Customer Reviews

We got engaged in October 2018 and Willowdale was the first venue we saw. we looked at few others but we knew it was Willowdale! there was a few other weddings in our families so we booked March 2020 - Well we all know what happened March 2020. Two weeks before our wedding that we waited a year and a half for the state shut down. Of course we as well as Willowdale staff had no idea how big this would all turn out. after looking at the open dates we decided to book Nov27th 2020 in hopes this would all be behind us. of course as time went on the state regulations changed a million times and every time i would contact willowdale and ask "what does this mean for me'" every time they made me feel better! in the end the regulations were 25 people which we decided to make it work! after 8 years together and over two years engaged we wanted to move on with our lives! as you can imagine some people were not happy that we were moving forward even with the small number and asked people to mask and get tested if possible but willowdale was amazing! Kelsey was our coordinator and she made me feel so much better and that it was my day even with all of these changes and regulations. The day was beautiful and we had a great day and no one got sick!!

as you can imagine I dealt with many vendors during this pandemic and they all had different responses but Willowdale staff was by far the best. they made us feel comfortable with our choice , safe in the facility and were committed to making sure that we had a wonderful day even during a pandemic! I cant recommend Willowdale and Kelsey enough!

We were married on December 19, 2020 at Willowdale Estate during a global pandemic and snowstorm! My husband and I are cannot begin to express how happy we are with Willowdale Estate and its staff. Form the moment we contacted Belinda (sales manager), she was warm, accommodating, and made us feel at home. We recently cancelled our destination wedding and was trying to plan another wedding in 2 months. What we believed to have been an impossible task – the dedication and skill of Willowdale staff not only made this event possible but exceeded our expectations. One week after our initial phone call, we took a private tour of the estate and grounds and had a private 3-course tasting. We were also able to meet with the chef to discuss dietary restrictions and allergies. We also sat down with Kelsey, event coordinator to go through the particulars of the wedding day. Very attentive to our food allergies as well as open to accommodating any of our other requests.
The aesthetics of the estate were enough to convince my husband and I that this was the place to get married. From the stained-glass windows, wood burning fireplaces, and natural light – this was something out of a Bronte novel or J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. This space was perfect for our small wedding of 25 guests but there is enough space to host 100 or more, comfortably.
Kelsey provided us with a list of preferred vendors and continued to follow-up to ensure that we were able to book the essentials, e.g., photographer, florist, and band. As a type-A control freak, Kelsey made it easy for us to sit back and enjoy the little moments of the wedding day. It was truly a seamless event. The transitions between ceremony, cocktail hours, and dinner felt natural. The food, particularly the chocolate chip cookies, were enjoyed by all.
We are truly grateful to the staff, especially Kelsey for their effort, attentiveness, and thoughtfulness. Thank you for an amazing wedding day.
Much love,
Adam and Ali

My wife and I had our wedding at the Willowdale Estate on October 3rd, 2020. It was a small outdoor intimate wedding underneath of their court-yard tent. Kelsey helped us plan everything the week prior leading up to it and coordinated everything the day of. We had an amazing night and I think it was the perfect execution of what a "covid wedding" can be. This actually might be the perfect spot for one.. it sits on a huge outdoor area that is beautiful kept by the Estate and their team. The estate itself was spacious and clean. We made significant cuts to our guest list and decided against inviting our elderly family and did not invite any children.

The wedding far exceeded my expectations. My wife and I paid for everything ourselves and we really wanted to see through that we maximized ever dollar we spent. I think we got incredible value for the services provided.

The food and drinks were amazing. We hosted an open bar and the estate bartenders set up this awesome little outdoor bar area on the patio that served our needs perfectly. Our guests, rightfully so, took advantage of the open bar. The signature cocktails (red sangria and whiskey smash) were delicious and were a great "his and her" cocktail. We got many compliments about how delicious the food was.

In the end, despite the stress that a covid wedding can bring, if you are willing to compromise a bit and are looking to have an amazing night, I give the highest recommendation to the Willowdale Estate, Kelsey, and all of their support staff that helped us have a memorable, fun, and most importantly "normal" wedding.

THANK YOU!

We originally had our wedding scheduled in March 2020 during the pandemic and then were forced to delay to August. The staff was very communicative the whole time and flexible with rescheduling from mansion season into tent season, even though we ended up with a much smaller guest count for the ceremony and reception than we originally anticipated. Kelsey was wonderful and accommodating building up to our rescheduled day and on the day of the wedding itself. Our day was absolutely perfect and the food, atmosphere, drinks, and staff were excellent. We cannot recommend Willowdale highly enough!

