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Thurmont Wedding Venues
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Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood

4.9 out of 5 stars and 109 reviews
4.9
(109)
best-of-weddings

12805A Mink Farm Road, Thurmont, MD

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About This Vendor

More than just a Venue.....

Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood is a mountain lodge venue located in Thurmont, MD. Nestled in the lush forests of Catoctin Mountain, the venue serves as a pristine natural destination for weddings. The lodge sits on 165 acres of unspoiled land, offering couples a private sanctuary to celebrate their special day. Catoctin Mountain forms the easternmost boundary of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Historically, the area was used for charcoal mining to power furnaces for the region’s iron making industry. During the Great Depression, the land was used for employing those who lost their jobs. It later became a favorite vacation destination of President Franklin D. Roosevelt due to its proximity to Washington. Today, much of the area on Catoctin Mountain is maintained by the National Park Service with some areas of sanctioned natural preservation areas. ThorpeWood is one of these reserves and is dedicated to conservation and the protection of the region through educational programs, retreats, and private rentals. The venue’s grounds spread over an extensive acreage of forests, streams, ponds, and even a Pine Cathedral. Imagine reciting your vows at the center of a 30-acre arboretum in full bloom, or atop a stone bridge overlooking a tranquil stream. The Pine Cathedral provides a more dramatic backdrop for ceremonies, and the massive lodge hearth is an alternatively cozy space for winter weddings. In the case of inclimate weather there are many backup options that are still just as beautiful as the previously planned outdoor space. The venue has two buildings onsite for indoor festivities. The eco-friendly Lodge has several features that promote environmental stewardship, including recycled building materials, rainwater irrigation, and dual fuel furnaces, among others. Its main reception hall is complemented by dark wood floors, a 28-foot tall stone fireplace, and large windows so guests never feel far from nature. The barn serves as a gorgeous location for a photo-shoot, cocktail hour, or rustic reception. The venue can accommodate up to 150 guests for a seated or family style meal or 130 guests can be accommodated for a buffet meal. There are many other areas used for more intimate gatherings. Couples can choose to spend a night in the Little Pond Cottage following their nuptials and celebration, Catering is provided by one of three companies partnered with Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood, and a preferred vendor list is also offered. Juli , the venue’s owner and her wonderful coordinators Cara and Courtney , manage all event bookings and are delighted to work with couples to design memorable weddings. With over 25 years of combined experience, the pair are skilled coordinators and offer their planning expertise with every wedding booking. Watch our new Virtual Tour...all or some! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLoDPE2lGCQ&t=59s

Amenities + Details

Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Business Attributes
Woman-owned Business
Ceremony Types
Civil Union, Commitment Ceremony, Elopement, Interfaith Ceremony, Non-Religious Ceremony, Religious Ceremony, Second Wedding , Vow Renewal Ceremony
Guest Capacity
Up to 150
Settings
Barn, Farm & Ranch, Garden, Loft, Mountain, Park, Trees
Venue Service Offerings
Destination Weddings, Food & Catering, Planning, Rentals & Equipment, Service Staff
Awards and Affiliations
Hall of Fame2023 Best of Weddings Winner2022 Best of Weddings Winner2021 Best of Weddings Winner2019 Best of Weddings Winner2013 Best of Weddings Winner2011 Best of Weddings Winner

Pricing for Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood

Curious to learn more?

Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood Reviews

4.9 out of 5.0
109 reviews
5 Star
97%
4 Star
1%
3 Star
0%
2 Star
1%
1 Star
1%
Reviewed On 6/05/2023 by Joyce Z
Working with the staff at Mountain Memories, as well as with their recommended photographer and caterer, were a joy. They made it easy to plan the wedding and were onsight to ensure that the event was as wonderful as we hoped. Many of our gue...
sts told us that they were impressed by the beauty of the venue and the staff's attentiveness.
Reviewed On 6/03/2023 by Carrie T
They are a beautiful, amazing place to get married!!! I love the entire place!! Julie and Cara were amazing helping Blake and I for our special day!!! ❤️
Reviewed On 5/28/2023 by Caroline H
Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood is pure EXCELLENCE. My husband wasn't sure he wanted a wedding - his mantra for months, "let's elope." Not so the morning after our marriage at ThorpeWood - "that was the best wedding ever, can we do it again?!" ...
The best wedding ever - truly it was. And yours will be too because the people who care for ThorpeWood are as committed to making your wedding dream come to life as they are to this enchanting place of unparalleled beauty. It's hard to say what we loved most about ThorpeWood, but it's people are high on the list. We had the tremendous pleasure of working with Cara. On my day, she became like a best friend, a big sister. Cara radiates care - for you, and for ThorpeWood. She made me feel so special and calm. My family and I were just in awe of her joyful exuberance, professionalism, and tireless work ethic. Every vendor ThorpeWood recommended to us was outstanding. Florist, musician, DJ, caterer, photographer - they all deliver exceptional service, but most notably to me, they were exceedingly kind. ThorpeWood is good people and it attracts good people. They lift you up. And they clearly have years of experience working together - their coordination is flawless. Next, ThorpeWood itself. Wow. Just the drive up there is outrageous. We booked one venue, but it's like we had four. The morning after, we loved retracing our guests steps - first, up the winding road past green forests and rushing streams to the quietness of the Pine Cathedral; cocktail hour in the pavilion surrounded by trees; dinner in the main lodge that has so many windows it's like you're still in the woods; and finally, downstairs to the beautiful patio and fire pit. People remarked on the beauty everywhere, not least the lodge's astonishing stone work. Just book it - you can't go wrong. ThorpeWood is magic.
Any questions?
Reviewed On 11/27/2022 by Mandy C
We had an amazing time at Mountain Memories for our wedding. We got married in late October and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. We worked with Julie and she took care of everything the day of. She made sure everything was on time and ever...
ything with the other vendors was organized. I highly recommend the pine cathedral for the ceremony. It was really special.
Reviewed On 11/13/2022 by Abbey C
Oh my gosh - I honestly don't think there's enough space for me to write about our amazing experience at Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood. Our November 5th wedding was absolutely magical and stress-free, due in large part to the efforts of Thorp...
eWood's amazing staff. The venue is one of the most beautiful locations you will ever see - there are multiple ceremony and reception locations to choose from, each more gorgeous than the last. We held our ceremony at the Pine Cathedral, a stunning outdoor location in a copse of pine trees, and our reception in the lodge. Our day of coordinator, Cara, was an absolute delight - she procured a number of last minute decoration items, decorated our cake and arbor with leftover flowers (!!!), and kept us laughing as we drove around the facility in a golf cart to take wedding day pictures. She made sure the event ran smoothly start to finish, meaning we didn't even have to think about coordination and could just enjoy the day. On top of all of that, we got to hang out with the property's goats and horses after our wedding, a major highlight for the children attending (and honestly, most of the adults). The ThorpeWood team kept us in the loop leading up to the wedding, holding a meeting one month prior to go over the timeline with the catering company we booked. If you do book ThorpeWood, I would highly recommend choosing their preferred vendors - most of our vendors had worked with ThorpeWood before and had an intimate knowledge of the venue, which made coordination and execution so much easier. ThorpeWood was the perfect location for our wedding, and I'm so glad we chose to get married here! I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a unique, woodsy venue to host their dream wedding.
Response from the Vendor on 11/16/2022
Hi Abbey! I am so overjoyed that you had such an amazing experience with us for your wonderful wedding. We always strive for an experience like yours! I am so glad that you and your guests got to enjoy the wonderful animals that we have on the ...
property. I hope that you and Doug will come back and visit us! Thank you so much for choosing us and sharing this special day with us!
Reviewed On 11/08/2022 by Karlea L
Our wedding was absolute perfection! I’m writing this only two days after getting married at Mountain Memories, but other couples deserve to know how amazing this venue is! Julie kept in contact with me throughout the year answering any and all...
of my questions within a timely manner. The venue offers ample ceremony locations fit for just about any wedding vision, the grounds are well kept and in excellent shape. This venue is taken care of so well! Julie made sure everything was set up prior to arriving on our wedding day so I could see the final look before getting ready, which put my mind at ease. She made sure everything ran on time and according to my preferred schedule. I love this place, and can’t wait to use it for future special occasions.
Response from the Vendor on 11/16/2022
Hi Karlea! Thank you so much for this wonderful review! It was a pleasure to help you every step of the way...your experience is what we want for every couple!! It makes me so happy to know your wedding day was all that you and Cody had hoped f...
or!! Please come back for a visit! Congratulations!!!
Reviewed On 10/08/2022 by Allan R
We are still riding the wave of the wedding. It was such an amazing night for us, I truly couldn't have imagined a better experience. We wanted to say thank you again to you and the staff of Thorpewood for all that hard work you guys put in to ...
make such a wonderful wedding come to life and for the magical space you have curated on Catoctin! I know that weddings must blend together, but you all truly make dreams a reality, as corny as that sounds. Thank you all so much!
Response from the Vendor on 10/11/2022
We love that you love Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood and you were able to create amazing memories on September 3! You are very welcome...we pride ourselves on excellent customer service and try our best to make sure the day is all that you wan...
ted!! "Magical" is a wonderful word to describe our unique and beautiful venue and property! Congratulations!!! Thanks for choosing us! :)
Reviewed On 9/29/2022 by A P
The most stunning and magical venue I could have hoped for. Julie was a pleasure to work with, and made the entire day run smoothly. She seemed to be able to be everywhere, whenever you needed her, all at once. The staff is incredible, the venu...
e grounds are beautiful, the lodge is straight out of a fairytale. If you want an eco-friendly wedding in a wooded setting, this is your spot! Also nice knowing the booking fees go to support a place that prioritizes conservation and is so much more than just a wedding venue- I cannot say enough about how perfect this unique spot is if you are looking for a beautiful venue in Maryland.
Response from the Vendor on 10/11/2022
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood. Your wedding was so much fun and we had a blast helping you pull all of the beautiful pieces together!! Please come back again soon...stay at t...
he Little Pond Cottage!! Congratulations and again, thank for choosing us!!! :)
Reviewed On 8/01/2022 by Jillian D
My husband and I loved working with Mountain Memories. We booked our July 16th wedding in October 2020, and since then they have been nothing but communicative, supportive, and responsive. Our Day of Coordinator, Cara, was flawless! She ensured...
that our day flowed seamlessly. The team was very accommodating to last minute requests and needs. The property is so beautiful and I would recommend Mountain Memories to anyone!
Response from the Vendor on 10/11/2022
Hi Jillian! Sorry we didn't see this until today!! Wow...thanks for this wonderful review of your experience with Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood!! Cara loved working with you to create your July 16 wedding celebration. I am sure you will hear...
from her via email! "Flawless" is a wonderful way to describe the help she provided for you! We look forward to seeing you again! Congratulations!!
