Winterthur Museum & Country Estate

We had an incredible time during the day of the wedding and a very low stress experience in the months approaching, even during the times of covid. The chef was flexible and quite funny during our tasting, and from there on we were always met with humor and flexibility. Miriam never left us in the dark about any policy updates, as well as their safety plan to navigate them, I cannot emphasize how much her organizational skills minimized our stress. She was willing to take any call, help pull in vendors, gather gate passes and tour with our vendors, always professional and filled with kindness. She was on top of every safety regulation, spacing, sent me charts to review, and open to brain storming best fit solutions. The venue is beautiful, whether the reflection pool, galleries, or any other space on Winterthur’s property. Winterthur puts so much effort into not only the Bride and Groom’s enjoyment, but the guests experience as well: Including passes for the guests to tour the gardens added to the excitement and joy for everyone included, willingness to meet the needs for dietary restrictions, as well as guest safety. We’re grateful for the experience: the tasting was amazing, having access to do as many vendor walk through a as necessary was relieving, and truly feeling cared about as people (not just an invoice). The day of we arrived as planned, Miriam and Christine were waiting with bridal carts to take us where we needed to go! First look was at the Mirrored Folley, where they hid the groom away and orchestrated the bride’s arrival, with drinks! Then they helped regroup the bridal party for portraits, coordinated family photos, always checking in to make sure everyone was okay or if they needed anything. We were never left to wonder let alone worry about anything. The ceremony at the reflection pool was breathtaking, bride and groom recessed up the stairs to the kissing tower for a few minutes of alone time, cocktail and snacks waiting for us, before joining our guests at cocktail hour. The booze and appetizers provided were great, the guests loved them, as well as how the ambiance shifts from day to night around the pool, and up lighting on the mansion. The trolleys were organized so guests had no issues moving from the reflection pool to the visitor center. The reception was amazing, soup and main courses were delicious and hot, we have received many compliments on the food (wedding soup, seared Hanger steak with mashed potatoes and mushroom Demi glacé, portobello crusted chicken with scallops and risotto, cheese ravioli for vegetarians), the cake was beautiful and the extra desserts provided again were delicious. I could not recommend this venue and working with Miriam more, having a low stress experience in 2020 was invaluable, and absolutely everything was beautiful.

We loved having our wedding at Winterthur. Every single staff member was super helpful and kind and well informed of our event. There was an open line of communication the entire time and they were quick to answer every single question that came up! They helped the day of to run very smoothly and with their team work we truly had a magical wedding. I knew this breath taking venue was for us the minute i toured it. The gardens themselves are so beautiful any time of year. Having our own garden wedding was a dream come true at Winterthur.

We had our wedding one June 15th and it was absolutely amazing! Everything from the set up to the food and even the photos my photographer was able to capture, just absolutely amazing!!! I am still getting compliments from gusts and people who have seen photos from other guests about how amazing my wedding was and how it looked!

My husband, family and I cannot begin to express our gratitude and admiration for the Winterthur venue and staff. My friends and family cannot stop telling me how beautiful the location was - it's like a fairy tale. The staff were amazing, we were able to get a customized brunch menu with vegan options for me (and other guests if interested). We had a mimosa and bloody mary bar, create your own omelet station, etc. etc. etc. The customer service was amazing, we just had the best time, everything was perfectly coordinated and kept to timing. I had a bridal attendant to help me out the entire night, she even carried my bouquet when it became too heavy, they brought us food and drinks to make sure we ate and brought food to our seats during speeches. There are many options for where to have your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception with outside options on top of that. The location is phenomenally beautiful. You will not regret going with this venue.

