Bartrams' Garden - a garden oasis in Philadelphia
251 to 300 guests
Holds ceremonies and receptions
AWARD WINNER (2X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Bartram’s Garden is a romantic wedding venue located in Philadelphia, PA. As the oldest botanical garden in America, this National Historic Landmark is a picturesque setting to host a magical wedding celebration. Minutes from center city, this gem is an idyllic setting for couples and their loved ones to celebrate amongst the gardens and sweeping lawns.
Surrounded by views of historic trees, wildflowers, and rolling fields, this riverside venue offers a unique place to host the wedding of your dreams. Couples are invited to begin their day in the property’s get-ready suites. Choose from a number of beautiful settings for an unforgettable ceremony with the gardens, native trees and historic stone home as a backdrop. For an elegant reception and an evening of dancing, the customizable, open air, Eastwick Pavilion is a versatile event space that couples can decorate to suit their vision. Our expert planners can guide you through that process of course.
We work with you throughout the entire planning process to ensure your event goes smoothly, and our experienced Event Coordinators make it all as enjoyable as possible! On the day, we have dedicated staff to take care of every detail, so you can relax and enjoy your celebration. Your guests will rave about the food, which the kitchen staff prepares on-site. Our servers are friendly and professional, carefully attending to the needs of you and your guests. Tastings are available prior to your event to ensure that the menu is exactly what you wish. This wheelchair-accessible venue offers parking facilities as well as a valet service.
Pricing details
Starting prices
Reception:
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Ceremony:
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Bar services:
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Catering:
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Starting prices don't include service fees, taxes, gratuity, and rental fees. Guest count and seasonality may also affect prices.
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Settings
Barn
Beach
Waterfront
Estate
Garden
Historic Venue
Park
Tented
Trees
Venue Service Offerings
Food & Catering
Planning
Wedding Design
Rentals & Equipment
Service Staff
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Reviews
4.7
out of 5.037 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Bartram's Garden is highly recommended as a wedding venue, praised for its stunning gardens, city skyline backdrop, and seamless service provided by Kelly and the Jamie Hollander team. Reviewers appreciated the beautiful outdoor setting, inclusive packages, and personalized attention received throughout the planning process and on the day of the event. The staff's professionalism, attentiveness, and top-notch catering services were commended, with guests enjoying the delicious food offerings and the efficient execution of the wedding day. Despite minor hiccups, such as slow table service and misplaced items, Bartram's Garden was applauded for creating a magical and memorable experience for couples' special days.Review photos
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Noelle B
Highlighted review.
5.0
11/10/2024
Bartram's Garden was a dream venue for our wedding reception. The grounds are absolutely stunning and provided a nature/garden atmosphere that makes you feel like you aren't in the city anymore. Kelly and the team at BG brought our vision to life in ways I couldn't have imagined. Working with Kelly throughout was extremely professional and helpful given all of the weddings and events Jamie Hollander plans and caters. The price is worth the service, especially since you don't have to lift a finger on the day - the team sets everything up for you and packs everything away at the end of the night. And Kelly helped keep us on track with the timeline, made sure we got a taste of all the horderves at cocktail hour, and generally just took care of us on the day. I can't recommend it enough for your special day!
response 01/29/2025
Thank you so much, Noelle, for your kind words and for sharing these stunning photos! We a...
gree that Bartram's is a natural oasis in the city! We pride ourselves on great food and service, and are so happy your experience was reality, not actually a dream! Cheers to you both!
Missy N
5.0
10/06/2024
I highly recommend Bartram's Garden and their caterer Jamie Hollander, for an outdoor wedding and reception. Bartram's provides scenic, outdoor gardens with the back-drop of the city skyline. It is a non-profit that provides community youth programs as well.
We opted for optional add-ons like outdoor furniture and fire pit rentals (including for s'mores), which added to the magic of an already pristine, peaceful, and beautiful setting. Another attraction was how contained the space is - the ceremony and reception all take place within the same general area, and the rain contingency plan still provides the ability to have the ceremony outside adjacent to the river, with the protection of the pavilion tent roof overhang.
