Here to lend a hand

Daily, Phillips and Anastasia Patterson, who doubles as the wedding and event coordinator, hold down the office while someone assists with property maintenance. When more manpower is needed, the club has nearly 12 to 15 people ready and willing to help.

Unlike traditional indoor venues, the Clarendon Club is “not a cookie cutter venue,” Phillips said. It takes advantage of the great outdoors, as the property features open-air ceremony sites with a rustic atmosphere and outside event spaces to host receptions and cocktail hours. Newlyweds can enjoy celebratory drinks, dining and dancing in the Pavilion, a covered outdoor area that can be personalized with lighting, floral arrangements, table layouts and other decorations. Photo opportunities are endless thanks to the aesthetic backdrops of the barn, the front pond and the woods.

After the newlyweds say, “I do,” they can take a horse-drawn carriage ride, another enchanting experience to add to their magical day.

Peak season for the venue includes March-May and SeptemberNovember. The venue has a maximum capacity of 1,000 guests, and pricing, during both peak season and off-season, starts at $4,850, according to its Wedding Wire listing. Aisle markers, altars or arches, centerpieces, photobooths and tables are a few of the event items offered by the venue. Lodging accommodations, cleanup and get-ready rooms are a few of the services provided to wedding parties.

Though the venue does not offer in-house wedding planning, Phillips deems it nearly impossible for a wedding venue not to be involved in the process of planning a wedding. While she and Patterson are willing to lend a helping hand wherever they can, Patterson can also be hired outside of Clarendon Club to plan and coordinate the events.

Patterson got her start with event planning in college as her sorority’s philanthropy and event chairperson, which gave her the experience needed for Clarendon Club.

“It’s been really cool getting to plan community events as well as weddings, retreats and reunions,” Patterson said. “I kind of work with people as much or as little as they want, so I can do everything down to planning the entire event from scratch, start to finish, or helping source vendors that will best serve them for their event.”

Patterson described the process of planning weddings like “opening up a Christmas present.” It’s a “fresh slate” for ideas and possibilities, as no idea is too big or too small for Clarendon Club. However, Phillips encouraged brides to understand that no wedding is perfect; hiccups are bound to happen.

“Be open to all of the options,” Phillips said. “Be as flexible as possible and always have backup plans for backup plans, especially if it’s a wedding that’s going to be outside.”

But, rest assured that with Clarendon Club, you’ll never have to face any hiccup alone.

A family affair

Being a hunting club as well as a wedding venue is one of the many attributes that sets Clarendon Club apart from the rest, but there is even more to the venue than meets the eye.

When booking with Clarendon Club, you’re not just booking a venue. You’re also becoming a part of a family, Patterson said. In the past, the club has gone beyond their traditional means of conducting weddings to ensure the day is a memorable one for newlyweds and their families.

Patterson reminisced on her childhood friend’s wedding where the grandmother — who played a huge role in the wedding - was unable to make it down the aisle, or so everyone thought. Using a four-wheeler, the club made sure the grandmother was able to participate in the ceremony. When she passed away, the club sent a letter to the family with their condolences.

Phillips recalled a time when a groom and his family were stuck in stand-still traffic on Interstate-95.. As the time came and went for the ceremony and the sky was covered in darkness, the wedding party and guests present remained entertained with other items and scenery on the property until the groom arrived. The wedding was still as beautiful as ever under the twinkling stars, she said.

From praying over anxious brides before they take their first steps down the aisle to those unforgettable improvised moments, the club and helping grandmothers steer a four-wheeler to keeping guests occupied while a groom and his family are stuck in stand-still traffic on Interstate-95, the club forms a bond with its clients and cherishes the memories made alongside them on their special day.

“We always want to be the people who do exactly what is expected of us and then some,” Patterson said. “We take that extra mile with all of our brides and grooms, and all of our brides become like our family because we’re with them so much and they talk to us on a day-to-day basis. Even though we’re an outdoor venue, we try to make it seem like there are four walls that are surrounding them at all times and that their wedding is built on a firm foundation, and we want them all to have fruitful relationships.”

Office hours for Clarendon Club are Mondays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bridal appointments are by appointment only. To reserve an appointment, call (803) 478-2010, email the venue at clarendon.club@outlook.com or message Clarendon Club on Facebook.