Weddings in North Carolina

This comment on Snipes Farm as an outdoor wedding venue in the Triangle area (NC) was sent to me by a bride, with current prices for rental:

I absolutely loved Snipes Farm. I can see that you’ve already been there but I’ll share my thoughts anyway.

Robert Snipes doesn’t have a great memory and seems a little flaky but he was incredibly kind and patient, which goes a long way with me. He answered all of my questions and has put a lot of effort into making his farm handicap accessible. Also very very important to me.

He called us about 20 minutes after we left and was very concerned that he had forgotten to show us the upstairs. I’ve called him twice since then with specific questions and he’s been patient and informative.

It’s 2000 dollars for the weekend and that includes Friday morning until 9pm, Saturday until 12am and Sunday until 12pm for cleanup. That price also includes 12 60″ tables and 100 chairs. He requires 50% down, which seems standard. I also thought the little bridal suite was really cozy.

While I’m on the subject of outdoor weddings, there is something else to consider, besides weather: NOISE.

Unfortunately many lovely spots are unsuitable for weddings, in my opinion, because they are so near highways or other noisy roads that the ceremony CAN’T BE HEARD.

Think about it: the officiant faces the assembled guests and officiants are usually pretty good at projecting their voices. But the bride and groom are facing away from their friends and family. Trust me, you will not be heard.

Also, at many weddings guests and family members are asked to do readings. Very few of them have had training in projecting their voices, and so these carefully-selected poems and passages from the bible are heard by nobody whatsoever if there’s traffic noise. This has wrecked several ceremonies I’ve played at.

For instance, Fearrington House is a very popular venue for outdoor weddings. They have many indoor areas for rent (at very high prices) for weddings, but they also offer outdoor ceremonies. If you choose to get married at Fearrington and want to hold your ceremony outdoors, be sure to go there and pick your spot based not only on SHADE available at your time of day (if you’re marrying during the hot months) but also on NOISE LEVEL. We played at an outdoor wedding there one late spring and the wedding planner and bride and groom were roaming around frantically just before the wedding trying to find a spot that wasn’t under direct sunlight – then, the spot they picked was so noisy they might as well have gotten married on the verge of the highway and saved their money!

A wedding florist I know wrote this to me: “Have you done one at the Greystone Inn in Durham? The traffic from the freeway drowns out everything from the wedding. If they don’t have microphones, no one can hear the vows.”

I don’t recommend it because:

1. No cover in case of rain.
2. Everybody has to walk a long long way from the parking lot, down a narrow muddy unattractive path, to get to this spot. No alternative for people who have trouble walking.
3. Biggest problem: the site is near a big road and roaring traffic drowns out the softspoken young people.

IT WON’T RAIN is NOT a rain plan!!!

I first discussed this under the heading: “Brides Do Not Control the Heavens.”

Whenever a bride calls to hire us for an outdoor wedding,
one of my first questions is:
“What Is Your Rain Plan??”
So this is a common bride’s response:
“IT’S NOT GOING TO RAIN!”
OK, I say that’s not a rain plan.

Yes, it seems wasteful to have full tent cover if you’re having an outdoor wedding, which are otherwise very economical. Yes, tents are expensive. Yes, gorgeous tiny historic inns and houses are wonderful places to have outdoor weddings IF IT DOESN’T RAIN. But outdoor weddings can also be ruined…

… by intense heat – I played at one where the bride FAINTED AND FELL DOWN IN THE SAND and a friend’s contradance band played one in a tobacco barn in August where it was so hot – and odorous from the tobacco fumes – that several people got queasy and had to leave…

… by cold – imagine ladies shivering in their lovely wedding dresses and having to borrow the gents’ jackets INCLUDING the bride in her strapless wedding gown! …

… by wind – some friends were playing jazz outdoors when high winds knocked over a tent pole that was moored in a heavy piece of concrete and sent it smashing down on the pianist’s piano, narrowly missing his head…

I haven’t yet played a wedding ruined by unexpected snow or hail (I live in Chapel Hill North Carolina, after all!) but it’s not inconceivable.

Here’s my diary post from an outdoor wedding.

The weather was cold, grey, drizzly. Even in a long sleeve shirt and sweater I was cold – imagine how shivery were the bride, wearing one of those strapless wedding dresses so popular this season, and her bridesmaids, wearing thin flouncy maroon chiffon dresses with spaghetti straps (out from under several of which could be seen large, garish tattoos featuring, on one bridesmaid, bold multicolored patches floweringly blazoned CARPE on one shoulder-blade and DIEM on the other).