We had a wonderful experience with Kelly, Niyah, Saayid, and the entire Jamie Hollander staff that worked and catered our wedding. We don't think it could have been more perfect. Should we have friends looking for wedding staff/caterer in Philadelphia, Jamie Hollander + Bartram's Garden will come highly recommended.
response 01/29/2025
Thank you, Missy, for your kind words. We are thrilled to support Bartram's work with even...
ts there. It's truly a wonderful spot in so many ways. Best wishes to you both!
Any questions?
Madi F
5.0
6/14/2024
From the moment my partner and I started looking at Philly venues, I knew we'd end up getting married at Bartram's. The space is just stunning, especially in the spring when everything is in full bloom. We added extra lights and some different tables and chairs to the tent, and when we walked in for the first time, it was simply magical. Our guests raved about the space — we were so happy to be able to add on s'mores and easily bring in an ice cream truck! — and one even said the chickpea curry entree was the best wedding food he'd ever had. We're so grateful to Kelly and the entire Jamie Hollander team for making our day run so smoothly and paying attention to all the small details. (The minute we were done the ceremony, Kelly was waiting for us with our signature drinks!) It was really a special day, thanks in large part to their hard work and thoughtfulness. Thank you!!!
response 01/29/2025
Thank you, Madi. We always try to focus on the small details! And we agree that the garden...
s are stunning and make for amazing photos and a genuinely unique experience. We wish you all the best!
Evan C
5.0
2/10/2024
We cannot more highly recommend Bartram's Garden as a venue, as well as Kelly Mahoney, Kate Conaway, and Jamie Hollander Catering. They provided full service, from event planning through to the final catering for both our modified pandemic ceremony and twice-postponed wedding, both at Bartram’s Garden in October 2020 and October 2022, respectively.
Our wedding was originally scheduled for October 2020, but COVID forced us to convert the original date to a tiny ceremony, while our wedding proper was postponed twice. Kate Conaway allowed us to host the pandemic ceremony at Bartram’s at no extra charge, setting up the space and ensuring our event was lovely and safe, despite the painful impact of the pandemic. She was kind, flexible, helpful, and accommodating. She, and then Kelly Mahoney, who took over as wedding event coordinator in 2021, made what were an extraordinarily frustrating and painful few years of waiting more bearable and productive.
We finally had our big wedding in October 2022. Kelly was incredible. She was responsive, thoughtful, thorough, informative,and so easy to work with. She guided us through the lead-up to the day and the event itself perfectly. Kelly and the whole Jamie Hollander team helped us create the perfect wedding environment, and brought to fruition the wedding we had long envisioned. The catering and bartending staff were outstanding–so warm, friendly, and welcoming. Many of our guests commented on how wonderful the staff were. The venue was breathtaking, the reception tent looked spectacular, and the most complicated portions of our day went off seamlessly. The food was truly exceptional–by far the best wedding food either of us have ever had. Knowing how difficult it can be for the couple to eat or drink throughout the day, Kelly ensured that we always had water, drinks, and food at hand.
We unreservedly recommend Jamie Hollander Catering, and more specifically Kelly Mahoney, Kate Conaway, and the team that catered our wedding in 2022. They ensure your wedding or special event is exactly what you hope it will be.
response 01/29/2025
Thank you for your kind words, Evan, and for working with us through what were very challe...
nging circumstances! Bringing vision to life is the goal for us, and we're thrilled you were able to enjoy what you had envisioned! Best wishes to you both!
Carly W
5.0
1/23/2024
When my husband and I first got engaged, the only thing we knew we wanted for sure was a wedding at Bartram's Garden! Living local to Bartram's for many years, it was the perfect mix of Philly flair and natural beauty!
The gardens were the most perfect backdrop for our wedding and photos. Everything was perfectly in bloom for our late May wedding!
The price listed includes all our catering and rentals as well! Everything was included - banquet rounds, catering, servers, high tops for cocktail hour, two bars. We didn't have to worry about a thing!
Working with Kelly was great! She was extremely responsive to what we wanted, and helped us make informed decisions on what has worked well in the past when we weren't sure which route to take. My parents were also pretty antsy the entire process, and she was patient and kind answering their questions over email and during our walkthroughs.
