THE BRADFORD INFO BOOK

WELCOME

The Bradford sits on 16 acres just outside of Raleigh, NC and perfectly captures the quiet intimacy of the countryside while being accessible to the bustling activities of the city if desired. Here at the Bradford, we offer multiple indoor + outdoor options to host your event, from our garden style terrace under the market lights to our timeless, spacious ballrooms.

Although we believe our property is truly one of a kind, we also pride ourselves on more than just what meets the eye. When sister entrepreneurs, Courtney Hopper and Dana Kadwell, built the Bradford in 2014, they built it with intention. Specifically, the intention of hosting hundreds of couples on the happiest day of their lives and because of that we strive to embody that same sense of intention in everything we do. So welcome, we invite you to have a look around and can’t wait to bring your vision to life!

OUR EVENT SPACES | ceremonies

We offer a large variety of ceremony spaces for our clients — We have two lush manicured gardens, an organic backfield with a forest feel, the terrace, two indoor ballrooms, and the front of the house. The front garden, backfield, and our daugherty ballroom accommodates guest counts over 170.

OUR EVENT SPACES | COCKTAIL HOUR

Our terrace and Cora ballroom are certainly our post popular spots for cocktail hour, but our 16 acre property provides plenty of space for your guests to mingle.

OUR EVENT SPACES | receptions

Our Daugherty ballroom is a wonderful indoor reception option for larger guest counts. Our terrace is a perfect magical al fresco dining opportunity for you and your guests. The maximum amount of guests our indoor property can accommodate comfortably for a seated dinner is 200. For guest counts over 200, we require our clients to tent our backfield space to ensure that for your rain plan option, all guests can be comfortably accommodated and have an enjoyable experience on your day.

OUR getting ready suites

We offer two separate getting ready suites for you and your partner. Other accommodations can be found on the second floor of the house where 4 additional bedrooms are located. We offer multi-day and full weekend rental packages that allow you to stay onsite with us for multiple days or your entire wedding weekend! For more information on the multi-day rentals and the wedding weekend experience, please contact your sales representative.

OUR EXCLUSIVE PLANNing & catering LIST

We truly do believe when it comes to your wedding, that with an amazing planner by your side all things are possible. We want our couples, families, and friends to be able to sit back and fully enjoy as well as absorb the day. This belief is why we do require you have a planner or day-of coordinator for your day, as well as a professional caterer from our list. This list of planners and caterers comes highly recommended by us for their knowledge of the industry and The Bradford itself. We also know they happen to be wonderful to work with too! Please note that wedding planning services at these agencies can start at around $3,000.

It is required to have at minimum day-of or event management service with one of the planners from this list. We do require that you select a caterer from this list and do not make exceptions.

For all other vendors selections for your event, we recommend browsing our Preferred Vendor List here.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN MY RENTAL?

Inventory included:

12 - 60" round tables

10 - 6' banquet tables

10 - 8' banquet tables

5 cocktail tables

120 mahogany folding chairs

175 whitewashed Bentwood chairs

2 Bradford bar fronts & 1 mini bar front

Lawn games & rocking chairs

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Features included:

Indoor & Outdoor ceremony options

Exclusive access to main house and 2 ballrooms

Exclusive access to all outdoor gardens

Terrace with market lights

Venue access for 2 hours for bridal portraits

Venue accessibility for rehearsal

Wood burning fireplace

Venue Coordinator

**Venue Coordinator is there to make sure that everything with The Bradford is as it should be. They will make sure bathrooms stay clean, the caterer has all their needs met, and is there to answer questions about policies and procedures. They will not direct your wedding or reception. It is required for you to hire a Wedding Planner or Day of Coordinator from our list.

Common FAQ’s

Q: Can I bring my own alcohol?

A: All alcohol will go through The Bradford’s bar service! We also provide all getting-ready alcohol. Included in bar service for getting-ready alcohol are four bottles of champagne and 24 (two 12-packs) beers. These can be divided between the suites however you would prefer. Additional getting-ready alcohol is available to purchase.

Please inquire directly to view our bar menu and learn more about our packages, pricing, and selections.

Q: I want to bring in my own caterer/planner that is not on The Bradford’s list. Can I do that?

A: No. Our required vendor lists for catering and planning services are in place to best serve you and ensure you have a seamless experience throughout your planning and on your wedding day. Our required lists are curated wedding experts that have worked at The Bradford and with our team for a long time and have done excellent work at every wedding so we can guarantee they are the best of the best for you to work with.

Q: When can I access The Bradford on my wedding day?

A: Your rental time is outlined in your contract for The Bradford. Our standard rental times in 2024 are 11:00 am to 11:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Sundays. In 2025, our standard rental times are 10:00 am to 11:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 11:00 am to 10:00 pm on Sundays. You can add early access to your wedding day subject to our availability. It is $400 per hour to add an early access hour to your date.

Q: How late can we stay and dance?

A: We ask the final song be done by 10:50 pm and the exit done by 11:00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays and the final song be done by 9:50 pm for the 10:00 pm exit on Sundays. This is not our rule, but the noise ordinance for the county.

Q: When am I able to have my rehearsal? Do you have recommendations for rehearsal dinner spots?

A: Every Bradford couple has one hour of rehearsal time included in their contract! Your hour rehearsal time is scheduled with our team a month out from your date. At that time, we will present you with all options available for your rehearsal time. The standard rehearsal time for Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays is on the day before your wedding at 10:00 am to 11:00 am. To browse our Rehearsal Dinner recommendations, click here.

Q: What is the maximum amount of guests that The Bradford can comfortably accommodate?

A: The maximum amount of guests that we can comfortably accommodate is 200 guests. Due to that fact, we do permit guest counts of over 200 guests but have requirements specific to the higher guest count including renting tents and additional restrooms.

Q: Can we put stuff on the walls?

A: Yes, we want you to decorate and make The Bradford your own! However, we want to make sure that The Bradford is kept in great shape for your event and future couples, so we ask that you keep your hanging items minimal and only use command hooks/strips.

Q: Do I need to rent a dancefloor?

A: If you are dancing in the ballrooms, you do not need to rent a dance floor! If you are wanting to dance on the terrace, it is required that you rent a dancefloor for liability purposes.

Q: Does The Bradford provide rental items such as linens, plates, glassware, and flatware?

A: No, we do not provide any rental items. Those items must be secured through Curated Events.

Q: How much can I expect to spend on my wedding at The Bradford?

A: Wedding budgets can vary greatly due to a large number of factors that can impact the cost of various elements for your wedding; namely your guest count. An average wedding of around 150 guests on a Friday or Saturday at The Bradford will likely average between $55,000 and $75,000. We highly recommend working with your planner to determine an overall wedding budget that you are comfortable with. That way your planner can help you make the best decisions based on what you are wanting within your budget.

Q: Do you allow pets on the property?

A: We do allow pets! However, they must have a “handler” that supervises them on a leash at all times and cleans up after them.

Q: Where are the nearest hotels that my guests can stay at?

A: The closest is the Holiday Inn Express in Apex off of Hwy 55. The next closest hotels are the Homewood Suites and Sonesta in Cary/Regency Park. We also recommend the collection of hotels near Crossroads in Cary- the Hilton Garden Inn, Homewood Suites by Hilton, and the DoubleTree by Hilton. For more recommendations throughout the Raleigh/Cary area, click here.

Q: I LOVE IT! How do I book my date?

A: Yay! To secure your date at The Bradford, we require a signed contract (done electronically) and a 50% deposit. All deposits are non-refundable.