The Winchester Opera House and Moundale Manor

Aside from the fact that this place is absolutely gorgeous, the food is incredible, and the setting couldn't be more perfect...the real heart of this place is the staff. Who truly do everything in their power to make your day perfect. And IT WAS. From start to finish, I never felt an ounce of stress because their coordinator Natalie took it all on for me. The day of Vanessa and Sonia kept me calm and cool and literally moved mountains for me. I can't say enough good things about this place and these people. If you want your wedding to truly feel like a fairly tale, happily ever after...there simply is no other place for you. And be sure to do the night before and of at Moundale Manor. AMAZING. And did I say the FOOD is amazing?! it IS

Stay far away from this place. There are plenty of other beautiful wedding venues in Kentucky that don’t use your wedding deposits to “open up their new restaurant”.

The Winchester Opera House and Moundale Manor has to be one of the best places to get married in Kentucky. All their ceremony venues are beautiful, whether it's in the church, the Manor, or in the Opera house. We had our wedding outside the Manor and it was absolutely gorgeous. I received so many compliments from my guests about how beautiful the venue was and how great the food and service was. Vanessa is an amazing vendor to work with and really helped me every step of the way to make my wedding perfect. We also stayed in the Manor the night before and after the wedding, which was an experience we'll never forget. Natalie was my coordinator and she is seriously a boss. She was on top of every aspect of my wedding and quickly answered any and all questions I had. Even just a few weeks before my wedding when many other vendors started to fall through, she handled everything and put it all back together to make sure I didn't have to worry about anything. She is awesome!! Thank you all for everything you've done for my husband and I! We couldn't be happier. If you want to have an amazing day with vendors that truly care about you and your special day, get married here. Love you guys!!

I can not say enough good things about the Winchester Opera House. I got married here in June of 2017 and it could not have been more perfect. The entire day went so smoothly and was absolutely beautiful thanks to Vanessa, Natalie, Neal, and the rest of the team at the opera house. It was truly the wedding of my dreams and I couldn't have asked or dreamed of anything better. We were married in the fireside room which is a beautiful and intimate space. My bridesmaids and I stayed over night at Moundale Manor and it was perfect. It was the perfect space to relax and get ready at before the wedding. The breakfast was fantastic and the staff were so accommodating. The Winchester Opera House and Moundale Manor are top notch and I would recommend everyone to get married here. They make it so effortless and less stressful. They contact all of your vendors and even give them a timeline so that everything goes exactly to plan. We LOVE the Winchester Opera House and its staff! Thank you so much for giving us our dream wedding!

We had our wedding and reception at the Opera House. Everything was absolutely perfect and could not have been anymore beautiful! Natalie and Vanessa were extremely helpful throughout the entire process and I cannot thank them enough for everything she did for us. Our wedding was perfect! The Opera House food (Chicken Cordon Bleu-grass) was the most delicious thing I have ever eaten! Highly Recommended!

Where do I begin with the WOH and Moundale Manor? Everything about our wedding experience was top notch. The venue provides opportunities for EVERYTHING to be done on-site. Their florist, Neal, was amazing. Their cake-maker made us the most beautiful, delicious strawberry cake. Vanessa was in charge of our catering and our wedding guests said they had never tried a better beef tenderloin. The venue provided me with a wedding planner, Natalie, and she went above and beyond to make sure I was in love with every detail, from linens to chairs to day-of schedule. All the bridal party had to do was show up on the wedding weekend and have a good time: no set-up or clean-up required. I can honestly say that our engagement was one of the most fun seasons of my life because I chose to get married at a venue that cares so much about its clients. I would recommend any Lexington couples to make the drive out to Winchester to go see the Manor and the Opera House. Thanks to the WOH team for an amazing weekend!

I just had my wedding here this past weekend and it was seriously a dream. Everyone was so fantastic from my wedding planner Natalie to the flowers on the tables. It is something that I will remember forever. Vanessa was so kind in opening up her home and her heart to everyone in my family. The food was excellent and so were the decorations. I seriously can't say enough about how great they were. I'm sad its overwith and I wish I could relive every moment of it. Thanks to everyone at WOH. They are the best.

