Airlie

g and Airlie did such an amazing job at juggling our 180 person wedding all weekend long. All guests had nothing but compliments on the beauty of the grounds, attentiveness of the staff, deliciousness of the food and how great it was to have the accommodate and wedding events all in the same place within easy walking distance! I cannot recommend Airlie enough!

n for future weddings would be to plan and coordinate with Airlie wedding specialist early. This helped us avoid miscommunications and establish written expectations.

o answer whatever questions we had. We chose to have an intimate rehearsal dinner with our wedding party at Harry's, and followed by food and drinks in one of the cottages with some of our extended family (highly recommend this option)! Our wedding day itself was beautiful - flowers were in full bloom, tables and chairs were perfectly set up, decor was smoothly coordinated with our vendors, and the catered food was excellent. If I could do it over again though, I would have just allotted way more time for everything - the day went by SO FAST! I was most looking forward to taking pictures on the Spanish steps with my long train, but there just didn't end up being any time for it. Still, there are so many beautiful spots for photos throughout the entire venue so anywhere you go will be stunning. We can't wait to spend our first anniversary there next month!

ays positive and were able to answer questions quickly and professionally. The venue was GORGEOUS. Our photos are magical. Our guests said that the food was delicious. We loved getting married in the garden and having our reception in the Pavilion. Everything on the day of went so smoothly because of the organization of the Airlie. As we are nearing our first wedding anniversary, we are so excited that the Airlie provides us with a complimentary stay to celebrate our anniversary. We can't wait to relive all the memories from our special day!

