
$5,500
Bar services:
$192 per person
Catering:
Contact for price
Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices. Peak season for this venue is Mar-Jun and Sept-Dec.
Amenities + details
Amenities
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Settings
Ballroom
Garden
Hotel
Trees
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Cakes & Desserts
Food & Catering
Planning
Service Staff
Any questions?
Meet the team
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- HaleyCatering Sales ManagerHaley was born and raised in Southern California and graduated from California State University, Fullerton. She earned her degree in Entertainment & Hospitality Management and started her career in Wedding Planning. In her spare time, Haley enjoys attending sporting events, concerts, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.
- KaylaDirector of Catering and EventsKayla began her career in the mountains of North Carolina after attending Appalachian State University. In January of 2018, Kayla joined The Umstead and has worked throughout the hotel. As a native of the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Kayla enjoys splitting her time between beach and mountain trips with her husband and senior rescue dog, as well as finding new spots for live music around the triangle.
- MadisonCatering Sales ManagerMadison began her career in hospitality at her parent’s business creating vacation memories for families in Panama City Beach, Florida. She found her home in North Carolina as a student athlete at Meredith College, obtaining her Bachelors in Hospitality and Tourism Management and her Master of Business Admin. Corporate Catering Sales Manager in 2023. Madison finds joy in family time, exercising, reading with a good cup of coffee, or gathering with friends and great wine.
- ChristinMarketing ManagerChristin is a proud Raleigh native. She began her career in Marketing after attending North Carolina State University. Go Pack! A proud Entrepreneur and Artist, Christin joined The Umstead out of a deep passion for all things Art, Nature and Wellness. In her free time, Christin enjoys adventures with her pup, Georgia, traveling across the globe, painting, learning new recipes, hiking and singing.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.027 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
The Umstead is highly praised for its beautiful grounds, top-notch service, and delicious food, making it a fantastic wedding venue. Reviewers highlighted the attentive and organized staff, including Haley and Lacey, who provided valuable recommendations and ensured a stress-free experience. Guests appreciated the thoughtful details, such as surprise treats and handwritten notes, that elevated the special day. The level of professionalism, flexibility, and exquisite execution of every aspect of the wedding planning process contributed to a truly memorable and seamless event, making The Umstead a highly recommended venue for couples seeking a phenomenal wedding experience.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 3
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Ariana F
5.0
3/16/2025
Our experience at the Umstead was fantastic. We got married in October 2024 and it was beyond our imagination. The grounds and foliage were beautiful. The Umstead staff helped us coordinate and plan our day beautifully. Our guests loved all of the food and said they felt like they got a five star experience. A few of our guests also stayed at the hotel and had a great weekend as hotel guests. Haley Meinholz and Lacey Hardee were our two primary points of contact. They were incredibly responsive and clear in their communication. They also provided recommendations for additional vendors, including Kevin Holland (our officiant), DJs, florists, bakeries for wedding cake/desserts, and photography. It was great that we had those options but we were also allowed to utilize our own vendors if we went outside the recommendation list.
My only feedback is that the outside areas should have a little better lighting and signage leading guests from the outside sidewalk by the pond back to the hotel. It's easy to accidentally head the direction of SAS campus instead back up to the hotel itself. Additionally, my bridal bouquet was accidentally left in our room at checkout as was thrown away by housekeeping. Anything that was left up in the ballrooms or getting ready spaces was accounted for and we were able to get back (they even found one of our groomsmen's cuff links!) except for my bouquet. We think it was an honest mistake, but since we stayed in the "Bridal Suite" we wish housekeeping would have known to communicate the found flowers with Haley or Lacey for us to come back to get.
All in all, the Umstead gave us an incredible experience. Lacey and Haley were so attentive to detail, keeping us on time, coordinating staff, and assisting our guests. They treated us with honesty and respect and always kept me at ease throughout all of our wedding planning process.
Alyssa V
5.0
1/01/2025
We want to share a heartfelt thank you to the Umstead for making our rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception incredibly special and stress free! From the moment we reached out about having our events at The Umstead, they were professional, responsive, courteous and detailed oriented. They have consistently had such a “can do” approach and offered valuable insight and suggestions. Additionally, for those team members who we did get a chance to interact with during the special day, each and every one of them was positive and upbeat and had a smile on their face.