The day of our wedding went amazing, and for the most part so smooth! There was some sort of issue when the food came out - I'm still unclear if there was less staff than we were expecting, or if there was something wrong in the kitchen but the table service was very slow. It took away almost 45 minutes of time that our guests were supposed to be on the dance floor. If I had to do it again, I'd probably just switch to a buffet.
I don't blame the Bartram's staff for this at all, but our marriage license did get accidentally thrown out at the end of the night...it was left in the bridal suite onsite during our reception, which staff came and cleaned before the entire bridal party was cleared out for the night. I do wish they had waited until we were all gone, but understand that staff needs to clean up and get home as well! My best advice - make sure your marriage license is packed into a backpack! :) Thank you, Bartram's for an amazing day!
response 01/29/2025
Thank you for sharing your lovely photos, Carly! You can feel the joy in them. Thank you f...
or your understanding with the unusual issues that night, too. We're so happy your day was what you had envisioned, and wish you all the best!
Ellen H
5.0
11/27/2023
We have the most beautiful fall wedding at Bartram's Garden. This is such a hidden gem - a little quirky, with interesting history and capacity to have a large event with amazing staff/service and food. Kelly and her team were fantastic to work with - we did have a planner but in recommending others look at Bartram's I would actually say that you don't really need a planner given the services that Kelly and her team provide. The tent is a blank canvas and can be converted to look and feel like whatever you want, which we really enjoyed. We could not recommend this venue or team more!
response 01/17/2024
Thank you so much, Ellen, for your kind words!
Eshani A
5.0
10/21/2023
Kelly, Chris, and the rest of the Jamie Hollander team at Bartram’s Garden were amazing! Kelly was responsive to all of our questions and requests leading up to the big day. Chris provided thoughtful gestures to us throughout the whole day such as bringing us passed appetizers and carting us at the end of the night to our limo. The whole team was reliable and professional - many thanks!
Katherine H
5.0
10/19/2023
The venue was both beautiful and convenient, and Kelly and her team truly couldn't have been better. They were accommodating, diligent, and thoughtful throughout the planning process, and on the day of the wedding they ensured that everything was taken care of and we could just have fun. I can't recommend this venue and this group of people enough.. Thank you thank you thank you!
Martina P
5.0
10/16/2023
My wedding day could not have gone any better than it did. Not only was it already a beautiful venue, but the team at Bartrams, was top tier and very professional. Kelly was the best and sweetest coordinator to work with and made this stressful process so easy. Chris was also our day of coordinator and made me and my now husband feel so important that day and just catered to all we needed. We received so many compliments from our guests on the food and the venue and said it was one of the best weddings they have been to! Wish I could relive this day again :(
Helen K
5.0
10/12/2023
We had the most magical day we could hope for at Bartram’s Garden in early June for our wedding of about 160 people! We really wanted to have the wedding outside and found Bartram’s as a beautiful outdoor oasis next to everything in the city. From our first visit in the winter, when all the plants were dormant, we could tell how beautiful it would be. We met with Kelly who walked us through everything and was immediately so warm and informed of any question we had. From there, we worked with Kelly to create our menu with Jamie Hollander Catering & Events, which was unreal! We had eight passed appetizers, from mini cheesesteakes to mini sushi tuna cones and the main meals were unbelievably good. Everyone commented later on how incredible everything tasted and how beautiful the spread was. Before the big day, Kelly and her staff kept close contact with us as well as our vendors and we never felt we had to worry about any miscommunication! On the wedding day, we met with Chris, who handled the whole day making sure everything went smoothly and beautifully and had the best energy! Bartram’s Garden itself was in full June swing with greenery everywhere, lush trees and colorful garden flowers around every corner. There was so much space from the gardens to the tent and the lighting was perfect - simple and dreamy. The bartending staff and everyone on site were friendly, fun and professional. Overall, it was the best choice we could make - the food was delicious, the scenery was gorgeous and relaxed, the staff was attentive as can be, planning was on point and not one guest had any issues. It rocked! 10/10 experience.
response 01/17/2024
Thank you for your thorough review, Helen. We're so glad your day was magical, that's what...
we aim for! Cheers!
