Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion Reviews
Reviews
4.7 out of 5 rating
![WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner]()
4.7 out of 5 rating
165 Reviews
94% recommend it
Awards
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![Allison]()
Allison K. Sent on 07/25/2022A beautiful venue
We had the most amazing experience at Woodend. We knew we wanted an outdoor ceremony, and when we saw the Hemlock Grove we fell in love. The trees and flowers make Woodend such a gorgeous location for a wedding, and the air-conditioned tent for the reception felt relaxed and comfortable but also elegant at the same time. The historic mansion is great too - with rooms for both the bridal party and groomsmen to get ready, and plenty of space in the hall for an epic dance party! Beatriz at Woodend was helpful and responsive, and we also loved supporting the mission of the Audobon Society. It was the perfect venue for us!Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Allison,
We greatly appreciate you choosing Woodend for your wedding, and for your support of our environmental mission.
Thank you for your review.
All the best!
Beatriz -
![Emily]()
Emily M. Sent on 11/07/2022Stunning & great value
I'm so glad that we chose Woodend! I wanted to get married in a sort of historic, beautiful house or museum; my husband wanted to get married in the middle of the woods, surrounded by trees. Woodend gave us both. On top of that, we wanted to have a baraat--an Indian procession with a horse--and we were concerned that, as a nature sanctuary, they would not go for it. But Beatriz was so flexible and made it work! She's also very responsive by email. We were blessed with the best weather that has ever occurred in June in DC, which really showcased the beauty of the place (though the rainy day contingency was well-thought-out and would have worked too.) I loved how much sprawling acreage we had, so we could have a baraat, lawn games, and even just different nooks for guests to wander off to. Also, compared to the other outdoor venues we visited in the DMV, this was by far the best value (can't wait to file my taxes and get that write-off!) since it's a non-profit. The location is so convenient--close enough to downtown Bethesda that our guests didn't have to worry about a long ride back to their hotels. Our only concern was the max capacity of 170, but honestly, it was probably a blessing in disguise to have to reign in the guest list. Strong recommend!Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Emily,
We greatly appreciate your review and kind words, and your support of our environmental mission.
You and Sri were a joy to work with, and the vendors you chose contributed immensely to a beautiful and stress-free day, including Winter, the beautiful horse for the baraat. : )
All the best to you and Sri!
Beatriz -
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![Sarah]()
Sarah P. Sent on 05/25/2022It has it all!
After touring many different venues in the DC area, we were blown away by the beauty of Woodend and all that it has to offer. The grounds and mansion are beautiful and comfortable and offer a great Plan B in case of rain. We did end up needing to use the tent instead of the Hemlock grove for our ceremony, but we have absolutely no complaints about it. You still get a stunning immersive outdoor feeling while staying comfortably dry! :) Beatriz was wonderful to work with, she is very responsive and graciously accommodated our unique requests. We highly recommend Woodend! -
![Natalie]()
Natalie F. Sent on 09/29/2021Woodend was perfect for our wedding day!
I was looking for an outdoor venue in DC where we could have privacy (no other events/visitors at the same time), stay past 11 pm, a back-up plan in case of rain, and more than 100 guests. Woodend fit the bill perfectly with everything I was looking for and more!!!
I loved having the ability to be at Woodend all day, including getting ready with our wedding parties in the designated rooms, first look photos, our ceremony in the grove, and the reception + dancing in the tent and mansion.
Plus, Beatriz was amazing to work with. I can't imagine how many emails she must receive from other couples, but she always got back to us in a timely fashion and she was very organized with helpful FAQs and links for us to reference. We were also planning the wedding from far away (we live on the west coast) and Beatriz accommodated MULTIPLE venue visits/tours - first with our parents, and then with my fiance and me when we were in town.
I'm also thank so glad that our wedding was able to contribute to the Audubon Naturalist Society’s mission. Thank you Beatriz and the Woodend team!!Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Natalie,
Thank you so much for your review and kind words.
It was a pleasure being part of your special day! You, Bardia, your families, and your vendor team were a joy to work with.
Thanks again for choosing Woodend for your wedding, and supporting our environmental mission.
I wish you all the best!
Beatriz -
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Erin R. Sent on 08/19/2021
Breathtaking beauty at Woodend Sanctuary and Mansion
Woodend Sanctuary and Mansion was the absolutely perfect setting for our outdoor wedding and ceremony. We chose to have our ceremony in the cedar grove facing a gorgeous field of summer wild flowers, followed by our reception in the tent and dancing in the mansion. The beauty of the property and the grounds was just astounding, and being able to support the mission of the Audubon Naturalist Society was so important to us. Beatriz, the site manager, was extremely responsive, professional, and fantastic to work with. The recommended vendors were also incredible. We worked with Main Event Catering and Elegance and Simplicity for floral design, lighting, and day-of-coordinating. They were the dream team!! They all worked with us every step of the way, and everything was just more perfect than I could have ever imagined.Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Thank you for your kind words, Erin.
We greatly appreciate you choosing Woodend and supporting our environmental mission with your wedding.
It was a pleasure being part of your special day.
I wish you all the best!
