Get Quotes Contact Us Sign In
Website
Call
Shady Wagon Farm Shady Wagon Farm is a Rustic Wedding & Event center in North Carolina. Located on 22 acres & conveniently located near Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Cary, Sanford and Apex, our facility gives you that "out of the way" country charm with minimal travel time. Every North Carolina girl dreams of a country wedding. At Shady Wagon Farm, we have combined the elegance of a traditional North Carolina Wedding Venue, with the rustic appeal of our Barn, Pond, Pavilion, & even an old country store! Shady Wagon Farm's unique setting is the perfect venue for your wedding, corporate event, or private party.
Follow us
Reviews (22)
Write a Review
Tiffany Brown
May 30, 2022
Shady Wagon is such a beautiful venue to hold an event. The owners are easy to work with and helpful. The farm has beautiful views and lots of great places to take pictures. The inside of the barn is stunning and minimal decor is really needed to make it perfect.
Stephanie G.
May 26, 2022
I attended a wedding at Shady Wagon Farm and it is an incredible venue! I love the pond with the gazebo and it is surrounded by such natural beauty. I also liked how much space there is under cover to eat and dance the night away! The owners are tremendously kind and easy to work with. Highly recommend for weddings or other big shabangs!
Brianna M.
May 26, 2022
I got married here May 5, 2019, and I don't have enough words in my vocabulary to describe my experience. The team at Shady Wagon Farm made my day everything that I had always dreamed of and more. Monica was my day-of coordinator and she made all of my visions come to life and executed everything even better than I could describe to her. We picked this venue not only for its beauty by looking at it, but because of the welcoming atmosphere from the second we toured.

There was no pressure to pick them, but still treated us as if we'd already signed the contract. We even rode around on the golf cart and my son, who was two at the time, was so intrigued by the ducks and goose on the property, that they took us to see them up close. We were thrilled! The day of my wedding, all I did was show up and get ready, and everything beyond that was handled by SW.

As a hairstylist who has done weddings for years, I was fully expecting to be super stressed, and I felt nothing but peace and excitement all day long! It even rained on my wedding day, and most of the time that would be a bad thing, but the "plan b" option was just as beautiful as out by the pond. The team flipped the ceremony from outside to under the overhang behind the barn in a timely manner, and again, made it stress-free for me!

As a little girl I always said I wanted to get married in a red barn, and Shady Wagon (and the rain) made that happen! If you're on the fence about Shady Wagon Farm, don't be. Just do it! Even three years past my wedding day, I still keep in touch with the family and they truly are the best people ever.
Elissa Smith
May 23, 2022
I love shady wagon! It's beautiful for any special event! I've been for a wedding and a fundraiser. The whole experience was wonderful. The property is gorgeous inside and out! The owners and staff know how to make any event 5 stars!
Rebekah Walters
May 16, 2022
Beautiful venue and lovely family that runs it! I've been a guest at a wedding, and several other events. Highly recommend!
Stu Sztukowski
Mar 30, 2022
Incredible experience. The venue is beautiful, especially during the fall. Monica had everything perfectly planned from start to finish. We looked at dozens of spaces and there was no better deal than Shady Wagon. During our search, we started our tour of Shady Wagon with handshakes and ended it with hugs and life advice - if the owners were that kind, we knew this was the place to be.

