Lily & Tyler | Hill House

As wedding planners that are often recommended by the team at Hill House, we were stoked when Lily and Tyler approached us to plan their tented wedding at this special venue near downtown Durham. We’ve planned dozens of weddings at Hill House, but this one was certainly something special. Lily and Tyler knew they wanted to get married in NC, so working with a Raleigh wedding planner was a great choice as there is a lot of talent in the area without having to go too far!

Choosing their wedding at Hill House Durham

Lily and Tyler met in Chicago while she in college, and he was working the bar scene. Now, Lily works as a pharmacist and Tyler manages one of the city’s top restaurants, so delicious food was definitely a priority at their wedding.

Lily’s family lives in the Durham area, and she’d always loved the vintage, European aesthetic at Hill House. Between the family connection and that aesthetic, Hill House in Durham was the clear choice for the ceremony and reception. After booking the venue, the Hill House team recommended me to them as their planner, knowing our team has experience as North Carolina wedding planners running tented events on the property. 

Building the Design Around Studio McGee

As a Studio McGee fan, Lily wanted her tent design to have high contrast neutrals, organic textures, and clean lines with a vintage edge. Ivory, taupe, and beige linens covered the reception tables. And for the tent itself, I designed a fully custom, color blocked draping treatment that pulled all three of those tones around the tent with the contrast of a black valence and draping in the ceiling. 

The Wedding at Hill House in Durham

Lily and Tyler had a Jewish ceremony. It included the circling, the signing of the ketubah, and breaking the glass before they walked back down the aisle as husband and wife. Overhead stood a chuppah covered with a prayer shawl that’s been in Lily’s family for generations. 

Tyler’s restaurant background meant cocktail hour needed to hold up, so we served oysters on the half shell alongside the rest of the menu. Instead of rounds, we created a U-shape floor plan for dinner, and the meal was served family-style to create a cozy environment that felt like breaking bread together and fostering great conversation.

Kind Words

“My husband and I had an amazing experience with Haines and the Significant Events team! We planned an out of town wedding and Haines was absolutely instrumental in making that possible. She recommended incredible vendors for us to work with, which was so great especially when we were not in town to meet all vendors in person. Haines had a great understanding of my design vision and brought all my dreams to life! Multiple wedding guests commented on the design feeling like ‘me’ which is exactly how I wanted it to feel. Beyond design, Haines was incredible the day of the wedding. I was not stressed at all because I knew she would make sure everything went as planned, which she absolutely did. I could not imagine planning my wedding with anyone else!”

Vendor Team:

Wedding Planning and Tent Design: Significant Events

Venue: Hill House

Photography: Reba Spake Photography

Tenting: Carolinas in Tents Events

Rentals: Curated Events

Specialty Rentals: Greenhouse Picker Sisters

Linens: BBJ La Tavola

Florals: Hathaway Floral Design

Catering and Bar: Rocky Top Catering

Cake: Ashley Cakes

Wedding Hair and Makeup: Tease and Blush

Planning a Wedding at Hill House Durham?

Considering Hill House Durham, or any tented venue across the Southeast? I’d love to talk through what a custom design could look like for your day. Reach out to Significant Events to start the conversation. You don’t need a finished vision yet. That’s what we’re here for!