So everybody was late, late, late getting on site – probably hoping the weather was going to turn. So Jim and I were sitting in a light drizzle, the legs of our chairs sinking a little into the mud, playing for the few hardy souls willing to sit on damp and clammy chairs.

The huddled assemblage’s few desultory conversations were punctuated by anxious looks up into the sky.

We’ve been hired for a wedding at Duke Gardens in Durham NC. The Sarah P. Duke gardens do a rollicking business in weddings – they have a nice building (which my daughter will be married in this June) and they also have many BEAUTIFUL spots in the garden, a pergola for instance, which overlooks a lovely pool, where they book weddings in and out in 2-3 hour slots all day long. The problem is, the pergola and the other outdoor spots do not have any cover in case of rain.

Here are some comments people left on that blog post. The last one has a really good solution to this problem!:

---

Brrrs. Not exactly dream weddings in the wet and cold.

---

Loved this post. Some years ago my eldest daughter planned her outdoor wedding to take place on a bluff beside a mountain walking track and ordered a pair of 4WD buses to transport the guests out to the location. It rained! Fortunately there was a rain plan and we sat under a marquee at the nearby resort, but still shivering.

---

This is so funny. I’ve sat through so many outdoor wedding in the summer in Texas. Folks, it’s really, really hot here in July! Even in September, honestly. We’re all shvitzing and the Rabbi says, “Don’t worry. I haven’t lost a bride yet! Someone might faint, but not the bride!”

---

Just last night I was at a wedding, winter wedding near Jerusalem, outdoor chuppah. My friend and I went in, since our feet were frozen. So we sat at the table and shmoozed, sort of rude but much healthier than watching the ceremony.

---

Fortunately, I’m an engineer and I never design anything without safety factors. I had an extra large tent WITH walls, two large propane powered heaters, etc. My wedding took place during a nor-easter, a few hundred feet from Lake Erie, and it worked out wonderfully! During a break in the rain, we got some beautiful photos by the lake with my hair flying and the water roiling behind us.

Review taken down by phone from a prospective bride:

“When the Hotel Europa opened in 1981 it was considered a very luxurious hotel for the area. Many other hotels have popped up in the area since then. The Sheraton corporation has spent millions of dollars renovating this property recently. It is a bland, beige modern hotel.

“The Europa ballroom (pictures) is quite large; the literature states it will fit as many as 690 at a reception and 460 for a banquet. There are lots of smaller rooms too.

“The hotel is located off 15-501 business quite near Chapel Hill; the traffic in that area is horrible now. There is a new super-roundabout thing that was supposed to improve the situation but actually I think it’s made it worse; I often go out of my way to avoid this area.

“I had a meal there recently; it was only so-so in my opinion. It’s not very nice outside, but you don’t hear the traffic noise when you get inside…

“Wedding packages, including chairs, tables, linens, food, punch, etc. are are $50-$89 per person – that includes a night for the bride and groom with champagne, chocolate covered strawberries, and breakfast. There are a lot of upgrade options including more expensive liquor.”

A lot of people have asked if I know how much it costs to have a wedding ceremony or wedding reception at the Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill. I investigated this when my daughter was looking for venues and below you see what I found out. I got the information from Ashleigh Collins; she is Social Catering Manager at the Carolina Inn; for more information, contact her at phone number 919-918-2766 or email her at acollins@carolinainn.com. The address: The Carolina Inn, 211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516.

The Carolina Inn has got a wide range of room sizes. They can accommodate as many as 500 if the guests don’t have to sit down! The Hill Grand Ballroom (below) can seat 220 for dinner.

Here’s the floorplan of the Inn:

The Carolina Inn doesn’t charge for the rooms – there is no room rental fee per se. What they do instead is charge by the person/guest, and there are minimums. They book wedding receptions in two timeframes: afternoon (12-5pm) and evening (7pm-12am). The prices you see below include food, open bar for 3-4 hours, tax, service charge and labor. Obviously, you can’t bring your own caterer or do your own rentals. Their food is good.

You notice how there are three prices for each package? You can save money by booking in less popular months, less popular days. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Package 1 is the most expensive and includes the most popular times: April, May, June, September, October, December, and the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

2. Package II: March, July, August, November, and the Saturday and Sunday of Labor Day weekend.
3. Package III, the most economical: January, February, Fridays and Sundays, some holidays, graduation weekend, and football weekends.