Hayden G
5.0
9/14/2023
Kelly, Chris and the whole Jamie Hollander team were excellent throughout planning and the day of our wedding. Kelly was prompt, professional and helpful with all communication and decision making leading up to the wedding. Kelly and Chris both went above and beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly during the wedding weekend as well. Along with the rest of the staff, they took stress out of the event and clearly cared very much about our experience. They take a lot of pride in their work and we are very grateful for them.
The venue was also fantastic. We got incredibly lucky with weather in the middle of August (mid 70s), but even if it had been hotter, we would have had a great time with relief from the heat under the tent. If Bartram's is within your budget, I would highly recommend it!
Alex S
5.0
8/27/2023
We had our August 2023 Wedding at Bartram's Garden. Overall, we had a wonderful experience working with the team there. Kelly and Kate were very responsive throughout the planning process. Our wedding day was beautiful, and the gardens and the property looked fantastic. Our day-of-coordinator, Chris, was so pleasant and kind to work with during the rehearsal and the wedding day. We felt that we were truly able to relax on our wedding day, knowing that he was taking care of the details. The golf carts made getting around the property easy for all. The food was delicious from the happy hour to the dinner to dessert with surprise waffle ice cream sandwiches that were a huge hit. People have continued to remark on how good the catering was. We loved having our wedding at Bartram's garden and couldn't have had a more perfect day!
Gabe R
5.0
6/19/2023
We recommend Bartram's and JH Catering very very highly. They have a venue coordinator (Kelly) who was incredibly helpful throughout every step of the process including the food options, drink options, alcohol quantity, seating, and timeline. Day-of, the coordinator (Saayid) and event captain (Chris) made sure everything went smoothly including fire pits, golf cart valet service for all of our elderly relatives, the procession, and more. The food was excellent and earned a ton of compliments from guests, including ice cream waffle sandwiches. Everything went perfectly including the florist Floraltology, who are down the road that know Bartram's well, the band West Philly Orchestra, who are also down the road.
Corinne D
5.0
12/07/2022
We recently toured Bartram’s Garden and really loved the gardens and catering options. Kelly from the catering company did a wonderful job giving us all the information about the venue and details for the day without being at all pushy and also quickly put together a clear and comprehensive catering proposal. We didn’t end up choosing this venue due to limited availability on our short timeline, but I got a great impression (fast response time, organized, clear pricing) of the Gardens and catering company from our interactions.
Jenna M
5.0
11/19/2022
We had our ceremony and reception at Bartram’s Garden on 10/14/22. This place is a hidden gem deep in the city.
We were planning on having a wedding on the smaller side (our guest count day of was around 90-92, we invited 109) and we wanted the day to be intimate and relaxed with great food and plenty of cocktails. After visiting Bartram’s in January 2022 for our tour, I knew immediately I was going to get married there (we still looked at a few other places just to be sure 🙃).
Our experience was incredible the entire process; from when I first scheduled a tour all the way through our wedding day(and after!).
We mostly dealt with Kelly, the coordinator from Jamie Hollander Catering. Kelly was kind, organized, and fun to work with. Communication was a breeze, replies were always prompt and easy to understand. Our wedding went off without a hitch and the entire staff was incredibly friendly and helpful all day.
We received nothing but positive feedback from our guests during and following our wedding. We had multiple guests say that this was the best food they have ever had at a wedding. The waffles and ice cream were a hit for dessert!
Highly recommend Bartram’s Garden and Jamie Hollander Catering to anyone wanting a garden wedding in the city!
Nicolette M
5.0
11/18/2022
We had an AMAZING experience at Bartram's Garden. The venue is so unique & we received some many compliments on the beauty and uniqueness of the venue on its own.
Aside from the beauty of the venue, the people/workers are really what made our night so special. Kelly was so easy to work with and so helpful with any and all questions/concerns we had building up to our big day. She truly became a day of coordinator for us, making sure my decorations were in the correct spots and everyone was where they needed to be for a stress free day.
The bar staff and servers were also incredible workers. They were quick and polite. They even made sure to keep drinks in my husband and I's hands all night long, knowing how busy we would be with our guests.
Thank you Bartram's Garden and Jamie Hollander Catering!
