Location: 7213 Roberts Road, Cary, NC 27519 Capacity: Up to 225 guests Type: Historic Estate Website: theupchurchvenue.com
The Upchurch sits on a 6-acre property, built around a house first raised in 1905. The Upchurch-Williams house was a private family home for more than a century before a local preservation group took ownership in 2014, removed additions that were not part of the original structure, and moved the house down the road from its original location to save it. In 2018, the house was designated an Apex Historic Landmark.
The property changed hands again in 2020, and construction on the grounds began in the spring of 2021. What stands today pairs the restored 1905 house with a newer conservatory pavilion built for weddings and events, the two connected by a terraced patio and a lawn ringed with magnolia trees. A wedding here typically moves between the two structures over the course of a day: the house for the earlier, smaller moments, the Conservatory for dinner and dancing.
The Main House & Patio
The restored 1905 house combines its original structure with new finishes throughout. A multi-level terraced patio was added off the back of the house, overlooking the Magnolia Lawn, giving guests a place to gather between the ceremony and the reception. Two dressing suites are located inside the house, and one of the property's two catering kitchens is here as well.
The Magnolia Lawn
Behind the Main House, a 2,000-square-foot circular lawn ringed by magnolia trees seats a full guest list for an outdoor ceremony or a cocktail hour. Guests reach the lawn from the house by way of the terraced patio, and arrive under the trees.
The Conservatory
The newest structure on the property, the Conservatory is a 4,200-square-foot pavilion that seats the same full guest list indoors for dinner and dancing. Three of its walls are lined with windows facing the grounds, and its own terraced patio looks out over a wet pond. A second catering kitchen serves the space directly.
What We Design Here
The Upchurch splits a wedding across two rooms with very different characters, and the design has to hold across both. Inside the 1905 house, arrangements work best low, with weight and texture, scaled to rooms first built for family life and sitting comfortably among the original woodwork and furnishings. On the lawn outside, the magnolia canopy already supplies structure and shade, so ceremony work can stay low to the ground and let the trees provide the frame.
The Conservatory calls for a different approach. Centerpieces work best kept low enough to hold the sightlines to the grounds outside, carrying the day's palette through from the ceremony into the reception.
Practical
The Upchurch is on Roberts Road in western Wake County, near Apex. The venue's in-house caterer handles food and bar service. Two on-site parking lots serve guests. The property is ADA compliant except for the second floor of the Main House, where the dressing suites are. Inquiries go through the venue's contact form or by phone.
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 Upchurch, schedule a consultation.
Need flowers there today? See same-day flower delivery in Cary.