the DMV. Pros: -Absolutely gorgeous, unique grounds: 300 acres of land with rolling green hills, tons of trees framing the venue everywhere, and many different lovely gardens. It feels like you're at an elegant "summer camp" with so many beautiful areas to explore. We and our guests loved the natural beauty of Airlie. -Amazing in-house catering: Airlie's food is unparalleled for a wedding- it is absolutely delicious and so many of our guests said it was "the best wedding food" they'd ever had. Every single steak and piece of salmon was cooked perfectly. I also have to mention how incredible they were in catering to my groom and his family's many food allergies. No one got sick and the food tasted wonderful. So grateful for their food allergen accommodations! -All inclusive venue: Airlie provides a ceremony and reception site, bridal/groom's suites, rehearsal dinner site, tables/chairs/linens, and tableware. -Lodging on-site: You and your guests can stay at Airlie in their 4 different (cute and updated) lodging buildings! This made everything so easy and fun for everyone. They offer a (small) room block discount as well. -Awesome service: Throughout our weekend, the staff was so accommodating to everyone. Between golf cart/car shuttles for guests at night within a few minutes notice to their lodging buildings, to friendly and helpful check-in staff/catering managers, to great wait staff during the wedding meal, Airlie's staff was so awesome in making sure everyone had a great experience. -Lovely attached Harry's bar/restaurant: We used Harry's 3 times over the wedding weekend and were so happy with our choice every time. We hosted our welcome gathering the night before outside at Harry's and everyone loved the indoor/outdoor feel with the pretty lake view, string lights, and spacious seating. We hosted our afterparty at Harry's after the wedding and the staff was SO accommodating in keeping the bar open longer than we had planned for, as we had so many guests that wanted to keep the party going. The drinks were also on point. The last thing we hosted at Harry's was a pay-for brunch the morning after- the food was so delicious and again, the scenery was awesome to enjoy while wishing everyone off. It was so nice to have this spot to use the whole weekend. Cons: -Somewhat unorganized communication from (Airlie) coordinators/staff: so much to say here. Initially, our Airlie coordinator was very unresponsive and I was worried about this as clearly they were understaffed. Mid-way through the process, we were put with a new coordinator. She was much more responsive throughout the whole process and answered all questions and emails very quickly. Thank goodness! There definitely was a lack of communication in important, big points that easily could have been initially communicated- we had to last-second change our wedding timeline as we were not aware that the reception had to end at 11pm due to county noise ordinance. Many other similar details were communicated somewhat poorly. Either the staff is frequently turned over and unfamiliar with many of the Airlie standards, or Airlie frequently changes their standards and does not clearly communicate these to their staff...or both! We were also somewhat disappointed in our coordinator during our final walkthrough 23 days before the big day- she clearly had no idea what she was doing and our outside coordinator had to lead the show. Very little direction from her about how things would go on the day and what to keep in mind. We were also never shown the rain plan sites. Completely unorganized. -Somewhat inflexible wedding weather plan: We had a late June wedding and there were spotty thunderstorms throughout the weekend (luckily no downpours). Airlie was great at being flexible in the weather call/plan for our rehearsal dinner and we ended up being able to have it outside as planned in the Organic Garden, which was so beautiful. However, on our wedding day, the wedding call had to be made at 11am, when the radar was changing by the minute for our 5pm ceremony time. We ended up making the call for an indoor ceremony to prevent any potential chaos in having a stormy outdoor ceremony. I do think we made the right call, but that call could have been different and changed to our originally planned garden ceremony had we been able to make that call 2 hours later. It didn't end up storming or raining during our ceremony, which was somewhat infuriating. But, it possibly ended up being a blessing in disguise for our guests being comfortable in the AC (so humid out). -Expensive extra add-ons that should be included with their hefty fee: Airlie charges big fees for any add-ons, such as doing a signature cocktail, dinner wine service, etc. The biggest annoyances for us were having to pay multiple hundreds for a CAMPFIRE (we don't regret it since everyone really enjoyed sitting around the fire in adirondacks at night) when we easily could have set it up ourselves as well as the short bar time. The bar package only includes 4 hours of bar time. If you use this during cocktail hour, that leaves 3 hours for the reception, which is obviously not enough time. The package really should be 5 hours. We ended up having to pay a premium to extend the bar time that should have been initially included. We also paid $10/person (so high for what we got- this should have been more like $5/person) to add on a chips/guacamole/salsa package for our afterparty that definitely was meagerly portioned. We got 40 portions and it felt more like 20. -Hit or miss recommended vendors: We ended up using some of Airlie's recommended vendors (florals, coordination, cake), but some are not ideal. One of their top recommended photographers that has a great portfolio lives in CO and was not available. -Some areas that need updates: Most of Airlie's outside grounds and charming inside buildings are cute and up to date. However, I definitely noticed some areas that needed an update, especially for what they charge for weddings. This included the Spanish Steps- some of the white paint is chipping away, as well as some of the indoor rooms needing a refresh in flooring. For example, our plan B ceremony weather site in the Jefferson room would be so much prettier with hardwood flooring rather than the "meh" brown carpeting they have in there currently. -Lackluster bridal and groom's suites: The bridal suite is really not a bridal suite and totally unacceptable to be used as one. There is no changing area, so it is assumed that all of the ladies will be changing in front of one another. There is also only 1 bathroom. The room totally lacks any aesthetic for "getting ready" photos and the furniture in there is totally outdated. Airlie, do better on this. Change your bridal suite to one of the many nice rooms in the Airlie house or update the Old Post. Additionally, the groom's suite (again, really can't call it that) is a totally lackluster room in the Airlie house that doesn't even have a changing area for the men. No private bathroom. So they have to meet there already changed in a boring, ugly, small room. Again, the Fox's Den needs to be thoroughly updated or move the groom's suite to one of the many nice rooms in the Airlie house. The photographer had to move all of them to a better location for "getting ready" shots. -Unenthused bartenders: The bartenders in Harry's are so awesome. But, the bartenders at our wedding were....very unenthused. When the bride goes up to get a drink, the bartenders should put on a happy, high energy. I went up to a bartender who just kept a flat face/tone that came off as "you're bothering me" and when I asked for a very common cocktail combination, he looked annoyed and I had to explain what went into it. Airlie bartenders, you need to act like all the other amazing service/staff and exude good energy AND know your cocktails! Paying for the bar/drinks is not cheap, and my guests should not have to explain what goes into drink if all of the liquors and mixers are available! -Confusing and very expensive brunch at Harry's: All of my guests at brunch the next day thought the brunch was on us because of the confusing operation: They went into Harry's, saw an open spread, and no one explained to them the cost or collected $ up front. Afterwards, $ was collected, which was to their surprise and awkward for us. Harry's, please have guests pay for their brunch as they come in. And please do not heckle the bride and groom for their breakfast vouchers. My best advice to future couples is to make sure you hire an outside coordinator that is familiar with Airlie- this is absolutely the most important, vital hire in making sure your wedding weekend goes smoothly. Airlie is fantastic but the organization/small details can be missed on their end, so your coordinator should be someone that can pick up the pieces for you to prevent stress on your big day.