And we definitely didn't choose wrong. It's easy to drive to: just a simple straight shot down US-64. Plenty of nearby hotels and AirBnB's down 64 for people to stay. Our wedding had to be moved during Covid and she even let us have a small ceremony on the same day that we would have gotten married at no extra charge. We were lucky enough to experience the venue twice! I hope some of my friends get married there so I can experience the venue again! If you're looking for *the* perfect venue, this is it.
Lv Sweets
Mar 18, 2022
My husband and I celebrated our 40th and 50th birthday party here. It was beautiful and everyone loved the venue. Monica and Paul took care of me and was very helpful with whatever I needed. They were flexible with time and they were very resourceful. I had a bad experience with a previous vendor and Monica really cared that my needs were met. I appreciate their love and their dedication through this process. I have no complaints and our party was phenomenal. Thank you Paul and Monica for making my party a night to remember.
Rachael Bowman Photography
Jun 18, 2020
Love photographing at Shady Wagon Farm, such a beautiful location! They have a great setup so that couples can do everything from getting ready through to reception on site which is so so so helpful! Can't wait to come back this fall!
Tierney Riggs Photography
Jan 26, 2020
I was able to photograph a wedding here last fall! The owner and staff were so sweet to work with! The grounds are beautifully kept and very tranquil! I especially loved the bridal suite and the old general store is so charming! I am very excited to shoot another wedding here this fall!
Alexis N.
Nov 09, 2018
I attended a wedding here and was absolutely blown away! Not only was the ceremony charming, but the barn reception was my favorite part. There was room to mingle around and dance. The staff were exceptional! I highly recommend this venue.
Diana P.
Nov 06, 2018
I have been here for a wedding and for a cancer event and both times it has been a wonderful experience. It's a beautiful farm, the staff is amazing & service was excellent!
Sharon S.
Jun 18, 2018
I attended a wedding at Shady Wagon Farm a few years ago and now I am excited to have my wedding here! The grounds are gorgeous and so are the facilities. The barn is stunning and there are so many unique details all around the property. My favorite thing about Shady Wagon is the family that owns it and the leader of it all, Cindy! I have had the pleasure of working will her on several occasions, including a charity event for ovarian cancer that she took upon herself to host. Cindy makes everyone feel like they are special!

She has given me so much advice and wisdom for my special day! I gladly listen because she has been doing this for a loooong time and has been married for 47 years! This family has been fair and extremely accommodating with my schedule and my budget! I never feel made wrong! Weddings can be stressful but Shady Wagon and Cindy Carroll have made my planning happen with grace and ease. The caterers that they have selected were fantastic and made picking food a whole lot easier!
Sarah S.
May 29, 2018
Came here to Shady Wagon farm for a wedding this past weekend! Lovely place to have a wedding, the only down fall are bugs-they're inevitable outdoors. They have a house where the bride and groom get ready, really cute. The barn is awesome too, they have lights lining the frame of the outside of the barn and along the inside. The barn does have AC and so does the room for the bride and groom to get ready in. I think it's overall a beautiful property that is great for weddings. It's right off of US 1 which is convenient for people traveling from all over.
Tim O.
Apr 30, 2018
Lovely rural setting for a Spring wedding. The Bride and Groom are Upstate New York transplants, and so the family made the trek to NC for this great spring event. Catering was superb and the beverages were non-stop. Starting with vows at 4, the cocktail hour followed, and preceded a Carolina BBQ with a full roast pig, and of course there was cake! Glad we got invited!
Kim S.
Sep 15, 2017
I had my wedding night here with 150 guests two weekends ago and absolutely love this place. The owners are super sweet and helpful and took us around the property multiple times and invited us and our families into their home. The reception was gorgeous there and we had nothing but good feedback from our friends and family. They've also updated the interior of the barn in the last month with extra lighting and new painting.

I would recommend Cook Shack if you are looking for a caterer there -- they did a great job and the food was amazing. I thought the price was great for the venue compared to others I searched in the area and I liked that I had the freedom to pick my own budget for my caterer, supplying my own alcohol, etc. Can't recommend enough!
Anthony J.
Oct 31, 2016
We attended a wedding there this weekend and it was absolutely fantastic. It's a beautiful location for wedding ceremonies and the reception hall is wonderfully decorated. Highly recommend
Tina G.
Sep 22, 2015
We had my daughter's wedding here 9/19/215. It was perfect in every way. Our wedding coordinator was by far the best. Monica West. She was always so calm, reassuring and just absolutely amazing. The farm is stunning, the barn is so elegant, especially when you add the linens and they turn on the lights. We hired cook shack to caterer our affair and they were wonderful.