Willowdale Estate did an amazing job helping us to adjust our plan and still safely host a smaller number of guests at our wedding in 2020. I truly can't say enough positive things about this experience, but I will summarize a few points:
-Our wedding was intended to be in January 2021, but with the rising cases, we were worried we would be unable to host an event. We asked Willowdale to work with us to accommodate a smaller number of guests outdoors on an available date in October and they were happy to negotiate with us. We moved our event up to October, with only 3 weeks to spare. Willowdale was incredible to work with. They helped me to organize and plan everything on such short-notice.
-Safety was the number one priority- everything was cleaned/sanitized, masks were worn by all staff throughout the event, and they helped us make our guests feel comfortable during the pandemic by adhering to state guidelines.
-The food is incredible!! Every guest has been so complimentary, not just about the taste, but the quantity as well. The hors d'oeuvres just kept coming! We did a late night snack of street tacos and skull cakes and it was a huge hit! The hot cocoa is an amazing option to add and worked out well as it was quite chilly on our wedding night. The famous chocolate chip cookies live up to their reputation.
-The space is stunning- our photos around the property, in the mansion, and outside are simply beautiful.
-The staff are top notch! Working closely with Kelsey, she was responsive, accommodating, generous with her time, and well-organized. The servers, bartenders, and staff all around the mansion were amazing as well.
I saw a picture of Willowdale Estate in a magazine and I wanted to visit just for fun because it looked really pretty on the outside. It ended up being more than I imagined and it was the venue we were meant to get married at. I loved every moment of the day and the planning leading up to it; I would choose them again in a heartbeat.
Thank you!

Choosing Willowdale was the best decision we could have made. The space itself is incredibly unique, historic, beautiful and full of character! Situated in the beautiful Willowdale State Forrest, it reminded us of castles in Ireland. From beginning to end, the staff was responsive, accommodating, and easy to work with. Kelsey was our wedding planner and she was *incredible*!!!! We used their recommended vendor list, which was a huge time saver - and home run. Not to mention, the food was incredible. Our guests stayed at their sister property, the Briar Barn Inn - which was also adorable. Fireplaces in each room! Everyone said we had the most beautiful wedding they had ever attended. Couldn’t suggest this team or these locations enough. Thank you!!!!!

My husband and I got married at Willowdale Estate this past Monday. It was perfect! In every way and every aspect, just perfect! Monique was so helpful with details (amazing dresser and personality!) prior to the event and Kelsey brought it home!! She was so attentive, patient, kind, fun and over all brilliant!! My maid of honor and best friend has been a wedding coordinator for 8 years and continued to say just how amazed she was by Kelsey and how on top of everything she was! The food was out of this world!! Our guests said they haven’t had food like this at a wedding ever! The beef was so good my husband had two (a guest that didn’t come). Although our wedding was during COVID times they provided us with every possible tool to help it be smooth and safe! Every single staff member was so amazing! During the cocktail hour, as you may know, it’s hard for a bride to eat. One of the waiters continued to check in with me with everything coming out of the kitchen to make sure I got to enjoy the food! There are so many more moments like this! Now on top of the service, Willowdale is soooooo beautiful and such a magical place. All of my guests were blown away. If you are planning a wedding or any event I highly suggest that you have it here! You will not regret it!

Where should I even begin with the praises we have for Willowdale? Prior to booking our date with Willowdale, I was aware of the great reputation they had, however...I can truly say Monique, Kelsey, and the entire team at Willowdale truly went above and beyond our expectations! From the very first meeting, to our tasting, we knew we made the right choice for our venue...however, it was not until dealing with all of the uncertainty of getting married in 2020 that we TRULY realized how incredible the Willowdale team is! During all of the back and forth and uncertainties raised - Monique and the team at Willowdale were in constant communication with us. We never felt in the dark in the planning/re-scheduling process, and we truly felt they were in this WITH us . When our date (finally) came....again, Willowdale went beyond all of our expectations. Our coordinator, Kelsey, was with us every step of the way! From everything that seemingly worked against us during planning, the day of our wedding was an ABSOLUTE DREAM. It was all worth it. The day of we never once felt stressed. The staff, the food, and the venue are just exceptional. While we had to make adjustments due to new regulations, all of our guests STILL talk about how normal, but safe, everything felt. Out of town guests are still talking about how beautiful our day, and venue, were. We have such a special place in our hearts for Willowdale and look forward to coming back for their events throughout the years! If you have any questions about booking with Willowdale - we could not recommend them more. Monique, Kelsey, and the staff at Willowdale - thank you for being with us every step of the way and for making our day unforgettable.

This venue is beautiful. The staff is outstanding and go above and beyond to please the guests. The food is the best I've ever eaten at a wedding...not exaggerating. However, the wedding ceremony was held in the area just outside the building with no awning or shade covering or protection from the rain. It was 91 degrees and we literally baked. It would have been an easy fix to just move the chairs under the tent considering the excessive overwhelming heat and the closenss of the chairs. I actually had to stand under the tent during the ceremony because I felt faint. Eventually I went inside the building because I did not want to distract from the beautiful ceremony and knew I would faint from the heat.

This place is a best choice to do weddings. All though it's a confined and dark space and quite challenging to photograph a wedding, it has an old rustic ambience which makes it more special. Weddings can be done outdoors too during summer.