le, and both the ceremony and reception areas still had the intimate feeling we were hoping for despite being able to accommodate a much larger number of guests. As we went through the wedding planning process, we came to realize how much of an impact the venue itself can have on feel of the wedding, so we chose to let the beauty of the Airlie do the heavy lifting and spent a lot less on additional décor. We were really happy with how that decision came out, as we had many people tell us how beautiful our wedding was throughout the day. We also chose to add a fire pit rental (with smores) at the end of the night, and it was the perfect way to wind everything down and let people have the experience of an "after party" without having to actually account for another location and more logistics. More to that point, having everything be in one location was extremely convenient and one benefit we had not thought about beforehand. Finally, everything went very smoothly during the planning process and during the day of the wedding itself. We worked with Kari and appreciated her professionalism and responsiveness. Overall, we loved it. Driving away after our very first visit, we had a feeling of this venue being "the One", and we were certainly right to think so.

3 hours before the event, the on-site team made sure everything was ready that morning so we could set up early before getting ready for the ceremony! So many guests commented on how gorgeous Airlie was, and many want to return to explore all the other activities they have to offer (fishing, restaurants, etc.). The gardens and grounds are so picturesque, with everything from fields, to formal gardens, to a Spanish Staircase - they were perfect for wedding photos. The food was incredible, and much better than your typical "wedding food". If we could do it all over, we would absolutely still choose Airlie for our wedding!!

and Lydia was very responsive and kind to work with. They handled our covid 2020 reschedule with grace and pulled out all the stops on wedding day! Can't wait to work here again!

ing the pandemic and allowed us to reschedule for a new date in October 2021 without any issue which we greatly appreciated! The day was perfect though the threat of rain loomed late into the week. The Airlie staff was on top of everything and everything went off without a hitch. Our guests enjoyed their stay in the updated rooms and loved the grounds, especially Harry’s on Friday evening for some before bed drinks. Everything was set up to our specification perfectly! All the credit goes to Lydia, who answered many a question in the planning phase and helped us through the process greatly. The only reason I gave 4/5 stars for responsiveness is because Airlie really needs to get Lydia some support (easier said than done these days I know). She is wearing multiple hats and really is owning it, and I swear must be a machine for her ability to juggle all her responsibilities and still have time for all the couples, planners, etc. filing in and out each weekend. On only a couple of occasions we had some difficulty getting answers to questions, but totally understand that Lydia is one person coordinating weddings and major events for the property. So Airlie if you’re reading this, Lydia is an all star, but get her some more support staff at least! To Lydia, thank you for everything. You made our weekend magical, and your flexibility with a couple of last minute changes was greatly appreciated, and also thank you for your incredible patience dealing with both our mothers!

ciously took us in and was able to plan THE EXACT wedding we had been dreaming of for the last two years. The entire staff was so friendly, supportive and helpful. Special shout out to Kari who helped facilitate our whole weekend - I often referred to her as my Fairy Godmother. Airlie made it SO easy to be a one-stop-shop for our rehearsal dinner, welcome party (for folks in town Friday night), getting ready for the wedding, BEAUTIFUL photos, ceremony/reception, after party, and hotel accommodations. Our family coming in from out of town loved that they didn't need to drive all over the place for each event, and our friends from the DC area loved that they could escape the city for a weekend. We got so many compliments on the venue. I hadn't originally planned to have my wedding here because it's a huge property and I wanted something more private.. but I was wrong. The Airlie felt SO private because it's so big you're separated enough from the public that you don't even know they're there. If I had to plan my wedding over again, I would have chosen this venue from the start. :)

the best weekend we could have imagined. They were professional, responsive and the grounds were amazing.

