Hill House Durham | Wedding Planning Guide

The Significant Events team is a recommended North Carolina wedding planner at Hill House in Durham, North Carolina. We absolutely love the aesthetic of this venue. In fact, our design at Hill House in Spring 2024 was featured in Southern Bride Magazine! We are proud to be experts of planning weddings at Hill House. This unique venue has many logistical considerations. Keep reading if you’re curious about planning your big day on this historic estate in Bull City.

Why we love Hill House Durham

Hill House is one of our favorite venues in Durham because of it fosters an easy going wedding weekend at a unique, historic estate. We love that the venue rents out one wedding per weekend. Therefore, weddings at Hill House are able to be well paced from set-up to breakdown. This allows for the opportunity for weddings at Hill House to have more in-depth designs and it creates the flexibility for tenting installations.

What makes Hill House weddings special

When you tour at Hill House Durham, you are given the opportunity to learn about history of the home and the property. John Sprunt, the original owner and builder of the home, was an icon in the history of Durham. The home is still owned by the Hill family and has been graciously leased to the community.

The rich history of Hill House means that couples getting married here go down in history with the long line of southern aristocrats that got married there before. Now, the property is managed by the Junior League of Durham. Therefore, members of the Junior League are given discount rates to host their wedding there.

Ceremony and reception spaces at Hill House

Hill House is a primarily outdoor venue. However, that does not limit your options on where and how you can host your wedding day. When you book the venue, the property is yours to use. The vast gardens provide lots options. And, depending on your guest count, you can bring some of the event inside!

Inside Hill House

The entire top floor of the Hill House is dedicated to getting ready. There are many rooms across the second floor that provide plenty of space for both sides of the wedding party to hang out. Furthermore, the second floor provides extra offices and spaces for you to set up a full brunch display while the girls are getting ready! Just make sure you close the doors before your soon to be spouse walks upstairs. You don’t want to ruin the first look!

The main floor of Hill House is available for guests to mingle in and out throughout the event. Inside, there is a huge catering kitchen, a dining room, restrooms for your guests, and space for guests to mingle and admire the architecture and history of the home.

Our favorite use of the main floor is for cocktail hour. We love setting up a jazz ensemble in the music room, a bar in front of the fire place, and lounge furniture with cocktail tables throughout the space. The easy access to the catering kitchen is great for event staff moving throughout the house with passed hors d’oeuvres. And your guests may appreciate some access to air conditioning if the ceremony was held outside on a warm day in the south!

If you are hosting a more intimate celebration, you may choose to hold your entire event outside. Hill House typically allows for up to 75 guests to be inside at a time. Therefore, you could opt for dinner service in the house. However, we recommend working with your wedding planner to make the most of the space.

The Veranda

The wrap around porch at Hill House is also known as the Veranda. This space is perfect for guests to step out for a breath of fresh air if events are being held inside the house. For larger guest counts, couples may also choose to have one bar inside and one bar on the veranda. In such cases, be sure to include a few cocktail tables and maybe umbrellas and lounge sets so your guests to properly enjoy the beautiful patio and gardens of the estate.

Another popular use of the Veranda is for ceremonies. Smaller guests counts may host their ceremony under the covered portion of the veranda. Or, couples may choose to host their ceremony on the iconic front porch with the Veranda in the background. In such cases, the couple would stand elevated on the steps, framed by the beautiful arches of the home. Meanwhile, guests may be seated in the driveway that wraps around the house.

The Gazebo

The Gazebo offers a nice shaded area for couples that would like to have their ceremony in the gardens. Your ceremony can be oriented in any way you prefer. Some couples choose to use the Gazebo as a backdrop for their ceremony. In this case, you could adorn it with florals or draping. Then, your guests can sit on either side as you say your vows under the structure. However, beware of making sure your guests are seating on level ground in this case!

Our favorite use of the Gazebo is to allow for guests to gather with passed champagne and sign the guest book while they wait for the ceremony to start. There are many mature trees around this area with flat surfaces that allow for a great spot to host your ceremony. This provides a warm and welcoming spot for your guests to comfortably enjoy your ceremony while also appreciating the landscaping of the property.