Reviewed On 6/23/2022 by Vanessa K
Absolutely magical venue. Lexi was beyond amazing and we had a beautiful and flawless event at TW. I am so grateful we found this venue and choose it for our incredibly meaningful day. All staff at TW were awesome, but Julie & Lexi are true ear...
th angels <3 If you are nature lovers or outdoor enthusiasts or looking for a one of a kind venue this is it! We choose TW because we were having a small intimate wedding, we loved the fact that there were multiple ceremony sites (but fell in love with the pine cathedral instantly), we wanted to get married in nature, and we wanted our beloved doggy companion to be with us.
Reviewed On 6/18/2022 by Lydia H
Our wedding at Mountain Memories at Thorpewood was a fairy tale, and Julie Castleman is 100% a rockstar. Wedding planning is not stress free, but choosing to have our wedding at Thorpewood allowed us to enjoy our day without having to worry abo...
ut details. You are not just getting a venue (although it being an incredibly gorgeous place alone makes it worth having your wedding there). You are also getting an experienced and talented day of coordinator, a list of amazing vendor recommendations, and a team that is supportive and will work with you on any detail. We also only looked (in person) at just this one venue, and without question it was the perfect choice for us. Thank you Julie for helping make our day so special!
Reviewed On 6/06/2022 by Ellyn A
I posted a review for MM@T for on 6/2020, shortly after our second covid postponement. Here's the happy conclusion to two long years: All I can say is WOW! EXTREMELY well-run venue; everything from the beginning meeting in June 2019, up to t...
he rehearsal and actual wedding in April 2022 just flowed like we’d hoped and envisioned and were told it would. There were no surprises and a couple of adjustments were made last minute as if they were planned from day one. Julie had our backs in making sure they had every detail down and helped us to consider and think through scenarios we hadn’t given thought to with thoughtful vision through her experiences running this venue. Her assistant, Cara, who performed as a wedding planner for the day before and day of, was fun, professional, and had the “can do” attitude for everything! She got things done!!! Nothing was amiss. Although there are only two caterers who operate at this venue, there was quite a list of “preferred vendors” for various services, from flowers, to photography, cake, alcohol, DJ, etc. We exclusively used suggested vendors, which made for a familiarity of the venue and so many less questions and/or complications. We were happy with ALL the choices we made. Again, MM@T is a BEAUTIFUL venue overall, but it’s the management and personal interaction of Julie Castleman and her well versed staff that truly made it the memorable experience it was. I’d give >5 stars if I could, and would not change a thing (except Covid postponements.)
Reviewed On 2/10/2022 by Allison M
Julie and her team are absolutely amazing. I knew from our first meeting that Thorpewood was where I wanted to get married! My husband and I had our wedding at Thorpewood on January 1st and it was better than I could’ve ever dreamed. Julie wor...
ked with my family, my wedding planner and I to make sure everything went off without a hitch and made sure I had the best day ever. Thorpewood still had some Christmas decorations up which made it even more magical ❤️❤️❤️. I couldn’t have asked for a better day and I wouldn’t have changed any of it! Thank you so much Julie, Lexi and Cara. Allison Maxwel
Reviewed On 12/21/2021 by Emily L
My husband and I only visited one venue, and knew instantly that this was the one. We have absolutely no regrets. Throughout the whole year of wedding planning, Julie was always there to answer our questions and relieve our worries. Despite not...
having our outdoor wedding in the Pine Cathedral due to rain, Julie made sure the inside Lodge was beautiful and exactly the way we wanted it. This was the perfect venue and had the best Christmas vibes. Everyone, including ourselves, loved it. We would 100% get married here again :)
Reviewed On 11/15/2021 by Lauren H
From day one of our meeting, we knew that Julie Castleman was not only capable of managing every aspect of our wedding day, but that she was also sincerely excited to do so. She and her staff genuinely want to help you, and they want to make su...
re that your wedding day is every bit the way you hoped it would be. Julie is organized, knowledgeable, flexible and incredibly creative. The venue is a dream with a variety of indoor and outdoor ceremony sites, and the grounds are beautifully kept. Another fun bonus is that there is only one wedding per day, which is such a relief - you don't feel rushed or crowded by other events. My husband and I can't recommend this venue enough. When it comes down to it, your wedding is such a uniquely beautiful moment, and Mountain Memories at Thorpewood fully gets that.
Reviewed On 10/29/2021 by Natasha H
My husband and I knew from our initial visit at Thorpewood that it would be the perfect venue for us. It did not disappoint! The venue is gorgeous and the staff helped make the day go seamlessly. The whole day was absolutely phenomenal and m...
et all of our expectations. We had an amazing time, and so many of our guests commented on how much they loved the venue too!
Response from the Vendor on 11/14/2021
Hi Natasha!! Thanks for this wonderful review!! It was our pleasure helping you create your perfect wedding day!! Congratulations....wishing you the very best!!
Reviewed On 10/15/2021 by Benjamin P
My wife and I fell in love with ThorpeWood almost immediately after we toured the venue. The Pine Cathedral - where we eventually chose to have the ceremony - was the background we had always dreamed of for our wedding, and the natural rustic b...
eauty of the entire property was stunning. Julie and her amazing staff were with us at each step of the planning process. Even though we and our families consistently found new ways to make the event more challenging for her and her team, Julie was always receptive and (sometimes literally) held our hands through every step of the way to make sure that we had the wedding of a lifetime. Julie asked us very thorough questions about what we wanted and made excellent recommendations based on her extensive experience and expertise. We never felt ignored, and knew that we could reach out at any time when we had questions or concerns. On the day itself, Julie was always nearby to check in on us, keep us updated on any developments or issues, direct guests, and to coordinate and delegate staff and vendors. We never had to worry, and genuinely felt like everything was handled and under control, allowing us to focus and enjoy our day together. We couldn't recommend Thorpewood any more highly, and we're so excited to visit again and reminisce about the first day of our life together!
Response from the Vendor on 11/14/2021
Hi Ben: Sorry to respond to you so late....what a wonderful review!! You know how much I loved working with you and Lindsey...and your mom too!! It was a great wedding celebration. Thanks for choosing us!! Congratulations and all the best to yo...
u both!! Julie
Reviewed On 10/05/2021 by Lacey C
All I can say is WOW! The venue is stunning and diverse. Our photos ranged from pine trees, to pond, to horses. Julie, helped coordinate everything with ease, thoughtfulness, and professionalism. The way the staff communicates with each other m...
akes for a smooth wedding day. The staff help with finishing the set up and taking everything down after the wedding. Our bridal party left soon after we did, which is amazing! The venue is eco friendly and overall AMAZING! We looked at 10 venues before Thorpewood and immediately fell in love with the lodge, pine Cathedral, and the overall spirit of Thorpewood.
Response from the Vendor on 11/14/2021
Thanks Lacey!! Your wedding was so much fun and you were great communicators so we knew exactly what you wanted!!! Congratulations and thanks!!! :)
Reviewed On 9/29/2021 by Gabi A
The team at Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood made our dream wedding come true. They have a spectacular venue and their team was so helpful during every step of the way. They run a well-oiled machine, which was wonderful, because it really ensu...
red our special day proceeded without even one hitch! Absolutely loved getting married there and recommend it for those looking for the perfect place to celebrate that special event in your life. Especially if you're looking for something in nature and the woods. Thank you, Lexi!!!
Response from the Vendor on 10/04/2021
Hi Gabi! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience! We loved helping you and Chris create your dream wedding! Congratulations!! Best Wishes!!
Reviewed On 9/28/2021 by Patricia R
When your grandchildren are looking for the perfect place to hold their wedding, suggest to them Mountain Memories at Thorpewood. The venue is perfect, beautifully landscaped and kept. The event planner and owners of this venue treat you wond...
erfully and guide you through every step of the planning. Vendor suggestions are right on target and you will be working with professionals with caring hearts. Said with love from a grandma.
Response from the Vendor on 10/04/2021
Thank you Patricia! We love to hear from grandparents!! It was a wonderful day for Lindsey and Ben...loved helping them create their special day!!
Reviewed On 9/21/2021 by Amy W
We got married at Thorpewood in August and it was a far better experience than we could have hoped for. The venue is beautiful with many ways to make the wedding feel truly yours. My fiancee and I toured many venues that had so many pre-sets an...
d requirements that made the whole process feel very cookie cutter. We were considering abandoning the idea of a traditional wedding when we decided to check out Thorpewood. We loved it immediately. There are several choices for ceremony and reception sites and all are beautiful. There are options for everything from rustic barn to bohemian forrest wedding. Julie and her staff are amazing. They were patient and kind and really went out of their way to make sure everything was how we had imagined it. To top it all off, the venue was way affordable compared to other places in the area, and when it is not being used as a wedding venue, they do amazing work to support non-profits and youth in the community. They are wonderful people with big hearts. I cannot recommend this place enough.
Response from the Vendor on 10/04/2021
Thank you Amy for sharing your experience with Mountain Memories!! You know how much we loved helping you and Chloe tie the knot!! It was a great day!! Congratulations.
Reviewed On 8/27/2021 by Meaghan O
We truly could not have asked for a better wedding day! From the moment we set foot on the ThorpeWood grounds for our tour, we knew it was the perfect venue for us. The property is so stunningly beautiful, and we loved how unique it was. My hus...
band and I chose the Pine Cathedral as our ceremony site since he is from Maine, so it would feel like a little piece of home despite us getting married in Maryland. My husband and I both love the outdoors and spending time in nature, and we loved that the beauty of the property spoke for itself. Aside from how amazing the property is, you truly can't find more incredible staff at any other venue. Everyone is absolutely lovely and really cares that you will have the wedding day you've dreamed of, and will go to any length to make sure you're satisfied. My husband and I wanted to donate a tree to the arboretum on the property, and Julie was incredible at working with us to coordinate everything so we could incorporate the tree planting at our wedding. The entire wedding day, everyone was commenting on how wonderful the staff was and how smoothly everything went. Cara really was so on top of everything, and made sure that my husband and I had as little stress as possible so we could just enjoy our day. We are forever grateful for all her help! It's impossible to overstate how perfect ThorpeWood is. We had the best wedding day we could ever have asked for, and we will certainly be coming back to visit and reminisce about our wedding!
Response from the Vendor on 10/04/2021
Hi Meaghan! Sorry for the late response!! We thank you so much for sharing your experience on The Knot and on Wedding Wire!! It was a great day and Cara loved helping you every step of the day!! Congratulations!!
