Top Sustainable Wedding Venues in North Carolina

Wedding planners always want to be on the lookout for venues that align with their ideals. At K.S.Otter Events, one of our key values is sustainability in weddings, so we strive to find spaces that also feel represented by that. Weddings are a celebration of love, but they’re also an opportunity to make intentional choices. If you care about the environment, community, and meaningful experiences, choosing a sustainable wedding venue could be one of the most impactful decisions you can make.

Being located in North Carolina, we are lucky to enjoy one of the most stunning landscapes in the East Coast, and if you choose the right season, the weather is just PERFECT. We have so many eco-conscious wedding venues to choose, from botanical gardens and museums to farms and sanctuaries. As planners who have had the honor of working in some of these spaces, we’re sharing our favorite sustainable wedding venues in NC.

“To me, a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.” – Helen Keller.

What Makes a Wedding Venue Sustainable

Many different qualities can make a wedding venue be considered sustainable or eco-friendly. Each venue in this list has at least one of the following characteristics:

1. Energy efficiency and renewable energy
2. Waste reduction, recycling, or composting programs
3. Water conservation practices
4. Thoughtful land use and preservation
5. Eco-conscious materials and designs
6. Support of local and ethical vendors
7. Mission-driven operations that fund education, conservation, or community programs
8. Inclusive, values-driven business practices

Each venue is special in its own way, but all of them are naturally beautiful spaces that don’t need that much decoration. An amazing option if you want to celebrate in a sustainable wedding venue in North Carolina while working on a budget! GO EARTH!

North Carolina Botanical Garden

The North Carolina Botanical Garden is a venue that creates gardens to highlight the beauty and importance of plants while supporting biodiversity. They also have educational programs to inform and educate the public on restoring and protecting our ecosystems. A quote from their website: “Just as ecosystems thrive with a diversity of species, our organization and community are made stronger by embracing a diversity of voices, ideas, and experiences.”

In November, we had the pleasure of planning Will and Mitchell’s wedding at this sustainable wedding venue in NC. The ceremony took place in front of their gardens, providing a gorgeous, colorful backdrop. Later, for the reception, the guests moved into the Reeves Auditorium for dinner and dancing. They also had the option to go into the covered porch and enjoy the vast, green views that the NC Botanical Garden had to offer.

Stats

• Guest Count: Up to 200 guests
• Price Point: For ceremony only $1000, reception only starts at $2,800, ceremony+reception starts at $3,200
• Location: 100 Old Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27517
• Website: https://ncbg.unc.edu/
• Instagram: @ncbotanicalgarden

Photos by Karena Schroeder Photography.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

The mission statement for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is to illuminate the natural world and to inspire its conservation. If you or your partner are people with a deep fascination about how the past shaped our present and how we can preserve our present to have a future, this space is the one for you. Choose this venue for your wedding and not only will you be surrounded by beings who once walked the Earth, but you also get to support the museum’s research and educational programs.

We are one of the few lucky planners that got to experience seeing our couple saying “I do” in front of giant dinosaur skeletons. It was unforgettable and a true immersion in history. A very unique way to celebrate a wedding and we want to do it again!

Stats:

• Guest Count: Up to 200 guests seated, 400 standing
• Price Point: Starts at $1,100 per space for 4 hours
  • Note: You need at least 1 hour for set-up and 1 hour for tear down
  • Price varies dependent on space chosen
• Location: 11 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27601
• Website: https://naturalsciences.org/
• Instagram: @naturalsciences

Photos by Holly Christina Photo.

Honeysuckle Tea House

A wedding venue that exudes sustainability in the classiest way is the Honeysuckle Tea House. No matter where you look, you are met with beautiful views. Whether it be berry fields, pine forests, vineyards, or the repurposed shipping containers that make up the structures, its all a picturesque backdrop for your green wedding in North Carolina.

The venue was built with repurposed materials and uses regenerative farming practices, ensuring land conservation and ecosystem restoration. It began as a tea house, later developed into an event space, so they also incorporate tea tastings and personalized party favors into your celebration if you so wish. This adds a very special touch that you can’t get everywhere.

Stats:

• Guest Count: Up to 150 guests
• Price Point: Starting at $5,450 for weekend wedding day
  • Price dependent on event needs, day of the week, and season
• Location: 8871 Pickards Meadow Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
• Website: https://www.thehoneysuckleteahouse.com/
• Instagram: @thehoneysuckleteahouse

Durrant Farms

What says more eco-friendly wedding venue than an alpaca farm as your celebration space? Let me tell you. Not a lot. It also might feature one of the snuggliest, cutest photo bombers ever! Durrant Farms is an event space that prioritizes sustainability; they practice regenerative farming, plant native pollinator species, and have an ethical alpaca fiber production process.

Durrant Farms is an open farmland that reduces the need for extensive decor and allows couples to enjoy a grounded, nature driven experience. The venue has two options for an outdoor ceremony, either beside a dreamy pond or a meadow filled with wildflowers. What more do you need for a peaceful and serene ceremony?

Stats

• Guest Count: Up to 200 guests
• Price Point: Starts at $4,500 for 14 hour venue access.
  • Dependent on guest number, Peak/Off-peak season, and wedding package
• Location: 157 Browntown Rd, Leicester, NC 28748
• Website: https://durrantfarms.com/
• Instagram: @durrantfarms

Photos by Yaseli Olivera Photography

Proximity Hotel & O’Henry Hotel

The Proximity Hotel is one of the few hotels to become LEED Platinum and the first one in America to do so. This means that they meet all the sustainability benchmarks set by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™. Some eco-friendly features of this venue are the solar panels that provide all the hot water for the hotel, they use 39% less energy than conventional hotels, and they reduce water usage by using innovative plumbing and sustainable systems. These are just a few of the ways the Proximity Hotel has earned a spot on our sustainable wedding venues in NC list.

