There are so many ways to define Palmetto Dunes, and indeed all of Hilton Head Island. You can define it as a place golfers flock to for an experience on the links that no place else on earth can deliver – challenging, inspiring, and surrounded by views of shimmering water and lush maritime forests. You can define it as a beachfront paradise, with sparkling white sands stretching away to the horizon below sunny skies, accompanied by a perfect breeze.
Dinner is served at Alexander’s Restaurant
But what ultimately defines this place is hospitality. Palmetto Dunes is a destination where people come together, drawn here by the natural beauty of an island paradise, and held together by a devotion to making everyone feel most welcome. This is a place of celebration. It’s a place of gathering, a place where the world seems to stop spinning, if only for an evening, so that every detail of a get-together can meld in perfect harmony.
Flowers at a wedding ceremony at Arthur Hills Golf Course
Everything else spins off from this dedication to hospitality. And that is why so many weddings and private parties are choosing Palmetto Dunes as the hosts for their evening to remember.
A wedding reception with a view of the Arthur Hills Golf course.
“We have been catering a tremendous number of events lately, whether that’s at the Veranda at Arthur Hills or inside Alexander’s,” said Palmetto Dunes Executive Chef Charles Pejeau. “Both spaces are just perfect for events, and what we’re able to serve them is fantastic.”
Just one of many options of passed hors d’oeuvres available with Palmetto Dunes Catering
While Pejeau and his team sweat every detail of the menu, no matter how small, a party is more than just its menu. At their two most popular venues, Palmetto Dunes can create events that stand out, graceful and elegant, but above all enjoyable.
A newlywed couple celebrates their moment on the beach in front of the Dunes House.
“At Alexander’s, we’ve been doing a lot of smaller dinners, whether it’s a smaller corporate event on the porch, in the back room, or bar area, or a full buy-out of the restaurant,” Pejeau said. “During full buyouts, we set up an amazing cocktail party with meat and cheese stations, a raw bar, and even a carving station if they want something heavier.”
Alexander’s plays host to multiple special events per month, from bridal showers to rehearsal dinners
It’s not just corporate events, either. Alexander’s intimate surroundings make it an ideal spot for the kickoff to a wedding weekend.
A dessert bar is set for wedding guests at the event space at Arthur Hills.
“We’ll do rehearsal dinners for 40-50 people, and we can also set up a special post-wedding morning brunch,” Pejeau said.
A spread of snacks is set up for an event at the Toptracer Range at the Robert Trent Jones course
One of the island’s most celebrated restaurants, Alexander’s has long been the standard bearer for hospitality in Palmetto Dunes. A little over a year ago, its lasting appeal was augmented by a fresh option for the resort, when massive renovations were completed on the Arthur Hills Clubhouse, adding an expansive new space known as The Veranda.
A ceremony set up on the golf course as the sun sets.
A corporate event at Robert Trent Jones .
“That space is simply awesome. All of the outdoor spaces overlook the driving range, and you can go down six steps to the putting green,” Pejeau said. “We’ve set up a bar down there more than a few times, and have done glow-in-the-dark putt putt for wedding parties. We provide putters and golf balls for people to putt around during the reception, which has been incredibly popular.”
The table is set for the bride and groom in the event space overlooking Arthur Hills Golf Course
The addition of the massive 2,642-square-foot event space not only gave Palmetto Dunes another option for the hospitality they’re known for. It also created an entirely new dynamic in what they can offer to parties big and small.
“The versatility we now have between the Veranda at Arthur Hills and Alexander’s has been so much greater than I’d anticipated,” Pejeau said. “I saw its potential for doing weddings, but what it’s allowed us to do for corporate events has been incredible. We just did a large corporate buyout, and the attendees already want to come back. Having that dedicated space for events has been tremendous.”
A boat of fresh seafood greets wedding guests after the ceremony
As much as the venues add an air of pure Lowcountry hospitality to an event, it’s a golden rule of party planning that every good gathering comes down to the food. Pejeau’s team leaves nothing on the table when it comes to preparing a menu.
“One of the most popular events has been a ceremony on the beach at Dunes House followed by a shuttle to the Veranda, where we set up satellite bars outside on the putting green and then either a buffet setup or plated dinner inside,” he said. “We have some really popular packages in the Lowcountry Buffet or Lowcountry Boil, but we also do a great round of passed hors d’oeuvres, raw bars, and carving stations.”
The stage is set for nuptials at Centre Court Pavilion
The passed hors d’oeuvres can run the gamut from bacon-wrapped shrimp bruschetta skewers to smoked salmon crostini, with the raw bars serving up tasty treats from tuna poke and local oysters to shrimp. And of course, the carving stations delight carnivores with offerings from pork tenderloin to New York strip.
A plate of steamed mussels at Alexander’s.
“It’s a very large menu, and we’re able to offer it at different tiers with different drink packages and dessert packages that have been really successful,” Pejeau said.
Palmetto Dunes has always been many things to many people. But when people bring friends and family here, drawing them together for a family celebration, corporate retreat or an unforgettable wedding, they get to see what truly lies at the heart of this resort. It’s hospitality, and Palmetto Dunes is bringing that tradition into the future – one amazing party at a time.
Dwight hosts the carving station at an event.