Maggie O
5.0
10/23/2022
Bartram's Garden was the only venue we considered for our wedding. Right away, it was perfect. We loved the variety of spaces it offers - curated gardens, waterfront access, hidden walking paths, and a tent on site for the reception. Bonus was a view of the Philly skyline in the background. We worked with Kelly from Jamie Hollander Catering during the planning process, and she was awesome. She made us feel very at home, was easy to communicate with, and made sure we were comfortable on our wedding day. Highly recommend!
Noelle S
5.0
9/13/2022
My husband and I were just married at Bartram's Garden this past Saturday and we truly couldn't have been happier with our experience. We worked with Kate and Kelly throughout the entire process and they were incredibly professional, knowledgeable, helpful and responsive. Not to mention, we moved out of Philly during our wedding planning and they were so flexible about scheduling the tasting and final venue walkthrough since we had to travel from so far away.
On our wedding day, we did not have to worry about a thing and were able to be present in the moment and celebrate with our friends and family. We were also told many, many times during the wedding and the following day that the food was delicious and that the staff was so welcoming and hospitable - this certainly contributed to how perfect our wedding day turned out to be. Highly recommend this venue!
Thank you, Kate, Kelly, and the entire Bartram's/Jamie Hollander staff for making our wedding a night we will never forget.
Eliana K
5.0
9/01/2022
We had the most perfect wedding at Bartrams Garden. The grounds are gorgeous with so many amazing spots for photos. We were able to make great use of the space and our guests loved exploring the grounds. Most of all, the Jaime Hollander team, especially Kelly (Bartrams events coordinator) were incredible to work with. Kelly was extremely communicative and helpful throughout our wedding process. She helped us work through our timeline and event setup which were a bit different than a typical wedding and executed everything that day perfectly. She was detail-oriented and thorough and always kind and friendly in our interactions. Kelly was a key part of what made wedding planning easy and stress free. I highly recommend Bartrams and the entire JH team!
Rebecca K
5.0
5/17/2022
Bartram's Garden was an ideal wedding venue and amazed us on every level. There are multiple beautiful spots to hold your ceremony throughout the garden, and the tent is perfect for a reception, good size, great view, etc. The staff, especially Kelly, are fantastic to work with, flexible, responsive, and all-around so helpful! I could not speak more highly and was SOOO happy we had our wedding at Bartram's Garden.
Chelsea D
5.0
2/23/2022
In 2016, while spending my first summer living in Philadelphia, my husband-then-boyfriend, took me for an afternoon walk around Bartrams Garden. I had never seen anything like it and I fell in love with the grounds and the views. That something so lush could exist within the city felt like a dream. I wondered if they held weddings and what if would be like if we were to get married in the historic garden.
Fast forward to October 10th 2021, when the dream became a reality and the same boyfriend became my husband when we exchanged our vows in the historic Bartram's Garden.
We had to wait a bit to tour the site, due to covid restrictions in 2020 but once Jamie Hollander opened up their availability again in July, we were the first to tour and we knew immediately that this was the venue. We initially met with Kate who was extremely knowledgeable about the site and the wedding experience. She absolutely sold us. She even made time to do an additional tour so that my parents from New York could meet with her.
Kelly joined the team in 2021 and the transition was seamless. She was responsive to all of our questions and worked exceptionally well with our wedding planner and vendors. They accommodated our families for a private tasting at their New Hope location where we officially met Kelly and her assistance was so key to our finalizing the menu.
Jamie Hollander uses an online tool for reception and cocktail hour arrangements and I loved using it to play around with the layout. It also was where I entered in my guests, meal selections, and completed the seating arrangements.
Kelly accommodated us the week of the wedding so we could drop off larger decor items and our bar supplies ahead of our rehearsal. The day of, the Jamie Hollander staff was amazing. The weather outlook was predicting rain, but they prepared the ceremony and cocktail hour for the original locations. But once Kelly saw the potential of rain during cocktail hour, we made the decision to move cocktail hour to our Plan B location and the staff made it happen before guests arrived.
We had three signature drinks, two alcoholic and one non-alcoholic, and the bar staff were killing it all night. Everyone loved the drinks, that our guests hardly put a dent in the beer we supplied. The catering staff kept my husband and I well-fed, bringing us a platter of hors d'oeuvres. Our guests raved over the food. I was so happy with Jamie Hollander's vegan options and so were our meat-less guests. So many catering companies treat vegan/vegetarian/gluten free options as an after thought, but JHC had delicious, gourmet options.