l date. Not only did Airlie accommodate our request, they never charged us a postponement fee or additional costs of any kind, which is rare (especially given the tough business environment facing so many venues). As we dealt with more pandemic-related planning curveballs, Airlie continued to be flexible, accommodating, and kind, going above and beyond to make our weekend as lovely as possible. We need to give a special shout-out to LYDIA, who not only helped us with all of this along the way, but who seemed so genuinely thrilled for us to be getting married at Airlie—it was very sweet and meant a lot to us. We need to give a special shout-out to LYDIA, who not only helped us with all of this along the way, but who seemed so genuinely thrilled for us to be getting married at Airlie—it was very sweet and meant a lot to us. Beyond the accommodating nature, the ACTUAL EXPERIENCE of getting married at Airlie is one we will cherish for the rest of our lives. What an amazing environment for us to be with so many loved ones for the first time in years. The rehearsal dinner in The Market at Airlie (gorgeous industrial space!) created such a warm and community-focused start to the weekend. The buffet was also UNREAL—the Airlie catering staff pulled off short rib, seafood bouillabaisse, and other potentially tough dishes in a supremely delicious way. The beautiful lake view and fire pit at The Market really topped off the evening. We rented the Groome’s Cottage to stay in for the weekend—it’s a lovely getting ready space because there is a nicely sized lounge area and a deck (in addition to private rooms). The bride, her mom, and 10 women of honor were able to comfortably spend all day together in this space and really make themselves at home! The groom and his people of honor got ready in the Game Room by the pool. This was also very fun; they played pool, chess, and foosball. Both groups also ordered lunch from Airlie—sandwiches, wraps, etc. It was all DELICIOUS—energizing, filling but not too much so, and so fresh! (Honestly, all of the food we had was actually even better day-of than it was at our tasting.) There are so many stunning spaces at Airlie. Our guests later reported that they had a great time exploring the property. And we loved being able to have our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception in different parts of the venue. One thing that appealed to us early on when we were deciding on a venue was that Airlie staff always made us feel so welcome as we visited the property, and that spirit was present during our wedding weekend as well. They even added hooks to the reception space to accommodate a design request. Finally, the breakfast on Sunday was delicious and excellent fare for hangovers. A+ all around. In all seriousness, we will forever treasure our dream wedding weekend at Airlie.

food is top-notch, farm-to-table meals that will have every guest happy. Our wedding had to be postponed because of COVID and the staff were incredibly understanding and easy to work with. They communicated everything we needed to know for planning a safe COVID wedding.

ather forecast called for a chance of rain the day-of, they were on stand-by, ready to move everything indoors (fortunately, it wasn't needed!). A perfect day made possible by Airlie. We're already planning a vacation there for our anniversary!

options to extend your reception time later with either fire pits or at the pub on-site. we opted for fire pitts and late might smores which our guests loved. the venue is great because there's just so many beautiful spots for picture- multiple gardens, bridges and waterfront. all the food is awesome- farm to table. they were able to accommodate allergies and dietary restrictions very easily too which was appreciated.

r bottles. The service was also very fast and friendly, however, they started clearing up a little early and putting the already poured drinks on the table into plastic cups. I thought this was a little wasteful, since most people didn't finish them or know that it was their drink. I wished that they provided the two different options of cake we had, but they servers mainly served one flavor. Overall though the wedding went pretty perfectly. We also stayed at the venue the night before and after and I didn't particularly like our stay. There was no fridge provided in the rooms, and the closet was strangely in the bathroom. The main gripe I have is that the day after our wedding there was a lot of noise outside at 6-7am. I wish the grounds keepers would've waited to do lawn work a little later so that I could rest. I would definitely recommend booking this venue, maybe not to stay in, but for the wedding reception and ceremony it is perfect!