We got married at Winterthur on 9/22/18 and could not have had a more beautiful and seamless wedding! Melissa and Brian were great to work with from our initial tour to the tasting to the wedding. Melissa was so helpful pricing up rentals and all sorts of catering options throughout the planning process. I really don’t know how she kept all of the little details straight but everything on our wedding day was exactly as we had planned and went off without a hitch. As for the venue itself, we’re still getting compliments on how beautiful and different the property is. We used the Reflecting Pool area for the ceremony and cocktail hour and Clenny Run for dinner. We got insanely lucky with the weather so didn’t need to use the rain plan which was the Gallery Atrium, but it’s a very pretty backup plan. It’s hard to come across a venue as beautiful as Winterthur where you can rent it all to yourselves and that’s exactly what you get here. Definitely go take a look at the spaces - you’ll love it!

This venue offered everything we were looking for and more. Gorgeous outdoor spaces, accommodated a lot of guests and the service from start to finish was top notch. We worked primarily with Melissa at Winterthur and Erin of Proud to Plan who were a bride’s (and groom’s...and famiky’s) dream!! Their kindness, open mindedness, experience and professionalism allowed us to host not only the wedding of our dreams, but an unforgettable weekend for our guests. They were always one step ahead of us making sure that everything ran according to plan. The night went beautifully, and the vision came together seamlessly - despite the Nor’Easter on our hands! We planned to have our ceremony around the reflecting pool, made the call to keep it outside and last minute, they pulled through with a lovely, striking ceremony inside as the rain had not let up. Not many venues would go above and beyond like this...the food was unreal. Everything came out to perfection...served in sync and HOT for over 250 guests. So impressive. I would 100% recommend this romantic venue. The area surrounding has so much to offer for guests throughout the weekend and many people have the chance to disover the beauty of the Winterthur property and surrounding hidden gems.

Winterthur is a magical place - it is absolutely stunning and leaves you feeling like you're in a secret garden. We had an excellent experience with Melissa during the planning process in the months leading up to our wedding. For someone who handles so much, Melissa does it very gracefully. She never seems overwhelmed, and answers every question you may have (she even assisted the kitchen staff with serving the plated dinners the night of the wedding!). Everything went wonderfully the day of as well. We could tell the staff at Winterthur are a well-oiled machine. They know exactly what they're doing and the timeline moved perfectly throughout the night. We're so grateful to have had this beautiful setting for our wedding. We can't wait to keep coming back in the years to come to re-live the memories!

Winterthur is hands down the best choice you can make for your wedding. The food is so delicious, the service and knowledge of the planners and staff is unmatched, and the setting is out of this world. Really, there is nothing better than this place!

Melissa and her team made wedding planning so much easier! Winterthur responds to emails promptly, and always lets you know if a full response might take a few days. We had our ceremony at the reflecting pool and our reception at the visitor's center. We had a lot of handicapped folks at our wedding and Winterthur took great care of them. Not only are the shuttles handicap accessible, Winterthur also put extra tables in the areas of the reflecting pool where our handicapped guests were during the cocktail hour. The food is AMAZING. Seriously. The stuffed mushrooms and crab cakes were a huge hit during cocktail hour, and leading up to the wedding I was almost as excited to have their mushroom soup again as I was to actually get married. My husband and I HIGHLY recommend Winterthur!

Winterthur is the most beautiful setting for a romantic garden wedding. Our video and photos look amazing! Melissa the wedding coordinator was so helpful through the whole process. Outside weddings in the summer may be too hot for you or your guests and may not be the best for hair but the visual astetic is worth it!

What an absolutely stunning location for my July wedding. Everything was absolutely perfect and stress-free, thanks to the wonderful day-of coordinator and bridal assistant they provide. If you have never been to Winterthur, I highly recommend visiting to see the grounds, as they are vast and gorgeous (Think of all the amazing wedding pictures!). I love that they provide all the food, alcohol and cake, which makes planning so much easier. The food was amazing, the venue was beautiful, and the coordinators could not have been more accommodating, flexible and helpful. 100% recommended.