Hosting a wedding in this eco-friendly venue includes rental items such as chairs and tables with their linens, seasonal floral centerpieces, votives for your tables, silverware and china as well as event staff. All catering would have to come from their on-site restaurants. If you are looking for a sustainable wedding venue in North Carolina, where most of the wedding details come from the space itself, the Proximity Hotel is it for you. Plus, weddings here look beautiful and elegant.

Stats:

• Guest Count: Up to 150 guests for reception only and closer to 130 guests for ceremony+reception
• Price Point: Average space price for this wedding size is $6,000-$11,000
  • Note: Food and beverage minimum is $10,000-$12,500. Depends on date and event space
• Location: 704 Green Valley Road, Greensboro, NC 27408
• Website: https://www.proximityhotel.com/
• Instagram: @proximityhotel

Timberlake Earth Sanctuary

Timberlake Earth Sanctuary is an eco-retreat with human-earth connection being its focal point. It is run on the idea of regenerative living and land-stewardship. The venue is ideal if you want to disconnect from the world and be in harmony with nature on your wedding day.

When the owners opened their sanctuary to serve as a wedding venue, they wanted to incorporate the feeling they got from Thomas Berry saying: “relationships are the primary context of existence.” By adapting this understanding into the essence of their sanctuary, they offered couples a unique experience to celebrate their love and connection surrounded by the natural world.

Stats

• Guest Count: Up to 150 guests
• Price Point: Coming Soon
• Location: 1501 Rock Creek Dairy Rd, Whitsett, NC 27377
• Website: https://www.timberlakeearthsanctuary.com/weddings/
• Instagram: @timberlakeearthsanctuary

Sanctuary Farm

Sanctuary Farm, at its core, is about bridging the gap between people and nature. The owners, Meg and Tim, pondered with friends and family about how to become further stewards of the Earth. Throughout the years, they incorporated methods on how to make their sanctuary a place that honored these ideals. By embracing the land and avoiding overdevelopment, they now have an organic garden, acres of beautiful farmland, and a sustainably built venue perfect for weddings.

There are a few options for you ceremony space. Either a dreamy, outdoor “Grove” or an idyllic gazebo right beside a pond. The reception would be held on their renovated barn, adding some rustic character to your wedding. Additionally, if you and your guests want to be immersed in nature for longer than just your wedding day, the venue offers packages to stay on their Yutes, yurts, or their barn rooms. Perfect for a wedding weekend getaway!

Stats

• Guest Count: Up to 180 guests
• Price Point: Starts at $4,800 for day-only package and $3,500 for a micro-wedding
  • Note: Full weekend wedding package available
• Location: 8519 Pickards Meadow Road Chapel Hill, NC 27516
• Website: https://sanctuaryfarmnc.com/
• Instagram: @sanctuaryfarmnc

Photos provided by Sanctuary Farm

The North Carolina Arboretum

The North Carolina Arboretum is deeply committed to conservation, education, and environmental stewardship. With its Green Wedding Program, a guarantee is given to couples to reduce the event’s environmental impact while still creating an unforgettable moment. Hosting a wedding here directly contributes to environmental research and public education while also celebrating amidst Asheville’s breathtaking natural beauty.

Planning a wedding here will include tables and chairs as well as a venue coordinator in all packages offered. The variety of spaces available to choose from is large, from the Watershed Outlook to the Amphitheater to the Baker Lobby, whatever your style is, this sustainable wedding venue has what you need.

Stats

• Guest Count: Up to 150 guests
• Price Point: Ceremony only starting at $3,000, reception only starting at $4,500, and both starting at $6,500
• Location: 20 Frederick Law Olmsted Way, Asheville, NC 28806
• Website: https://www.ncarboretum.org/
• Instagram: @thencarboretum

Photos by Raven Shutley Studios.

The Green House Restaurant

The Green House Restaurant is a vegan restaurant and event venue that blends sustainability with timeless elegance, proving that eco-conscious choices can still feel elevated. Through local and responsible sourcing, and greenhouse-grown veggies, they crafted a menu that supports sustainability while leaving you wanting more. The facilities have no single use plastic available, they cook using energy efficient appliances and have systems in place for water conservation. Every wall and surface in the restaurant was crafted with thoughtful materials, designed to look elegant while keeping it green. It is an amazing venue in Wilmington to host an intimate wedding celebration.

Stats

• Guest Count: Coming Soon
• Price Point: Coming Soon
• Location: 1427 Military Cutoff Rd unit 106, Wilmington, NC 28403
• Website: https://www.thegreenrestaurant.com/
• Instagram: @thegreenhouseonline

Why Choose a Sustainable Wedding Venue in North Carolina

Choosing a sustainable wedding venue in North Carolina means celebrating your love while honoring the world around you. All of these spaces prove that sustainability and elegance can exist beautifully together and you can have the wedding you’ve always dreamt of while preserving your values. No matter which venue speaks to you, choosing eco-friendly spaces is a meaningful way to start your marriage with intention.

There are probably many venues out there, not on this list, that might meet your green wedding goals. Please mention them in the comment section, so our team can add them in our Would LOVE to Plan A Wedding Here list. Our team at K.S.Otter Events would also LOVE planning your wedding at your sustainable wedding venue. We specialize on creating weddings that reflect YOUR values without sacrificing style. Reach out to begin planning a day that’s as meaningful as it is beautiful.