Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House

anted by the Woodlawn estate’s transformation to a free Quaker community for people of all races to own land, live, and worship freely before the Emancipation Proclamation. A hidden gem!

are a little higher than other venues around, it felt worth it. We also felt great that half of our fees went to the non-profit that runs Woodlawn. Woodlawn is so beautiful that we did not need to add a lot of flowers or other decorations, the venue is perfect as is! Our guests remarked that it looked like “a movie set”. Woodlawn requires you to choose between one of two caterers, but this actually made the process super easy for us and the catering team we chose (Main Event Caterers) were fantastic, especially as they knew Woodlawn inside and out. As a historical home, there are quite a few rules that you should be aware of and plan for (such as no candles/sparklers), but they go over this on the tour before you book and the tradeoff is well worth it. The permanent tent they have set up has great lighting with beautiful chandeliers and is a good size for big weddings and even smaller ones (we had ~70 guests and the tent still felt full). The cocktail hour space is incredibly cool and guests loved walking around the house and gardens. We loved getting to take wedding portraits in the house as well as on the grounds. We would highly recommend this venue!

rden got particular kudos from guests. A day to remember - I can’t wait to see the photos!

e until 1-2pm on the day of the wedding. This made it difficult for vendors. Also, my husband really wanted an awesome grooms quarters. Sadly, that was not possible with this venue. With pictures and other things, he was barely able to use the grooms quarters.

tely fell in love. After checking out 2 or 3 more venues to see what’s available it was very clear that Woodlawn was for us. The historic property carries so much American history, as it was part of George Washington’s estate. The colonial mansion made for a unique and beautiful backdrop for our ceremony. The grounds are kept in pristine condition and offer plenty of space for people to have some time away to explore. They even offer tours of the home after the ceremony for guests interested in learning about the home. We had many guests take the tour and loved every minute of it. The cocktail hour area was a top highlight of the evening; with its bistro lights above and fountain in the middle. The reception area offered plenty of space for our 125 guests to dance the night away. The entire team at Woodlawn was fantastic! We worked with Kathleen who was always responsive during the planning phase and very active the day of to ensure everything went smoothly. We could not be happier with Woodlawn’s exclusive caterer, Design Cuisine. Woodlawn and Design Cuisine work so well together to make everything perfect. There was nothing for me to worry about the day of. Woodlawn is a special place which will provide an unforgettable event for everyone there.

charming fountain garden decorated by lovely twinkle lights. During this time, there are even 2 docents available to tour guests through the historic property. The tent where the reception is held is elegant with fabric draping, chandeliers, and twinkle lights and can accommodate a lot of guests comfortably. There's also plenty of parking available. Overall, this is a breathtakingly beautiful property with so many different spaces -- our photographer had so many locations to choose from -- and it was nice that the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception were all in unique places. Keep in mind this is a historic property that gives tours on the weekend so there are a few restrictions to be aware of (no flames, older restrooms, bridal party arrival not before 3 pm) but the staff is so accommodating and did a great job of making everyone comfortable. The only stressful part was that their previous exclusive caterer, Rouge, required a minimum guest count to place a catering deposit to actually secure the date at the venue. Now that Design Cuisine has taken over as the exclusive caterer, the booking process seems much more client-friendly, which is great for future couples! We absolutely loved our wedding at Woodlawn and highly recommend it to any other couple. We hadn't heard of it before we were researching venues, and I really think it is a hidden gem not far from DC that was the perfect place to make wonderful memories.

with perfect lighting and chandeliers! The cocktail garden with the bistro lights provided the perfect ambiance for our cocktail hour. There was plenty of space for lawn games as well. One thing that made it so easy was that the caterer/event planning and venue were all in one. Rouge Catering was delicious and a joy to work with. PICK THIS VENUE!

an have your ceremony anywhere on the outside property but the backdrop of the house is amazing. The cocktail hour space is so romantic and the reception tent doesn't even compare to other reception tents. Kathleen and her staff did a wonderful job guiding us through the planning process and our wedding day. We had a rain plan in place that we were happy with but luckily did not have to use. I would absolutely recommend getting married at this amazing venue!

rganized, and helpful. The venue is gorgeous and spacious, allowing plenty of room for guests to move throughout the property. As an extra bonus, the crepe myrtles were in full, glorious bloom, creating a lush canopy for the wedding ceremony. The tent is large and beautiful, creating a romantic yet accessible space for dinner and dancing. This gorgeous venue is a perfect setting for both your wedding and reception and i will recommend to anyone I know.

much space to work with here and a fantastic wedding reception venue. I can't imagine our celebration anywhere else.

and I was very nearly on the verge of tears when the staff saved the day by cutting flowers from the garden. I could not have gotten married in a better place. The fact that I love history was an added bonus.

wedding site. Absolutely wonderful for someone who wants a unique wedding!;I'd warn other couples to act fast if you want a good date! There may be limitations for couples who have a large number of guests and want to get married inside the house. We had 100 attendees and had our ceremony untented in the Serpentine Garden facing the house, served cocktails and hors d'ouevres in the Underwood Garden, and had a tent and dance floor in the Kester Lane area. So we were all outside or tented, if you want to be in a building, you'd need to check with their director for size limitations.