The ceremony site over looking the pond is perfect. Our day was spectacular. Doug the owner takes guests back and fourth on his golf cart. The owners Cindy and Doug were more then welcoming. The price of the venue includes all the tables, chairs and all the extra rustic items they have on the farm. I looked at 16 venues before I chose this one. Best decision that I ever made.
Lonnie D.
Sep 09, 2014
I was in the bridal party for my brother's wedding this past weekend at Shady Wagon Farm. Shady Wagon Farm hosted the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. This venue is very nice and well manicured. The barn where the reception was held was cute too, and it was all encircled by a gravel path that looped around the whole property. If you are looking for green grass, a cute pond, and a barn for your wedding day, Shady Wagon Farm might be for you. However, if you are looking to pay lots of money for one of the most important days of your lives to work with owners that lack compassion, professionalism, trust, and integrity, Shady Wagon Farm is exactly where you need to get married. First, Cindy completely lacks compassion and professionalism.

As a wedding venue owner, you should KNOW that someone's wedding day is something they will remember for the rest of their lives, and you should do everything in your power to ensure the bride and groom are stress-free. Cindy allegedly "caught" someone drinking out of a flask in the parking lot that violated their "no liquor policy." Yes, this is wrong, but instead of addressing this with the appropriate parties (i.e. family members or wedding party), Cindy goes straight to the bride and groom and tries to reprimand them for their "bad" friends.

If you felt that guests were on your property violating your policies, you should have diffused the situation on your own without upsetting and offending the groom and making the bride cry. Secondly, as a business owner, I'm appalled at the lack of trust you give your clients. You have the audacity to rummage through the entire wedding parties' belongings in the Grooming Parlor without consent and permission, only for the wedding party to discover missing items at the end of the night. Additionally, you approach the groom's 10 year old cousin and accuse him of looking "suspicious" as he innocently walked around the grassy knoll just off the dance floor. Lastly, your integrity is absolutely and utterly non-existent.

You host the event in an oversized t-shirt and ratty blue jeans while you argue with the bride and groom in front of their guests. You attempt to end the party 2-3 hours after it starts by "announcing" it through the DJ's microphone. And finally, you disrespect the bride's family by telling them to not talk to you "because they are not paying the bill." You are truly a disgrace to host such beautiful and unforgettable events.

So if you are looking to having a beautiful outdoor wedding with a duck/geese pond as your backdrop, be prepared to deal with owners that will treat you like the geese poop they promise to pick up before your ceremony starts.
Anh H.
Sep 09, 2014
This past weekend I was in the bridal party of a wedding held at Shady Wagon Farm. The venue was beautiful and ideal if you are looking to have a wedding outdoors. The decorations and barn area for the reception fits the "rustic" theme and was everything the Bride and Groom was looking for to have the most memorable day of their lives. However, that most memorable day was ruined by the owner.

After claiming to catch someone drinking out of a flask in the parking lot and finding a warm pipe (not for tobacco), she approached the situation to the bride and groom instead of the responsible party. I understand that there was a "no liquor policy" but to put the blame on the bride and groom was not fair for them on their wedding night. Talk with anyone but the bride and groom about this situation instead of making the BRIDE and her family cry and continuously telling them that none of their friends respect them as people.

She continued to be on this rage and at one point of the night she grabbed the mic from the DJ and threatened to stop the party if no one had claimed the pipe she had found and asked for all flasks to be turned in at the bar. On the day of the rehearsal, the wedding coordinator informed the bridal party that we could leave our belongings in the bridal and groom parlor and everything will be untouched.

Well after catching someone drink out of a flask the owner searched through everyone's bags in the groom parlor without asking for permission from the owners' of the bags. Talk about invasion of privacy! I have been to plenty of weddings and this one was not out of control, no one was fighting, nothing was broken and everyone was just having a good time dancing.