Ashleigh wrote:

Our Food & Beverage Minimums vary throughout the year (based on demand), and vary based on the venue. The venue will need to accommodate your guests based on how many there are, and if you would like a plated/seated dinner, or a heavy reception style (these both require different amounts of space for setup).

If all the math is overwhelming, you can get an idea of what this will cost you by looking at these examples of rates at different times. The cost differential is based on the Package I, II, III as above.

Plated Luncheon Packages: Cardinal, Emerald ($77 – $92 per person)
Heavy Hors d’Oeuvres Luncheons: Tar Heel ($76 -$86 per person)
Mid-Afternoon Heavy Hors d’Oeuvres Packages: Carolina ($73 – $77 per person)
Plated Dinner Packages: Azalea, Pine, Magnolia ($99 – $142)
Dinner Heavy Hors d’Oeuvres Receptions: Piedmont and Dogwood ($94 – $139)

You can also have your wedding ceremony at the Carolina Inn, inside in one of the ballrooms or outside in the small or large courtyard. (If you book the outdoor space, you must have made your own alternate arrangements in case of rain. And yes, it does rain sometimes.) The cost ranges from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $2,000.

Courtyard fees are reduced by 25% if a tent is rented. All rental items must be arranged exclusively through your Carolina Inn wedding specialist.

I took the following pictures at the recent Bridal Fair held in this Chapel Hill venue.

I drove by Spruce Pine Lodge on the way to the wedding I did at Elodie Farms last weekend and dropped in to take these two pictures. There is a nice, long driveway leading up to the spot, and it’s very quiet, as you’d expect of a place so far out in the country.
Spruce Pine Lodge is part of the Durham Parks and Recreation Department – it’s relatively inexpensive as venues go and when the weather’s good it’s a perfect place for a wedding.

Of course, sometimes it rains. The lodge itself is big enough for more than a hundred people and has a wood floor good for dancing. It’s a little dark but I think the view makes up for it. Some people say it’s a little bit hard to get the details of a reservation worked out.

We played a wedding at Elodie Farms in Rougemont, NC last week (near Bahama). It was a small wedding, only about 35 guests. We played English country dance music and swing tunes at the bride’s request.

Even though it’s November, they got married outside. We set up on the porch just above them so everybody could hear quite well.
It was a very quiet spot with lots of pretty grassy yard – the kids had room to play, and pet the goats and laugh at the donkey.

When the ceremony was over we moved inside and set up in the alcove at the far end of this room. We played swing tunes during the early dinner, and after dinner a caller taught folks how to do English Country Dances, the kind you see in Masterpiece Theater Jane Austen balls.
This is what you see when you come in the front door. They set up the desserts – three cakes and some pie – and two big heated containers of soup and casserole and salad on this buffet table.

This is one of the several tiny rooms on the first floor where tables were set up for the sit down dinner. Everybody had room to eat comfortably in these several rooms and they could all hear us even though we were alone in that front room until the dancing started!

I know our bride got a good deal on her rental because November is the off season. If you really trusted the weather – or if you had big tents – I suppose you could hold a big wedding here outside, but the place was bursting at the seams with fewer than forty.

Elodie Farms is only five minutes away from Spruce Pine Lodge in Bahama NC, the first location the bride chose, but they were so odd about returning her contract she decided to move down the road.

Spruce Pine Lodge is better if you hope a lot of people will dance, but Elodie Farms is an exceptionally lovely old-fashioned farmhouse with a gorgeous view.

The goat cheese they make at Elodie Farms is spectacular! They served some at lunch.
Elodie Farms
(919) 479-4606
9522 Hampton Road
Rougemont, NC 27572

I recently had a very yummy lunch at the Croasdaile Country Club, and the room is absolutely lovely, bright and sunny (well, in the daytime anyway) and fresh looking. The service was excellent and the manager, John Sluck, goes out of his way to be pleasant and accommodating. He’s very efficient.

There are several rooms available for rehearsal dinners and receptions, and in fact you could have your wedding ceremony in one of the rooms while another was being prepared for the after-party! I believe it’s also possible to marry outside on their lovely grounds.