Reviewed On 8/26/2021 by Tisha S
We cannot overstate how wonderful our experience was working with Julie and Lexi at Thorpewood. If we could give 10 stars, we would! We got married at Thorpewood on August 1, 2021. From the first email inquiry we sent to the post-wedding wrap-u...
p everything interaction we had with this venue was absolutely superb. Julie (Owner/Director) and Lexi (Assistant Director) are both consumate professionals and just plain awesome people. They were patient, helpful and flexible throughout the wedding planning process. All communication was clear and timely-both Julie and Lexi were attentive and eager to answer any questions and provide solutions/suggestions during the year we spent planning our celebration. The staff members at Thorpewood are highly organized and experienced, and because of that Thorpewood runs like a well-oiled machine. Lexi took care of all of the details on our wedding day, even shielding me (the bride) from the fact that my husband-to-be had forgotten his shoes anarrived very late for our ceremony. Because of Lexi and the Thorpewood staff, I was relaxed and fully present from the moment I got to the venue until we left at the end of the celebration. They set us up for a truly magical and unforgettable day that was thrilling for us and our guests! With respect to the venue itself, Thorpewood is second-to-none. If you are looking to get married in a place of endless natural, scenic beauty combined with an atmosphere of peace and serenity, Thorpewood is for you. Julie and Lexi are a treasure. We are so thankful that we were able to have our wedding celebration in such a wonderful place! Thank you, Thorpewood!!!
Response from the Vendor on 09/07/2021
Hi Tish!! Sorry for the late response!! I had thought Lexi might like to respond, but I don't want to wait any longer...THANK YOU for your wonderful reviews!! I remember when we first met and then when you brought the entire family to our Weddi...
ng Open House in 2020!! Thank you for loving our venue so much...your choice of ceremony sites is my favorite! Thank you for your kind remarks about our work ethic...we love our jobs and working with our clients for sure!!! The shoes...of my!! :) But, it all worked out and you are married!!! Hope to see you again soon! Julie :)
Reviewed On 8/24/2021 by Amy P
Many thanks to Julie C. and the staff of Thorpewood for making my sons wedding absolutely perfect. I cannot say enough good things about the venue and the vendors. From day one of planning to the day of the event, Julie was involved in all aspe...
cts of the planning - providing critical support and guidance to make sure everything ran smoothly. The venue itself is absolutely beautiful and offers numerous options for ceremony sites, cocktail hour, dining, and the reception. My son and his wife chose the gorgeous pine cathedral for their ceremony - our guest loved it and the photos are amazing! The dinner was held in the spacious rustic lodge with dancing on the stone patio under the lights. We are beyond pleased with how our Thorpewood wedding turned out - it was above and beyond our expectations and we are incredibly thankful to Julie and her team for making wedding dreams come to life.
Response from the Vendor on 10/04/2021
Thanks again Amy!! Your review as a mom is so helpful for other mom's as they help their son's and daughter's pick the perfect venue! We always hope it is us and with nice reviews, we think they'll be knocking at our door!! Loved helping Lindse...
y and Ben with their wedding celebration!
Reviewed On 8/18/2021 by Emily C
We had a perfect wedding at Thorpewood. It is so beautiful. All the guests, including kids, enjoyed themselves. After dinner, for those who didn't like dancing, kids played around the firepit, some guests walked on the trails to explore the woo...
ds. The staffs are so professional and pleasant. Because of Lexi's help, everything was in the right place. As a bride, I was extremely nervous before the wedding until I arrived at Thorpewood, then all I needed to do was waiting for Lexi's reminder of what was going to happen next.
Reviewed On 8/11/2021 by Karen M
Mountain Memories at Thorpewood is not just any ordinary venue, it is the perfect mountaintop memory! This was truly our dream wedding! Our ceremony was at a church and the party was here. Thorpewood is so beautiful and we couldn't imagine a be...
tter venue! Julie and her staff went above and beyond to make this day so special for us! The venue was absolutely stunning and they did all the work. They were very well prepared for every possible scenario. I can not thank them enough for making us feel like family and always being so friendly! Their positive attitudes and love for what they do really shows and it made our wedding the most magical day of our lives!! We can’t wait to go back and visit and stay at the charming little pond cottage on the beautiful property!
Response from the Vendor on 08/11/2021
We are so happy that you chose us for your wedding celebration!! It was a great day...other than the ride up the mountain (wink wink). Nothing like the fresh mountain air! Congratulations to you!! See you again soon!!
Reviewed On 5/26/2021 by Angela F
Our day was everything we had hoped for... Everyone at ThorpeWood went above and beyond to make our day so special... I had done A LOT of research online about venues, I didn't want to waste my time touring venues that didn't give the best bang...
for your buck! Most venues didn't offer what ThorpeWood was offering... When I went for a tour I was in love and I immediately felt at home!! I was welcomed with open arms and instantly felt the emotions overwhelm me... My 2 daughters even cried and they don't cry lol, we all knew it was where I was going to marry my best friend!! Highly Highly Highly recommend ThorpeWood 😍
Response from the Vendor on 08/11/2021
Thank you Angela for this wonderful review and congratulations on making your daughters cry! :) It was that kind of wonderful day...to celebrate you and Michael...and your blended family!!
Reviewed On 5/25/2021 by Marion B
ThorpWood review Our daughter’s wedding was held at ThorpWood on May 15, and we could not have wished for a better day. Firstly, the peaceful and scenic drive to the venue through the Catoctin Mountains was a beautiful way to start the day, wi...
th the trees and plants in full bloom. Of the venues we researched, the tranquility of ThorpWood is what struck us most. We chose the arboretum for the wedding ceremony, which at this time of the year was absolutely breathtaking – something that was not lost on our guests. In the early stages of planning, we were positively impressed by the professionalism of Julie and her staff – there were no problems, but only solutions to the occasional challenge. This extended to organization of the reception, where Julie was never short of suggestions, but always open to our own ideas. Although at times we got a bit overwhelmed with the sheer number of small things needed for both the wedding and reception, it was reassuring that Julie always had the show under control. The downstairs ballroom and adjacent area for after-dinner events allowed our guests to relax both indoors and outdoors and was also very child-friendly – the fire-pit where they could make s’mores was a special attraction. The only sad thing was that this beautiful day passed so quickly but was one that we and our guests will fondly remember. We cannot thank Julie and her staff enough for playing an instrumental role in one of the most important days of our life and give this venue our highest recommendation.
Response from the Vendor on 08/11/2021
Thank you Marion!! It was a wonderful celebration...We are so happy that you are happy!! Wishing many happy years for Kirsten and Jared! It was a true pleasure meeting you and your husband and working with you to create an amazing day!
Reviewed On 5/24/2021 by Emma S
We absolutely loved our wedding at ThorpeWood! We cut our numbers from over 100 to under 40 due to COVID. They were very accommodating when changing our date. They treated our small wedding just the same as any big wedding. We’re so grateful th...
at we went with them!
Response from the Vendor on 08/11/2021
Your wedding was intimate and wonderful!! Thank you for choosing us!!
Reviewed On 5/11/2021 by Molly S
Loved this venue! The atmosphere was amazing, the view at night. They were so accommodating. Everyone was there when I needed them. Julie was amazing, knew exactly what I needed and when I needed it. I wasn’t stressed at all! I definitely recom...
mend Thorpewood!
Response from the Vendor on 05/12/2021
Thanks Molly! So happy that your day was all you had hoped for!! It was wonderful helping you with the details of the day!!! Congratulations!!
Reviewed On 3/12/2021 by Julianne A
I cannot recommend Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood enough! The venue is beautiful, secluded, and so charming. The interior is so beautiful on its own, we barely needed decorations! Julie was kind, attentive, extremely knowledgeable, and a gene...
ral joy to work with. My husband and I had no idea how to even begin planning a wedding, and Julie was able to offer us a great variety of options and guidance to help us design a day that matched our unique style. Not to mention the fact that our wedding was supposed to take place on 3.20.20...right as Covid-19 was shutting down the world. Julie handled the situation with understanding and grace. She helped us reschedule our wedding several times and was completely understanding and supportive of our concerns the whole way through. I highly recommend Mountain Memories and the entire team of staff and supporting vendors.
Response from the Vendor on 05/12/2021
Hi Julianne! I am just seeing this wonderful review!! Thank you!! :)
Reviewed On 1/25/2021 by Megan M
Julie is just THE best. I can't tell you how many times I thanked her and told her I could not have gotten through the wedding planning without her. She really goes above and beyond. The venue was absolutely gorgeous, and the vendors she recomm...
ended were spectacular. The set up was beautiful. The fireplace isn't just pretty, it really feels warm and inviting for a winter wedding. And the overall glow from the lighting was breathtaking. The outdoor parts of the venue are also beautiful and make for awesome pictures. Just a beautiful venue inside and out. It was always my dream to have a rustic, winter wedding, and Julie at Mountain Memories really made that dream come true for me. I should note, this was a COVID wedding, and Julie really found a way to make it work and keep us all safe and happy. I could not recommend them enough!
Response from the Vendor on 02/20/2021
Thanks Megan!! I loved working with you and Santos!! It was a beautiful wedding celebration!!!
Reviewed On 1/05/2021 by Aditi W
Everything about Mountain Memories is lovely! Julie and her team are extremely friendly and very accommodating. Julie was with us in every step of the way, right from planning, getting us in touch with all the right vendors to all the little th...
ings needing attention on the wedding day. The venue is beautiful and elegant surrounded by nature. Go get in touch with them, and you will know exactly what I mean!
Response from the Vendor on 02/20/2021
Just catching up on reviews!! Thank you both!! It was a pleasure!!! Beautiful, intimate wedding...the best!
Reviewed On 11/22/2020 by Alex F
Last June, my husband and I were married at ThorpeWood with 160 of our family and friends. It was (hands down) the happiest and most amazing day of our lives! We worked with Julie who was basically our own, private wedding planner/guardian ange...
l/surrogate mother/counselor/party fairy. From the beginning, I was a little anxious (read: totally stressed!). There were so many piece that needed to be organized: people coming in from out of town (and out of the country), accommodations for our families and wedding party, transportation, catering, decorations, music, rehearsal dinner, etc. However, Julie was there each step of the way to tell me that everything was going to be all right. In short, the woman is an angel! Every bride (and groom) needs a "Julie" on their team when they are planning a wedding. As for the venue: It is one of the most beautiful and enchanting places I have ever been! Anyone planning an event at ThorpeWood will not be disappointed. The entire property is a natural wonderland with unique features for every style and season. If you are into the outdoors, nature, rustic beauty, and a staff that will do everything in their power to make sure your day is perfect, Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood is the perfect choice.
Response from the Vendor on 11/30/2020
A wonderful memory for us too! Thank you for reminiscing about your wedding celebration....we'll always remember it! :)
Reviewed On 11/11/2020 by Tammy D
Finally, something that worked like a charm in 2020. As the mother-of-the-bride and a professional business woman, I really enjoyed working with Julie and her staff. She has thought of everything and has answers to questions that may not have e...
ven been thought of. And the Pine Cathedral with a flautist, a memory of a lifetime.
Response from the Vendor on 11/13/2020
Thanks for this wonderful review! Kat and Cody's wedding was wonderful! We were so happy to part of their beautiful day. Hope to see you all again!
Reviewed On 11/05/2020 by caitlin L
INCREDIBLE, AMAZING, PERFECT, need I say more? If you're looking for a beautiful venue that showcases nature and the outdoors, Thorpewood should be your first choice. There are a number of ceremony locations to choose from and the reception ha...
ll is absolutely stunning. Julie and her team at Thorpewood will walk you through your special day and guide you along the way, answering any...and ALL of your questions. They made my day an absolute dream and I will never be able to thank them enough. If a perfect wedding is what you aim to have, look no further, because Thorpewood is exactly where you should go.