Throughout planning our wedding, my husband and I were told “Your wedding will be gone in the blink of an eye!,” or “Don’t freak out when something goes wrong, it will be okay!” Now, we feel almost selfish and certainly spoiled to say that we didn’t experience any of the franticness, stress, chaos, confusion, disorganization or regret that so many couples do on their wedding day! Our wedding experience was a dream and we accredit that solely to Vanessa Ziembroski and The Winchester Opera House team. From the moment we arrived at Moundale Manor and the Groomsmen Cottage, we were treated with the utmost care. We were truly pampered in every aspect; gourmet food, libations to our taste, luxurious settings, quality products and most of all the most genuine customer service we have ever received. My personal experience as a Bride was extraordinary. Our ceremony and reception were held at The Winchester Opera House. Being a very punctual bride and more or less a control freak I found it difficult to… let go. My bridal mind was put at ease in knowing my WOH coordinator, Natalie Johnson, had everything accounted for. Each detail, pocket square, escort card and groomsmen were in the correct place at the correct time. Not once did I feel concern about our wedding day timeline or its outcome. The in-house florist and decor specialist, Neal Linville, listened to us so intently until our vision became his. The ballroom took our breath away more than once that evening. The food. THE FOOD. We were told by the majority of our guests that they had “the best wedding food they had ever had” at our reception. Each plate was delivered at the optimal temperature and all of our (80) guests were served within minutes of each other, throughout each course. Everyone expressed that they were offered more than enough to eat and we felt that we had taken care of our guests well, which was very important to us. We truly may be the first bride and groom to actually eat their entire wedding meal, too! It was nothing less than divine. Finally, the WOH staff deserves significant credit for ours and our guest’s experience. They were punctual, polite and attentive. Not one dirty dish was left behind and they were eager to answer any request - even to race across the room to grab our “special” crystal glasses for the evening to refill. They epitomize hospitality service. We never expected to be so beyond satisfied with an experience that is often negative for others. We could never have found a better way to start our lives together! To Vanessa, Neal, Natalie and all with The Winchester Opera House, our most sincere and heartfelt ‘Thank You!’ And to all the searching Brides and Grooms out there… search no more. This is an experience and opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.

When people say that your wedding day is the best day of your life, they are so right. One of the main reasons we feel this way is because of the everyone at Moundale Manor. Vanessa, Lori, Neal and the rest of the amazing staff are truly passionate about their work. They did everything they could to make this a wonderful experience not just for my husband and me but for our family and friends. Vanessa and Ed opened up their home to us and made us feel like we were part of the family. Lori, the event planner, really listens to every single detail. She is just amazing at what she does and is such a sweetheart. It blew us all away how she could do everything that she did. Neal, the florist, is so extremely, talented. One can tell he really loves what he does. No matter how busy the staff was, they always stopped and really listened to what we envisioned. Along with the amazing staff, Moundale is just beautiful. If we had to do it all over again, we would not change a thing. Our wedding day was truly spectacular. - Sarah and Eugene

Every couple should feel the way my husband and I did on their wedding day! The WOH will make your day perfect in every way possible. Lori: We can’t thank her enough for the countless hours she put in our wedding. I know for a fact she went above and beyond when it came to helping us. Any time anyone would panic over something I would calmly look at them and say “It’s OK I got a Lori”. Even now when brides ask me for advice I quickly say “GET A LORI” hahah. She is best in the business and knows the ends and outs of wedding planning! Not to mention she is an all-around sweetheart and great to work with!! Vanessa: She is the definition of true Southern Hospitality. She did everything in her power to make sure our day went great. Not everything will go according to plan on your wedding day. Such as (but not limited to): The weather, it rained up until 45 minutes before our outside ceremony. Your minister might get hospitalized 4 hours before your rehearsal and therefore you’ll have to call in the “second string” minister (Pastor Ed was great and gave himself that nickname.) And finally, a groomsman’s shoes might break in half, YES IT BROKE IN HALF. None the less every time something happen there was Vanessa ready and willing to spring into action to fix whatever it might have been. She is wonderful to work with and our day might have had some serious issues if it had not been for her! Neil: He is bomb.com when it comes to flowers and decor. I had this crazy idea to have glass terrariums filled with flowers hanging in the tree behind my ceremony area. When I presented it to Neil, I’m pretty sure he said “Challenge Accepted” and off he went to figure out how to pull it off. It was GORGEOUS! And the reception hall was breath taking, you will not be disappointed with his work!!!! I also have to add in the Kitchen Staff and Chief into this. All though I never really met them personally the food was amazing. I was told by many people that it was not “typical wedding food”. I had nothing but compliments on how good it all was!! All around this whole staff will work around the clock to make sure your wedding day is filled with nothing but pure AWESOMNESS! I cant recommend them enough!!!