It used to be that only members of the Country Club could book the rooms there, but the rule has recently been relaxed. In view of the troubled economy and bridal party wishes to be frugal, room rental charges are waived under certain circumstances.

There’s plenty of parking and it’s easy to get to. You can contact Mr. Sluck at 919-383-1591 extension 239 to get his very comprehensive price and options package. Or email him at jsluck@croasdailecountryclub.com.

Here’s the website: Croasdaile Country Club.

Sorry about the unprofessional videography. Do not hire me to shoot your wedding…

I made this for my daughter, but I may as well share it!

I recently got a chance to take some pictures at this lovely outdoor venue, near the Triad and the Triangle, on 138 acres with a 7 acre lake.

Here you see the chairs in place for an outdoor wedding that weekend. It would be lovely if the weather were good. If it’s hot – there’s no shade. If it rains – you’re a long way from a roof. Just saying.

The Pavilion is a giant tent, open to a back patio.

The patio overlooks the lake.

It looks nice inside, all set up.

It costs $3125-$4175 to rent the pavilion, which is 60 feet square. Catering tent, tables, 200 chairs, and dance floor are included. For more information: PineLakePavilion.com.

They call this an “Advantage Portable Restroom Coach.” I call it a trailer and as there are stairs to get in, I don’t see how it’s handicapped accessible. Maybe they have a system.

I was at a bridal vendors event lately and while I did not meet this vendor, the idea seems interesting:

Chantel Smith, “event coordinator,” is offering a flat-rate $5,000 package which includes:

Events in a Box, NC.

The biggest space available is the dining hall.

Maximum capacity is 200 people. Meeting space accommodates 150.
Day Use – 1-60 people: $330 per day, 61+ people: $5.50 per person, per day

The Dining Hall is a large open room with a central fireplace and a front wall of windows letting in natural light. The room is uniquely sectioned into three parts; partitions can be used to close off part of the room or left open to utilize the entire space. The tile flooring is newly re-finished! The building has central heat, air conditioning and bathroom facilities. The kitchen is closed for renovation, but a large refrigerator is accessible for rental use. The Dining Hall has a covered front porch that is the width of the building with rocking chairs and has picnic tables on its front lawn.

Maximum capacity is 150. Meeting space accommodates 125.
Day Use – 1-50 people: $250 per day, 51+ people: $5.00 per person, per day

This building is 1800 square feet and is one large, open space with central heat and air conditioning, two bathrooms, and a galley kitchen. Fleming Hall boasts hardwood floors, a large fireplace, large windows and a covered front porch and open back deck.

Meeting space accommodates 50.
Day Use – 1-25 people: $135 per day, 26+ people: $5.50 per person, per day

Oak Lodge has a large open room and full kitchen. Oak Lodge has meeting space for 50, bathrooms, wood stove, piano, heat and air conditioning. Oak Lodge also has a large private back deck overlooking woods.

Overnight capacity is 23. Meeting space accommodates 40.
Day Use – 1-25 people: $135 per day, 26+ people: $5.50 per person, per day

Dogwood Center is a multi-use building that can be rented for day-use or overnight. The building is T-shaped with a meeting room in front, a kitchen at the end, and two bathrooms and bedrooms on either side. The building has heat and air conditioning, fireplace, piano, kitchen, and meeting room.

For information on other buildings and outdoor spaces at the center: New Hope Camp and Conference Center. The center is located on 86 between Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. For more pictures, see my previous post.

As I pointed out in the other post, the camp has its own tables and chairs, so that saves you a considerable expense and bother. I believe there is also a discount for church-related groups.

Of the places we considered, Camp New Hope was my preference for my daughter’s wedding next year. It is big, informal, outdoorsy but with nice indoor space, very close to where we live, and inexpensive.

I took these pictures yesterday – it’s late August so everything is kind of burnt up from the sun.

The guy who runs it is very kind and accommodating. I’ve played a number of weddings there and found the venue very pleasant.
There are two biggish cabins on site which can be rented for the weekend of your wedding, for people who don’t like to drive. The cabins have kitchens so you can settle in and have a vacation weekend!
[caption id="attachment_408" align="alignleft" width="475" caption="New Hope Camp and Conference Center dining hall"][/caption]The dining hall is large, air-conditioned, and L-shaped, so you can have one activity at one end and another at the other. Also, they have chairs and tables so you don’t have to go to the trouble and expense of renting them.Fleming Lodge, which is close by the dining hall, is smaller but nicer: it has a wood floor, I’ve done contradances there. It has a porch where people sometimes put food and/or drink.
There are several pavilions, some larger, some smaller; I’m a mentor with the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program in Carrboro NC and they sponsor family get-togethers at Camp New Hope, with volleyball on the grass and tons of people in the pavilion for a fried-chicken feast.