Winterthur was the best venue. We had our ceremony and cocktail hour at the reflecting pool, which was absolutely stunning. Since we lucked out with the weather, we were able to have our reception al fresco at the Visitor Center patio. All of the vendors that we used were from Winterthur's preferred vendor list, and they were all spectacular. Melissa and the entire team at Winterthur executed the day perfectly. Melissa is a great communicator, and is prompt and professional with her email responses. The catering was phenomenal, especially the cocktail hour bites (there were fun, reasonable, and creative upgrades - such as angus beef sliders paired with Dogfish Head 120 Minute tasters!). We cannot recommend Winterthur enough!

Having our ceremony and reception at Winterthur was just wonderful. The setting was so beautiful and tranquil. With nice weather, we were able to have our ceremony by the reflecting pool and the reception in the Galleries Atrium (the lobby to the museum). We couldn't have been happier with the beauty of the location and the first class treatment we received. Melissa and her team were a pleasure to work with which we really appreciated. She was responsive and gave good advice throughout the process. Additionally, the food was just divine. We received so many compliments and it is a day we won't ever forget!

Melissa was wondering to have as a planner at our wedding. She listens carefully and is very helpful in assisting with small but significant details that both my wife and I could have missed. Moreover, Melissa was always available at various times, and I was impressed with how quickly she responded to my emails. I highly recommend her to anyone.

My husband and I just had the most amazing, beautiful and dream wedding at winterthur!! Our guests raved about the beauty of our ceremony and cocktail hour around the reflecting pool and dupont estate! It was like being in a fairy tale!! The visitors center waa transformed into such a peaceful yet fun space where you can get lost in the twinkle lights for hours! Guests also raved about the food! It was beyond expectations! Melissa Sapio, our event planner was so patient, thoughtful, timely and helpful...even during one of my bridezilla moments! Thank you to everyone there for their hard work and perfection! It wouldnt of been possible without you all! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND WINTERTHUR AS A WEDDING VENUE IF YOU WANT A FAIRLY TALE EVENT!! Love, Kristina and Joseph Malley 👰🏻😘🤵🏻

My husband and I got married a few weeks ago and our experience at Winterthur was top notch amazing!!! We had our ceremony by the reflecting pool which was a picturesque scene and one I will never forget. Our reception and cocktail hour was held at the Visitors Center with amazing appetizers (recommend the sliders) and a delicious meal as well. Another thing that made our day great was the staff and Melissa Sapio. She is amazing at her job and made my day seamless and the best day of my life. You highly recommend Winterthur!!!

Most romantic venue ever! My husband and I got married at Winterthur Oct.14th 2017. The manager Mellissa is the best venue manager I ever met. She’s very professional, patient, and focus on every single detail. All the vendors she recommended are absolutely awesome. The food is amazing! I have been to more than 20 weddings during the past 2 years and tried so many “wedding dinners”. I have to say the filet mignon with scallop from Winterthur is the best wedding dish. Of course the cocktail d’Oeuvres is amazing too. For the venue, we had ceremony at the reflecting pool. Walking down the aisle is a big challenge. Totally 52 steps from the very top step to the pool. But it absolutely worth. It’s so romantic. Gallery, we had cocktail hour at the gallery. The marble room is elegant. Visitor center, we had reception at the visitor center. It can hold 10-people band, def more than 160 people. Big dancing floor will make your night. Highly recommend Winterthur venue if you love garden, romantic. PS, we booked a whole year ahead, and only few Saturdays left during sep and oct.

Melissa and the team at Winterthur/ Restaurant Associates were amazing! Melissa was extremely reponsive, helpful, professional and sweet throughout the entire process. She helped with several last minute changes, including the day of, and made the night go extremely smoothly. Winterthur was a BEAUTIFUL location to get married and I loved every minute of it. I cannot speak highly enough of the team there - you will not regret it!