Response from the Vendor on 11/09/2020
Hello there Caitlin!! A wedding celebration we will never forget!! Such fun and so much love!! Congratulations!!!
Reviewed On 8/10/2020 by Becky G
I can't speak highly enough about Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood! I've heard about other venues treating their brides and grooms like numbers during COVID and Julie has treated us like family! When our original ceremony in May had to be moved ...
out, Julie let us spend some time on the grounds on our original wedding date, let us schedule a micro-ceremony during the summer, and we're planning on having our full vow renewal/celebration next year (a year from our original date). During our micro-ceremony, Julie also helped to facilitate our first look, photographer, officiant, family members (some who were surprise guests), and aisle music. She went SO above and beyond and really made an event that I thought couldn't be anything like I had dreamed of (because of the pandemic) absolutely EVERYTHING I could have ever wanted it to be. And the facilities are breathtaking. Every time we've been on the property, it's been gorgeous! Spring is beautiful with flowers everywhere and summer is lush and green. All around, this venue is perfect :)
Response from the Vendor on 11/09/2020
Sorry we did not respond! We love working with you! Can't wait until next year!!
Reviewed On 7/18/2020 by Devynn M
Mountain Memories at Thorpewood is amazing! It is absolutely beautiful with several different options for ceremony sites indoor and out. They were really communicative as COVID-19 shut everything down and really helpful throughout the entire pr...
ocess. We just had our wedding on 7/11 and Lexi made sure everything went perfectly! Our guests also told us how much they loved it and how great she was! Highly recommend!
Response from the Vendor on 11/09/2020
So sorry we did not respond and say THANK YOU!!!! It was a tough wedding season, but we are so happy that so many of our clients moved forward with a smaller celebration!! Congratulations and thanks!!!
Reviewed On 6/06/2020 by Katelynn D
As someone who was overwhelmed with just the idea of planning a wedding, Julie & her team have made this entire experience enjoyable and stress free. The venue itself is beyond beautiful & brought all of my dreams to life. During the current CO...
VID-19 pandemic, they have gone above & beyond to still make my wedding dreams a reality.
Response from the Vendor on 07/17/2020
Thanks Katelynn! Here's to a wonderful September with lots of our couples celebrating their wedding with us!!!
Reviewed On 6/04/2020 by Laura F
I cannot express how grateful I am for Julie! She has been my contact person during this very difficult time and has been available whenever I needed her. Overall, Thorpewood has been extremely flexible and willing to help out in ANY way that t...
hey can. Julie and Lexi have been especially wonderful to work with, both providing guidance throughout the planning process, working to ensure that I was able to hold my wedding as I had envisioned and willing to make adjustments based upon my requests. Thorpewood is an absolutely beautiful venue and their customer service is top-notch.
Response from the Vendor on 07/17/2020
Hi Laura: Thanks for this nice overview of your experience during these challenging times! Can't wait to see you and Dan in a few weeks! :)
Reviewed On 6/04/2020 by Cameron I
This is a partial review and I would give 10 stars if I could...as we have yet to have our large celebration due to COVID-19. Julie and her entire team at Thorpewood were absolutely amazing throughout the entire planning process. Though the we...
ek of our wedding COVID threw a wrench into our plans-in short cancelling the day we had planned for over a year. Julie worked tirelessly to help us still have the day of our dreams (even if it was smaller than expected due to gathering restrictions). She immediately opened up 'Plan B' and 'Plan C' dates and has stayed in constant communication with us. She made us feel like we were the top priority and continues to make us feel that way as we are still navigating the strange circumstances of COVID-19. I highly recommend Julie and her team, they continually go above and beyond, all while keeping an amazing attitude in the face of the unknown. Thank you Julie and everyone else involved in making our day the most special it could be and we can't wait to have the larger celebration later down the road!
Response from the Vendor on 07/17/2020
Well, as we know, things do change and you and Austin have decided to move your wedding to March 2021! We can't wait to welcome you back! Thanks for sticking with us!!
Reviewed On 6/04/2020 by Ellyn A
Mountain Memories at Thorpewood is an AMAZING venue—and not just for the sheer beauty of the entire property and its tasteful, woodsy, multiple facilities on site. I initially thought the property was Mountain Memories’ main attraction, but I ...
knew from reviews that the owner and wedding coordinator were wonderful and the weddings ran impeccably smooth. Julie Castleman and Lexi Hartner had been so easy to work with in the year leading up to our initially planned April 2020 wedding. Covid-19 decided for us to that our date HAD to be postponed. As of this writing, we have yet to have our wedding, but we have seen for ourselves what a thoughtful and well run wedding venue Mountain Memories is—they truly go above and beyond to make sure the brides have the most stress- free wedding possible, which has been invaluable when a wedding ended up in the middle of a pandemic. From the moment we had to make a “Plan B,” Julie has kept in touch with us almost weekly, encouraging us to destress on the property or simply answer questions/address issues. We just had a Zoom meeting to give us all possible options to execute “B” and discuss if we needed to go with a “C,” since our first reschedule is still in an iffy time period. All communication and information had been well thought through, positive and reassuring, and they were sincerely flexible with any way we wished to proceed. In the end, we’ve gone with “C” 2021 wedding date; the bottom line is that they want what’s best for their brides. I can’t see other venues being as caring and accommodating as MM. Besides the most beautiful outdoor venue I’ve ever seen, the management is second to none. I will update this review after we have our event, but I’m sure we’ll be yet another very happy bride who is grateful for the wonderful people who helped her have the wedding day of her dreams.
Response from the Vendor on 07/17/2020
Hi Ellyn: Sorry we are just seeing this wonderful overview of your experience over the past several difficult months! We are trying to keep all of our clients focused on the good in our lives and planning a wedding....whenever it may be!! We lo...
ok forward to seeing you and yours in April 2021!
Reviewed On 6/03/2020 by Emily P
From the moment my fiancé and I drove onto the grounds of ThorpeWood, we knew it was our wedding destination. If beautiful forests, moody mountains, and a rustic lodge sound appealing to you, you will feel the same way we do. Our wedding is les...
s than 150 days away, in late October 2020. With all of the craziness going on in the world, Julie and her team have been a great comfort to us. From recommended vendors to frequent updates, Julie is doing everything in her power to make sure our Big Day is everything we wish for. We highly recommend ThorpeWood if you are searching for a venue!
Response from the Vendor on 07/17/2020
Hi Emily....thanks for this overview of your experience during these crazy times! We look forward to welcoming you for your wedding celebration in October!!!
Reviewed On 6/02/2020 by Kathryn D
We haven’t had our wedding yet, but with all the confusion and uncertainty from COVID-19, Julie has been a gem! She is quick to respond and kept everyone updated the whole time. They are great at keeping up with the dynamic environment that we ...
are in right now and having things like Zoom meetings and virtual tours available. We are looking forward to hopefully keeping our September date. But, if not possible, they have offered new dates and even a full refund (including deposit) if it doesn’t work out and we have to cancel. Which, from what I’ve heard from other friends planning weddings, is unheard of right now.
Response from the Vendor on 06/02/2020
Thank you Kathryn! We so appreciate you sharing your experience with us over these very difficult months! We can't wait to welcoming you all in September!! :)
Reviewed On 6/01/2020 by Kylee K
We have been working with Julie and Lexy at thorpewood since we said yes to our venue last October! They have both been great since day one and during this pandemic with all the uncertainty they have gone above and beyond to make sure we are ok...
ay and have given us all options on how to proceed with our wedding at the end of this year! This was the one and only venue we looked at and I’m so happy we chose it. Between the beautiful venue in itself and the graciousness of the owners, we couldn’t have made a better decision!
Response from the Vendor on 06/02/2020
Thanks Kylee! We can't wait to see you in November!! :)
Reviewed On 6/01/2020 by Andrew B
While we have yet to have our wedding, it's scheduled for September 25, 2020. I just wanted to provide some input to their customer service. COVID-19 has disrupted everything, but Mountain Memories at Thorpewood has communicated exceedingly wel...
l at every stage of this situation. They have been extremely flexible in rescheduling dates/offering refunds due to this outbreak. If this is a sign of their overall customer service our wedding will likely go perfectly without any issues. I look forward to the day actually happening, and highly suggest you give them serious consideration for your venue.
Response from the Vendor on 06/02/2020
Thank you Andrew! We are so hopeful and look forward to helping you celebrate in September!! Continue to remain optimistic!! Keep planning!! :)
Reviewed On 2/12/2020 by Danielle R
I couldn’t be happier with the staff and atmosphere at our venue. It was the perfect cozy lodge in the middle of the winter. You really can’t beat the natural beauty of the land here no matter what the season. I had the pleasure of working with...
both Lexi and Julie. They sure know what they are doing to ensure your perfect wedding day. From the day we toured the venue, I knew working with them would be amazing and I was correct. They have an answer to all of your questions and a great process to make sure the day runs smoothly so you don’t have to worry about a thing!
Response from the Vendor on 07/17/2020
Thanks Danielle!! Sorry we did not respond before this!! So glad your wedding celebration was early in the year!! It was beautiful!!!
Reviewed On 1/19/2020 by Erin F
We could not be happier with our choice to having our wedding at Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood. We first toured the facility in January 2018- and even in the cold, gray winter we knew this place would be SO beautiful for our fall wedding, and...
quickly booked for October 2019. We were right- on our big day, driving up the mountain was breathtaking and our photographer was able to get great photos of us with all the colors. We chose the Pine Cathedral for our ceremony and had our reception in the lodge. In the week leading up to our wedding there was A LOT of rain in the forecast, so we did have a Plan B ceremony at the pavilion, but luckily the weather cleared up literally just in time! Even if it hadn't, everything would have been okay because the pavilion is also a great site. Our wedding was small at just about 70 people, but there was PLENTY of room for more guests. One of the best things about our wedding was our day-of coordinator, Julie. We met with her and a representative from our caterer the month before the wedding to hammer out some details, which was very comforting. Julie has done this A LOT and knowing that she agreed that there weren't any gaping holes in my planning really put my mind at ease for that last month. On the day of the rehearsal, she was totally flexible when I realized my wedding party was arriving earlier than we had agreed on. Her confidence and expertise helped me calm down as she directed everyone to their places and walked us through our entire day. Literally any change or issue we could come up with, she replied with "don't worry, we'll handle that" or something along those lines. I had ZERO last-minute panic because I knew everything would be taken care of. On the Big Day, the same held true. It had rained all morning but her staff was prepared with bench covers for the pine cathedral. They took our decorations that we had dropped off the day before and decorated the place better than we could have ourselves. Julie worked seamlessly with our caterer (Renaissance Chef) and DJ (Shew-sical) to keep the ball rolling and tell my husband and I what to do- because honestly, we were clueless! And the golf cart ride around the property with our photographer got us the most amazing wedding photos I could have asked for. The combination of a beautiful venue and an expert coordinator really can't be beat. I never imagined our wedding would go that smoothly- I thought I would have to handle SOME sort of emergency. Nope. It was an absolutely perfect day at Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood!
