Gracious and Southern, The Mitchell House and Gardens in Lexington has been making magical memories for nearly two decades.

Home to prominent Lexington families beginning in 1924, the two-story home began a new life in 1992 when entrepreneur Phyllis James recognized the need for a special occasion venue in the growing Lexington community. Her belief that Lexington was ready for a business that could offer weddings, receptions, parties and business meetings was realized on the day that the first ad appeared advertising the newly renovated home. Within hours of the ad’s appearance, Ms. James had booked four events, and the business was on its way.

As it enters 20 years in business, The Mitchell House is recognized as the Midlands’ first, full-service wedding venue.

“Over the years, we have become recognized as offering stress-free wedding planning leading up to that special day in a couple’s life,” said Ms. James, “For two decades, our staff has been committed to giving our couples the royal treatment for the wedding of their dreams.”

The Mitchell House also has become recognized for its free wedding packages, a practice that the business established during the economic downturn in 2008. “We began hearing about brides and grooms who were postponing their wedding plans because of the economy,” said Patsy Kiser, Mitchell House vice president. “We decided to offer a free wedding, and our staff loved the contest so much that we continued the practice. We see this as our way of giving back to our community and to the many people who have helped us grow our business.”

Christina Gracey and Dustin Batzel of Lexington won the 2008 package for a December wedding. In 2009, the business partnered with WIS-TV for a Dec. 26 wedding giveaway – a contest that garnered 10,000 votes among the four finalists.

The Royal Wedding will be the sixth free wedding for The Mitchell House, a 2010 “Best of Weddings” Pick by The Knot.

The Mitchell House offers the area’s only “covered pavilion” that can seat up to 300 guests and that overlooks a garden lush with foliage and landscaped to bloom year-round. “Brides can plan an outdoor wedding without worrying about the weather,” said Ms. Kiser, who oversees the business’ catering operation and also produces the beautiful cakes adored by brides and their guests. “Our slogan is ‘if it rains, we’ve got you covered,’ and we do.”

In addition to the covered pavilion, The Mitchell House offers intimate weddings for up to 100 people in the spacious front room of the home or at the Wedding Gazebo on the south lawn.

The Mitchell House invented the “The Package”concept for weddings and other special events. “Package” events take place in a specific time block and have a specific menu. With 28 different packages the business caters to every wedding dream and budget. The Mitchell House also offers custom weddings, parties and receptions, and its floral designers create the beautiful bouquets and flower arrangements for weddings and other events, even those off-site. “Our experienced staff are experts at special event planning,” said Ms. James.

The Mitchell House recently provided the celebration cakes for the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Lexington township, the 35th anniversary of USC’s Arnold School of Public Health, and the Lexington Center for the Arts’ production of the “Wizard of Oz.”

To learn more about The Mitchell House and Gardens and to view photographs of the facility and events, visit www.themitchellhouseandgardens.com and follow us on Facebook.

Call 803-359-5325 for information about the “Royal Dream Wedding” and other parties of your choice.