Skip to main content
Weddings

About

The JC Raulston Arboretum is a nationally acclaimed garden with one of the largest and most diverse collections of landscape plants adapted for landscape use in the Southeast. Plants especially adapted to Piedmont North Carolina conditions are collected and evaluated in an effort to find superior plants for use in southern landscapes.

illustration popular

Venues you may like

See other venues that are popular with couples right now

Frequently asked questions

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

Which of the following are included in the starting site fee?

Chairs
Parking
Set Up
Tables

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

3

Describe your venue:

Ballroom
Banquet Hall

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor
Uncovered Outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony
Reception
Bridal Shower
Engagement Party

What event services do you offer?

Event Rentals

What event items are available?

Audio Equipment
Chairs
Tables

What transportation and access is available?

Parking
Wheelchair Access

Reviews of JC Raulston Arboretum

Lydia & Morgan
Lydia Sent on 10/19/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful Experience!

Working with this venue was so easy! They were responsive and the value was well within our budget.
J
Jasmine Sent on 09/30/2019
5 out of 5 rating

Fantastic!

Beautiful venue! Event coordinator was extremely flexible and kind and helped us to make sure everything was exactly the way we wanted it for our big day! I would highly recommend!
Jennifer
Jennifer Sent on 10/27/2018
5 out of 5 rating

White Garden perfection

This venue is perfect for a smaller wedding 70-80 ppl. Gorgeous grounds and Chris was great to work with!
A
Alyssa Sent on 08/31/2017
5 out of 5 rating
We had our ceremony in the White Garden, reception in one of the conference rooms, and took pictures all over the garden. The staff was helpful, flexible, quick to reply, and ready to make our day perfect. The pictures came out BEAUTIFUL and the weather was great. They are very affordable, which allowed us to splurge on things that we really wanted. If I could do the weekend over, I'd book here again! I 100% recommend booking here.
G
Geoffrey Sent on 07/18/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Look no further than JCRA. The staff was very helpful in coordinating our needs. Set up timing was exceptional and delivery items were all handled by the JCRA staff. We had a wonderful experience and were very fortunate to have good weather. We recommend using Holland Rent-All for larger items as they are just a few blocks away and very familiar with JCRA and their staff. We used JCRA chair rentals which were very reasonable. All in all we would not have done it any other way. JCRA was affordable, organized and certainly very memorable.
A
Ashley Sent on 06/03/2022
4.8 out of 5 rating

Beautiful and budget-friendly

J.C. Raulston Arboretum is a beautiful place for a wedding. We had our ceremony in the Finley-Nottingham Rose Garden and the reception at the York Auditorium. Having both events on site was easy for our coordinator to manage and convenient for guests. I didn't get to meet Amanda, the rental coordinator, in person, but she was very prompt in answering my questions over email and helping plan the chair and table layouts. All the tables and chairs were set up and ready by the time our reservation windows started, so our coordinator and caterer were able to get started on time. You can reserve the individual gardens and rooms in hour-long blocks. We were told and our contract said that amplified music was not allowed in the gardens, however, we saw a few weddings that did bring in speakers and microphones. The Arboretum is a beautiful, budget-friendly, and easy venue for a wedding!
K
Kelly Sent on 06/18/2019
4.8 out of 5 rating

Beautiful outdoor venue

Our experience at JC Raulston Arboretum was fantastic. We have a small wedding so used the intimate space of the white garden with gazebo. The venue was perfectly set up ahead of time and essential no decorating was needed as the garden provides its own decoration. The rental coordinator did change between the time of putting up deposit and the event and as a result the response time via email was a little delayed at one point (approximately 1 week for response) but this improved to same day response time as the event got closer. The arboretum as a whole is absolutely the BEST venue for photos and we were able to go all throughout the gardens with our photographer after the wedding to get some amazing shots.
K
Kayla Sent on 04/10/2017
4.8 out of 5 rating
My husband and I couldn't have asked for a better spot to have our ceremony. Emily and the rest of the team were extremely helpful, answering any questions we had regarding their venue. I was even able to call the day of and ask them to add additional seating and to set up an area for our guitarist. They truly made the day stress free. We choose to have the ceremony in the White Garden, which is a perfect location for a small (we had 75 people in total) ceremony. The natural beauty, stone path, and gazebo located in the garden meant no need to decorate. Our guests enjoyed every minute they spent in the gardens.
Meghan
Meghan Sent on 08/16/2022
4.6 out of 5 rating

The most beautiful venue!

If you want an inexpensive outdoor wedding, I highly recommend JC Raulston Arboretum! We had our wedding ceremony here a few weeks ago and it was stunning! They have their own chairs that you can rent and they will set them up for you which is very convenient. They also have a large conference room that you can rent as a backup rainy day option (although it is not the most attractive). I am so happy that we chose to have our ceremony here, as the pictures were absolutely stunning. I don't think you can find a cheaper option that is this gorgeous, highly recommend.
L
Linda Sent on 08/15/2016
4.6 out of 5 rating
The arboretum was beautiful for our June wedding. We held both our ceremony and our reception here, which was perfect for our older and out of town guests. Our taste was simple, so we did not decorate our ceremony site with anything. They provided and set up chairs for a $1 per chair. All tables and chairs for the reception held at the education center were included in our hourly rate. I will say that having a wedding planner to coordinate everything will make your event run very smoothly. We had no issues; it was a great value, allowed us to bring our own caterer, and was perfect for a simple celebration. Pictures at the gardens turned out beautifully.
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

12

Map

JC Raulston Arboretum frequently asked questions

JC Raulston Arboretum includes the following items and services for wedding events in its starting site fee:
  • Chairs
  • Parking
  • Set Up
  • Tables
The space offered by JC Raulston Arboretum for wedding events is known for:
  • Ballroom
  • Banquet Hall
JC Raulston Arboretum offers the following indoor/outdoor options for weddings:
  • Indoor
  • Uncovered Outdoor
JC Raulston Arboretum offers the following types of wedding events:
  • Ceremony
  • Reception
  • Bridal Shower
  • Engagement Party
JC Raulston Arboretum offers the following services for wedding events:
  • Event Rentals
JC Raulston Arboretum offers the following furniture and decor items for weddings:
  • Audio Equipment
  • Chairs
  • Tables
JC Raulston Arboretum is recommended by 92% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.6 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.7 in value, 4.6 in quality of service, 4.6 in flexibility, 4.6 in professionalism and 4.4 in average response time.
Next Park & Outdoor Weddings: Monroe Camp & Retreat Center

Other vendors in Raleigh for your wedding

Wedding Venues