Camellia Gardens

a doubt that Camellia Gardens was where we wanted to have our wedding. My then-fiance and I toured CG for the first time in January 2019 and, even after touring 11 other venues in the area, could not find a better setting or host that we felt confident would make our day happen the way we envisioned. None of them had the level of commitment to us as Marilyn was communicating she would be more than willing to give us. Our original date was set for April 2020, and we had multiple visits with Marilyn leading up to that point (April 2019 when she hosted a tent garden party for all of her couples and their families and May 2019 when our two sets of parents were in town and wanted a tour), and she had offered for our vendors to tour with her at their convenience. Marilyn always made sure the day was going to be about us. ENTER COVID!! We realized that we would need to reschedule our wedding in March 2020, and immediately reached out to Marilyn with the help of our coordinator Whitney (It's A Beautiful Life LLC). Marilyn worked with us from March all the way up until our new date in September, making sure that we were given as many options as possible, to have as much of our day as possible, given the pandemic. We ended up having an intimate celebration last weekend with close friends and family with the help of Marilyn and her wonderful staff, where they went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. Everything was picture perfect and immaculate for our day, and our guests said they had the best time. Marilyn had been supportive even to them, making sure everyone felt safe at all times. Did I mention that Marilyn also opened up the venue to us the evening before at no additional cost so that we could have a rehearsal and rehearsal dinner with our friends and family at a location MUCH safer than a restaurant would have been? Wow. We really cannot say enough good things about Marilyn and Camellia Gardens.

told us we need to cut our list of 150 guests (which was just fine less than 12 hours ago at our final meeting) to 75 guests. Mitch looked at my wife and I and stated verbatim, “People don’t really like weddings anyway. There’s been plenty of times where I’ve been on my way to a wedding and decided I don’t want to go, so I just turn around.” How could the owner of a WEDDING venue say a thing like that? Marilyn and Mitch both stated the reason for them making changes (again 2 weeks prior to our wedding) is due to COVID. We completely understood their concerns and agreed to have our guests sign waivers and maintain a safe distance between each other due to it being an all outdoor wedding. Marilyn and Mitch both stated that wasn’t good enough and wanted us to change our seating groups AGAIN in order to accommodate for 23 guests per group and they were not allowed to interact in between groups for the entirety of the wedding. Fast forward to 9 days before the wedding, Marilyn and Mitch made another important change; no father/daughter dances, cocktail hour, lawn games, or dancing of any kind would be allowed at our wedding. Failure to follow any of their new guidelines would result in Mitch “calling his good friend and Republican Sheriff to come arrest anyone not abiding by their rules.” I again called Marilyn and stated that if any of these concerns had been brought up at our final walkthrough in May (My wedding was originally in June but had been moved to August), we would have made the appropriate changes to allow us to have our wedding at Camellia Gardens. During our final walkthrough in May, NC was in the Phase 1 stage of COVID and we had agreed on having the wedding as planned. I understand not refunding the $500.00 deposit, but to refuse ANY refund at all despite their breach of contract in all of the amenities they offer, is absolutely disgraceful. With 9 days before our wedding, all of our invites, save the dates, alcohol ordered, customized with our date on it items, the flowers ordered, hotels booked, flights booked, honeymoon flights and hotel booked, linens rented, and caterer food ordered, we had no choice but to find another venue and pay for it IN FULL just 8 days from our wedding date. During this experience, it is abundantly clear that Marilyn and Mitch of Camellia Gardens are strictly in this business for the money and not actually in their client’s best interests in having the best day imaginable. After switching to a new venue, I even had a vast majority of my vendors explain to me how happy they were not to have to work with Camellia Gardens and if they had been booked prior to us finding the venue, they would have told us to stray away from Camellia Gardens. To sum things up, Marilyn and Mitch Eudy of Camellia Gardens are a disgrace to the wedding industry. I highly suggest to anyone reading this that they find a more suitable venue who actually cares about their client’s best day imaginable. (Tipsy Goat Estate in Rock Hill, SC is a phenomenal venue who went above and beyond to make our day perfect with just a week away from our wedding. I couldn’t recommend them more.)

oice for my husband and I to host our wedding. After considering 89 other local venues (yes, that's right!), I convinced my to-be-husband to come look at Camellia Gardens with me despite our 'perfect date' already being booked. We both knew the moment we arrived to the property that we would get married there - no matter the date. Why, you ask? Well the property is privately nestled back from the road and other distractions. You're immediately greeted by a tranquil, garden-style backdrop to host your exclusive event for just the two of you and your closest friends and family... as if the property was gifted to you for the day. The site choices for your various events are endless, and nearly impossible to choose from, as they all offer their own unique touch and beauty. My husband and I chose to host our rehearsal dinner at the air conditioned barn, wedding ceremony under the grand oak tree, cocktail hour within the "secret garden" as I have lovingly referred to it, yard games set up on the lawn, dinner shaded from the sun under the brand new white tent (adorned with gorgeous chandeliers!), and continued our dance party celebration on the open-air terrace beneath the market lights. And if you can believe it, there are yet more locations on the property to choose from. We also loved that it allowed the groomsmen and bridal party to spend the wedding morning onsite getting ready in the bridal cottage and groom's lounge. One thing that potential brides should know is that Camellia Gardens provides a beautiful backdrop that you can make into your own vision, no two weddings will look alike. Start dreaming up your day, it's so much fun! While the property provides the beauty for your big day, it's Marilyn who provides the support and sincerity throughout your entire wedding planning journey. She responded to every email, call, and text with grace and joy. She always had an answer, or would go seek one on my behalf... sometimes with a ruler in tow. She offered ideas, advice, and opinions when we needed it and a constant professional demeanor from our first site visit (and my second-sixth visits) through to the very end of our wedding day. She was there cheering me on during my bridal portrait sessions and gave us newlyweds a cheer from afar as we recessed back down the aisle. I know she went above and beyond for us that day and we are so appreciative. Marilyn was a huge part of our wedding story! (Thank you Marilyn!) My only regret is that our perfect day has come to an end and I can't seem to convince my husband to let us do it all over again next month :)

ing. We toured in November, but boy, this place is beautiful no matter what time of year you visit! The venue is set back from a quiet road in a quiet neighborhood, so you don't have to worry about any traffic or noise disrupting your ceremony! There are at least six or seven distinct (but cohesive) areas to choose from for your ceremony and reception, and each one is beyond gorgeous! We had our ceremony on the pergola lawn, our cocktail hour in the "secret garden," our first dance on the terrace, and our reception in the tent. I was struck by just how beautiful each space looked, but when I walked into the tent the day of, it really took my breath away. The chandeliers really upped the 'wow' factor. Every single one of our guests commented how much they were blown away by Camellia Gardens. Marilyn is also so incredible to work with; so patient, flexible, responsive, and kind! Our families could not stop talking about how much they loved her, and we of course, feel the same!! We highly recommend Camellia Gardens without any hesitation!!