University and Whist Club - Wilmington, Delaware

Kelvin A. L.

Margaret and the Whist Club staff did an incredible job with our wedding! Margaret was great to work with, responsive and made every detail look flawless. She did a fabulous job coordinating details, answering all of our questions and was so accommodating! At our walk throughs and meetings she was able to ask us questions and point out details we may not have thought of so that by the time the day came every detail was perfect. The food was off the charts, each space was beautiful and everything turned out perfectly. All of our guests commented how delicious all the food was, how great the bar staff were and that it was one of the most beautiful weddings they had attended. Thank you for a gorgeous (and stress-free!) wedding day!

Linda S.

Our daughter was married this past weekend. If I could give 10 stars to our experience, I would. This venue is perfect for smaller weddings (100 guests was perfect)! Margaret, the party planner, went above and beyond in every way with every detail executed perfectly. Although the first choice was a garden ceremony, the carriage house indoor alternative space was awesome (and air conditioned). The food was absolutely amazing! Don’t hesitate to check out this hidden gem…you won’t be disappointed!

Scott

We highly recommend The University and Whist Club for your wedding venue! We wanted an all-inclusive venue to cut down on some of the planning effort for our special day. When we came across the Whist we were floored, there were great spots for pictures, areas for bride/groom + wedding party to get ready, distinct areas for different parts of the wedding, spacious reception area, and a delicious variety of food that can accommodate different diets. Margaret was instrumental in helping us plan for wedding. She’s planned numerous weddings and she guided us through various ideas to find what was best for our wedding.

The Whist provided all the tables, chairs, linens, flatware, food, beverages, and staff for our event. They work with multiple vendors in the area to augment what they provide. For example, we hired the following vendors: DJ (District DJ), Photographer/Videographer (Frederick and Reid Photography), Alpacas with handlers (Illusion Ranch Alpacas), Baker (Deserts by Dana), and a Florist (M. Coty). With those few vendors, in addition to the venue, planning was much smoother - you can choose from their rolodex or find your own.

As it pertained to the venue, we heard from all of our guests about how much they loved the venue and the quality + warmth (where appropriate) of the food. As for the people behind the scenes, we talked to plenty of staffers and everyone was incredibly nice. The bartender, chefs, and wait staff did a great job.

Not having to jump from location to location for the ceremony and reception offers great peace of mind. Not needing to coordinate with rental companies and caterers for the reception is another weight off your shoulders. You may hear the cliché, “There was so much going on that we didn’t enjoy our wedding.” Through planning and coordination with Margaret, we got to enjoy every minute of our wedding with all our guests. It was an experience we’ll always remember!

Shannon F.

This review is coming way too late (sorry Margaret!), but I can’t say enough good things about the Whist Club! We had our wedding there almost a year ago in mid-October, and we had the best experience from start to finish. The venue itself is beautiful and charming; it’s not a cookie-cutter ballroom. We were able to have the whole place to ourselves for the entire day. There was rooms on the third floor for the bridal party to get ready, and a room on the lower level for the groomsmen with tv, games and a little bar. Margaret was our contact for the entire event. She was so helpful with my millions of questions, and so nice to work with. The food was outstanding as well. We all ate so well, and there was an abundance of options to choose from. For our ceremony we used their outside courtyard/garden. We luckily had a gorgeous day, but there is a carriage house as an inside option in case the weather doesn’t hold up. The Whist Club checked all of my boxes since their pricing includes all of the catering, beverages (yes, the alcohol too!), cake and floral centerpieces!! People who are planning a wedding- I can’t stress enough how SIMPLE and PAINLESS it was dealing with just one vendor for all of this. Of course you go pick out your cake and your flowers, but after that Margaret does all the coordinating for you! She even worked with a decor rental place I used from Middletown, and that was all completely seamless as well. Probably the best part is the price. For everything you’re getting, and the high quality food and service, the Whist Club was a steal! If I could give 100 stars I would. Thank you for making our wedding as stress-free as possible!!

Bob S.

A Delaware landmark with amazing history, beauty and charm. Great event venue and membership and its reciprocal advantages puts it a step above almost all local private clubs and membership costs are amazingly low.

Wade C.

It was fun going as a group. The atmosphere is nice. The food average. The tip is not included but you get hit with a 20% service charge. Just be aware. We tipped the wait staff. That should be made clear when booking.

Peter D.

I am not a member, and I only stopped out to the Carriage House for Friday nights. It has been great people every time. Good food. Good drinks. Prices are higher than I'd like, but that's everywhere now.

Natalie L.

I came for a charity event, service and food both above and beyond. Facility is well maintained, bathroom is clean.