I have to say working side by side with Lori and Vanessa was just great and a pleasure. Lori and Vanessa are nothing but professionals at what they do. From the Moundale Manor to the Winchester Opera House, you will find both locations to be clean, classy, and historic. My couples love the way their images came out at Moundale Manor and the Winchester Opera house. I featured their images at the Whiskey Row old art gallery in Louisville, KY. I would encourage any couple to connect with Lori and Vanessa for their upcoming wedding or events. You won't be sorry. -Adam Brennan www.picturesbyab.com

I'll start my review first by saying that you would be absolutely silly not to choose Moundale Manor and the Winchester Opera House for your wedding venue. WOW! The location and venue is absolutely stunning and so unique. We live in Lexington and there is nothing that compares. However, what makes this place the absolute best place to have your wedding would have to be the staff. Where do I begin?!? My entire family and bridal party felt so at home at the Moundale Manor that we were all sad to leave. We had our Rehearsal Dinner at the Manor. The atmosphere was so intimate and comfortable, so "us". Then my bridesmaids and I had our slumber party at the Manor while the men went off to the Groom's Cottage. We had so much fun putting on our PJ's and face masks and going down to the theater to watch wedding movies. That morning we woke up to the most adorable and delicious breakfast. Great start to wedding day. We got to get ready at the Manor and spend time hanging out and taking pictures. Soaking up every moment of the day. The guys came over eventually to hang out and get ready in their "quarters". We loved all being on one location but still having privacy between us. It started to rain as soon as we all got in to our dresses and tuxes. I did my first look with my groom on the front porch so we were covered. The rain didn't cease, so we continued to do pictures on the porch. Vanessa pulled me aside to have "the talk" to see if we would need to move the ceremony to the backup plan (the historic church). By the time I had seen my groom I didn’t have a care in the world. I knew the weather would be ok by the time we got to our ceremony and I knew my biggest regret would be not having our ceremony at the Manor. Vanessa was so comforting and had the same positive outlook as I did. About thirty minutes before our guests started to arrive the rain stop. We all were so relieved. We started our ceremony which was absolutely perfect and right as we turned to say our vows the sun came out. It was truly magical. After we were husband and wife we met our guest with our bridal party at the Winchester Opera House and had such an amazing celebration. Michael and I had a beautiful sparkler sendoff and drove back to Moundale Manor to spend our first night together as husband and wife. We toasted the night off with champagne and woke up the next morning to a delicious breakfast to send us on our way. Vanessa is an angel. That is really all I need to say. Lori the wedding coordinator is amazing. So fun and not like most wedding coordinators I’ve seen in the past who can be bossy and intrusive. She made sure everything went off without a hitch while allowing us to enjoy ourselves! She worked her butt off and it paid off tremendously. Neale the floral designer is so talented and such a sweetheart. I really had no idea about flowers and pretty much just told him the colors of our wedding. He put together the most beautiful floral arrangements I could have never come up with on my own. We had countless compliments from our guests about how beautiful the venue was, how perfectly things were handled, and how delicious the food was (seriously this was not wedding food, this was fine dining!). We will be so thankful and grateful to the Winchester Opera House staff for not only the most amazing day of our lives but the most perfect weekend. We will never forget it!

They will give you the wedding of your dreams. Wonderful staff. All of our guest had a great time, the food was excellent, Neil did an amazing job on the flowers & putting the center pieces together, and Travis did amazing with our hair & makeup. You all were excellent. I wish I could do it all over again!

Thank you so much for making my daughter’s wedding such a splendid event. Everyone made us feel very special and very welcome. The staff did an outstanding job with decorating, organizing and coordinating all of the events. Moundale Manor is a gorgeous venue for a wedding. The front lawn made for a beautiful setting with the manor as the backdrop. The bridesmaids and groomsmen all enjoyed their respective spaces for getting ready for the big event. Our guests also enjoyed seeing the interior of the house. The wedding flowers were exactly what my daughter wanted. Neal delivered in a big way. He has a way of asking just the right questions to get your thoughts and ideas. He then takes them and creates the loveliest floral arrangements. Both the wedding flowers and the arrangements at the reception were so beautiful. I brought most of the flowers home with me and put them around my house for all to enjoy. They still look lovely after almost a week. That says a lot about the quality of the flowers. The Winchester Opera House was the perfect venue for hosting the cocktail hour and reception. The menus for both the cocktail hour and the dinner were absolutely fabulous. Everyone loved the food. I heard positive comments all night about how good the food was. I am especially appreciative that you took special care of our guests with dietary restrictions. The reception was filled with items on the to-do list, but Lori and Cindy had every last detail planned out to perfection. We never felt rushed or that we were missing out on something. The “After Party” party at the Gallery provided some additional time for our guests to extend their time visiting with my daughter and her husband. They had traveled from all over the world to be there so it was nice that they had a little extra time to spend celebrating together. They danced, sang, laughed and talked. It was the perfect ending to their wedding day. The memories will last a lifetime.