Our experience at The Umstead was top notch. The hotel and grounds are incredibly beautiful and carefully and thoughtfully maintained. Our decision to have our rehearsal dinner and terrace wedding ceremony and reception at The Umstead was hands down the best decision. The special touches like providing glasses of champagne and a light snack for a quiet moment for the bride and groom prior to the reception and delivering thoughtful surprises and hand written notes to their room each day elevated an already incredibly wonderful experience. The food at both dinners was top notch. Most guests who attend organized dinner events at hotels usually expect the food to be just okay. We had so many of our guests tell us how delicious the food was for both of our dinners. Who knew a buffet dinner at a hotel could actually be incredibly delicious.
We highly recommend the Umstead for anyone else looking for a phenomenal wedding venue and catered service & planning for their special day!
Any questions?
Katherine H
5.0
11/30/2024
The Umstead Hotel and Spa is the absolute BEST venue to have your Wedding, I truly cannot recommend it enough! Every aspect of our day was perfectly executed from start to finish and the staff was so friendly and helpful. Haley was a true pleasure to work with and made everything so easy in the planning process. Every thing I thought of, she took care of and made happen. Every meeting with her and other staff members was so fun and easy and she made sure that every detail of our wedding day was taken care of for the most perfect day. The level of professionalism from The Umstead was unmatched and I was blown away with the whole staff team and how special they made my husband and I feel. We were so blown away by how fabulous the staff and venue were, that we had BOTH our Wedding and our Wedding Celebration here. Hosting our Wedding at The Umstead was worth every penny and I would recommend them every single time for an incredible and special event!
Nanny O
5.0
1/11/2024
We had our November 2023 wedding at the Umstead and everything was absolutely perfect! Haley was our point-of-contact and she was so wonderful, organized, helpful, and overall AMAZING to work with. The whole Umstead team runs like a well-oiled machine -- they think of everything, handle everything, and treated us so well both throughout the whole planning process, and the big day itself! I could not imagine having got married anywhere else! Everything was just perfect and I highly recommend this venue to any couples searching to find the perfect venue. The scenery is so beautiful (plenty of amazing spots for the photographer to work with), the lake, ceremony lawn, everything was perfect for our outdoor ceremony. And the gorgeous, huge ballroom we had our reception in was amazing as well. The food is top-notch, all our guest raved about their meals. Highly recommend!
Raven M
5.0
11/05/2023
We had the absolute perfect experience with the Umstead. The venue is gorgeous and perfectly in line with those looking for a mix of traditional or contemporary style for their wedding (although the space is highly customizable if you'd like something else!). We had our ceremony on the lawn, and honestly even the iPhone photos were stunning. We loved working with Kayla and Haley to make this day come to fruition. They were organized, thorough, kind, and easy to work with. Their professionalism made it clear that we were in good hands from when we booked the venue all the way to the end of the wedding weekend. They even spoiled us with extra surprises! I have zero complaints and tons of wonderful memories. Highly, highly, highly recommend! Thank you Umstead!
Chelsea L
5.0
6/13/2022
We got married at The Umstead in May and were so amazed at the level of service we received! From the day we toured the venue all the way until the day of, the hospitality and service was unmatched. All of the staff members were fantastic, but especially the social catering manager Kayla who had to put up with all of our questions and indecisiveness!
Melissa K
5.0
5/22/2022
We had an exceptional experience with the Umstead! Our coordinator, Kayla Turner, went above and beyond to make sure every little detail was taken care of. She was attentive, responsive, and incredibly accommodating of our requests. The food was unsurprisingly excellent (we heard from several guests it was the best wedding food they'd ever had), and the setting was private and beautiful.
Christa M
5.0
1/05/2022
Getting married at The Umstead was one of the best decisions I have ever made in my entire life. Start to finish, it was a dream come true. They were communicative, attentive, friendly, helpful, and an absolute delight to work with leading up to the big day and then throughout the entire weekend. No detail was overlooked and the personal and friendly attention both I and the entire wedding party and family received was out of this world phenomenal. I would get married there again (to the same guy!) a thousand more times if it meant I could relive the magic they helped to create.
Kelley B
5.0
11/14/2021
What. A. Dream. The Umstead was one of the best decisions we could have made for our wedding. The amenities and help we received from the staff just went above and beyond our expectations. Our families have a lot of food allergies, and the Umstead made sure every person was well-fed and taken care of. Kayla made us feel heard and made sure we got everything we wanted. The attention to detail for our day could not have made us feel more special or more taken care of. I did not have to worry about a thing come time for the actual wedding. And we're still hearing from family members and friends about how it was the nicest venue they've seen for a wedding. We loved every second of being in this venue, and I cannot recommend them enough!
