Mountain Memories at ThorpeWood

Holy amazing, Batman

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... Read More 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.

A Real Review

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 taking you from place to place, it... Read More 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.

Couldn't have asked for a better day!

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... Read More 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

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 valuable non-profit Organizations and... Read More 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.

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!!!

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 depths of the Catoctin Mountains and... Read More 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!

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 ceremony sites. The food is beyond... Read More 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!!!

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 with so many details that I didn't... Read More 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!

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... Read More 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.

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 indoor and outdoor space that we were... Read More 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!

good

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 visited we both fell immediately in... Read More 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!

Couldn't have been better

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 calls were promptly returned and they... Read More 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.

Perfection!

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 promptly and always answered my... Read More 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!

Great

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 during the reception...something I... Read More 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.

Perfect

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... Read More 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 ;)

not so fond mountain memories

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 natural setting and this was the... Read More 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.

Wonderful!

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!

Perfect for our wedding!

The staff were amazing, it was oure magic!

Truly Amazing

The ThorpeWood staff, and specifically Julie, were positively fabulous! Everyone was so easy to work with and very professional. Our wedding was gorgeous, and ran so smoothly. We could not have imagined it being more perfect. When we first saw ThorpeWood, we fell in love. It's... Read More charming, and beautiful, and rustic. It's unique and just what we were looking for. We loved all the ceremony sites and were comforted to know there was a rain plan that could go into affect at the last moment. So when a freak storm hit the moment our ceremony was to start, they quickly and efficiently moved everything and everyone into a pavilion. Our ceremony was still gorgeous, and many guests even said that it could have been our Plan A. That night we stayed in the Little Pond Cottage and our friends all camped on the grounds. Where else could we have done that? Julie and the ThorpeWood staff gave us the wedding of our dreams and I cannot express in words my gratitude. I would recommend them to absolutely anyone!

Magical!

What a beautiful, magical place in the Catoctin Mountains that happens to be a non-profit! Add a phenomenal staff headed up by Julie Parlaman and we could not have imagined a better environment for our wedding. We chose to have our ceremony, reception, and rehearsal dinner... Read More there. There were potential obstacles to a successful wedding, Julie headed out of town, a last minute urgent situation making the lead caterer unavailable, and tornado warnings the night before our wedding knocking out the electricity for a large portion of the metro DC area, and the wedding was still magical. I am aware that magic does not just happen. It takes some luck, a lot of work, attention to detail, and the ability to maintain perspective. Lexi, who took on Julie’s roll for our wedding, kept in constant communication during the planning and orchestrated everything on the day of like a pro. There were many day of logistics to contend with and we did not think about or worry about any of them. We knew Lexi had it handled. We relaxed and enjoyed our day! What better gift could ThorpeWood give us than the ability to relax and enjoy our wedding because we know it is all taken care of! We are so grateful.

Fairytale

If you are looking for the perfect rustic venue Thorpewood is IT. Julie is the most helpful person in the world and she will do her best to make any dreams reality to make sure your wedding is perfect. The lodge hardly needed anything as far as decor goes but we did cover... Read More everything in flowers and it was gorgeous. The ceremony took place at the Pine Cathedral and was beautiful in every way as well. If you can get Thorpewood booked for your day I highly recommend it without a doubt!

Amazing, rustic whimsical and absolutely beautiful

Once you visit you fall in love

Yay for ThorpeWood!

ThorpeWood was one of the most amazing finds for my wedding. Not only was it affordable and the rental fee helped support programs for at-risk youth, but the 150+ acre venue gave us so many options to create the PERFECT day for us. We originally planned to have our ceremony... Read More outdoors in a lovely pine cathedral, our cocktails overlooking a beautiful horse meadow, and our reception in a truly rustic and charming barn. But when mother nature quickly brought down the temps, ThorpeWood was able to accommodate us immediately, exercised its flexibility on the drop of a dime, and in a flash (literally the night before) we rearranged our day and moved everything COMPLETELY around. Our ceremony and cocktails ended up in the barn and our reception was housed in the comforts of lodge with a blazing fireplace. Stunning! The setting does speak for itself the minute you set foot in any one of the many possibilities for your wedding. However, Julie, the organizer extraordinaire, is really the person who makes your life easier and she really is there for you! She helped me with all my questions, answered all my emails in a timely fashion, gave me suggestions and advice when I needed them, and really did try to accommodate any and all off-ball requests like finding bales of straw and having our rehearsal the same day as the wedding! She even went above and beyond and provided me with mason jars to put my flowers and candles in so that I would not have to spend more money (great in terms of reusing and recycling as well as saving!). And during the wedding, she and her staff made things happen and moved things along. She assisted with problems, coordinated moving all 75 people to and from the different locations, and pretty much made it all work. The one thing I suggest, though, is confirming all times (starts and stops) as well as any small extraneous fees, if any, that may not be included in the venue rental to make sure you are on the same page. All in all, it was a wonderful experience for us and our guests. I highly recommend ThorpeWood and would do it there all over again!!! Thank you!

Rustic Elegance

A rustic lodge was transformed into a beautiful wedding reception room. The lodge is seated in the heart of the Catoctin mountains. There is a stream that runs nearby and there are so many wonderful photo spots. There are several locations around the property if you choose to... Read More have the ceremony outside. The outsite caterers, Canapes, was awesome! Everyone raved about the food. The staff was easy to work with and very flexible about accomadating ideas. The staff works quietly and efficiently in the background.