photos by Splashes in Time photography courtesy Highpointe Estate
When setting the stage for weddings and events, the team at HighPointe Estate is all about creating the perfect atmosphere for every memorable moment.
Whether celebrating a couple’s wedding or anniversary, hosting a corporate event, or empowering a non-profit’s mission, HighPointe Estate brings its best to every event.
Barbara Bengford recognized this commitment shortly after she and her daughter walked through the doors of the venue last year.
“Dawson made my daughter feel like she was his only bride,” she says of HighPointe Estate’s founder and creative director Dawson Clark, adding that the whole HighPointe team made Brooke and Craig’s big day special.
The Bengfords were excited about the exceptional floral displays—designed by HighPointe’s in-house floral team—as well as the personal attention they received from Dawson and his team. Barbara ended up inviting Dawson and his wife Leanne to the wedding because, “I couldn’t picture the wedding without him.”
Everything was perfectly choreographed, down to the ceremony music timing and the size of the dance floor carefully measured to ensure it, and all the guests, would fit.
Barbara says, “As a mom, I was thrilled to hear my daughter say, ‘This is the most perfect day I could have ever imagined.’ That is all you can hope for.”
Hearing those words reminds Dawson why he does what he does.
“It’s very satisfying at the end of the night when the bride and groom come to us and say, ‘It was perfect. It’s exactly what we wanted.’”
A CALLING
In 2015, Dawson was just another father trying to figure out his role in his son’s wedding. “We told our kids we thought we could design all the flowers. Fortunately, my daughter-in-law said, ‘I trust you.’”
The flowers were a hit, and it wasn’t long before Dawson’s keen eye for color and design caught the attention of several friends and family members who had weddings on the horizon. Soon, he found himself running a part-time wedding floral business out of their kitchen. Along the way, Dawson realized he was no longer satisfied with weddings being a part-time hobby.
“I tell couples we got into the business because we wanted our son’s wedding to be perfect. We want all our couples’ weddings to be perfect too.”
Dawson Clark
In 2016, Dawson left his position at a local nonprofit and embarked on a mission to build the perfect wedding venue. Designing HighPointe Estate, he drew on his experience in the wedding industry to address pain points families face in wedding planning. The most critical was the need for a dedicated indoor ceremony space to serve as a “Plan B” option for outdoor weddings, which led to the creation of the beautiful chapel at HighPointe Estate. “The Chapel has proven to be our Plan A ceremony option as 98 percent of our couples choose it over an outdoor ceremony,” he says.
HighPointe Estate’s spot on the burgeoning Ronald Reagan Boulevard corridor between Georgetown and Liberty Hill serves a community that often has to travel an hour south to find a facility that meets their needs. “We feel particularly blessed to be centrally located in Williamson County and geographically attractive for families and nonprofit organizations seeking a location to draw people together,” Dawson says.
UPLIFTING NONPROFITS
Even though he no longer works in the nonprofit world, Dawson hasn’t lost his passion for philanthropy. Knowing nonprofits often struggle to find a place for fundraisers, he has provided event space for several nonprofits, including Seeds of Strength, Young Lives, Texas Baptist Children’s Home, and the Williamson County Children’s Advocacy Center. “I believe so strongly in our nonprofit sector and I understand the needs of these organizations. We provide a space for these amazing organizations to bring together their supporters, share a mission, explain the need, and just have fun,” he says. “I love the opportunity to host these nonprofits, celebrate what they do, and be part of their work.”
Williamson County Children’s Advocacy Center Executive Director Kerrie Stannell was grateful for that support. The WCCAC needed a venue for their Purse Bingo fundraiser to continue the organization’s mission of helping child victims of abuse. “HighPointe could not have been more warm and welcoming and just on board with making sure our event was socially and financially successful,” she says. “We couldn’t have asked for a better event host.”