Couples pick Bartram's for the garden, but you also get an experienced event team, a gourmet food menu, and a customizable selection of tables and chairs that is worth every penny
Laura H
5.0
2/03/2022
Bartram's Garden was the most beautiful venue for our early October wedding. We loved getting to show our friends and family this botanical oasis in the heart of Philadelphia. The staff was great to work with- Kelly was our point person and she was so fun, helpful, and responsive. She was super on top of everything leading up to the wedding and then on day-of she was there every step of the way to make sure things went smoothly. I don't know of many venues that essentially provide you with a day-of coordinator so we felt very lucky for that. Friends at our wedding have already ended up choosing Bartram's Garden for their upcoming ceremonies and I will 10/10 recommend it to everyone!
Elisabeth O
5.0
12/21/2021
Our wedding was stunningly beautiful, a ten minute drive from our home, and handled so professionally from start to finish. I cannot possibly say more about how wonderful the venue itself, Jamie Hollander Catering, and the coordinator Kelly were. The entire day was a dream.
Amy W
5.0
9/24/2021
Hello! My fiance and I had really loved Bartram's and planned a 2022 wedding there, but have had to change our wedding plans recently for personal reasons.
We're trying to help the venue find a new couple for our date! We have July 3, 2022 - it's a Sunday so you get the Sunday catering discount but also a holiday weekend where everyone gets Monday 7/4 off so your guests can treat it like a Saturday and travel the following day. The Independence weekend in Philly for your guests is also a blast with lots of festivities in one of the most historic places in the US. We also have locked in catering pricing before the recent increase and the venue will honor that.
Please spread the word to any recently engaged couples!! Reach out if you're interested in the venue or date: amy.wu1112 @ gmail.com (no spaces).
Kristin S
5.0
12/08/2020
My husband and I had our micro wedding at Bartram's Garden this October and will be having our large celebration there next October. The Jamie Hollander team at Bartram's was incredibly helpful and flexible as we navigated our original postponement and then scheduling of our micro wedding. Kate was very organized and communicated well throughout the whole process - especially as I kept adding to the list of questions for her while navigating the safety measures we all wanted in place for guest safety given the pandemic. The two staff members that helped us the day of were extremely professional and again organized. The ceremony and reception area were beautifully setup and safely spaced outside. They also packed EVERYTHING up for us at the end of the night which was so incredibly sweet and helpful. The food was also incredible! We did light bites, and we got so many compliments from our guests! I cannot wait to come back again next year!
Alison N
5.0
8/18/2019
We felt so fortunate to work with Bartram's Garden for our wedding. Lauryn was fantastic throughout the year-long process. She answered emails incredibly quickly and helped us stay organized with detailed timelines and friendly reminders. Guests were highly complementary of the food and the staff was fun and professional throughout the evening. We were somewhat worried about the heat during an outdoor wedding in July, but the tent offers a lovely breeze and the mounted fans really do cool off the space. We absolutely recommend it for anyone looking to spend their day in a hidden gem in Philadelphia.
Meg F
5.0
1/01/2019
We had our wedding at Bartrams Garden in June 2018 and it was amazing! Kate and her team made sure every detail was taken care of and myself my husband and my mothers drinks never went nearly dry. I would reco the Jamie Hollander team and Bartrams Garden for anyone!
Caity R
5.0
12/03/2018
Our wedding at Bartram's Garden in October 2018 was just incredible. For us, it was the perfect place to get married! Despite the sudden cold and it being the only rainy day in an entire week, our wedding was a dream! Kate and Lauryn from Jamie Hollander catering were great to work with and were on the phone with us almost every day to coordinate our Plan B the week of the wedding. And despite not being able to have the ceremony and cocktail hour in the historic garden as planned, the grounds where we took pictures and had the ceremony were just beautiful and covered in vibrant fall colors. The fact that there are so many different options within the garden, as well as some really fantastic Plan B rain options, makes the garden so adaptable but still an outdoor wedding.
