Thursday, March 18, 2010

The King's Daughters Inn - An Amazing Place for a Wedding


In addition to having a really classy and intriguing name, The King's Daughters Inn is a wonderful place to get married. On February 18th, the staff at the inn held an open house complete with chocolates and wine so that people like me could really appreciate its charm and beauty.

Situated right next to Duke campus on Buchanan Street near downtown Durham, it's on a residential street with large trees and big homes. Just walking around the area is an exploration in architecture from the early nineteen hundreds.

I was amazed at the beautiful and unique decor in each room which invited you into a whole experience of graciousness. The wonderful pictures below taken by Kevin Seifert of Photo Endeavors will tell you more than my words ever can. By the way - he's also a great wedding photographer.






At the open house, we savored Serious Chocolates made by chocolatier, Sandra Ackerman, and delicious cheeses and scones provided by the inn to show the morning treats.


Here I am with Michelle Alarcon, the Director of Marketing and Special Events at the inn and Rev. Barbara Lodge, another wonderful wedding minister, as Michelle told us the inn's history. What used to be a retirement home for elderly women has been totally renovated with a 'green renovation.'

Michelle also explained that the living room and the sun room have both been used for small intimate weddings.



 And that the dining room with the fireplace (and elegant spring green upholstery) was designed for dinners for up to 60 people. The Inn has 17,000 square feet of 17 suites and another large meeting room on the lower level, the Brodie Duke Hall, which can seat 70.

My Sweetheart Ruben went with me to the open house. It was his birthday. He's a private pilot and had wanted to fly on his birthday but the winds were too strong. So chocolate, wine, good company and sumptuous decor made the day special.

We ooohed and aahed our way through every room only resisting the temptation to lie down on the beds. It felt like a little vacation just experiencing the place. Everywhere you looked there were artistic touches and wonderfully distinctive furnishings.

See for yourself. Here's only a sampling.




























There are just some places that call to you. The inn reminds me of Isaak Dinessen's home in the movie 'Out of Africa.' It has decor that makes you sigh as you enter a room because it so pleases the eye and dissipates your stress.

The comfortable manner of the staff also communicated that this was a place to be enjoyed by guests as well as staff. They encourage people to simply come and read in the living room, or sit in the sun room.

I hope you get a chance to visit the inn. They have events each month - teas, travel talks, tastings, and lectures. Go to one.

Treat yourself.
You won't regret it.
You might even want to get married there.




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