Response from the Vendor on 01/20/2020
Tears of joy!! Thank you for this amazing and thoughtful review!! It was such a beautiful day and I am so happy you have shared your memories of the days leading up to your celebration, and the day of your wedding!! It was a pleasure assisting ...
you to ensure your day was as perfect as possible....with a little ThorpeWood luck, the rain passed and the day was gorgeous!! I just saw your photos on your FB page and hope we can share some of them!! Just beautiful!! Thank you again....please don't be strangers! Come up and stay at the Cottage sometime...maybe an anniversary!! All the best and thank you again!!
Reviewed On 12/13/2019 by Jacob W
Our time at ThorpeWood will forever be fondly remembered. The location is breathtaking and the staff is extremely helpful. Our coordinator Julie helped guide us each step of the way and was a pleasure to work with. Thank you for an unforgettabl...
e experience.
Response from the Vendor on 01/20/2020
Thanks Jacob for this very nice review!! I was honored to play a small role in your wedding celebration and so happy it was an unforgettable experience!! Happy New Year and Congratulations....thanks!!
Reviewed On 12/06/2019 by Ashley M
Thorpewood is an amazing ceremony and reception venue for any wedding day. Only limits were the size for the reception. Loved our time here!
Response from the Vendor on 01/20/2020
Hi Ashley and thanks for this review! 150 is our maximum seating capacity. I am sure you knew that when you contracted for your wedding celebration. :)
Reviewed On 12/01/2019 by Saskia M
The entire ThorpeWood team was a dream to work with. From day one, Julie was extremely prompt and thoughtful in her responses to all our emails and questions. Everything ran seamlessly under Julie's leadership on our actual wedding day and our ...
entire wedding party was impressed by her assertiveness and attention to detail. All of the vendors (many of which were recommended by ThorpeWood) worked harmoniously together and were FANTASTIC!! The venue is absolutely stunning and has a variety of locations to utilize throughout the day. We held our ceremony at the Pine Cathedral, cocktail hour in the barn and the reception at the lodge – many of our guests approached us during the reception and raved about the phenomenal guest experience and the unique beauty of the venue and each of its sites. My husband and I had butterflies when we drove onto the property for the first time and boy were our instincts right! We could not have dreamed up a better team and venue for our special day.
Response from the Vendor on 01/20/2020
Hi Saskia!! Thank you for this wonderful review!! We did not get a notice that you had posted this review, so sorry my response is delayed!! I loved working with you and your mom to ensure your day was just right!! Your photos and video are bea...
utiful and I am so happy that Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood played a part in your memorable wedding day! All the best and please don't be strangers! Come back and stay at the cottage!! :) Happy New Year!!! :)
Reviewed On 11/27/2019 by Taylor G
Our wedding day was nothing shy of amazing! Mountain Memories at Thorpewood blew us away from the minute we walked into the door for our tour. My husband was the one who wanted to look at this venue and I am so happy that we did. The venue is s...
tunning and so unique. Our guests LOVED it! Our day ran so smoothly and the staff did such an excellent job at getting us from place to place. They were also extremely accommodating for our handicapped guests. If I could do our day again I would 100% choose Mountain Memories at Thorpewood again and again! It has such a rustic and romantic feel... there isn’t another venue like it. Our day was stunning and everything we could have hoped for! A huge thank you to Julie & her staff for giving us a day we will never forget!
Reviewed On 11/26/2019 by Bailey F
From the moment we walked into Thorpewood over a year ago to search for our venue - we fell in love with the place immediately. You could feel the magic, love and warmth of the place seconds upon being there. The location and scenery was absolu...
tely breathtaking and we just knew it was going to be the place for us to be married. What made this place the most wonderful though was the owner Julie, who made our special day as seamless as possible. From any small problem that came up (which there were hardly any) she handled them all effortlessly. We cannot thank her and her amazing staff enough for making the happiest day of our lives so special. If you are only just thinking about booking Thorpewood for your wedding I would highly encourage you to not give it a second thought - you will not be disappointed and will be SO happy that you made the choice!
Reviewed On 11/26/2019 by Elizabeth S
My husband and I were blessed with our absolute DREAM wedding at Mountain Memories at Thorpewood! From planning details, to helping with the day-of schedule, Julie went above and beyond for us and our family! We could not be more grateful!
Reviewed On 9/08/2019 by Susie H
The venue's setting is so beautiful that it needs little decoration. Julie is experienced and professional - she and her staff made our day run smoothly. The wedding seemed to flow effortlessly because of Julie's skill. Having her in charge ma...
de it easy to enjoy the night and celebrate the love of our daughters. Her DJ & caterer recommendations were reliable. Thank you to you Julie , your husband, and your staff!
Response from the Vendor on 10/28/2019
Thanks Sue!! It was a wonderful day and I enjoyed every minute of the planning with your daughters!!! :) Come back soon and see us!!!
Reviewed On 8/04/2019 by Kelsey A
ThorpeWood was the first and only venue we toured. After that first visit, we couldn't get it out of our heads. It had everything we were looking for in a wedding venue -- outdoors, peaceful, naturally beautiful. Once we decided on ThorpeWood...
, other details fell into place easily. We loved that they only work with select caterers because our decision was simplified, and the caterers know the venue well. Also, we felt that because the venue is so beautiful on its own, our decorations could be very minimal. Throughout the planning process, Julie and her team were very responsive and easy to reach. Hands-down, the best part of our experience was the staff's professionalism and flexibility on the day of our wedding. We had major delays due to a snafu with our transportation company as well as scattered thunderstorms all evening. The ThorpeWood staff handled the logistics in such a way that none of us (bride, groom, or families) had to get stressed out. In particular, Julie was incredible. She went above and beyond her duties to ensure that every small detail was taken care of, including bustling the dress, setting up last-minute flowers, and checking weather radar. She and her staff also worked with us to adjust the timing of our ceremony and reception, so we didn't have to feel rushed. Our family and friends continue to rave about how much fun they had at ThorpeWood. We are so glad we found it, and can't imagine our wedding anywhere else.
Response from the Vendor on 10/28/2019
Hi Kelsey! Sorry for the late delay to your wonderful review!!! It was a great day and I loved meeting all of your family and friends!!! We are so fortunate to have this beautiful space as our backdrop for amazing events!! :)
Reviewed On 4/22/2019 by Janice T
Think about a lovely ski lodge and add a touch of magic and you have this venue. I hosted a bridal shower at ThorpeWood and all the guests thought it was lovely. I only added flowers arrangements on the tables and the decorating was complete....
The staff and owner are extremely helpful with ideas and the "day of" event items.
Reviewed On 4/08/2019 by Deena A
Jason and I couldn’t have asked for a better day. Julie and her staff were AMAZING and kept things running smoothly. From the timing of everything to all the little details. We are truly grateful to have found the perfect venue for our special ...
day.
Reviewed On 2/04/2019 by Liz J
We loved everything about our wedding at Thorpewood. Julie and Lexi were both great to work with and knew everything like the back of their hands. We are so happy we decided to have our ceremony under the covered pavilion even with a chance of ...
rain. It was our backup plan (we wanted to do it in the pine cathedral) but it was SO beautiful. Lexi was our day-of coordinator and she was on top of everything. We are very thankful for the Thorpewood team.
Reviewed On 10/27/2018 by Wendy K
Looking for an incredible venue, with natural beauty, gorgeous woodland lodge, streams, scenic woodlands, gardens, barns and more. Not to mention one of the most hard working coordinator's I have met, Julie, and staff. My daughter was married ...
here in October, and we couldn't have chosen a better place. You must visit Thorpewood if your seeking a venue for your wedding. They team with a catering company, Renaissance Caterers, Frederick, MD. They were excellent as well! Want to see the wedding, here is the Blog by The Beard's Photography. Enjoy! http://thebeardsphoto.com/mountain-memories-at-thorpewood-wedding/
Reviewed On 9/24/2018 by Samantha K
Call Thorpewood NOW if you're looking for a once in a lifetime, magical experience to shape your married lives together forever. ThorpeWood itself is an enchanted forest, even though it's only an hour from DC. From the moment we approached th...
e driveway adorned with twinkling lanterns lighting our way, we knew this was the place was "the one." The grounds at ThorpeWood are absolutely breathtaking and provide infinite ceremony and reception possibilities, whether it's the lodge with the wood floor made from planks of barnwood hundreds of years old, the pastures dotted with Icelandic ponies frolicking in the sun, or the pine cathedral, aptly named as it gives you a sense of spiritual serenity and wonder as you're surrounded by an ancient pine grove and seemingly insulated from every care in the world. But the true magic of ThorpeWood lies in Julie and her team, who treat you like close and cherished family members from the first encounter to the last. Julie is a master of her craft and no matter how outlandish your wedding goals have become, she has already thought of everything and will also encourage and actively support your loftiest ambitions. (Mine included a 40 ft paper curtain & fire dancer!) The vendors they recommend are exceptional and coordinate together flawlessly to make your exact vision come true. Believe it or not, they can do all of this and more within your budget and can work with you at nearly any price point to make your wedding as low key or high key as your heart desires. The flexibility, free wedding coordination support, and budget friendliness are absolutely unparalleled in the DC area. I will never in my life forget what Julie and her team did to make my wedding dreams come true and look forward to engaging with ThorpeWood through their non-profit, community events, and other opportunities to stay connected. Thank you!!!!!!!!!!
Reviewed On 9/20/2018 by Adrienne S
Marvin and I's Sept. 15th wedding at Thorpewood was everything we dreamed of and more. The venue was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and the owner was very easy and great to work with. She gave us ideas we never even thought of and worked with us for what...
we had in mind. There is a cabin on the property we stayed at on our wedding night that is GREAT to stay at on our anniversary's. Highly recommend this to anyone looking for a outdoor, rustic, mountain wedding. Thank you for everything Julie!!! You made our big day a blast!
Reviewed On 9/19/2018 by Makenzie B
My Husband and I got married here this past summer (Aug 2018) and it was absolutely wonderful. The staff at Thorpewood especially Lexi worked so hard for us to have a wonderful beautiful day. We were blessed with the only day it did not rain th...
at week but also meant we had a power outage from all the storms that week. They were able to get the power back on before the reception but the staff at Thorpewood handled the situation perfectly. Lexi and her staff worked hard to make sure there would be enough light and were constantly checking the status with the power guys down the road. My wedding day was absolutely wonderful and the natural beauty of Thorpewood was what I always dreamed it would be like. Thank you to the entire staff at Thorpewood and the wonderful Renaissance Catering for all that you did to make it happen.
