Little Oatlands

s that, in the middle of the lawn (where we had planned to have cocktail hour) were four to six large walnut tress what COVERED the grass in seed pots the size of tennis balls (many fully or partially rotted). We ended up giving up and cordoning off the area out of concern for safety (people could slip or get hit in the head since they kept falling all weekend). About a month prior I had emailed the owner to ensure that the leaves would be cleared and though she confirmed the gardener mows them up, she failed to mention the walnut seed pods which I think any event planner would want to know about. If we knew about this in advance it would have been a total game changer in terms of stress, physical strain raking them all, monopolizing our time, and ruining our plans for the layout of the space/people flow since the tents had already been set up. Credit where credit is due, the property manager said she’d come out and help raking for a few hours (don’t know if she did, I never saw her). However, this was only after I asked them to send their gardener, was told he was unavailable, asked for them to arrange for another gardener, and then told the property I plan on posting a review online. This is not what you want to be dealing with the day before your wedding. If this issue magically disappeared, I’d add one star. ........Applicable to everyone.............. We knew, to a degree, what we were walking into since the owner generously gave us a full tour in the winter and let us visit during the Summer while they were hosting family which was very kind. Overall, they were pretty good at communicating with one some pain point We were not informed, despite the owner knowing, of an annual nationwide event at the neighboring Oatlands Plantation that would make accessing the property difficult on Saturday. The owner admitted to deciding not to tell us because she assumed it wouldn’t impact us. It did impact us; we pushed our wedding start time back due traffic concerns. Beyond that we were told, after expressing concerns about the bugs during our Summer visit, that the bugs aren’t that bad in the Fall. I think the number of bugs were the same in the Summer and Fall. Some guests complained that the houses on the property were neglected and worn down (beyond just being old or historic). I noticed that my bedroom door couldn’t close all the way, there was mold on my shower curtain, and one bathroom was so infested with wasps that we couldn’t use it. The owner refunded some money due to the infestation. Finally, one thing to note – its pitch darkness at night so prepare to bring lots of long string lights. It really could be a paradise if they put some more work into the place.

ntial venues in Northern Virginia and Little Oatlands was the only one who actually addressed our questions (instead of overselling us on their amenities). From ease of communication to seeing the beauty of the manor and grounds, we knew we had found the perfect place! The historical tour of the 1800's manor and cottage was delightful. The verdant meadows and rolling hills were a feast to the eyes. It was easy to envision my daughter's dream of an outdoor wedding because we were surrounded by such loveliness. However, it was walking into the majestic garden that took our breath away. Standing under the canopy of trees, strolling between rows of beguiling flowers and statues, we knew we were on hallowed ground. You will be hard pressed to find a prettier sight... or a better venue. Fairy tales do happen at Little Oatlands.