All I can say is this was absolutely fantastic! The perfect place for a wedding. I was slightly concerned about having it at the Visitors Center but it turned into a beautiful, sophisticated wedding palace The cocktail reception outside was fantastic and the inside venue was beautiful. It was simply elegant. Melissa, our Winterthur coordinator, couldn't have been more wonderful. She was engaging, detail oriented, fun, enthusiastic and most of all gave our evening a great sense of peace. I highly recommend using Winterthur for your wedding venue

Had a total dream wedding here. Literally searched far and wide between D.C. and N.Y.C. and could not find a more beautiful venue (gorgeous architecture, rolling hills with beautiful flowers, tall, glorious trees... there is so much land that this venue is its own zip code). Was the perfect backdrop for a complete enchanted/secret garden/English/French countryside wedding. And if its stunning views were not enough, the food is delicious and the people are great to work with! Melissa is gem and recommended excellent other vendors to work with as well. We live in San Diego but have family on the East Coast but it was totally worth the schlep to Winterthur. Just...perfect. I want to get married there once a month.

It was a dream to have our wedding at Winterthur and I cannot recommend it highly enough. They were incredibly accommodating to work with; because they only have 1 wedding a day, they are very flexible. It was great to have the whole place to ourselves that day. Melissa, the events planner, was so helpful, responsive, and tolerant of my many, many questions. The grounds are gorgeous and the architecture is stunning. The food was delicious and the staff was very professional. It was beyond anything that I could have imagined; we had a dream wedding.

By far the best wedding venue in Delaware with best wedding coordinator! Melissa was absolutely amazing to work with! From the very beginning, Melissa responded to all of my emails in a timely matter and went out of her way to do everything I asked! She was so easy to work with and personally made sure everything was perfect on my wedding day! You will not regret going with Winterthur for your wedding venue!!!

Melissa and her team were amazing!!! I would highly recommend the venue to any bride! Thank you for making our day amazing.

I fell in love with the venue upon my first visit. It was a great facility and was exactly what my husband and I were looking for. We loved the different packages and places within the venue that were available. We decided to have our ceremony at the reflecting pool, which was a little dark but was beautiful. Our reception was at the visitors center and was completely transformed from our previous visits. The staff was great to work with. At the beginning of my planning the responsiveness was a little slow but as the date drew closer they were on top of things and gave me a huge sense of relief. We had 250 guests and the venue was large enough to hold everyone without feeling like it was stuffy. I would recommend this venue to anyone looking for a garden wedding that is customization to your taste.

When you walk around Winterthur it is like being in a dream. It is beautiful and almost magical. I knew it was my dream location for an outdoor wedding and indoor reception. The selling point, however, was that this was the only rain plan that didn't feel like a back up. I knew I would be happy either way. The staff is competent and really knows what they are doing. They made us feel so comfortable and confident and we were not even nervous about things going well. I didn't worry about anything except getting down the aisle without tripping! Everything was extremely well planned and made easy for us. I was so happy with this location and received so many compliments on the venue. It was worth the money to feel assured that things would go off without a hitch and to have the most beautiful wedding possible. As some of the reviews on here mentioned, the event coordinator was often very hard to get in touch with as the wedding approached. More than once I had to call random people at Winterthur and have them find her and make her call me as she would not respond to emails or voicemails. I just think that they have their timeline and they know they will get to your questions and concerns as they go and they will be taken care of- but it was scary at times to not have that response. In the end I found that all was taken care of very much to my satisfaction and it was great.