Reviewed On 8/18/2018 by Lexa R
My husband and I are so glad we chose ThorpeWood as the venue for our wedding! I saw them on the Knot and thought the photos were beautiful, so we set up an appointment with Julie. In the car our way home from the appointment, Josh and I were ...
really excited. The venue was gorgeous, and Julie was so organized and helpful. Their community involvement, rescue animals, and environmental stewardship were all huge pluses for us. It was also very comforting that there were multiple rainy day backup options. We visited a couple of other venues, but our minds kept coming back to Thorpewood, so we ended up reserving a date for a little over a year from our first visit. We attended their Spring open house and met several of their preferred vendors. We chose several vendors from their very helpful list and had positive experiences with them. They only work with two caterers, and allow you to BYOB. Having the venue narrow down the catering choices to two excellent companies, that know the venue, actually took a lot of stress out of planning for me. There wasn't much communication between us and the venue until about two months before the wedding. Being a Type A planner, this made me a little bit nervous, but when we met with Lexi for our coordination meeting, she had everything in hand and put me right at ease. They day of the wedding everything went incredibly smoothly, thanks to Lexi and the wonderful Thorpewood staff. Josh and I were able to relax and enjoy ourselves, with the day of logistics taken care of. We had our flower do double duty as ceremony decorations, and table centerpieces for the reception. The staff moved everything from the pine cathedral to the lodge, and made it all look beautiful. All in all we had a wonderful experience and I would certainly highly recommend this venue to anyone.
Reviewed On 7/02/2018 by Ashley M
We could not have asked for a better wedding venue. The entire place is absolutely gorgeous. There are so many locations to have your ceremony. In the case of rain, there is no losing because all ceremony sites are breathtaking. We worked with ...
Julie for our day and she was amazing. She made sure everything flowed well and was in place. I️ am So grateful for her and Mountain Memories for making our wedding day perfect.
Reviewed On 6/23/2018 by Kelly B
My husband and I chose Thorpewood for our wedding for the beauty of the place. Nestled in the Catoctin Mountains, Thorpewood offers several different outdoor and indoor ceremony sites (arboretum, pine tree cathedral, stone bridge, barn, pavilio...
n, and more) and a gorgeous lodge that is a perfect reception site. Beyond the venue itself, the biggest value of working with Mountain Memories at Thorpewood is being able to work with the coordinators Julie and Lexi. Part of your overall package includes these ladies as your month-of and day-of wedding coordinators.... and really, to answer any questions you have along the way at any stage of the planning process. They went WAY above and beyond they usual coordinator duties by: - Scheduling multiple times when we could visit the venue with friends and family so they could see the place and help with planning. - Connecting us with the arboretum's caretaker, Gordon, so that we could plant our own dedicated tree as a "thank-you" to the land. - Forgiving us when we stopped by the arboretum unannounced one day (oops, that was a no-no!) to envision the setup of the ceremony space. - Less than two weeks before the wedding, connecting us with a liquor store who could provide us with alcohol, when our previous arrangement fell through at the last minute. Another nice touch is that they use a program called Social Tables that helped us to seat our guests. We uploaded a spreadsheet of names, dragged and dropped them to the correct tables, then exported a new spreadsheet that included table numbers - made it easy to print table assignment cards! And a final bonus -- Non-profit organizations in Frederick County can use Thorpewood **at no cost** to hold meetings and events, participate in equine communication/relationship educational events, use the nature preserve, or camp overnight as well. We love knowing that a portion of of money is going to support our community in this way. Overall, highly recommended!
Reviewed On 6/22/2018 by Ben J
ThorpeWood is a wonderful place to get married. The grounds are beautiful with a wide variety of landscapes and scenery. The lodge provides a rustic and homey place for dinner - as well as a ceremony back up location in the event of rain, or ca...
n be used for late and early season weddings. There is also an outdoor pavilion in the event there is light rain for either the ceremony or cocktail hour. They offer several outdoor ceremony locations that provide plenty of natural settings and lots of options for pictures. All of our guests had a great time and it was a very special day for my wife and I. The staff is very friendly and helpful. Julie and Lexi were great and worked with us right up to the ceremony and were on site with their staff til the end of the night. ThorpeWood is a magical place that we highly recommend!
Reviewed On 6/05/2018 by Erica B
I was very excited to tour Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood. They were the first venue I contacted after getting engaged. Lexi, the wedding coordinator they have there, was great when I spoke to her on the phone. However, as soon as we were tryi...
ng to set up a tour she barely communicated and seemed too busy to figure out a date. We were being very flexible and told her to let us know the soonest they are available for us to see the venue. It has now been over three weeks and I have yet to receive a response. Since they were the first venue I contacted, I was nervous all the other venues were going to be this difficult. Thankfully I reached out to a ton more and did not have this experience with any of the other venues! I typically do not give reviews but this I felt I needed to. Mainly for management to know they lost a potential client through lack of communication and service.
Response from the Vendor on 06/06/2018
First of all, thank you for sharing your experience as you considered Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood. We are, of course, very sorry to have lost you as a potential client. Our staff is comprised of 2 people, Julie Castleman, Director and Lexi ...
Hartner, Assistant Director. We have been working with clients for almost 20 years and try very hard to meet every potential clients needs when it comes to communication, scheduling a tour and answering questions that arise. We pride ourselves on our customer service and regret when the ball is dropped for one reason or another. It is never our intention to ignore an interested party…ever. We are human, there is only 2 of us, and sometimes things do fall through the cracks, especially during peak wedding season when just the two of us are being pulled in many directions. For this, we are very sorry and wish you all the best as you move forward with a venue that we are sure will take very good care of you.
Reviewed On 2/20/2018 by Katherine M
When our original wedding venue fell through, my husband and I spent months searching for a place that gave us the cozy, rustic, family feel we wanted for our winter wedding. We missed our first appointment with ThorpeWood, but when no other ve...
nue felt right, we said what the hell and made the drive to Thurmont. I tried not to get too excited passing the waterfalls and wooded areas on the drive through the Catoctin Mountains, but as soon as we walked into the ThorpeWood Lodge, I knew we had found the place. Since we married in January, we stuck to the Lodge, which with the big log fireplace, wooden interior, and huge windows to look out on the snowy grounds was gorgeous in the winter light. However, the grounds are stunning in any season with a variety of places to hold a ceremony and reception. Take the Tour! We worked with Julie Castleman, whose laid back demeanor and sense of humor kept me calm while her full competence kept me confident and happy throughout the process. We had a lot of unconventional ideas for our wedding which Julie helped us fit into the feel of the event and the space. When we had a question, Julie helped us find an answer. It was a wonderful experience. We also took advantage of the Pond Cottage for our wedding night, which I highly recommend! I can't wait to go back for our anniversary! The only thing to note is that cell service is very spotty in that area, so don't expect instantaneous responses. Email and all will be well. We are still hearing compliments from our guests about ThorpeWood. My husband and I were both thrilled. Not to mention, they use the proceeds from the weddings and events they host to fund their equine rehabilitation center. My wedding went to a worthy cause! How cool is that?
Reviewed On 12/27/2017 by Samantha C
We found ThorpeWood at the Frederick Wedding Expo when everyone kept telling us to check it out. After meeting Lexi, we scheduled a tour to see the venue, and as soon as the tour ended we canceled all our other tours because we knew that Thorpe...
Wood is where we wanted to get married. Julie, Lexi, and everyone else at ThorpeWood were all amazing! They were great at staying in contact with us and answering any question we came up with. For such a hectic day, they made sure we were all calm and having the time of our lives. We could not have had a better wedding, we loved everything about it! We also stayed at the Little Pond Cottage afterwards which was very relaxing. Being able to stay on property and not worry about traveling far after the wedding made things very easy. It actually started raining as soon as we got in to the cottage so we were able to enjoy the sounds of the tin roof. Thank you Julie and everyone else at ThorpeWood for making our wedding amazing!
Reviewed On 12/17/2017 by Lindsey S
We got married 10/08/2017 at Thorpewood and it was the best day of our lives. Although it was historically hot that day everyone at the venue made it comfortable and wonderful with fans, and doors open and everything. Julie is AMAZING! Wonder...
ful to deal with and just a great person. She knows everything about the place down to every leaf, she makes you feel comfortable and relaxed and literally I never worried about a thing. I would have an anniversary party there every year if I could. Thanks Thorpewood, you are gorgeous and I have never heard so many people talk about how beautiful a place is.
Reviewed On 11/18/2017 by Adam C
I first came to know of ThorpeWood through attending a wedding there a few years before meeting my husband. He is actually from MD and has family in Frederick. When looking for a venue I knew I had to share this beautiful location with him. Upo...
n leaving our walk through of ThorpeWood we knew we had found our venue. From our first meeting, up until the wedding day, Julie and her staff were always available for any questions, concerns, or advice. Our wedding day was perfection. Julie and her staff are amazing, warm and accommodating. We were married in the Arboretum the first weekend in November and autumn arrived bringing beautiful colors and an extra layer of magic. The lodge is a beautiful space and many of our guests commented on how great everything was. The day ran like clockwork, but we never felt rushed or hurried, instead we are left with fantastic memories to share for a lifetime. If you are looking for a wonderful venue, look no further!
Reviewed On 9/26/2017 by Laura S
We got married at Thorpewood in September and we have heard over and over again from our guests that this was one of the best, unique, and memorable weddings they have ever attended. Our guests raved about the beauty of the ceremony site (we w...
ere married in the Pine Cathedral), how unique Thorpewood’s lodge and Tree Room were for the reception, and the impeccable service they received from the Thorpewood staff throughout the day. It was, truly, a perfect day. We know this is largely due to all of the hard work that Julie, who coordinated our wedding, and her staff did to make it so effortlessly appear to be a seamless day. From our first visit to Thorpewood in January, Julie has been consistently available and timely to help us in any way we may have needed and we know that she worked hard throughout our wedding day to make it look so beautiful and easy. Speaking of beautiful, this venue is perfect for any couple who, like us, are not as detailed oriented – we had minimal decorations and were still complimented over and over about how beautiful everything looked. We cannot say enough wonderful things about Thorpewood and everyone who works here – we know our wedding was so memorable because of this venue!
Reviewed On 9/10/2017 by Jenny Z
Thorpewood is so incredibly gorgeous of a venue that that in itself deserves 5 stars. It is a huge property that has multiple beautiful options for the ceremony and perfect for pictures. You also get the venue for 8 hours so you don't have to f...
eel rushed and have more flexibility on when things start. However, Thorpewood is made even more amazing by the team there. Lexi was my coordinator but I also worked with Julie. They are both so responsive, communicative, and experienced. Lexi gave me great ideas and feedback. She was also amazing the day of my wedding, keeping everything moving according to schedule. Everything about this venue is on point and I am so lucky to be able to have my wedding here. I literally cannot recommend them enough!!
Reviewed On 7/19/2017 by Hannah C
Truly one of a kind--you won't find anywhere like it in Maryland. So many different locations to choose from depending on your taste-but all are equally beautiful in every season. The staff helped the day to run flawlessly. Lexi Hartner was my ...
day-of coordinator (9 months pregnant!), and she was absolutely incredible. I would recommend this rustic beauty over and over again.