Sophia R
5.0
4/30/2021
The Umstead was such a wonderful venue and caterer! The space was beautifully manicured, the food was delicious, there was no shortage of drinks, and the staff was perfectly professional. The Umstead provided so much support for our wedding and was prepared to make the appropriate changes for Covid-19. Kayla from the Umstead demonstrated clear experience with weddings that it was so easy to trust her to tackle our wedding. I highly recommend The Umstead for any other couples looking for a beautiful outdoor ceremony!
Jennifer G
5.0
9/03/2020
Kayla Bower was truly the best to work with! She went above & beyond in sharing her vast knowledge and wedding planning expertise for our recent wedding. She made our entire wedding planning process run smoothly and made sure that nothing was out of place — everything looked absolutely perfect! Kayla continually worked with us and helped us create personalized touches, an amazing day, and truly unforgettable memories. Our wedding was truly the best day of our lives and we loved every minute of it! We owe it all to Kayla and the wonderful Umstead team!
Morgan B
5.0
10/18/2019
Kayla Bower, the Umstead event coordinator, along with Gina, our day of wedding planner, went above and beyond to make our big day an absolute dream, the kind of day you imagine having as a little girl! From the ceremony location outside, to the reception in the grand ballroom, the entire day felt like a fairytale with attention to every last detail. We were adamant on including several personal touches into our wedding that could not have been incorporated without their help. Our guests were completely blown away by the high-quality service, friendly staff, beautiful venue, and overall experience at the Umstead. There is no other place I could’ve pictured having my wedding or a better team out there.
The food was absolutely incredible -- the best meal we have ever had. It was so good, we wish we could have it all over again! The service was, unbelievably, even better. The staff treated us and our guests like royalty.
Brittany A
5.0
8/14/2019
My bridal party and I used The Umstead to get ready before our wedding, and my fiancé --> husband spent the night there after the wedding. The staff was fantastic and brought us everything we needed as a bridal party. It is a beautiful space if your venue does not have a place for you to get ready and you want pretty getting ready pictures.
Jackie F
5.0
6/30/2019
I have been a fan of The Umstead for years and when I got engaged there, I knew I wanted to have my wedding in this beautiful place. First of all, the Umstead-though it is in Cary feels like you are a world away. The hotel itself, the food, service and atmosphere is second to none. Now, about my wedding-Kayla was the catering manager that handled my rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony and reception. She is friendly, organized and innovative. Being a foodie and knowing how important food is to any wedding, Kayla worked with the amazing catering chef to plan my tasting and everything was absolutely incredible. I wanted to incorporate a dessert and a palate cleanser, and combine the soup and salad course and I was also hoping to incorporate ramps into the meal even though they were right at the end of season. Her answer was always yes. Working with Kayla was like planning a big event with a friend who is an ace at their job. For all events, I also worked with Heavenly as my banquet manager. Heavenly is a word that definitely describes my experience with her. She was quick, making her way around the events ensuring that timing was spot on. She even served my new husband and me one of the courses away from our table with guests we were interacting with. It was actually a special moment for our guests and Heavenly was just an amazing maestro for a service that had to be more complicated than the standard but she executed it flawlessly. In fact every person from the banquet staff to the bartenders were absolutely stellar. Several of my guests said that it was the best wedding they ever attended. If I had to do my wedding over again, I would do it at Umstead.
Alexandria Y
5.0
6/07/2019
My husband and I felt like royalty on our wedding day. Everything was so perfect from beginning to the end. We could not have been more happy. Thank you to everyone at The Umstead Hotel and Spa.
Tracy P
5.0
7/16/2015
Overall the Umstead Hotel and Spa surpassed our expectations. Our day of coordinator was so helpful and wonderful. The venue was gorgeous and the guests had a great time. The food was unbelievable! We did have a few items that I brought in to the venue that were misplaced but overall it was not a big deal. If there were an issues or problems I had no idea!! Loved this place and would highly recommend it!
Kristen S
5.0
6/02/2015
The Umstead Hotel and Spa Was the perfect venue for our wedding! It started with months of preparation of course, but we enjoyed picking out the food and drinks that would be served as a couple with our families. They catered to my requests, despite some being outside their comfort zone. For example, I wanted circular seating for the ceremony and they made it work. The staff there and the event coordinator, Carrie Cassidy and Heavenly, were there from the moment the girls stsrted getting ready Saturday morning until the last guest went to bed, catering to every need. I'm sure not all things went smoothly, but I never knew, that's how amazing they are. The outdoor ceremony over looking the pond with our minister was magical! We were served drinks and hors d oeuvrs
As a bridal party before being announced. I even had a mom traditional "bridesmaid's luncheon" there the day of the rehearsal. They offered me 20% off spa services for my bridesmaids and a great deal on two cabanas pool side.
