International Country Club

I recently had the privilege of hosting my wedding at the International Country Club, and I must say, it was an absolutely gorgeous experience from start to finish. Kristin and her team deserve all the praise for their exceptional work in making our special day truly memorable. The venue itself was stunning, with its picturesque surroundings and elegant decor providing the perfect backdrop for our celebration. Kristin and her team went above and beyond to set up everything flawlessly, ensuring that every detail was taken care of. Now, let's talk about the food – it was nothing short of extraordinary. In fact, I can confidently say that it was some of the best food I have ever had at any event. What truly set them apart was their commitment to accommodating our guests with gluten allergies. They made every dish gluten-free, which was a first for us and truly exceptional for those with dietary restrictions. The attention to detail and the quality of the cuisine were simply outstanding. The open bar was a hit among our guests, and it added to the overall festive atmosphere. Throughout the event, we felt welcomed and valued by the staff, even though we were not members of the country club. In fact, we left with a desire to become members, so that we could continue to enjoy the incredible experience the International Country Club has to offer. In conclusion, I wholeheartedly recommend the International Country Club to anyone looking for a wedding venue. From the exquisite setting to the exceptional food and the dedicated team, our wedding was nothing short of perfection. Kristin and her staff made our special day truly unforgettable.

A summary of my review below: International Country Club is not a viable option for a wedding venue unless you are already members of the club. During our experience trying to book with them, the organization was underprepared, and staff was out of sync with each other. We were continually made to feel unwelcome due to us being non-members and presented with a timeline that does not make sense in today’s wedding market. There are many fantastic venues in the surrounding area that will make you feel like it is their privilege to host your special day rather than an inconvenience. Don’t waste your time with a venue that doesn’t want you there. Now, for the specifics. My fiancé and I began our experience with ICC in Spring of 2022. We were looking for a venue for our Summer 2024 wedding. We met with the catering director at the time, Sam. She was wonderful and assured us that she would personally take care of everything for us on our big day, including day-of-coordination. But she also informed us that ICC policy did not allow booking dates more than 18 months in advance. As we liked the space and we really felt comfortable putting our wedding in Sam’s hands, my fiancé and I decided that ICC was the venue for us and we stopped our search, waiting for the 18-month mark so that we could lock in our date. As the 18-month mark approached in early 2023, we reached out to ICC to see what we would need to do to get the ball rolling. ICC responded with a note that Sam was no longer working there. No one had thought to inform us of this, but regardless we reached out to the current team to try and see if everything would still move forward as expected. They told us that there would be a price increase, which we had anticipated, but they still did not have the prices for the 2023-2024 put together (even as 2023 began). And also, we would no longer be able to count on them to do our day-of-coordination. We were also told that there had been a policy change and that the earliest we would be able to book, not being members of the club, would be 12 months in advance. This caught us totally off guard. Previously, we were informed that being non-members would have no impact on our wedding timeline. But, apparently, the members (who pay handsomely to be members) would be outraged when they tried to book out the space for their own events only to find that it had already been reserved for a non-member wedding, hence the policy change. In a competitive wedding market like Northern Virginia, having just 12-months to secure vendors is not realistic. Many of our favorite vendors would book up for Saturday weddings well before that timeframe. Needless to say, we did not move forward with ICC. The one good thing to come out of this whole experience was that we ended up finding our dream venue that made us feel welcome and appreciated. And hopefully, if you skip ICC, you'll be able to find that dream venue too.

All I can say about this venue is WOW. Elizabeth and her team were incredibly professional, very responsive and attentive, and they made this experience so painless and easy. The hall was beautiful and secluded from the rest of the country club. The food was amazing. The grounds were beautiful. It was just absolutely amazing. For the price, I cannot believe the value we received. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

As a bride who finds everything beautiful and every Pinterest board overwhelmingly gorgeous, I felt aimless on picking a venue, they all seem great. What put the ICC over the top for me was the personable workers and communication we received at every step of the way. The gorgeous greens and elegant interior left little work for decorating. The flow of the day from gathering indoors to avoid the heat up until the last moment to an efficient move outside, to the beautiful cocktail room overlooking the ceremony space to the open spacious reception area was natural and easy for guests. The food was incredible and even as a non-salad lover I became obsessed with the walnut, pear, bacon, balsamic spinach salad. They made it so easy to drop things off and stop in when I needed to visualize the space. Every step of the way Laura was fantastic and I was continuously appreciative and amazed that she encouraged me to make decisions that minimized my stress and cost and kept the focus of our day on what was important. She knew an outdoor ceremony was our goal and with some rain in the forecast the ICC set up for indoor AND outdoor so that my fiance could make the call at the last second (kindly everyone hid the fact it was raining from me!). Not to mention, Laura saved the day when we realized my comb for my veil was missing and she drove out to a dress salon to have them attach it! I can't imagine our day anywhere else and with anyone else helping us through it, my words can't express how truly above and beyond everyone went!