The venue was just amazing! All of the details we talked about during our planning phase were delivered. Thank you all so much!

ing spooky if I changed my mind later. I love that the Pavilion is flexible and can go from light and bright, to dark and earthy. Another favorite of mine for the Pavilion is that all of the glass doors can remain open. The weather happened to be gorgeous on my wedding night so we had several of the doors open after dinner concluded. Speaking of dinner, the food was AMAZING! I am still receiving compliments from guests about how much they loved the selections. We also had our ceremony on site, and with the gardens so close to the pavilion it was a seamless transition from ceremony, to cocktail hour, to reception! There isn't a single picture that didn't have a magnificent backdrop!

ur ceremony and reception, provide all the food (except the cake), beverages and wait staff, and provide recommendations for all your other vendors as well. You can also host your rehearsal dinner and day-after brunch there. In addition, Airlie is absolutely beautiful. We received so many compliments from our guests on how gorgeous the setting was. We selected a November date because that provided a few off-season discounts, but the grounds were still stunning. The weather turned out to be unseasonably cold and we had to hold everything indoors but that didn’t matter - the Jefferson Room and the Pavilion were still spectacular and the transition to the indoor locations was seamless. The food was wonderful and presented beautifully. We went for a tasting a few months before and that was terrific - the staff was so friendly and helpful. We would highly recommend any couple who uses Airlie to hire a day-of coordinator - Airlie is just too large and spread out for you to be able manage coordinating everything yourself on your wedding day. A couple of tiny caveats. We found the room block process and the online room reservation system a bit cumbersome and our guests found it a little confusing. I believe Airlie was redesigning their website, so that issue may have been resoled. Also, about 6 weeks out our sales contact at Airlie left and we were assigned a new contact. That caused a few hiccups, but fortunately we had hired a day-of coordinator that was able to smooth most of those out for us. Overall, we were thrilled with Airlie and would highly recommend it!

ridal party rode bikes, did some skeet shooting, played tennis and wandered the grounds. So much fun. Had sodas and beer in upper garden with yard games set up (partially to encourage guests to arrive early and not get hung up with Route 66 traffic) Ceremony in lower garden then a wonderful reception, dancing, dinner and amazing apple pie with ice cream for dessert. Brunch the next day was super. Food was great, service perfect. Guests really enjoyed the location, grounds, food and getting away from the city. Easy accessibility from Dulles for out of town guests. Can't think of anything negative to say.

issues we had with Shiloh. Reviews said she was so responsive and although she was very sweet, I never found that. She took a long time getting back to us confirming the date. Queen/Queen rooms are all off the main property and limited. Not a problem, but we were never told that. These were never added to the block and were told they were sold out - 9 months in advance? She promised to notify me if any opened. Never heard back until I asked and all of sudden multiple were available. Never received a response from the director of reservations after reaching out to multiple times. Shiloh got a new job 1 month out - fine, but we were only told less than a week before her departure. It was frustrating we had no warning so close to our wedding. But Quaid took over, did an amazing job and was really responsive! Airlie can feel expensive ($2,500 ceremony fee, 22% service fee) but overall its totally worth it. Airlie was the type of venue I'd always dreamed of. We had the best wedding and I wouldn't change a thing about it! Future couples: ask lots of very detailed questions up front & be proactive. We did this, but still ran into issues. Have a plan for photos if it rains, there aren't many good indoor spots. We did a first look before the rain started but didn't have a backup. Ask for Quaid if there's more than one wedding manager! You can buy beer & wine from Harry's for afterparty in cottages. Airlie: Ditch the pavilion fan, its ugly. Provide list of guests staying under the block - I work in events, its standard practice. Allow for welcome bags or volunteer alternate options, wedding day after ours used them but I was told a flat no. Add a second bar to minimize wait times.

ng more! What a hidden gem, I can't wait to go back for an overnight stay or dinner at Harry's on the water!

he gave us great advice, ideas, and feedback to all of our questions on how to have the perfect wedding. The set-up for the event was beautiful – from the ceremony area to the cocktail area and then to the grand pavilion. All our guests commented on how beautiful the venue was and about the great service, food, and drinks. We probably had over 30 rooms booked for the weekend and everyone who stayed on-site loved the accommodations and spent a lot of their free time visiting one another at Harry’s which turned out to be a fabulous meeting spot. Airlie exceeded all our expectations. It was an absolutely wonderful wedding and I don’t think there’s another venue around here that could match the professionalism, care, and attention that we received from the staff during the planning process all the way through to the actual event. Special shout out to Shiloh – you are definitely an outstanding event coordinator and we couldn’t have had this dream wedding without your assistance and guidance. Thank you so much for everything!!!!