The Jamie Hollander staff were also a main reason our wedding went off without a hitch. Kate and Lauryn put together a great ceremony Plan B option that we think we liked even more than our original plan! We went by the garden the evening before the wedding to set up some tables and other decor, but other than that, the staff took care of everything! Kate and Lauryn handled everything - from the rest of the set-up, to the evening's schedule, to break down and packing up. Kate was also an essential adviser throughout the planning process and always gave us great recommendations. Sure, as others have mentioned, sometimes we had to send an extra email or give them a call to make sure our questions were answered in the months before the wedding, but when it was something truly important and especially in the month leading up to the big day, Kate and Lauryn were 100% there for us and incredibly responsive. And Lauryn was a rockstar and handled every unexpected incident (nothing major thankfully!) quickly and without any hassle to us. The rest of the Jamie Hollander staff were so amazing as well, bringing us drinks the whole night, making sure we were set, offering to take guest pictures before we even had to ask, breaking down everything at the end of the night, and generally just being so lovely and gracious. All of our guests commented on how amazing and friendly all of the staff were the entire night.
I was so excited to have our wedding at Bartram's and look forward to visiting as often as we can to relive the memories!
Sarah B
5.0
9/23/2018
We had an incredibly beautiful and meaningful wedding at Bartram's Gardens over Labor Day weekend. We knew when we arrived this is exactly where we wanted to get married.
We worked directly with Kate from the sole catering vendor, Jamie Hollander Catering. Literally everyone RAVED about the food and these are picky New Yorkers! They were able to accommodate food allergies, vegans, kids meals, everything.
You will not find another venue like this and certainly not at this price point in our hometown of New York. Bartram's is free and open to the public and is home to the Sankofa Farm which is an African diasporic farm. They hire folks from within the community, teach about food justice -- you can feel solid about supporting this really special place.
We are a queer couple (LGBTQ) and the venue and staff was incredibly respectful and affirming, they definitely have experience with queer and gay weddings.
Pros: Basically everything! Absolutely stunning venue, primarily wheelchair accessible, they have a golf cart for older guests who can't walk between spaces, literally feels like a secret garden. They even have a stunning 300 year old barn for a ceremony rain location. Who can beat that? The ceremony site they recommend is under a beautiful old tree, the reception site is tented and comes with fans, lighting, etc. They made it very easy as an out of town couple to make a wedding happen here yet still feel unique to us.
Cons: Nearly nothing. Just be aware if it is very hot you may want to get handheld fans for guests during the ceremony, etc. There is no A/C outside of the barn. At times our contact was difficult to reach but she was very on top of things when we did connect. She had great recommendations and was tremendously accommodating and easy to work with.
It was the most spectacular and magical day of our lives and we would 100% recommend Bartram's to any couples looking for an organic, natural, garden vibe wedding.
Jamie S
1.0
5/23/2018
Communication is clearly not this vendor's strong point. We had spoken with a representative, gotten a tour, and indicated we wanted to put down a deposit on a date we were told was available. The representative required that we put a menu together before we could, which we got back to him with a few days later. And then we heard nothing from him for a month. No response to our emails, and phone calls went straight to voicemail with no response. Eventually we emailed the main office, and a few days later we're told they've given the date to someone else. We've lost 6 weeks to them and will probably struggle to find an opening on the date we'd chosen.
It's a pity though. The gardens themselves are pretty and the venue seems decent. Ghosting us for a month though is unacceptable.
Kathryn R
1.0
3/30/2017
Never made it to the venue ( which looks lovely) because it was impossible to get in touch with anyone at Jaime Hollander Events. Multiple Calls, Emails etc. went unanswered, even when left messages for the Wedding Sales Director with other staff members none of which were returned. I hope others have a better experience.
response 03/30/2017
Hello, this is Kate Conaway, the Director of Sales at Jamie Hollander Catering & Events. I...
handle all of the requests for information and tours of Bartram's Garden. I'm sorry you were unable to reach me, but there must be an issue with either email being filtered into a spam folder on one of our ends or something else has gone wrong - I am completely current with all of our requests and the only person I haven't reached this week only left a phone number and her voice mailbox is full, so I couldn't leave a message despite trying twice this week. I apologize for the difficulty, but I assure you it's an anomaly and not the norm. I handle scores of requests every week, typically without an issue! Please call my cell phone again: 215-622-8195 Thank you so much, Kate
3.0
11/08/2015
Bartram’s Garden was a gorgeous venue for our wedding reception. The public garden is beautiful and the Philadelphia skyline view is one-of-a-kind. We were so pleased that guests could wander the garden during our cocktail hour and entertain themselves with lawn games set up around the garden during the reception.
