Location: 4700 Emperor Blvd, Durham, NC 27703 Capacity: Up to 2,000 guests (reception); 1,200 seated Type: Hotel & Convention Center Website: marriott.com
Research Triangle Park was built for corporate campuses, and the Sheraton Imperial sits inside it with 31,504 square feet of event space spread across 12 meeting and event rooms. The hotel has a restaurant, a bar and a seasonal outdoor pool on-site for guests who stay through the wedding weekend.
The reason a couple lands here is size: a single room built to hold the day without dividing it.
The Imperial Convention Center
At 14,288 square feet, measuring 188 by 76 feet under an 18-foot ceiling, this is the property's largest room and the one that carries its headline numbers: up to 2,000 guests for a standing reception, 1,200 for a seated dinner. A room this size holds a ceremony, a dinner and a dance floor as one continuous event, with room for round tables at full scale and a head table beside a clear, open aisle.
The Imperial Ballroom
Smaller than the Convention Center but still sizable at 10,080 square feet (180 by 56 feet, an 18-foot ceiling), the Imperial Ballroom holds up to 1,400 guests for a reception or 850 seated. It gives a couple a second full-size option for a large wedding, booked on its own.
The Empire, Crystal Coast and Royal Ballrooms
Below the two largest spaces, the hotel lists the Empire Ballroom at 6,272 square feet, the Crystal Coast Ballroom at 1,750 square feet and the Royal Ballroom at 1,600 square feet. These rooms suit a rehearsal dinner, a welcome reception or a smaller ceremony, and they let a wedding weekend move between rooms without anyone leaving the building. Across all 12 event rooms, a couple can hold the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony and the reception on the same property, each in its own room.
What We Design Here
At 188 by 76 feet, the Imperial Convention Center runs longer than it is wide, so the work has to carry that length as well as its height. That means tall arrangements on risers, structure that pulls the eye toward an 18-foot ceiling, and an aisle long enough to need its own rhythm. In the smaller ballrooms the same palette pulls in: tables set closer, low centerpieces that hold a conversation across them, detail worth a second look on the way past. The hotel's neutral finishes and even lighting let a couple's colors show exactly as they chose them.
Practical
The hotel sits inside Research Triangle Park, an easy commute from the surrounding business campuses and, by the hotel's own description, less than a mile from some of Durham's attractions. Raleigh-Durham International Airport is 4 miles away, which matters for a guest list arriving by plane. Both self-parking and valet parking are available on-site. The hotel's wedding specialists coordinate event planning directly, and guest rooms can be booked on the property for a wedding weekend.
Hidden Door Floral Studio is a Raleigh wedding florist designing for weddings across Raleigh, the Triangle and North Carolina, and happy to travel beyond. To talk about your wedding at the Sheraton Imperial, schedule a consultation.
Need flowers there today? See same-day flower delivery in Durham.