FUN in DTR: A Wedding Weekend Guide for Your Guests

Here at The Merrimon-Wynne House, we love us some Raleigh, and we know our brides do too! We also know that many weddings include guests not familiar with our great city but want to explore it in between wedding festivities. SO, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite Oak City hot spots to help give your out-of-towners a taste of our fabulous city:


A BITE TO EAT



Bida Manda is a Laotian Bar and Restaurant located in Moore Square and is the perfect place lunch or dinner spot for your guests! Voted Best Restaurant in Raleigh, Bida Manda offers a unique approach to Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine that has taken Downtown Raleigh by storm! The service is amazing, and their food is absolutely incredible (order the Pork Belly…trust us).
(222 South Blount Street)


WATERING HOLE 


The Raleigh Times Bar is about as local as it gets, so we’re sure your guests will love it! They offer great cocktails, a huge selection of beer and delicious bar eats, all in a 100 year old building chalked full of Raleigh history. Their rooftop patio will give your guests a spectacular view of Downtown Raleigh too. It’s in walking distance to many downtown hotels so it's a recommendation for those guests looking to explore on foot.
(14 East Hargett Street)


MUSEUM


Visiting the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is a fun, FREE activity for your guests, whether they have kids or not! The museum is only a few blocks away from Merrimon-Wynne and is open 9AM-5PM Monday-Saturday and noon-5PM on Sundays. It has many exciting, permanent exhibits, as well as special exhibits changing seasonally! Make sure to check their website for upcoming events as well!
(11 West Jones Street)


SHOPPING 



It’s no secret that the Merrimon-Wynne ladies LOVE Furbish Studio! Located in Cameron Village, Furbish is a fun store chalked full of one-of-a-kind treasures for you and the home that inspires you to “dare to mix”. It’s a must for their visit, and who knows? You might even get an awesome last-minute wedding gift out of it :)
(2012 Cameron Street)


FOR THE KIDS



A visit to Pullen Park, North Carolina’s first state park, is a must for any of your guests with children! Whether you spend just a few hours there or all day, the activities are endless. There is a beautiful 1911 carousel, a massive playground for all ages, tennis courts, paddle boats and we can't forget a ride on the bright red train. Admission to the park is free and The Cafe is a great spot to grab a healthy snack. Pullen Park is situated between Western Boulevard, Hillsborough Street, Ashe Avenue and North Carolina State University. Hours vary seasonally.
(408 Ashe Avenue)

