Camellia Gardens

Marilyn and Mitch of Camellia Gardens should absolutely be ashamed of themselves. 2 weeks prior to our wedding, they called us and made us drive over an hour to meet with them and 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.)

This was a great rehearsal dinner venue. Marilyn was so helpful during planning and decorating.

This place is an absolute dream, i would recommend this venue to absolutely everyone. The owner lives on site and goes above and beyond to help with any and all requests.

Brides, listen up! If you've dreamed of a magical outdoor wedding nestled within a gorgeous garden property, look no further. Camellia Gardens could not have been a more perfect choice 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 :)

Camellia Gardens is the most wonderful wedding venue we could have ever dreamed of! The moment we toured, we just fell in love with it and knew it would perfect for our garden wedding. 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!!