If you’ve been Googling “Wilmington NC wedding venues,” welcome. You’re exactly where you should be. This guide was created for couples who love a well-set table as much as a well-built timeline. People who care deeply about aesthetics, but also want to know how the day is going to work. And maybe, just maybe, you're looking for something you haven’t quite seen yet.
Wilmington is full of beautiful venues: grand oaks, waterfront lawns, garden courtyards that feel like they’ve always been waiting for you. There’s a reason couples from all over are drawn here. But if you’re naturally design-minded, it might start to feel a little too familiar. A little too expected.
An Event Designer’s Guide to Coastal Carolina’s Most Beautiful Spaces
Wilmington venues, Reimagined.
In this guide, we’re sharing a curated look at three of Wilmington’s most beautiful wedding venues—each one offering something different in terms of architecture, layout, and guest experience. We also plan weddings in nearby coastal locations like Wrightsville Beach and Figure Eight Island, and we bring the same design-driven approach wherever we go.
That's where we come in.
We take beloved spaces and reimagine them through an editorial, European-inspired lens. One that favors layered textures, lived-in luxury, and atmosphere over theme.
Think Southern architecture styled like a fashion editorial. Warm. Lived-in. Quietly opulent.
SYCAMORE BEND ESTATE
Sycamore Bend Estate is an all-white historic property framed by manicured grounds and quiet grandeur. You don’t decorate this space, you inhabit it.
We’d bring in a black-frame clear-top tent that rises from the lawn like a modern greenhouse. Inside: creamy whites, textured greens, and terracotta tones warm the space. Florals feel harvested. Vessels look collected. Everything, from the lighting to the linens, feels tactile, organic, and quietly luxurious. We want it to feel like you’ve invited your people to dinner in the greenhouse on your private estate.
The result: An editorial greenhouse affair that feels like it’s always belonged on the property. Naturally elegant. Completely at home.
QUICK FACTS
- Location: Wilmington, NC
- Type: Historic estate venue with lawn, manor, and stables
- Best for: Outdoor weddings, tented receptions, weekend wedding experiences
- Guest capacity: Flexible layout for small to large weddings
- Notable features: 18-acre estate, restored 1818 manor, crepe myrtles, white fencing, onsite parking, lodging for up to 26 people
Planner’s POV
AIRLIE
GARDENS
Old-world romance layered in Southern soul. Spanish moss, century-old oaks, vine-covered pergolas, and a lush, cinematic palette.
We’d take the historic garden setting of Airlie Gardens and infuse it with painterly boldness and layered elements. Rich textures. Pattern-on-pattern styling. A palette pulled from nature: clay, ochre, aubergine, moss, coral. Tables styled like still lifes. Sculptural vessels. Brass lamps on linen-cloaked tables. Florals that feel freshly gathered from just beyond the path.
We want it to feel like a late-summer dinner at a European estate. Scented. Textural. Full of life. Guests sipping champagne under soft lighting. Color spilling from every corner.
The result: An immersive garden celebration that feels timeless, expressive, and completely alive. Like you stepped into a painting and stayed for dinner.
QUICK FACTS
- Location: Wilmington, NC
- Type: Historic public garden with oak trees, pergolas, and waterfront views
- Best for: Outdoor ceremonies, garden weddings, cocktail-style receptions
- Guest capacity: Up to 300 for outdoor ceremonies and tented events
- Notable features: Century-old live oaks, Spanish moss, fountain garden, lake views, multiple ceremony sites (Pergola Garden, Oak Lawn, Bradley Creek Lawn, Bottle Chapel Lawn)
Planner’s POV
WRIGHTSVILLE
MANOR
Wrightsville Manor is a staple of Wilmington weddings: brick, iron doors, soft palms, and golden light. Coastal, but not casual. Grand, but not stuffy. It carries each moment beautifully from day into night.
We’d lean into the structure of the venue and reimagine it with coastal heritage and Mediterranean ease, highlighting its patinaed brick, sunlight filled space, and subtle sophistication. The palette stays soft and tonal—sand, oyster, bone, moss. Rattan and palms give way to sculptural florals, stoneware vessels, puddled drape, and textures that whisper luxury.
We want it to feel like a warm evening at a hillside villa. Relaxed, refined, sun-kissed. Effortless, because every detail was chosen with care.
The result: A romantic, coastal-meets-European celebration where every design choice feels like part of the story.
QUICK FACTS
- Location: Wilmington, NC, near Wrightsville Beach
- Type: Indoor/outdoor venue with historic brick architecture and garden lawn
- Best for: All-in-one weddings, garden ceremonies, indoor receptions with outdoor flow
- Guest capacity: Up to 200 guests
- Notable features: 3,000 sq ft main event space with 18-ft brick fireplace, outdoor garden lawn with historic oak and fountain, patio veranda, elegant bridal suite, catering prep
Planner’s POV
Well-Dressed Events is a full-service wedding planning and design studio founded just outside NYC, where timelines are tight, taste matters, and every detail has a job to do.
Today, we plan weddings across North Carolina while staying rooted in the creative edge and logistical clarity that shaped us. We bring that perspective to every event we touch from the coast to the city, and everywhere in between.
We’re not just here to make things look good (though we’ll absolutely do that). We’re here to make sure your wedding works. Seamlessly. Beautifully. Intentionally. That means:
✓
Mapping timelines that make sense
✓
Vetting and managing every vendor and moving part
✓
Designing spaces that feel deeply personal
✓
Keeping the energy steady, even when things shift (because something always will)
We’re the planner and the designer. The stylist and the strategist. The one making sure the candlelight hits just right, and your second course is plated on time. If you care how your wedding feels, and want it to look as good as it runs, this is the kind of planning you’re looking for.
WHO WE ARE
Born in New York. Now planning in North Carolina with taste, intention, and expert precision.
What Happens Next
Whether you’ve already chosen your venue or you’re still exploring, we help you see the potential in every space. Then we bring it to life in a way that feels elevated, editorial, and entirely your own.
We’ve been planning weddings for nearly a decade, and we know how to design around different layouts, guest counts, and timeline quirks—especially in outdoor and tented spaces. If you’re not sure what to look for in a venue—or how to make it actually work for your guest flow, vendor team, or weekend schedule—we’ve got you.
We work across North Carolina, from Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington to Raleigh, the Triangle, and beyond. If you're looking for full-service wedding planning that’s both thoughtful and beautifully executed, learn more about how we work.
- REID, client
"Incredibly detail oriented, thoughtful, organized and 100% on your side. THEY ARE delightful to work with and helped us put on the absolute best wedding. Big endorsement."
Our Wedding Planning Process for Clients in Millburn, Westfield, Short Hills & Manhattan
HOP ON A ZOOM CALL
FILL OUT THE FORM
We just need the basics. A date, a guest count range, a general budget. Nothing has to be locked in. That’s exactly what we help with.
Get A custom plan
We’ll talk through where things stand, what you’re hoping for, and how we can help. It’s honest, helpful, and never pushy.
You’ll receive a clear, tailored proposal that outlines what’s included, what to expect, and how we’ll move forward together.