By Lindsey Simmons February 19, 2025
Whether you're newly engaged or already planning your big day, The Merrimon-Wynne House is thrilled to invite you to our Spring Wedding Showcase on Sunday, March 23rd from 1 - 4 PM! We've collaborated with some of Raleigh's top vendors to bring you an event brimming with inspiration for your wedding. Join us to explore the versatile spaces of The Merrimon-Wynne House, offering endless possibilities to craft a unique experience for you and your guests. Enjoy sparkling cocktails and culinary delights as you envision your perfect day in our beautiful venue. We can't wait to see you there! Tickets are $25 and 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to our 2026 charity partner - to be announced soon.
By Lindsey Simmons February 13, 2025
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By Lindsey Simmons December 11, 2024
Whether you're newly engaged or already planning your big day, The Merrimon-Wynne House is thrilled to invite you to our Winter Wedding Showcase on Sunday, January 26th from 1 - 4 PM! We've collaborated with some of Raleigh's top vendors to bring you an event brimming with inspiration for your wedding. Join us to explore the versatile spaces of The Merrimon-Wynne House, offering endless possibilities to craft a unique experience for you and your guests. Enjoy sparkling cocktails and culinary delights as you envision your perfect day in our beautiful venue. We can't wait to see you there! Tickets are $25 and 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to our 2025 charity partner, Ripe For Revival .
By Lindsey Simmons August 16, 2024
Whether you're newly engaged or already planning your big day, The Merrimon-Wynne House is thrilled to invite you to our Fall Wedding Showcase on Sunday, October 27th from 1 - 4 PM! We've collaborated with some of Raleigh's top vendors to bring you an event brimming with inspiration for your wedding. Join us to explore the versatile spaces of The Merrimon-Wynne House, offering endless possibilities to craft a unique experience for you and your guests. Enjoy sparkling cocktails and culinary delights as you envision your perfect day in our beautiful venue. We can't wait to see you there! Tickets are $25 and 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to our 2025 charity partner, Ripe For Revival .
By Lindsey Simmons June 19, 2024
Whether you're newly engaged or already planning your big day, The Merrimon-Wynne House is thrilled to invite you to our Summer Wedding Showcase on Sunday, August 11th from 1 - 4 PM! We've collaborated with some of Raleigh's top vendors to bring you an event brimming with inspiration for your wedding. Join us to explore the versatile spaces of The Merrimon-Wynne House, offering endless possibilities to craft a unique experience for you and your guests. Enjoy sparkling cocktails and culinary delights as you envision your perfect day in our beautiful venue. We can't wait to see you there! Tickets are $25 and 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to our 2025 charity partner.
By Lindsey Simmons April 11, 2024
When it comes to choosing the ideal day for your wedding, Fridays and Saturdays have traditionally reigned supreme as the day of choice for tying the knot. However, in recent years, another contender has quietly emerged, captivating couples with its unique charm—the Sunday wedding. We’ve gathered our favorite perks of a Sunday kind of love, and why we think you will want to experience the sweetness of a Sunday wedding at Merrimon-Wynne.
April 9, 2024
The weekend begins on Friday, so why not kick off your wedding festivities then as well?! From perfecting your ideal wedding celebration to freeing up the rest of the weekend, here’s why Friday weddings are such a big hit:
By Lindsey Simmons March 19, 2024
WHAT. A. NIGHT! In partnership with Band Together and La Fête Planning & Design our annual fundraising event, An Evening to Ignite, was a night to remember! Hundreds of individuals came together in support of our 2024 charity partner, Neighbor To Neighbor , a local non-profit dedicated to reversing the debilitating effects poverty has on the most vulnerable families in Raleigh. They believe in providing long-term, one-on-one mentoring relationships for teens resulting in positive generational leaps in education, employment and personal development. What started as an idea and a dream in 2017 to bring together community members and events industry vendors to make a large-scale impact for one local, grassroots nonprofit has become a reality and grown into an annual event that raises over $150,000 each year! With the amazing support of our sponsors, vendors and local community, we are so proud to announce that we raised $201,933.32 for Neighbor To Neighbor ! Every single dollar that was raised will help bring to life Neighbor to Neighbor’s dream of a state-of-the-art teen tech center that will create more training pathways, mentorships, and employment opportunities for youth in our community. We cannot wait to see this space realized! The success of this event is due in large part to the generosity of our vendor community and their contributions of time, effort, staffing, materials, inventory, and talents. Over 40 local event industry vendors came together to donate over $250,000+ of goods and services to ensure 100% of the proceeds raised during the event went directly to Neighbor to Neighbor. Year after year, our vendor friends continuously raise the bar by outdoing themselves and helping make Evening to Ignite bigger and better than the year before. We are eternally grateful to be in such a collaborative and talented industry!
By Lindsey Simmons February 20, 2024
If you’re newly engaged or a current couple looking for inspiration, The Merrimon-Wynne House is so excited to share one of our favorite events with you - our Spring Wedding Showcase! We have teamed up with some of Raleigh’s top vendors to create a space that will inspire so many couples for their wedding day and we hope that you can join us! The Merrimon-Wynne House has an endless amount of possibilities to create a truly unique experience for you and yo ur guests so we invite you to come see our spaces for yourselves while enjoying sparkling cocktails and culinary delights! Tickets are $25 and 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to our 2025 charity partner.
By Lindsey Simmons November 29, 2023
If you’re newly engaged or a current couple looking for inspiration, The Merrimon-Wynne House is so excited to share one of our favorite events with you - our Winter Wedding Showcase! We have teamed up with some of Raleigh’s top vendors to create a space that will inspire so many couples for their wedding day and we hope that you can join us! The Merrimon-Wynne House has an endless amount of possibilities to create a truly unique experience for you and yo ur guests so we invite you to come see our spaces for yourselves while enjoying sparkling cocktails and culinary delights! Tickets are $25 and 100% of the ticket sales will be donated to our 2024 charity partner, Neighbor To Neighbor .
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