Also, having the pavilion means if it rains, or if it’s very hot, there’s shelter for you and your guests.

My daughter decided the camp was too rustic for her, but for an informal affair it would be wonderful. The next post will give prices.

My daughter finally decided on Duke Gardens as the location for her wedding. It’s a very popular location, so you have to plan ahead. On the first day of June, the year before her wedding (which is June 2010), there is a “lottery.” All the people who want weddings at the gardens the coming June get pulled randomly in a lottery and the first person gets first pick, etc.

This may seem odd, but it used to be worse – a mother-of-the-bride I met told me that just a few years ago you actually had to camp out at the office on the first day of the month the year before – she got there at 6 am and there were already people there!

Anyway, the first date my daughter chose was taken by the time her lottery number got pulled, but she got her second choice. Her wedding is on a Sunday, which is less popular than the Saturdays…

When the kids were in town, we went to see the building and the grounds and to talk to Jennifer Copeland, the coordinator there (seen in the picture on the left).

There is a list of caterers from whom we must pick (except it is supposedly possible to get a new caterer on the list, and we’re working on it) and Duke Gardens takes a 7% surcharge – cut of whatever the caterer charges. They rent the place empty – you must rent tables and chairs.

This back patio is covered, which makes it great for hot weather or mild rain, and it can be extended by a special tent so your whole large wedding can be under cover – BUT you must use their special tent company, and the tent costs an appalling $2,000. It gets left there all weekend, so theoretically you should be able to coordinate with the other bridal party of the weekend and split the cost – but the tent company won’t tell you if somebody else is using the tent, they would rather get $2,000 each for the two days.

120 or so is the maximum number for a sit-down dinner. There are not extensive facilities for the caterers, so they must come pre-prepared.

The ceiling (above) is beautiful!

Sites available for weddings at the Gardens are:

Doris Duke Center Locations*	Ceremony	Standing Reception	Tables of 8	Theater	Classroom
Kirby Horton Hall	150	160	120	160	90
Isobel Craven Drill Classroom	-	-	32	50	25
North Terrace	175	200	160	250	-
North Lawn	225	300	240	-	-
Angle Amphitheater**	150	200	-	150	-

*Based on set-up, numbers may vary.

**Rental of the Angle Amphitheater is at the discretion of SPDG’s staff and is based on availability or in conjunction with rental of the Kirby Horton Hall.

Sarah P. Duke Gardens Locations	Ceremony	Standing Reception
Pergola	150**	150
Fish Pool	150**	150
South Lawn	150**	150
Iris Bridge	65	65
Blomquist Pavilion	20	-
Pond-Viewing Shelter	10	-
Bird-Viewing Shelter	10	-

**A maximum of 50 chairs are allowed at these Garden locations. For example, if 150 guests are present, 50 will sit and 100 will stand.

---

Note that, if you rent the building, you have it for the day, but if you rent one of the outdoor spaces, you have it for, perhaps, only a couple of hours, and I have known of bridal parties being hustled away because a new batch was coming in.

Ceremony Times: Friday: 6 pm; Saturday: 10am, 12pm, 2pm, 4pm or 6pm; Sunday: 12 pm, 2pm, 4pm or 6pm

Parking is $1 an hour and they tow. If you rent the building, you get 100 parking passes.

Some of the spots are a hike from the parking area, but there is a little trolley to take folks around.

Cost of renting Duke Garden locations (2009 prices):

Duke Gardens Ceremony and Doris Duke Center Reception: $2500 $250 each additional hour
Includes two-hour use of: The Gardens (50 chairs) or Amphitheater (100 chairs)
Includes six-hour use of the Kirby Horton Hall, the North Terrace, the Adult Classroom (for caterer’s use)
Also includes: 100 parking passes

Doris Duke Center Reception: $2000* $250 each additional hour
Includes six-hour use of: The Kirby Horton Hall, The North Terrace, The Adult Classroom for caterer’s use
Also Includes: 100 parking passes

Duke Gardens or Angle Amphitheater** Ceremony: $650 $250 each additional hour
Includes two-hour use of: The Gardens (50 chairs) or Amphitheater (100 chairs)
Also includes: 1 hour rehearsal, 100 parking passes

A tent on the lawn costs $500, you have to use their one preferred vendor.