Thank you Winchester Opera House for making my dream wedding a day we will never forget! I don't know where to begin. Every detail was executed beyond expectation! A huge thank you to Neil,and his. CREATIVE GENIUS. I was so concerned about the availability of my first choice flower selections. Neil, you really came through, my friends and family are still raving about these quite decor and delicious food. I am sending an 8 x 10 photo that captures the splendor of the event. My photographer, also a recommendation of Vanessa's was a total professional and gifted artist. I especially, love the formal photos of Rand and I on the Moundale property. I hope you find them worthy of posting in your bridal gallery. Vanessa and staff - an affectionate thanks for the perfect wedding weekend. I am still reliving it by watching the videos. Thank you so much from Rand and Me for the " dream come true " wedding. Betsy, my sister and maid of honor will be in touch with you. My parents enjoyed themselves so much they are excited about the opportunity to host another wedding at The Winchester Opera House /

I shot at this venue earlier this year. It was a friends wedding and I told her the place looked beautiful! It is beautiful, but that is about it. The wedding day was very sad because the bride kept being let down. They even lied to her about lots of things and I think that is unacceptable. I would stay away from this venue because they are not trustworthy. You need trust in your wedding vendors. They also belittled her for having a budget, which wasn't a small budget! she wanted a small wedding but a nice one! The food was good, and the bride and groom are happily married but I know she regrets her decision to get married there. So if you like being lied to, and belittled then get married here, but if you are a sane person Stay away!

I have found it very hard to come up with a review about The Winchester Opera House as a venue for my wedding. Let me begin by stating that this will not be a good review for this business. After two months of dwelling on my wedding day, I am still as upset today as I was that day. Absolutely NOTHING went right on my day, and it was 100% the fault of the staff of the Opera House. I will not go into every detail but I will make it very clear, I do not recommend this venue for anyone. I asked about every detail, I also asked what components I need to provide and what detail the opera house would take care of. When I was touring the opera house as a possible option for my venue I was told they would have no problem staying with in my $6000 budget. I was not told, that I should lower my expectations and be made to feel less than because of that budget. Ok, so I have planned my wedding along with the coordinator Amberly, who at the time seemed like my soul sister, with her lily planner in tow and a binder dedicated just for me. She was on top of it. So I thought. Thank god I did my own bouquets and boutonnieres, because when I ask for wheat and dried heather, somehow that converts to fake, silk, purple hydrangeas. This review is only the tip of the iceberg of my wedding day. DO NOT BOOK YOUR WEDDING WITH THE WINCHESTER OPERA HOUSE. I have had two other people have bad accounts about this awful place!

Anyone near Winchester, KY should seriously consider having their wedding here. Although the W.O.H. was out of our budget, they treated us the whole time like we were paying three times as much as we were. We had our reception in the ballroom, and Vanessa, the owner, and her staff took care of everything, making my wedding week WAY less stressful. And when tragedy almost struck at our ceremony venue (held at a different location, and the event planner there, along with the rest of the staff was no where to be found for the whole weekend with no notice... surprise!) The W.O.H. staff saved the day. Amanda, one of the wedding planners on staff, drove to our ceremony last minute and ran the whole show, saving the day! Such a unique venue with such a caring staff. Cannot recommend them enough!

I could not have been happier with the Winchester Opera House and all of their employees. It can be a one stop shop for they provide a great list of suggested vendors (photographers, DJs, cake bakers, etc.) the food the opera house offers is amazing and the onsite floral designer is astounding. The owners of the opera house, the event coordinator, and the floral designer are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. You can't go wrong with this place. They will do anything they possibly can to get exactly what you have in mind for your wedding or other event. Angela, the coordinator, will take 99% of the stress of planning off of you, you just provide her with your selections. Absolutely the perfect place to have a wedding reception and/or wedding. The site also offers a historic one room chapel that could be used for weddings as well and it's beautiful. I highly recommend the Winchester Opera House and all of their offered locations (opera house, historic chapel, the Moundale Manor, etc.).

