Bartram's Garden

lush, beautiful flowers, and the most stunning tent. If youre a couple that cant afford a wedding planner, this is an incredible venue. I did all the planning myself but Kelly, the event manager, was unreal. She answered every question, every email, helped us with everything we asked (obviously dont take her treat as the wedding planner), she just helped us feel so sure and confident about all of our vendors. She even worked with our lighting vendor to make sure they could do our event. The month of, she was even more helpful. Took over communication from there. Was so reassuring. it’s the best all inclusive venue! My only regret was not hiring a day-of coordinator. We trusted Kelly and the staff (who were wonderful), but the venue’s DOC wasn’t great. When we arrived, he was running around instead of staying by our side, and during the reception he disappeared for over an hour—I had to text him just to find him. During the reception, he was MIA for over an hour—I had to text him just to find him. We didn’t get to check on our gift table, and I kept ending up without a drink. Small things, but on your wedding day you just want to feel fully taken care of.

her hundreds of emails, and she was always prompt, kind, professional, and patient even when answering our random last-minute questions about the most teeny tiny details. Niyah was our day-of coordinator, and was also so amazing - very patient with us at our rehearsal, made sure we had everything we needed in the suites, and surely took care of things that we didn’t even know needed to be taken care of. Saayid was equally wonderful at the end of the night, so kind and happy to do whatever we needed, and was also a huge help in making sure we had everything packed up and ready to go. Would highly recommend this beautiful, charming venue and Jamie Hollander staff. Everything went so smoothly and we had the cozy little garden wedding that we always imagined!

cktail hour, and reception are gorgeous. The food (especially passed apps) are delicious. And the service is impeccable. Working with Kelly throughout the planning made what many find stressful to be an easy process -- she is patient, communicative, and helpful! Our day-of-coordinator, Saayid, was perfect. He attended to all our guests' and our needs. Getting married at Bartram's was a total dream!

ty 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.

hing 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!!!

hrough 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.

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!

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!

ess, 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!

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.

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!

enue 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.

st 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!

eauty 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!

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!

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.

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!

r 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.

nd 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

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!

itself, Jamie Hollander Catering, and the coordinator Kelly were. The entire day was a dream.

e 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).

dibly 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!

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.

went nearly dry. I would reco the Jamie Hollander team and Bartrams Garden for anyone!

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!

d 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.

s 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.

when left messages for the Wedding Sales Director with other staff members none of which were returned. I hope others have a better experience.

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!

o, which our guests really loved. This is a great combination of natural beauty and history, all in one place.

oblem 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.

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.

at 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.