I was very disappointed in how poorly the situation was handle and how unprofessional the owner was. To make the bride and her family cry, threaten to stop a wedding with 2 hours left, and go through personal belongings is very low class. I would recommend the venue if you're looking to have an outdoor wedding, want your bags searched, cry (not happy tears) on your wedding day and not have a good time at all.
Kristina C.
Sep 08, 2014
This venue is extremely beautiful, however I was blown away by how unprofessional the owner was in front of all the guests and the wedding party. I recently attended a wedding at Shady Wagon Farm as a guest and the wedding itself, was stunning. However, the behavior of the owner was absolutely shocking and left the beautiful bride and her whole family in tears and truly caused a scene that should of be handled in a much different and much more professional manner.

There was not permit for hard liquor and one of the guests were supposedly seen drinking liquor in the parking lot. While I completely understand that this would put the owner in a tough spot, I was in awe at how poorly she handled the whole situation. The owner pulled the bride aside and most of the wedding party and argued with them in front of all of the guests.

The celebration and fun were put on hold! This went on for at least 20 minutes. The party finally went on and not too long after the owner grabbed the microphone away from the DJ to make an announcement that she apparently somehow found a bag with a "pipe" in it (I think she was searching through everyone's personal belongings) and that if the owner didn't claim the item the party would end.

She then waited for a response and one the family members went to claim it and it was clearly not his. The owner then let the party continue and sat in a corner waiting for the owner of the contraband to claim it. I have been to an out of-control wedding before and this was not the case. I would understand if the group had been destructive or rowdy, but it seemed like the owner was out to get someone the whole night!

It was completely unfair to the bride and groom on their special day. It would have been much more appropriate to quietly pull aside some of the groomsmen or bridesmaids to discuss the problem. Again, beautiful venue, but would of liked to see some professionalism.
Amanda P.
Sep 08, 2014
I was the MOH last night at my sister's wedding. The venue was beautiful, however Cindy made the experience horrible. She continually lied and told us different stories all night. I was in the room when she came furious that someone in the parking lot was drinking and just started searching all of the wedding parties personal bags WITHOUT permission (there was clearly no liquor out in the open when she came in).

Her comment below saying we allowed her is a complete lie. None of the wedding party was even drinking liquor and even if she suspected that we were she would have needed a cop with a warrant. Then apparently later in the night she found someone smoking weed outside. I completely understand that it is not okay to do on the grounds, however I come up to a scene where she is making my sister (the bride) cry.

When I asked what was going on she said "you aren't paying the bill get out of my face" very rudely. I understand that it is her property however there is a way to handle this professionally and she did anything but that. Several other guests also complained that she was very rude to them. A TEN yr old was walking around and she told him that she is going to keep an eye on him because he looked suspicious.

My sister paid a lot of money to have her wedding at this venue and Cindy ruined the stunning venue. Cindy, you are in the wedding business. learn how to handle things professionally. It is not the bride or grooms fault if someone is drinking in the parking lot etc. Kick those people out or cut them off at the bar. Do not sit there and continually tell my sister on her wedding night that her guests do not care about her and make her cry on her wedding day. Have some class. ***Beware. Shady Wagon Farm also disputes everyone's review on WeddingWire hence you will never see a bad one on there****
Gregory H.
Apr 12, 2011
This was a very impressive and pleasant location to attend a wedding (despite my GPS lying to me about where it was). Outdoor ceremonies are totally dependent on the weather and as windy as it was on this particular Saturday, this was still a wonderful occasion to be at. The food was terrific, the setup for the reception party in an enclosed pavilion behind the barn was perfect for the occasion and for the size of the wedding and party. Yes, we had the catered buffet dinner in the barn itself. Rustic interior and CLEAN!

The only complaint I have is the mason jar salads ran out before our table was called up to the buffet line. The was an excellent theme for a wedding party just wanting to have fun.