(by MOB) My daughter’s wedding was held 6/16/12 at Moundale Manor followed by a reception at the Opera House. Winchester is quaint, the mansion & opera house are elegant. Not being local, the location presented unexpected problems. We had to bring many vendors from Lexington or further. There are no premium hotels & parking is limited. This increased costs, including chartering a bus to transport guests. The venue & services were over-sold/under-delivered! Get every detail in writing and expect extra charges. At first Vanessa (owner), came across very sweet and made extravagant promises for "complimentary" items/services. Once the contract was signed, her staff knew nothing of many promises. We had emails to back some up, but not all. 3 weeks prior to the wedding, they finally secured the permits & insurance for the ceremony at Moundale then gave us an invoice nearly 3x the estimated ceremony cost. A week before the wedding, we asked Vanessa if we could bring champagne & snacks to Moundale for the wedding party while getting ready that day. She said no need, then described a lavish display of snacks & drinks, including champagne & beer that would be provided complimentary. On that day, there were no snacks, 1 champagne bottle & about 10 beers. I had to drive around Winchester to get lunch and more champagne for everyone, costing me an hour of pre-wedding time with my daughter. During the planning, Vanessa portrayed herself as sweet & caring. On the wedding day, we saw a completely different side of her & her staff! When they finally showed up an hour late, they treated us rudely, made false accusations, and barked orders at the wedding party. The first thing Vanessa said to me on my daughter’s wedding day was “your groomsmen brought in beer and that’s unacceptable!” (They had not.) The facilities for the groomsmen did not live up to expectations; besides no food & drinks, they put them in the "game" room which had an old pool table, small TV, & few places to sit. Had we known, we would not have had the guys on site 4+ hours before the ceremony. The rudeness continued at the reception with Angela treating the serving staff rudely in front of guests, and ultimately our guests themselves. Just before midnight, some guests asked the bartender for a final beer while waiting for the bus. Angela took over the bar and adamantly refused to serve anyone. We had paid $1,300 extra for an additional hour, including premium bar. I told her I was not happy that they cut off service before the full hour was up. Shortly after, Vanessa approached me while I was talking with guests, and verbally assaulted me for "being rude to her staff". She also chastised me for bringing champagne to the mansion, saying that she specifically told me not to. (She did not.) I tried to get her to calm down before the bride saw her, but she would have none of it. She then pulled the bride into the confrontation and asked her to agree with her about the champagne. The bride did NOT see it Vanessa's way, told her so, then left in tears. Completely unprofessional of Vanessa! Fortunately until then, we had been able to shield the bride from the day’s negatives. So overall she had a beautiful wedding experience. But the events at the end definitely tainted that. If you plan a smaller, more reserved, maybe older crowd, and your budget is very flexible, this may be right for you. I do not recommend it for a large, young, fun group!

When I found and toured the Winchester Opera House, I knew I had eliminated most of my planning and stress. They really do it all. Which was important to me--during the planning process I was student teaching and job searching so Angela's help (the coordinator) was phenomenal. I didn't have to worry about anything. Then when the big day came closer I expected the stress to pick up but every step of the way the Opera House was prepared, warm, and hospitable. My bridesmaids and I loved staying at the Manor the night before, and then my husband and I the evening after the wedding! So many of my guests said it was one of the most beautiful, fun, and wonderful weddings they had ever been to. I recommend them and their services to any bride to be! It helped make the whole process and the big day a dream--and just perfect!

AMAZING! They made my wedding day perfect!

I cannot say enough WONDERFUL things about the Winchester Opera House. They go so far beyond just being a reception venue. They provided a place for me and my bridesmaids to stay the night before the wedding and a honeymoon suite for our wedding night. Everyone was so great to work with and helped me plan every aspect of my wedding. I was out of town a lot on internships for school and I didn't have to worry about a thing. From the classic beauty of the venue itself, to the flowers, the food and beyond, the Winchester Opera House gives the ultimate wedding experience for an affordable price. My wedding day couldn't have been more perfect and the staff was so helpful and accommodating. I couldn't dream of having my wedding anywhere else.

I loved loved loved the Winchester Opera House. I didn't have to worry about any detail in my reception. They did a wonderful job and I wouldn't change anything about it!