I fell in love with this place from my very first visit. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that all of their promotions about how they "handle everything for you" are flat-out lies. For months I called and I e-mailed. My coordinator was Jen Lamb and it was like pulling teeth the whole time. I was interested in purchasing several upgrades, but eventually I had to give up on all of that because it was never going to happen. I thought I might be able to finally get more information as my wedding date approached, but still nothing. Right up to the night of my rehearsal, I had so much mental anguish caused by their negligence. Then things got really rough. The night of the rehearsal Jen makes a VERY embarrassing announcement that our ceremony location will be changed without ever saying a word to me or my fiancé. Obviously, I went to pieces. Eventually my dad was able to work the problem out, but I was up the whole night before my wedding having nightmares about what would happen if we couldn't work it out. We had gone to a tasting months before the wedding to customize our menu. Well I guess that they lost those notes because all of our customizations were ignored. Most importantly, my (now) husband is dairy-intollerant and so we had asked for an all non-dairy menu. It turned out that he couldn't eat half of the food! Their cake baker was also a disaster. Again calls and e-mails for months trying to get her to do a sketch of what she was planning for the cake and no luck. Finally, my fiancé got one from her (two days before the wedding) and it turned out that, instead of the all-white buttercream cake we wanted, she was planning on a fondant cake with all BLACK decorations. What's more morbid than a black wedding cake? She switched to white at the last second but the cake still turned out to be fondant. It also was leaning so badly that I thought it would fall over. Not great. The day of the wedding everyone raved about how beautiful this venue was. We had our ceremony at the reflecting pool, our cocktail hour in the galleries, and our reception in the visitor's center. I got mixed reports about Jen on the day of. My aunt had a pretty bad run in while she was trying to help make sure that everything ran smoothly. There was a really sweet assistant that was there to help us (I can't remember her name), but she seemed to get steamrolled. Our band was supposed to have permission to do one encore song (something that I even paid extra for), but they were pretty much told that they would be banned for doing the last song. Oh, and they were supposed to put favors at everyone's seat so that they would be taken, but they were thrown into a basket somewhere and no one got one. Another several hundred dollars down the drain, I guess. Wintherthur service is important! I see that another reviewer on here had the same experience with the service and I urge you to stop ignoring your paying brides! When I look back, I still love how beautiful the scenery was, but all of those months of worrying and being ignored really took their toll. Think hard before you sign that contract.

Winterthur Museum is a beautiful estate which is the reason I chose this venue to hold my wedding. As soon as I took a tour, my heart was set on it. The beauty of the venue itself will not disappoint you (no matter which options/locations you choose). The food was great- all of my guests had great things to say. I will say that the cost is high, so keep this in mind. Straying from their basic package will definitely result in cost much higher than you anticipated. The service was okay- I was always the one who had to contact the employees there rather than them checking on me, asking if I had questions, etc. which made the process more difficult for me. Finally, I would advise that you add on an hour to the wedding reception if you have a wedding on any day other than a Saturday. We really felt the extra hour would have been beneficial- it went by so quickly. In addition, I was surprised that the bar did not have some (standard) items that I was anticipating such as pineapple juice for mixed drinks, rose wine, etc. Make sure you check your package to see what kind of alcohol will be available to you! Overall, it is a great place to hold a wedding- just pay attention to those extra details and be ready to pay for additional personalized items that you may want to include.

Gorgeous place to get married. We didn't have to do too much with the outdoor ceremony space since the estate is so pretty already. We did have some issues in the process. Staff was not responsive to calls or emails. Came through on day of which was much appreciated. They need more staff to handle a venue of that size and price. Our vegetarians were also not served their meals.

This place is very beautiful, especially if you have an outdoor wedding. My wedding coordinator Jen was great,easy to work with and definitely knew what she was doing. Place is pricey, and they try to get you to only use their recommended vendors and try to get you to pay extra if you don't. Don't let them. Also don't let your guests before strangely walk their grounds before the ceremony.

"Simple yet Elegant" was the theme to our wedding. Having our wedding at Winterthur took it up and beyond that. The setting is gorgeous and the staff is amazing. There is not much need for added decor because Winterthur's grounds, gardens, and museums make the decor. The staff puts all your planning and details together so my wedding day was truly stress free. My fiance and I didn't have to do anything the day of our wedding except enjoy our guests! Everyone is still raving, two months later, about how it was the best wedding they've ever attended.

A very warm and intimate setting for family and friends!