The only complaint I would have possibly had would have been that we couldn't have the actual rehearsal on the ceremony lawn because they booked a last minute Friday wedding. However, The Umstead went above and beyond to make up for the inconvienece by putting us up in the Presidential Suite, which was perfect for my large bridal party! We had an awesome girls day on the day of the rehearsal, a sleep over before the big day, and everyone comfortably got their hair and make up done in the suite together (with complimentary champagne flowing). It was an amazing day! I loved being able to watch guests arrive as the finishing touches were done. So awesome to walk straight from the ceremony to the party!
They even gave us an extremely discounted rate to keep the presidential suite the night after the wedding for some much needed R & R before taking off for our honeymoon.
The Umstead is every girls dream wedding venue, and I'm so blessed the most important day of my life was held at one of the most beautiful places in North Carolina.
Laura J
5.0
10/14/2014
The Umstead provided a great package for people getting married which included two nights at the hotel, food (including cake), as well as the linens. The service was wonderful and everyone was very attentive.
Wendy M
5.0
9/15/2014
The Umstead is absolutely amazing! The location stunningly gorgeous, and the food is top notch, but it is the service that really sets the Umstead apart. From start (the day you book your wedding date) to finish (the time you check out the following day...and even after that if you need them), the Umstead staff is anticipating your every need - whether you are the bride, the groom, or a guest. They go above and beyond to make sure that your day is absolutely flawless. As the Bride, I didn't have to worry about a single thing on the day of - the absolutely amazing staff at the Umstead took care of every detail for me. All I had to do was relax and enjoy...absolutely every Bride's dream. If I could give this review 6 stars I would!
Kelly G
5.0
6/11/2014
The Umstead was a beautiful place to get married. The event coordinator, Kelley Ann, was amazing! She was excited every time she met with us and the day of the wedding. The hotel staff was the worst part. Guest bags didn't get handed out when they were supposed to. The food was delicious and we are still getting comments from guests about how wonderful it was.
Lindsay D
5.0
1/07/2014
The Umstead Hotel & Spa is worth it! From my first meeting to the wedding (a span of 11 months), I felt like the only bride they were working with for the entire year (compared to other, similar venues I considered that felt more like wedding factories!). Kelley, the coordinator, is hands-on and flexible. She listened to our wants and needs and helped create our dream wedding. Most importantly, she is super responsive and thorough. I felt totally at ease knowing she was at the helm!
Our guests raved about the beauty of the venue and the quality of the food and beverages. Seriously, many of us will continue to dream of food served as it was cooked in their restaurant to-order and not pre-prepared like other wedding venues. The hotel and event staff were attentive to our guests throughout the weekend, too. There were so many lovely little extras throughout the weekend - fresh fruit and mimosas served the morning-of, for example - that again, just made us feel so special. I cannot more highly recommend this venue to other brides, it was the best choice we made during wedding planning!
Cori B
5.0
10/23/2012
We JUST got married at the Umstead and loved EVERY minute of it. From the moment we walked in and were discussing possibly using it as a location for our wedding to the moment we walked out after our wedding weekend with a small tear in our eye that it was over, we felt like we were treated as royalty the entire time. We TRULY appreciate everything they did to make our wedding a memorable experience. HIGHLY recommended!!!
Jessica K
5.0
8/21/2011
Classy, elegant, phenomenal service.... most gorgeous place in the world... treats the bride like a queen!
Barbara N
5.0
8/02/2011
Everything was amazing and perfect. The food was delicious and the service was out of this world.
Celia C
5.0
6/13/2011
The staff at the Umstead was amazing and attentive. The lawn is a beautiful space for outdoor weddings, and the food is absolutely spectacular.
Tara D
5.0
10/07/2010
First class!
A H
5.0
8/09/2010
We absolutely loved working with the Umstead from start to finish. They made it so easy. All of the guests were stunned at the quality of the food and service and how beautiful it was. One guest commented that the service was as perfect as a choreographed ballet.
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$21,500 starting price
Haley
CATERING SALES MANAGER
Typically responds within 24h
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