My daughter has been looking for a place where she can have a party the night before her wedding. She wants space for 80-100 people, and wants to cater it with Mexican food from Torero’s, and she wants to be able to serve beer or margaritas.

We’ve looked at several spots. It appears the Recreational Center facility at the Forest Hills Park (they also call it the Forest Hills Neighborhood Center) might be good. There’s plenty of parking and a big front yard. The center itself is a little run down, but not too bad.

According to the Parks and Rec brochure, the cost is $90 for three hours with additional hours at $25 per hour. There’s a kitchen fee of $50, or, if you plan to bring in food, you pay a $25 “food fee.”

There’s also a picnic shelter, rental fee is $80.

Note that if you want to serve beer, you have to hire TWO REAL POLICE OFFICERS to stand around, one inside and one outside, $25 per hour for each, minimum of three hours. So that’s a $150 policeman fee, and I believe there is a $50 alcohol permit fee as well.

I played a wedding here a couple years ago; the bride had her dog walk down “the aisle” (see above) with the wedding ring on a pillow around his neck. Bob and I, the Pratie Heads, played English country dance tunes and Irish waltzes and O’Carolan tunes and then we accompanied the bride’s son as he sang “The Wedding Son.” It was a pretty, quiet location.

A bride has posted a great photo tour of Duffy’s event venue. She notes:

Duffy Gilligan
Valhalla Retreat Center
9423 Charles Lane (off Orange Grove Rd.) Chapel Hill, NC
(919) 929-2045

downstairs outdoor fireplace gazebo $1500 includes 99 chairs and 12 round tables up to 10 ppl each and

upstairs 4 bedrooms, bathrooms, sleep up to 18 ppl, $200 a night
THEY set up tables!
catering will need to include table stuff
stereo system and portable bars are included
no permit needed

After the wedding on the raised deck, we all repaired to the barn and had a sumptuous feast. The bride had provided disposable cameras at every table and we took lots of pictures.

I was in Hillsborough today so I swung by Ayr Mount, a historic site where I have played a number of weddings. It’s within easy walking distance of downtown. A house tour is offered every day at 2 pm but the place was closed up tight when I was there.

There’s a grand, winding driveway up past the gate…

… and there’s parking enough for more than 250.

My daughter was quoted a price of $1000, the cost for 50 people. She also received this information:

Caterers have to locate on gravel surface yet the event tent can be located wherever you choose. Event must take place during daylight hours. And portable toilets must be rented if you have more than 50 attending or there is a handicap need. If it rains then everyone stays under your tent.

There is a handicap ramp into the house from the rear.

We did a Scottish wedding here once and the bridal party processed up this grass walkway to the house, and Ken played bagpipes to escort them, and the little flower girls all had plaid sashes, they were so cute.

Ayr Mont was built in 1815 and was restored in 1985 as part of the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust, an architectural conservancy. It’s gorgeous inside, but they’re very finicky about folks using it. All the weddings I’ve done have been outside, and while you’re allowed to walk around inside, be careful.

You’ll be dealing with the manager, Bill Crowther – his business phone number is (919) 732-6886. He writes: “Our goal is to share Ayr Mount with the public while protecting the integrity of both the structure and the setting, so we are opting to attract ceremonies only with an occasional reception included.”

The grounds (265 acres) are spectacular. In one of these pictures you see a pretty pond down the hill to the left. It’s quite quiet and if it isn’t raining you’ll have a spectacular site.

Why do I mention rain? Because the rainiest wedding I ever played was at Ayr Mount. Some of the wedding party, including the rabbi, got trapped in the house when the deluge began; others were in the tent with the food and with us, the musicians. We played and played and played while they waited for the rain to let up. The chupah got drenched. There was a break in the storm, they rushed out and dried off the chairs and had a very, very quick service, and then it rained again. We were sort of pushed to the very edge of the tent and water dripped/gushed into our instrument cases.

We’ve seen the back patio used successfully used for dancing. One time, though, we were hired to play background music and then contra dances. But the guests wanted to eat and schmooze, they didn’t want to dance. The bride got quite annoyed and actually stamped her foot about it.


Ayr Mount, 376 St. Marys Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278