I can honestly say my wedding was perfect, everything went off without a hitch, I would change nothing! The DJ was fantastic, the cake was amazing and the food was unreal. The cornerstone stone of the whole event though was the wedding venue. Tucked away in charming New Bern NC, is Abilena plantation. With its beautiful river views and picturesque grounds, it's hard not to forget you're not in a Nicholas Sparks novel. Our wedding was a perfect balance of elegance and fun. My husband and I rented Abilena for a week which allowed us not only to have the wedding and rehearsal dinner at the same place but the entire wedding party was able to stay with us leading up to the festivities. It was a bonding experience that you never really get being apart of a wedding party. We even had guests back over the next morning for brunch! John is amazing to work with and I am still getting compliments on the venue months later. We had about 110 guests, with a buffet and it was the perfect amount of people. I would recommend this venue to anyone and especially to those who want more than just a wedding day but have the time to celebrate the whole weekend. I don't live in NC so I basically planned a destination wedding and John made it very easy. Very responsive, extremely flexible to when we were in the area, it really was stress free, which is exactly what any bride needs! read more

Abilena Plantation is a brides dream! A charming waterfront Southern Mansion on a five acre riverfront estate in historic New Bern, NC. The home is available for rent for your next wedding, reception, rehearsal dinner, Christmas party, reunion, corporate retreat, or for a family vacation. The magnificent Neuse River views, and the fully furnished home await your arrival. The property can hold Weddings, Receptions, or parties of up to 150 people. My name is John Williams. After 6 years of photographing Weddings on the beaches and historic towns that blanket eastern NC, I wanted to build the most amazing Wedding and Reception venue in North Carolina. I started with the purchase of a five acre riverfront estate that was renamed Abilena Plantation! We went to work furnishing the mansion and improving the grounds by adding walkways and stairways and locations on the waterfront for incredible Weddings! We then remodeled The Carriage House, which was a 1930's horse stable, into the best waterfront reception venue on the coast. We have weddings here every month of the year, and we have packages to fit every budget. Full service photography and wedding planning on site! Come visit Abilena to see how this charming southern home may be the perfect backdrop for your special day. Thank you for your time. John and Mary Ann Williams/ Owners 252-876-7599 read more

I don't think we could have chosen a better wedding venue! Everything we needed was right there. No hectic running around the day of, no one getting lost on their way to the reception, no need to drive around for photo ops. We stayed Thursday-Sunday morning. It was great bc we were able to host the rehearsal dinner there as well. My bridesmaids and I stayed and got to enjoy the pool and hot tub. They have a great "salon" area to get ready. Plenty of room for the 9 of us to do makeup and hair. We got married on the water, cocktail hour by the pool and the best reception ever in the carriage house. It was nice having such a beautiful backdrop. I didn't need to pay a ton of money for extravagant decor. We kept it light and elegant. It was super convenient for not only our wedding party, but our guests as well. The night ended up turning into one huge pool party. Three years later and everyone is still taking about it! read more

My daughter's wedding was in April and she planned the wedding, did the floral arrangements, booked the band etc. herself. As the Father of the Bride I knew nothing about planning a wedding so it was great to see that the owners were so helpful. From my standpoint the owners (John and Mary) did everything they could to make it as easy and possible. They were always available and offered suggestions if they saw a bump in the road was coming. The wedding party stayed at the Abilena and there was plenty of room for everyone and everything. The rehearsal dinner was also held at the Venue and that worked out perfectly. I would highly recommend this Venue and the Owners! Give them a call and you'll see what I mean. read more

This is a great place to have a wedding, christmas or halloween party at. The inside of the house has tons of space and always clean when you first arrive every time. When I say parties, I mean it. You can have huge parties at this place with tons of people that can attend. My cousin had wedding here, and even though it rained during the beginning of the wedding and then having to move it to shelter, it still was memorable in anyway you could think of. This place is a place you can bring any type of relationship together with and leave becoming closer than you ever have if not close, or closest you can get. I highly recommend this place to all. read more

I had a beautiful wedding at the Abilena. My wedding planner and DJ who I met through John Williams did an amazing job. Everyone knew where to go and what to do. The music was exactly what we asked for. The venue could not have been more perfect. Yes there were a lot of stairs but we knew that before we booked it and I loved the idea of coming down the stairs. My bridal party enjoyed being able to stay at the venue. Social hour by the pool with a live band while we took pictures was a huge success. Our guests raved about the scenery and the beauty of the mansion. I would highly recommend this venue for your dream wedding! read more

I had the great opportunity to direct a wedding in September at the Abilena. The venue as well as John Williams was fantastic to work with. With the beautiful background of the mansion, pool, the river, and the greenery made for a elegant and rustic atmosphere. The wonderful thing about the Abilena is the many options of how a bride can chose her décor, her ceremony location, her reception area....whether a big wedding or a small wedding. Working with weddings and set ups and direction in the past, I recommend the Abilena for a perfect venue. read more

Hosted a business event at Abilena Plantation and found that the attention and service we received was superb. The venue itself is just awesome, which is why it was selected in the first place. But truly after the event was over, what we liked the most was the quality of personal interaction provided to us in the planning process to ensure that our event was flawless. read more

This fine home was built by my Grandfather Charles Alvin Seifert in 1927 and named for his three daughters . Clara , Hellen , and Dorothy . The name he gave it is Clara-Hel-Dor and was called that until it became a comercial business In the last 20 years or so. Abilena sounds pretty good but not the correct name . Respectfully , Charles Seifert Talman read more

We had our wedding here in May of this year and it we couldn't have picked a better location. John was quick to respond with any questions and extremely helpful with everything including vendor recommendations. Our guests raved about the venue and had a great time. Would highly recommend this venue! read more

I've been to several weddings at the abolina as a guest, a caterer, and as an employee. It's a perfect place for a wedding!! I wanted to have my own wedding there but my husband and I both have huge families and needed a bigger space. The owners are super nice and fun people! LOVE The Abilena!! read more

Just had a wedding for my daughter and son in law this past Easter weekend. John , the owner, and his wife were VERY helpful and could not ask for more. It is a great setting and a wonderful home. I would strongly encourage this place read more

Abilena Plantation is absolutely beautiful and Mr. John Williams and his wife are so accommodating! I will for sure have my wedding here WHEN I get married! ;) read more