Company dinners, receptions and celebrations for up to 200 seated guests or 240 standing, and weddings for 150 with a seated reception, can be held at First and Main, a restored 1940s mercantile building in Old Towne Knightdale, about nine miles east of downtown Raleigh, North Carolina.
Seminars and company events
The venue hosts corporate and social events alongside weddings. The single open floor of 5,000 square feet can be arranged for a seated dinner for 200, or for a standing reception, a performance or a seated presentation for up to 240, a figure that includes staff. A standard booking gives eight hours in the building, for example two hours to set up, four hours of event and two hours to clear. Two walkthroughs with the client and vendors are included, with a week's notice.
Weddings and receptions
Weddings with a seated reception take up to 150 guests, and couples get one hour in the space one to three days before the event for a rehearsal. Ceremony-only events follow the 240 limit. The venue provides a set of antique and vintage furniture with the rental, and props and tabletop decoration can be rented on top.
Rooms and capacities
The building has one open room under original tin ceilings 12 feet high, with weathered heart pine floors and plenty of daylight. The included furniture covers 240 metal farmhouse bistro chairs, 12 round farm tables of 72 inches, 12 whiskey barrel cocktail tables with 18 bar stools, a 10-foot antique head table, a 9-foot antique butcher block buffet, a cake table, a small champagne bar, and a U-shaped bar and buffet counter under a pergola. A pallet wall, a chalkboard wall and two vinyl dance floor rugs complete the set.
Catering
First and Main has an open vendor policy: organizers bring their own caterer and other suppliers, and the team can share a list of recommended local vendors. The full vendor list is due 30 days before the event. There is a small staging area to plate and serve, but no kitchen for cooking and no space to wash dishes or glassware, which go back with the caterer for cleaning. Alcohol is allowed when served through the caterer or a bartending company. If you supply your own, a licensed bartender must pour and you need a limited special occasion permit from the North Carolina ABC Board.
History and setting
The building is a fully restored mercantile from the 1940s in the old center of Knightdale. The team includes Jenny Cope, who previously ran an antique home furnishings shop called The Mercantile, and Christy Ranlett, who runs a catering and charcuterie business.
Getting there
Old Towne Knightdale sits near the junction of Interstate 540 and US 264, about nine miles from downtown Raleigh. Parking is on the street, and a larger lot within walking distance can be rented depending on availability. Raleigh-Durham International Airport serves the area.