Reviewed On 7/16/2017 by Jess S
We had pretty much decided on booking Glenview Mansion in Rockville when we took one last tour at venue we had hear of in Thurmont called ThorpeWood. And boy oh boy, that was it. We fell in love. ThorpeWood is stunningly gorgeous, well equipped...
to host a special and memorable event, and financially affordable. There are endless, gorgeously prepared natural settings available for wedding ceremonies as well as breathtaking photo opportunities (barn, stone bridge, tall pines, willow tree, horses…), and the lodge is welcoming yet elegant for hosting a rain-safe and comfortable wedding reception. We held our ceremony in the pine cathedral which was intimate and beautiful. Our guests loved having appetizers on the back deck and patio. Dinner was enjoyed upstairs in front of the gorgeous stone fireplace (Jake’s food at Renaissance was outstanding and plentiful) and we danced the night away down in the tree room. All in all, ThorpeWood impressed at every turn. I give an unreserved five stars for Julie and ThorpeWood, and my daughter (the bride) has told me it was the best day ever.
Reviewed On 5/09/2017 by Dawn L
There were many reasons why ThorpeWood stood out as the venue of choice for our wedding. We considered the beautiful setting, the dedicated partnership of Julie and her staff throughout the process, as well as ThorpeWood's support of really va...
luable non-profit Organizations and environmentally responsible design. What we couldn't possibly have known, though, when selecting a wedding vendor, was the significant impact that this single choice would have on our special day. ThorpeWood is truly a special place. Simply walking the grounds, you'll feel the positive energy and sense of peace. (Just go for a visit and check it out for yourself!) Beyond the place, though, the people of ThorpeWood are what make it truly stand out as a premier wedding venue. From our first visit, we were made to feel welcome. Julie personally explained all of the services, amenities, and requirements for a wedding at ThorpeWood, and provided not only recommended vendors with whom she has had great experiences to help with our planning, but also expert guidance and advice to help make our day uniquely ours. The week before our wedding, ThorpeWood hosted a wedding Open House, at which we got to meet many of the staff members who would be supporting our wedding the following week. Every single person we talked to was kind, gracious, welcoming and helpful, and represented exactly the kind of professional AND personal service we'd want for our guests. On the day of our wedding, there was a high possibility of storms, and we had planned an outdoor ceremony. Hoping to be able to honor our wishes, Julie made several phone calls to us that morning, watched the weather radar, and helped us to make the best decision to ensure that our guests didn't get rained on. We ended up moving our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all into the lodge, and still had a beautiful, comfortable and memorable event. Julie and her team took care of all of our decorations, made a point of knowing who key guests (ie. parents, etc.) were and who needed special assistance, coordinated all other vendors, deliveries, and services, and basically ensured that the only thing my husband and I would have to think about that day was one another and enjoying our day! Guests commented that this was one of the most beautiful weddings they'd ever attended, and my husband and I have amazing memories of a day that was made even more special by the sincere care and dedicated efforts of the entire team at ThorpeWood.
Reviewed On 9/02/2016 by Maru S
We cannot say thank you enough to Thorpewood and Lexi (coordinator) for a fabulous job they did on our wedding day. Beautiful place, beautiful people. We could not find a better venue. Thank you!!!
Reviewed On 8/16/2016 by Lindsey A
When I first started looking for a wedding venue, I knew I wanted something woodsy, unique, and just different than your typical ballroom and satin covered chairs. Thorpewood was all of that and more. This venue is secluded and located in the d...
epths of the Catoctin Mountains and is typically 10 degrees colder than the surrounding area, which is perfect if you're planning on having a late summer wedding. Lexi, Julie, and the rest of the staff were nothing but helpful and didn't freak out when we told them we were bringing a Uhaul full of decorations as well as renting a full bar, a bunch of wine barrel cocktail tables, and a photo booth! Lexi was always quick to respond to any of the questions I sent her through email and was able to calm any fears I had about the weather on the day of. When it poured absolute buckets all afternoon leading up to and during what was supposed to be an outdoor ceremony, she did an amazing job of contacting all my vendors and creating a back up plan, helping to transform the inside of the lodge into a truly magical ceremony site. I recommend using the sheer drapes they offer! It really added an ethereal touch. Even after the ceremony, Lexi and the rest of the staff did an amazing job of transitioning the ceremony site back into the dining area while everyone else was downstairs at cocktail hour and after dinner they even helped to pack up the decorations while everyone was downstairs dancing! Not only that, but when the liquor vendor arrived with the entirely wrong schnapps for our signature drink, turning a drink that was supposed to be a bright teal color into a muddled yellowish brown, Lexi personally called around to nearby liquor stores, trying to find ones that had the correct schnapps in stock. I didn't even know about this until my mother told me after the wedding! Lexi and the staff of Thorpewood really went above and beyond and made our wedding into an unforgettable experience. I wish I could give them more than five stars! They were just unbelievable!
Reviewed On 6/22/2016 by Alyssa F
Where do I even begin?? If you are looking for white walls and crystal chandeliers this venue is not for you. This place is unlike any other. It's secudled and quite. It's rustic but elegant. It has so many different options for photos and cere...
mony sites. The food is beyond delicious! If there was a hiccup in the evening, I would never have known because the timeline of the day was so well constructed. Julie (the director) is attentive, creative and always in the right place at the right time. My bustle broke right after dinner and Julie was there in seconds with pins to fix it!! Rain or shine, there is a place to hold the ceremony and Julie is quick to contact you if any changes need to be made. She made the entire wedding planning process a breeze. We also got a dozen compliments on how beautiful and unique the venue was. My husband and I 100% recommend this venue!!!
Reviewed On 3/03/2016 by Emily S
My husband and I were married at the Thorpewood 10/16/15. We had the most amazing experience with Julie and all her team. Planning: Julie is an amazing planner. She really knows what she is doing and it was such a blessing to have her help wi...
th so many details that I didn't know much about. She does not make the decisions for you either, she really helps make it your day! She was very accommodating. She also was very good at communicating. I have absolutely no complaints about Julie and the work she does! Day of: Absolutely perfect! She was out helping when things didn't go as planned (which they always do one way or another). She knew how to handle everything and get things done! My husband and I didn't really worry about anything the day of. Thank you Thorpewood for making our wedding day so memorable! I will never forget the impact you had on our wedding day!
Reviewed On 2/26/2016 by Hannah H
We got married here on 9/4/15. To say that the experience was a great one is an understatement. We were planning our wedding from across the country and had a very short trip to find our venue. After visting about 8 other places I knew this ...
one was the one as soon as we walked into the lodge. Julie and the staff were so easy to work with!!! You will not need a wedding planner with her and the catering staff at Canapes (their exclusive caterer). It was worth every penny. Speaking of which, . . . the cost includes alot of things that other venues charge extra for.
Reviewed On 1/01/2016 by Kaitlin B
My husband and I got married at Thorpewood on 10/12/13 in their Pine Cathedral. After looking at what felt like every single wedding venue in the DMV, visiting Thorpewood was our "Hail Mary" to find a place that had the combination of rustic in...
door and outdoor space that we were looking for. We couldn't believe that we found such a perfect place after all of our searching! Julie and her staff were super accommodating on the day of the wedding. There was a chance of rain and she let us wait right up until the last minute to make a final decision about whether the ceremony would be indoors or out. Thank goodness she did, because we had sun for the ceremony! I didn't have to worry about anything the whole day - they took care of it all. My only disappointment was that we weren't able to do the sparkler send-off I had been hoping for. I felt as though we could adequately address concerns about fire, but unfortunately they did not feel they could take the risk. It was understandable, but send-off photos with glow sticks just don't look as nice and didn't fit the theme like sparklers would have. Other than that, though, I absolutely loved working with Thorpewood and would highly recommend using them for your ceremony and reception!
Reviewed On 11/25/2015 by fggy w
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Reviewed On 6/22/2015 by Megan P
My husband and I did a lot of searching for the perfect venue. After seeing 10 different places we still hadn't found anything that felt like us but I was tired of looking and was ready to decide until my husband found this place. When we visit...
ed we both fell immediately in love. Thorpewood is an absolutely stunning venue and has that extra charm that you just can't find at most hotels or reception halls. We had our ceremony at the pine cathedral, which was absolutely gorgeous. The grounds also have several different locations that are amazing for pictures including the willow tree on the lake, and the old barn. There is no a/c which can make for a sweaty dance party on a hot summer night, but they do an excellent job of getting the air flowing with huge fans and being up on the mountain has the added benefit of it being 10 degrees cooler than everywhere else. Julie was our coordinator and she is a powerhouse! She is professional, easy to talk to, knows how to get things done, and is very responsive to emails. We felt so comfortable and easy going with her and she handled every last detail and made sure everything ran smoothly. The day of, the unexpected happened and there was a terrible accident on the highway as I was on my way to the venue. I ended up sitting still on the highway and was an hour late. I showed up teary eyed and feeling defeated and Julie was there to boost me back up, reassuring me that everything was fine, and making a few small adjustments so that our timeline still worked. She also wrangled our boisterous and large wedding party, getting them and me where we needed to be when we needed to be. Her attention to detail is stellar and nothing was overlooked. We love her! Our wedding could not have been more perfect. We had many of our guests tell us it was the most beautiful wedding they have ever been to and we could not be happier with our choice. It's like a charming fairytale in the woods!
Reviewed On 1/26/2015 by Knottie04605490
ThorpeWood is wonderful! From my first tour to the end of our long wedding evening everything was absolutely perfect. Julie (director) and Lexi (assistant director) were both so knowledgeable, so reassuring, and so helpful. Emails and phone cal...
ls were promptly returned and they both ensured that all of our questions and needs were addressed. We worked with Lexi on the actual wedding day and she made the entire 6+ hours absolutely seamless. The rest of the staff there was very friendly. Our wedding was at the end of August and the grounds that time of year were gorgeous, so lush and green. The lodge is beautiful and all of the facilities in and around are meticulously maintained. Our day was seriously perfect! Cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience.
Reviewed On 11/21/2014 by Autumn F
Having my wedding at Thorpweood was the BEST wedding decision my new husband and I made. The location is gorgeous all year around and the staff is so warm and friendly. Julie Castleman was an awesome coordinator. She always returned my emails p...
romptly and always answered my questions (and I had a TON) throughly. She was a part of my planning from day 1 and I couldnt have done it without her. She is a wealth of knowledge and very professional. Thorpewood is so well maintained and picturesque! You have the entire acerage to yourself on your wedding day which makes for amazing pictures and plenty of places for guests to mingle and enjoy themselves. I HIGHLY recommend Thorpewood to any bride who is looking for a romantic, rustic, dreamy wedding day. Mine sure was!
Reviewed On 11/05/2014 by Allison C
We couldn't have found a better site for us...the setting and staff couldn't have been better. Julie really put you at ease and made everything run so smoothly. She even thought of creative ways to display the flowers from our ceremony site dur...
ing the reception...something I wasn't even thinking of. Our officiant wasn't available to do a rehearsal but Julie stepped right in to walk us through things the day before which was very helpful.