That said, there were a few drawbacks to our experience. First, there was construction at the garden leading up to our wedding and the grounds were somewhat disheveled on our wedding day. There were fences up in front of the visitor’s center and barn – not the view we wanted guests to see upon arrival! We would have been less upset about this if we had been told in advance (especially since we booked the venue over a year before our wedding). We had been informed that there would be construction on the gazebo around that time, but we had no idea that there would be construction on the garden itself. We really wish Bartram’s Garden would have communicated this to us. Further, we had difficulty with drop-offs and set-up for our wedding reception. Bartram’s Garden’s point of contact was difficult to reach and unhelpful when our family tried to drop off décor and other items for our reception. He also stored our items in a hard-to-reach location without informing us or the catering staff, which had volunteered to set up our décor, and despite very detailed instructions that we had written for those items’ use and set-up. When the groom’s father realized that the items were missing and sought out the point of contact during the reception to find those items, it was too late to use anything that had been stored. This may have been alleviated if we had combined all of our drop-offs into a single trip and had a designed day-of coordinator to track down our items, but we wish that we hadn’t had to worry about this. Overall, some aspects of communication were very lacking!
Charlotte N
5.0
10/03/2013
My September wedding was at Bartram's and we had the most spectacular day. The weather was perfect and the gardens were beautiful. We had tours available of the Bartram House also, which our guests really loved. This is a great combination of natural beauty and history, all in one place.
Lara L
4.0
6/12/2013
I loved this location for our wedding, and so did all our family and guests. We are local so we weren't put off by the West Philly location. Our out-of-town guests didn't have a problem with is either since we bussed them in from the hotels. It was nice knowing the money we paid was going towards a nonprofit that works so hard to provide a beautiful and useful green space for the community, instead of going to a hotel or ballroom. Would have given 5 stars, but the venue cost was more than we had wanted to pay, and although it was pretty much on par with what similar venues in Philly charge, it still hurt to pay that much money. Venue charges (not including catering, rentals, decor, etc.) are just stupid expensive no matter where you go. Best parts: gorgeous photos (especially in the field with a perfect view of the city skyline),plenty of green space for kids to run around and explore, awesome history. Check out the new orchard, greenhouse, community garden plots, kayak dock, and connection to the Schuylkill Trail! Mr. Bill, the grounds gentleman (don't know his real job title) is super helpful on your wedding day, and Andrea is pretty responsive and very helpful beforehand.
Mandy S
5.0
7/09/2012
We have had nothing but rave reviews about our wedding at Bartram's. We were helped by lovely weather, but more than that, it was the excellent staff and planning that made our day so wonderful.
Bartram's was extremely accommodating about entry to the venue, dropping off clothing and other necessities, deliveries, a space to change, photos earlier in the day, etc. They have many weddings and other events here and are very helpful lining up vendors and working with your choices to make everything run smoothly.
The space is absolutely beautiful. This is the perfect place for an elegant outdoor wedding!
It's a beautiful spot with both outdoor and indoor space available. Public transit runs here from Center City, so that was easy for a lot of our guests.
Heather W
5.0
10/30/2011
Having our wedding at Bartram's Garden was an incredible experience. The location is beautiful, the staff are helpful and Diverse Catering (one of about five catering companies that works with Batram's) serve as your wedding planner to make sure you take advantage of everything the garden has to offer. Over a month after our wedding, our family and guests still rave about how warm, friendly and personal the wedding was. I know a big part of this was the location, Bartram's is hands-down the best rustic wedding venue you are going to find in the area.
Laura T
5.0
6/21/2011
This was the first place I looked out when trying to find a location to get married. I fell in love with the flowers, the buildings and the view of the Philadelphia skyline.
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