The Umstead Hotel and Spa

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.

ut 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!

nd 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!

ding (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!

ice 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!

nsive, 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.

ndly, 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.

tations. 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!

sional. 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!

g 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!

ving 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.

erything 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.

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.

Hotel and Spa.

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!

ed 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.

everyone was very attentive.

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!

l 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.

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!

alked 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!!!

was. One guest commented that the service was as perfect as a choreographed ballet.