Reviewed On 10/14/2014 by Sara D
I first did a tour at Thorpewood in the snow with my mom. Looked online for other places, went to a couple, and nothing compared. The price was a bit more than I wanted to spend (originally my budget was $10k-HA!) and I had wanted a barn, but I...
loved the old wood plank floors and the log chairs and the cathedral wood ceilings. We booked 18 months out so no problems with our date being available. Went for my tasting with my fiance again in the winter (Canapes is the only possible caterer and a lot more expensive than I imagined, but the food was delicious and we were pretty set on the things we wanted regardless... $9000 and I provided my own alcohol seperately). I never really saw the grounds green in person until my month-before meeting. So beautiful! Lexi always returned my emails right away, which is my preferred method of correspondance. She was always so nice and very truthful when recommending things. We did not take her advice to do dancing downstairs (I wanted everyone on the same floor, and didn't really like the downstairs room) but it worked out great since we cut our guest list (ended up with 75 people) and the dj was in the loft so we had plenty of room to dance. We did pay to remove the furniture ($300-ouch!) but it definitely opened the space up. Lexi took charge the day-of and all the vendors/guests got where they needed to without me having to do anything. Luckily we had a beautiful day and got married outside in the pine cathedral (love the benches!) but it was kinda buggy even though we paid for 4 cans of bug spray... I am a mosquito magnet so maybe that isnt fair lol. We started a little late because some of our guests didn't follow the directions on the website, but Lexi kept us informed and everything worked out. We could barely find enough time to take pictures in all of the beautiful locations on-site that we wanted to during cocktail hour, scarfed down our plate of appetizers on the porch, and the rest went so fast! We got an incredible amount of comments on how beautiful the place was and how well it fit us. We couldn't have imagined it anywhere else!! The wood floors were perfect for cowboy boots and line dancing ;)
Reviewed On 1/03/2014 by becomingandy
We were seeking a wedding venue that was in a natural setting, with staff that were interested in working with us to realize our vision for our wedding and who would be fair with respect to the price of services. Thorpewood is in a beautiful na...
tural setting and this was the ultimate reason we decided to get married here. I would advise couples, however, to look elsewhere for their wedding venue. I look back on our wedding day not with fond memories, but with frustration and the feeling of being taken advantage of. The Thorpewood staff are all nice people to be certain and during our initial visit, they made us feel like what we wanted for our wedding would be their top priority. We soon found though that this was not the case. In our interactions, they seemed much more interested in us sending in checks on the appropriate dates than working with us, or even responding to us. The catering point person simply did not respond to e-mails or phone calls and made it very difficult for us to plan appropriately in the weeks and months leading up to the wedding. On the morning of the actual wedding, they called us to tell us the ceremony would be moved indoors because of a chance of rain (a huge reason we wanted to go with Thorpewood was because we wanted the ceremony in their beautiful arboretum). When we asked if they could be flexible and offer some alternatives in case of no rain, we were offered none and were told that we would be charged hundreds of extra dollars if the staff set up chairs in the arboretum that were not ultimately used. We moved indoors and it did not rain. This is just one small example among many, but indicative of the emphasis on money and control, rather than service or flexibility at this venue. We should note that we were more than happy to pay the price for the services offered. Like most people though, we simply wanted to feel like we were being listened to and that they were going the extra mile for us. On both accounts, we felt just the opposite. We felt rushed in and rushed out on the day of the wedding. You will be told that Thorpewood offers more time than most venues, but this is simply not true. Thorpewood starts your "clock" two hours before the start of your ceremony so they offer the same amount of time as almost all other venues we visited who start the clock at the time of your ceremony and allow you to arrive early. We asked Thorpewood for some flexibility in allowing us to come 2.5 hours early to get a few things set up before pictures and they refused. "If we start giving people more time, where will it end?" was the substance of what we were told. We were commonly spoken to in a condescending manner, and generally felt as if Thorpewood rolled out the wedding that they wanted, not that we were asking for. The venue truly is beautiful, but in our humble opinion, we advise looking elsewhere for your venue.
Reviewed On 12/08/2013 by Jennifer R
When we first laid eyes on ThorpeWood, it was the middle of February--dark, cloudy, muddy, and bare black trees as far as the eye could see. Every indoor surface was covered in stinkbugs. The place was still breathtakingly gorgeous. We tramped...
into the lodge, knocked the mud and ice from our boots, and immediately fell in love with the place. It felt grand but still cozy, rustic but elegant, warm but with room to move. We were digging it pretty hard, but the high (for us) pricetag was making us hesitant. Then we learned they have composting toilets. Our eyes met, full of love, longing and a single, overriding message: We need to book this place. Now. Keep in mind this place books up way fast. We were already pretty late in the game--apparently attempting to book a wedding venue 7 months before the event is a risky game suited only for day traders and base jumpers. Every place we'd looked at was booked. So was ThorpeWood, actually--our desired date had been booked for months. Fortunately for us, the booking had been cancelled not one week before our tour, so obviously the universe was crying out to us that this was meant to be. Also, the composting toilets. We sighed, took out our wallets, and resolved to live on ramen noodles for the next several years. Working with the staff was pretty easy, in the sense that I didn't contact them and they didn't contact me for about five months after we signed our contract. Then we had our final meeting with Julie, which mostly consisted of me being like "I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TRADITIONAL NO I DON'T WANT THAT I AM A COOL BRIDE I'M NOT LIKE THOSE OTHER BRIDES", and Julie calmly being like "That's great! But I've been doing this a long time, and I really think you're going to want x, y, and z. It's going to make the process go a looooot smoother", and me then being like "FINE JEEZ." You know what, though? Julie was right. Listen to Julie, ya'll. On the wedding day, we ended up having to move indoors due to rain. Boo! But, it was hard to be disappointed when we saw how drop-dead gorgeous they'd done up the lodge. And it meant everyone could go straight down to the bar after the ceremony. Score. I cannot begin to describe to you how little thought we put into our decorations, etc. We seriously rolled up with some crayons, sheets of white printer paper, and about 800 bundles of flowers from my MIL's backyard. We kind of shoved this all at Julie with a vague directive of "make this work, gaaaahh!" AND SHE MADE IT WORK. Vases for the flowers, artfully arranged? Done. Magically appearing table numbers we hadn't even thought about? Done. Lovely tealights? Oh yeah. And when one table of our guests decided to melt down their crayons and create for us a Jackson Pollock-style masterpiece, meanwhile getting colorful melted wax all over the gorgeous wood tables? Well, Julie calmly informed us about that after we'd returned from our honeymoon. Sorry about that, ThorpeWood. Eek. Drawbacks are as others list: zero cell reception (make sure your guests look up directions ahead of time, because there is no relying on smart phone maps up on the mountain). No nearby stores or hotels (most of us stayed in the cabins across the way, which have their own set of quirks, though they were pretty awesome too). If you can swing it, be sure to get a bus to transport your guests. You won't regret it. Long story short (haha), ThorpeWood rocks, even for an expensive, remote mountain fortress. Go for it.
Reviewed On 11/26/2012 by Jaime L
1. ThorpeWood is a beautiful location with hundreds of places to take gorgeous photos.... ...which makes it so hard to decide which spots you want to use. Also, because the property is so large, even with the golf cart they provide takin...
g you from place to place, it really eats away the time, leaving you with less time to party. 2. There is nothing around. You are truly in a remote location, away from the hustle and bustle of a large city. No noise, no cell phone service, no traffic. A peaceful retreat for your wedding day... ...Forget about waking up in the cabin and making a Starbucks run. You won't get cell phone service on the property- which can be very frustrating when you are trying to coordinate things on the very busy morning of your wedding. You will not find decent lodging for your guests that is close to ThorpeWood. The closest halfway decent hotels are 35 minutes away in Frederick. Make sure you factor in an extra $ for transportation for your guests if you want to have your wedding here. 3. During planning, the staff is really great about answering any questions or helping you come up with solutions to any issues, even if they don't have anything to do with ThorpeWood! During my planning I had to ask a million questions! Almost no information was given to me after I paid my deposit. I had to ask for everything. It would have been nice to receive some sort of packet, including a floor plan, vendor list, information on renting the cabin, sample timelines, etc. to make my planning easier. I am also sure I missed out on so many opportunities because I wasn't even aware that they existed. 4. The staff the day of the wedding was great. Cool, calm, and collected even when they had to change my ceremony site at the last minute... ...The staff was so cool and calm on my wedding day that they forgot to mention that changing my ceremony site was going to cost me an extra $300 because I now had to borrow their chairs, which were not needed for my original site. I got a bill in the mail from them a few weeks after the wedding. 5. The staff does a great job with decor. I had a LOT of details and everything was executed perfectly. They even ironed my table linens which I thought was really wonderful. 6. ThorpeWood in a non-profit. Even though you are paying a premium to have your wedding here, you can feel good about it because it's all going back to the kids! 7. The cabin on the property is really wonderful. I got ready there and when I came back after the wedding, they had cleaned it up and made it really special for my husband and I. Overall, I am very pleased with ThorpeWood. By the time my wedding was over, I felt like part of their "family". Planning your wedding here is difficult, but if you are up for the task, you will have an amazing day which is exactly what I got.
Reviewed On 11/11/2012 by Kristen C
My husband and I couldn't have asked for a better day. It was beautiful and worry free thanks to Julie. This was the first and only venue we looked at. Its a great place for those who like to be outdoors and enjoy nature. It's also a place ...
that has both masculine and famine characteristics. My husband is not a very opinionated person but wanted to be involved in certain decisions. He chose the location were we had the ceremony, in the arboretum under the old trees. We did things a little backwards and Julie was up for the challenge. We had our cocktail hour first in the barn, then the ceremony in the arboretum and finally the reception on the first floor of the lodge. Julie was there with the bridal party from the moment we arrived. She worked with the vendors and insured everyone was where they needed to be at the right time. We also enjoyed the use of the little pond cottage. Its the perfect spot to spend your first night (just be careful of the ladder). We had two little hook ups on the wedding day with the buses and florist, however, I didn't have to lift a finger or worry about what was going. Julie only came to me to present the solution. It was AMAZING! She also kept us hidden as we took photos around the property during our guests arrivals. At times it was difficult to get in touch with Julie as her best form of communication was email. However, I typically heard back from her in 24 to 48 hours. She was also great with calming my concerns, giving vendor recommendations, and allowing us to visit the property with our vendors. Vendors: Catering: Canapes Ceremony Musician: Christopher Bohn DJ: Shewsical Entertainment Photographer: Stacey Windsor Photography Florist: Monica's Floral Design (this was a recommendation from Julie and Mike. She does this on the side out of her home and was fantastic) Hair: Neutre, Inc
Reviewed On 10/18/2012 by Shannon J
Beautiful site! Unique and rustic. Julie and Mike take care of all of the details and you will have nothing to worry about. Wonderful wedding!