When Brian and I are were searching for a wedding venue for our special day years ago, we had no idea where to begin! What type of location did we want? Indoor ceremony? Outdoor ceremony? How big did the reception space need to be? We had a ton of ideas for what we thought we wanted but very little knowledge of what was in our area!

To help make things a little easier for you, we’re starting a new series called the Venue Spotlight! Each week, we’ll share photos and information from some of the wedding venues that we’ve had the pleasure of visiting. The first venue on our list is the beautiful Highgrove Estate in Fuquay Varina, North Carolina.

This is one of my all time favorite wedding venues in the Raleigh area! It’s about a 25-30 minute drive outside of Raleigh. There is ample parking on the property, which is a major plus when I think about a wedding location. There is a bridal suite and groom suite inside of the house! The bridal suite is so pretty and makes for great getting ready portraits before the ceremony! Behind the house, you’ll find a gorgeous outdoor ceremony space. I love the backdrop of the ceremony space. Just above the ceremony space is a really neat space for cocktail hour! There’s a bar with cocktail tables and an open area that is perfect for your guest to mix and mingle before the reception!

The ballroom at the Highgrove Estate is the reason why I initially fell in love with this venue!

I love how clean the space feels! There are windows around the room with a beautifully draped ceiling! It’s pretty much a wedding photographers heaven when it comes to reception photographs! There’s also a fireplace around the side of the reception space! The ballroom at the Highgrove Estate is the reason why I initially fell in love with this venue!

Here’s what I really love about this wedding venue! If it rains on your wedding day, the ballroom makes a beautiful ceremony space! I’ve also heard that the fireplace area can be used for a ceremony. Added bonus is that there are lots of great spots for portraits around the Highgrove Estate.

I highly recommend that you check out the space for yourself!