Before the wedding dress was bought, before the save-the-dates were sent, before the proposal even happened, Claire Gulley knew that she wanted her wedding to be at Legacy Stables and Events.
The Winston-Salem native had seen weddings of friends held there as well as other events, and fell in love with the place. “Everything I heard about it sounded just perfect, and I knew that when the time came for me to get married, I wasn’t going to have to spend time looking at other venues.”
Claire did have reasonable expectations and knew that whoever she ended up marrying would need to put their stamp of approval on the venue as well. Lucky for her, she fell in love with and got engaged to a man who grew up around horses. Her fiancé, Stone Gulley, not only helps out at his parents’ horse boarding business, he also competed in rodeos before college.
“When we toured the Legacy Stables and Events together, it immediately got Stone’s stamp of approval,” Claire says. “We both knew it was the perfect place for our wedding.”
The Best of Both Worlds: Meeting Claire’s Expectations in Every Way
From décor to location, Claire raves about Legacy Stables and Events ability to “bring together the best of both worlds,” whether it’s a rustic look with an elegant touch or an indoor/outdoor venue.
Aesthetic: For Claire, Legacy Stables and Events presented exactly the look she wanted for her wedding. She fell in love with the rustic look of the stables and barn, but also appreciated the elegant décor of the venue that provides an elevated look to the entire place. “I just love the history of this place, that it was a working stables and horse farm, and they’ve kept that concept with the transition to an event venue, but in such a modern, elegant way,” Claire says.
Indoor/Outdoor: Claire and Stone both love the outdoors and wanted to embrace that as part of their wedding. Holding the ceremony in the Salem Stallway, with the barn doors open wide, allowed a beautiful view of the estate without the worries of bad weather.
Location: Having grown up in Winston-Salem, Claire still had sentimental ties to the area. However, the couple also has lots of friends and family in and around the Raleigh/Durham area. Claire is a graduate of Meredith College and Stone an alumnus of NC State University, and now both live in Stone’s hometown of Garner. Legacy Stables and Events was a way to pay homage to Claire’s roots while still being within driving distance for their friends across the state. The ease of access to I-40 also meant guests had a variety of options of places to stay the night if they chose to make a weekend of it.
Enjoying the Pre-Wedding Experience
From the initial tour of the venue to the wedding itself, Legacy Stables and Events conducts everything with class. One of the experiences that stood out to Claire was choosing the menu for the wedding dinner. The staff and Legacy Stables and Events coordinated an evening with a few other bridal couples at Chef Adam’s restaurant, Jeffrey Adams on Fourth, in Winston-Salem. Claire and Stone invited her aunt and uncle to join them, and they were treated to a meal of selections from the catering menu, with Chef Adam personally telling about the food as it was prepared.
Claire also appreciated the ease of communication with the team at Legacy Stables and Events during the entire process. “They provided detailed lists so I always knew what I needed to give them and when,” Claire says. “And no matter what questions I had I always felt comfortable asking and they were there ready to answer.”
Making the Most of the Big Day
On the day of the wedding, the wedding party arrived at Legacy Stables and Events in the morning to prepare for the 4:30 wedding. The Legacy House and Groom’s Quarters provide the perfect setting to hang out with friends, do the necessary preparations, and enjoy the excitement of a once in a lifetime event. “The Legacy House was such a beautiful place for photo opportunities,” Claire says.
As the hours went on, the anticipation built to the point where both bride and groom were a little anxious. They had scheduled a first touch photo to be taken before the wedding, back to back. At that time Claire and Stone exchanged letters. “Having that moment together helped calm my nerves,” Claire says. “We were able to take that and then go enjoy ourselves for the rest of the evening.”
A ceremony in Salem Stallway, cocktail hour on the patio, and dinner and dancing in Cate’s Ballroom all made a picture-perfect wedding day for Claire and Stone Gulley.
Photo Credit: Bri Hines Photography
