Senate's End

The Sterling Garden Center used to occupy this stretch of ground between a wooded ravine and the Congaree River. Dupre Catering now runs the site as Senate's End — three brick buildings and two ceremony gardens overlooking the Gervais Street Bridge in Columbia's Vista.

The Hall is the largest room, rustic brick with high ceilings, and pairs with the Hall Wedding Garden, where a curved cobblestone aisle leads to a stone arbor. 300 Senate is the smaller, warmer option, with a wood bar and a view of the Congaree. 302 Senate has an exposed wood ceiling and two rolling doors that open a covered patio toward the river; it sits beside the 302 Wedding Garden, which books for an additional fee. Each building has a deck or patio of its own, so an indoor-outdoor plan does not depend on the weather cooperating.

Catering is exclusive and in-house. Dupre, a Columbia caterer since 1989, provides the food, drinks, bar service, chairs, tables, and staff, which takes rental sourcing off the couple's list. The menu leans Southern, with chef-attended stations for Lowcountry mac and cheese, carved prime rib, and oysters on the half shell. Tours are by appointment only.