By Helena Tavares Kennedy

Northern Virginia brides have a plethora of beautiful wedding locations to choose from, but if you love to golf, the Chantilly National Golf and Country Club is a perfect choice. Located in Centreville, it features a gorgeous Ed Ault-designed golf course with a traditional par-72 layout as well as a fun practice facility which includes a chipping green, putting green, bunker area, and even a 275-yard driving range.

If golf isn’t your wedding theme or favorite activity, you can still take advantage of the beautiful 214-acre landscape and enjoy their other amenities like their six tennis courts, the Olympic-size swimming pool, or the children’s pool for the ring bearers and flower girls to enjoy. Perhaps most interesting for history buffs is that, according to Private Events Director Aleks Maksic, the original existing structure for the clubhouse was built by World War II Prisoners of War and even earlier was a functioning dairy barn in the 1900s.

Attentive Wedding Day Service

No need for brides to worry about the details, as Chantilly National Golf and Country Club’s spectacular staff will take care of everything you need. Depending on the season, the club employs 60-100 staff who are friendly, flexible and will help make your special wedding day as casual or formal as you wish. Staff can help you not just with the reception, but with ceremony services as well.

Serena, a recent bride from Manassas, said: “I would suggest the Chantilly National Golf and Country Club to anyone getting married or holding a special event in the Northern Virginia area. The event staff, Aleks and Lauren, are great! The wedding turned out great and we received many compliments on the venue and the food served. The staff ensured that everything was taken care of without any stress on me. We were able to drop off the dessert, decorations, etc. and they set everything up. It was so nice to arrive the day of and have everything as I had planned without any work on my part.”

Perhaps the most amazing service offering is that Chantilly hosts a maximum of one wedding per day, ensuring you get their utmost attention and dedication for your special day. The club can host up to 200 guests in their banquet room and can also accommodate smaller, more intimate weddings, depending on your budget and preferences.

Maksic shared that the most popular request from her wedding clients is to have food and drinks available to guests while the bridal party is taking photos, since people are usually really hungry after the ceremony.

As for the most unusual request, Maksic remembers the time that a couple wanted to bring in a bounce house for their wedding and to have it placed on the green. That just goes to show that Chantilly is ready, willing and able to help you customize your wedding as much as possible!

Recent Renovations for a Better Experience

Chantilly National Golf and Country Club recently underwent many renovations which are enhancing brides’ experiences. The clubhouse has been remodeled and includes a huge upper-level deck known for having extraordinary sunset views – a great place for your late-afternoon wedding reception so your guests can enjoy the breathtaking scenery.

Other renovations include a new bar and lounge, and a new banquet room perfect for weddings and other celebrations. Just in time for summer, Chantilly also gave their Olympic pool a makeover, added a new bar area with TVs, added new horseshoe pits which would make for some fun wedding photos, and even some fun things for the kids including a jungle gym and swings. The golf course and tennis courts also had multiple improvements made, ensuring a fresh, clean look for your bridal pictures.

Maksic said, “Since our renovation two years ago, we have quadrupled the number of weddings we had previous to the renovation.”

“We are a private club, but when you are a couple getting married here, you become part of the Chantilly National (ClubCorp) Family in your own way,” said Maksic. So if you’d like to become part of that family and host your special day at a special place, check out Chantilly National Golf and Country Club online at clubcorp.com/Clubs/Chantilly-National-Golf-and-Country-Club.

Helena Tavares Kennedy (hkennedy@princewilliamliving.com), a longtime Prince William County resident, is a freelance writer and communications consultant and can also be reached at www.htkmarketingservices.com and www.livinggreendaybyday.com.