Beatriz -
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![Steve]()
Steve A. Sent on 12/29/2020Dream Venue
Woodend Mansion was the first and last wedding venue that we checked out when planning our wedding. We immediately knew it was the right place. The mansion, the grove, the tent, everything was immaculate the day of our wedding. Most importantly, Beatriz was incredibly helpful, informative, responsive, and pleasant in helping us organize everything. I can't say enough about how wonderful this venue is--especially at a great price. We're both incredibly grateful to have married here.Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Steve,
Thank you for your review.
It was a pleasure being part of your special day, and we are delighted to hear that you and your guests had a wonderful time.
All the best!
Beatriz -
![Amy]()
Amy M. Sent on 08/07/2020A Microwedding Dream
Selecting Woodend for our microwedding was by far one of the best decisions I think we will ever make. Not only is it beautiful, secluded and historic, but Beatriz and her entire team are thoughtful, kind and so wonderfully helpful. If you're starting to plan your COVID wedding, this is a winning decision. Highly recommend Spilled Milk Catering for all food/rentals as well - they know the space like the back of their hands! -
![Carol]()
Carol H. Sent on 12/22/2019Magical Winter Wedding at Woodend
Woodend was the perfect location for our December 2019 wedding. My husband Greg and I love the mission of the Audubon Naturalist Society, and even though we were getting married in the winter (and not using the outdoor space), the setting proved magical for our holiday-themed nuptials. The folks at Woodend, especially Beatriz and Kathy, became part of my "squad," and helped our wedding become one of the best moments of our lives!Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Carol,
Thank you for the lovely review. It was a pleasure being part of your special day.
All the best to you and Greg!
Beatriz -
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Janice Sent on 12/08/2019
Perfect, gorgeous venue
This venue was PERFECT for our morning fall wedding. We wanted to choose a venue that had great fall color potential, enough space to host a larger wedding, was less than 1 hour from where our families lived, and aligned with our passions and values. Beatriz was so kind, understanding, and experienced. The leaves behind the Hemlock Grove ceremony location turned a beautiful golden yellow for our late October wedding. The beautiful mansion has character due to being the headquarters of the Audubon Naturalist Society. And we loved the ability for our guests to hang out in separate rooms or outside if they didn't want to dance. The balcony in the bridal room is terrific for photos. My only regret is that I didn't try to rent the venue for the entire day and night so we could enjoy it longer!Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Thank you, Janice! You were a joy to work with, and we are so glad you a wonderful fall wedding!!!
We greatly appreciate your business and your kind words.
Happy Holidays! -
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![Andrea]()
Andrea B. Sent on 10/19/2019The Best Wedding Venue in the Area
We love Woodend! It's a beautiful, welcoming setting that makes for a perfect indoor/outdoor celebration just outside of DC. It feels both intimate and spacious and at the same time, relaxed yet elegant. The staff is excellent to work with and the space is just beautiful. If you're a nature lover, but want to keep your wedding near DC... this is your place.Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Thank you, Andrea. We greatly appreciate your lovely review.
Your chuppah with the wood paddles was so pretty, creative, and I'm sure very meaningful.
I wish you guys all the best! -
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![Allison]()
Allison S. Sent on 12/09/2019Best of both worlds
I absolutely fell in love with our venue! We were able to have an outdoor ceremony and indoor dinner and dancing! I love their bridal suite with an amazing mirror and a great balcony we could do our first look on! The attached tent was great!Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Thank you, Allison!
We love the photos, thank you so much for sharing.
All the best to you and your family. A special hug to Carol!!! : ) -
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![Rachel]()
Rachel Sent on 09/23/2019See for yourself
Woodend is such a beautiful venue! If you're considering it for your venue, go take a tour and you will be sold on it pretty instantaneously. We luckily didn't have to use it, but they have one of the best rain plans in the DC Metro area.
We even had a great moment where a butterfly flew by during our ceremony!
Beatriz, the site coordinator, was excellent to work with. She was always responsive to emails and helped us to do a second tour of the venue after we booked it so that my mom could check out the venue.
I'll also mention that Woodend gives you a great list of recommended vendors that have all worked at the venue before. This list is so helpful and everyone that we hired knew the venue incredibly well.
We love Woodend so much and are so happy that it was where we got married.Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Rachel,
It was a great pleasure working with you guys!
Thank you for the great review, we really appreciate it.
I'm glad you worked with vendors that had a lot of experience at Woodend, because they do make a difference on how smooth the wedding planning can go, and you experienced it first hand.
I wish you and Paul all the best! -
![Jessica]()
Jessica Sent on 06/09/2019Beautiful Brunch Wedding
Beatriz and everyone at Woodend were amazing to work with for our daytime Brunch wedding. The value of this venue is amazing, as the tent is included. We had amazing weather, but the rain plan at Woodend is also beautiful and was a big part of why we chose them. They are less strict with live music than some other venues we toured, as well. They were flexible with our desire to do a less-traditional format and worked hard to facilitate all of the small details that really made our wedding special and beautiful. Beatriz was always responsive to email and we're so glad we held our wedding here!Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Thank you for your lovely review and your kind words, Jessica.
It was a pleasure working with you and we are so glad your brunch wedding was amazing!!!
We wish you all the best!
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