The Grounds

Because of the capacity limitations inside Hill House, it is common to host tented weddings on this property. Your wedding tent can be placed anywhere on the property. The most common tent placement is right in front of the house’s front porch. This space perfectly fits a sailcloth tent, or a gable frame tent up to 50’x70′.

When considering your tent placement, be sure to assess the leveling of the ground. There are no perfectly flat areas on the property. Therefore, you should work with your planner and tenting company to ensure your guests can enjoy dinner and dancing on solid ground. The best fix for this is to put in flooring and Bil-Jax for leveling.

Designing a wedding tent is not for the faint of heart. It often requires a lot of coordination with various rental companies to ensure everything is safe, compliant, and aligned with your vision. Therefore, we highly recommend full service planning from a team with experience in tenting. When executed perfectly, you’ll feel like you’re hosting your very own backyard wedding at your family’s luxury home!

Insider tips of planning your wedding at Hill House Durham

As a team that has executed both full service wedding planning and wedding coordination at this venue, we have a lot of experience at Hill House Durham. Here are some things you should know before booking your big day at this iconic private estate in the heart of downtown Durham:

Be prepared for tenting.

As mentioned earlier, most couples host tented weddings at Hill House. For guest counts over 75, having a tent on retainer is required. Without one, your guests may be stuck in the rain! This aspect of the venue makes hosting weddings at Hill House logistically more complex. When planning your tented event, make sure your catering team is prepared to get in lots of steps. Furthermore, be sure you have generator ready so your band and lighting doesn’t exceed the electrical capabilities of the old home.

Skip the candles

Candles and fire are not allowed anywhere on the property. This rule is put in place to ensure this historic home is well respected and protected from accidents. Therefore, if candles and a sparkler exit are must-haves for your wedding day, this venue may not be for you! However, if you’re willing to make the sacrifice, you can certainly create a beautiful event design with lamps, bistro lights, and beautiful chandeliers strung throughout your tent!

Consider more than the venue fee.

One great thing about Hill House is that the venue rental fee itself is fairly affordable. However, there are many more expenses to consider beyond the roof overhead. While Hill House offers basic tables and white folding chairs, you will likely have a larger rental budget for this venue. Tenting is not cheap, and outfitting the space with lighting and furniture can add up. Therefore, be sure to work be prepared for those additional items before committing!

Hill House Durham Wedding Venue Cost

The cost of a wedding at Hill House is dependent on many factors. These include your guest count, design, and season or day of the week you plan on getting married.

Full Weekend Rental

A full weekend rental at Hill House includes 2 days of venue access for set up and execution. Day one is meant for drop off and prep of rentals, tenting, and personal items, along with one hour for the couple to host their rehearsal any time between 9 am and 5:00 PM. Day two is meant for the wedding day itself with access time from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm. Therefore, your event can run until 10:00 PM, with all vendors being loaded out and cleaned up by 11:00.

Hill House provide ample tables and chairs for use, along with a selection of dish-ware and utensils for up to 100 guests. The price of the full venue rental also includes staff to set up and breakdown all of the in house tables and chairs used.

• Peak Season (March – June, September – December): $8,000
• Off-Peak Season (January – February, July – August): $5,000

Elopement Package

If you plan on hosting a smaller wedding at Hill House, the elopement package may be for you! This service is available on Mondays through Thursdays, or Sundays for up to 30 guests. For $1,800 you gain one day of access and 6 hours to host your event on this historic property.

Hill House fast facts:

Address: 900 S Duke St, Durham, NC 27707

Phone: (919) 682-0449

Website: www.hillhousedurham.org

Capacity: 150

Inclusions: Use of all Hill House inventory items including but not limited to: plates, silverware, glassware, serving pieces, serving utensils, vases, votives, large decorative easels, and other decor items. 150 White Chairs, 18 4′ round tables, 12 hightop tables 6 6′ rectangular tables and 6 4′ rectangular tables.

Real Weddings at Hill House

Here are a couple of real weddings at Hill House planned and designed by Significant Events!

Your Hill House Wedding Planner

As wedding planners from Raleigh, we always love popping over to Durham to help with weddings at Hill House! Needless to say, we know the drill at Hill House. You might have your eye on this beautiful estate in North Carolina. If so, we’d be honored to support you with your wedding planning. Inquire with us here!