Raleigh Story: The Merrimon-Wynne House
Eeeeeee!! I am SOOO excited to finally get to share this post with you all. You might remember our Raleigh Story Project posts... we've had such a great response since we did the first round that we've decided to pick up another round of local Raleigh Stories! To give you a quick reminder, we launched the Raleigh Story Project last spring with the idea that we wanted to get involved with our favorite Raleigh establishments in a new way. We love our city and wanted to show love to the locally owned businesses that we frequent the most. This was also another way to make new connections in the community that were not just limited to the wedding world. I invite you to make it all the way through this post -- there will commentary through out about this visual story!
It is a huge honor to kick off our 2013 Raleigh Story Project series with an exclusive look into the Merrimon-Wynne House (you can see their website here and their Facebook page here). This house was just purchased and construction/restoration has already begun to turn this stunning building into an even more incredible wedding & event venue in downtown Raleigh. There is nothing like this in the area and I get the feeling it is really going to take off! The home was originally built across the street from Peace College in 1876. In 1919 it was deeded to Peace College and it's three stories served as a dormitory until 1934. Following that, the president of Peace lived there for 30 years before the state acquired the space and turned it into offices. In 2008 the building was moved to the corner of Blount and Polk Streets where it currently resides. As soon as the wonderful Jodi Heyens purchased the property she jumped straight into working with architects and builders who specialize in historical restoration who have guaranteed completion by December 31st, 2013 -- Jodi is taking bookings for 2014 at a special rate right now!
Before the talented people of Clearscapes and CT Wilson got to work, Jodi had us come in and document what the home and property looked like. Jodi also decided to purchase the lot beside the home to give the space MANY more options- wedding ceremonies on the lawn, tents for a reception with more than 200 people, etc. There are also community events in the plans for this space including music on the porch and movies on the lawn. I am so impressed with Jodi's vision for this venue... it is going to be a joy to watch as it all unfolds! You can follow Jodi's journal for updates.
There is no other venue in downtown Raleigh that boasts this much lawn space for it's events. And the gorgeous trees lining the side? Perfect.
The inside is beautiful before the restoration... I know it will take my breath away when the transformation is complete!! Gorgeous hardwoods, towering doorways and windows, light filling every room. It's just perfect. Jodi plans to keep a neutral pallet so that couples and events can really make this space their own. With one's own decoration this space can transition from traditional elegance to southern rustic chic. I LOVE when event spaces keep that in mind!
There are different style fireplaces in many of the rooms both on the first and second floors... it will be interesting to see what the crew uncovers under layers of paint.
This amazing door on the back of the house will, with renovations, open directly to the outside. Imagine walking through these doors as you head to your wedding ceremony on the lawn!!
On the morning of July 1st, 2013, Jodi and her team officially broke ground on the restoration of the Merrimon-Wynne home. Many people came out for this event, including Raleigh's mayor, Nancy MacFarlane.
Posh Nosh provided some delicious food for the event.
Jodi shared a few words with the crowd before the ground breaking...
... as well as Mayor MacFarlane, who spoke of her excitement for this home turning into an event venue. She said as a mother of two daughters who have recently married she wished this venue was around when planning their weddings. I agree! I want to get married at the Merrimon-Wynne House!
I absolutely have to take a moment to talk about Jodi Heyens, the mastermind behind this event venue. From my very first interactions with Jodi I had complete confidence that this woman was going to pull off something spectacular in the Merrimon-Wynne House. Jodi is everything you would want in a venue owner - she is kind and caring, organized and detailed, genuinely interested in others and eager to provide a quality experience for her clients. Jodi is also engaged (see handsome man by her side below) so she is currently planning an event herself. She will know all too well what it feels like to plan a wedding and that will no doubt affect how she interacts with couples. This is a person you want to work with, a person that you can trust your wedding or event to. I have only been working with her a short time but I count it a great honor to be chosen to work alongside such an awesome business woman. Thank you for this privilege, Jodi!!
