Josephine Butler Parks Center Reviews

We had a DREAM wedding at the JBPC. I cannot say enough about the team here and the venue!!!! Everything throughout the planning process was incredibly easy. The JBPC team was responsive, kept us updated on their inventory, and accommodated us coming in several times during the planning process. Seriously, the best venue and the best organization. Our day was executed flawlessly thanks to their above and beyond help.

We coordinate a few weddings each year at JBPC, so I speak from experience when I say that this venue is a hidden gem for DC couples! Located right along Meridian Hill Park (think: garden photo ops!), this historic buildling becomes yours for the night and the stately rooms start to feel like home. The decor has just enough character to feel special while also being neutral enough for your vision to come to life - we've seen it done up in a dozen+ different styles. Staff and in-house resources are amazing, very tuned in to each guest and making your event special. They recently upgraded the restroom facilities among other updates. Don't sleep on this venue, we love weddings at JBPC!

Josephine Butler Parks Center is a magnificent Renaissance Revival mansion next to Meridian Hill Park. Washington Parks and People – a community organization led by Josephine Butler that revived the mansion and park in the early ‘90s – uses the mansion as a community center throughout the week for numerous organizations. On the weekends, the space is rented out to weddings to help support those community programs.


The mansion has the quirks and beauty of an old house. We had our ceremony in the side garden, which is close to an apartment building. Working with the venue, our photographer, and florist, the side garden transformed into the perfect space for a spring wedding in which the building disappeared. From the garden, our guests used the front steps and portico for cocktail hour before moving upstairs to the large ballroom for the reception. The venue was the perfect size for our wedding of 72 people that enabled our guests to dance, drink on the balcony, or relax in a sideroom while playing cards. If you have a wedding under 100 guests, this venue provides a blend of old and new DC for an intimate wedding and ceremony.

My husband and I got married in January and were looking for a venue to shelter from the cold with unique architecture and not just a space we would have to fill with decorations. JBPC is wedding-ready with its beautiful interior! JBPC is also across from Meridian Park. Although it was very windy on the wedding day, having a park as an option for taking pictures was lovely. The venue planning coordinators communicated well, answered our questions, and ensured the space aligned with our wedding day vision. Thank you, Josephine Butler Parks Center, for being a memorable place for our special day :)

We have lived near the Parks Center for years and have walked by many a couple getting married there. After we got engaged, we couldn't think of a place we would rather get married. The space is gorgeous and fit our aesthetic perfectly. The evening flowed flawlessly. We had the ceremony on the second floor, cocktail hour on the ground floor, and then dinner and dancing on the second floor. The division of space made each part of the evening (ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing) feel like its own event. They even had a new fire pit on the balcony, which our guests loved. We couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else.

We got married at JBPC on October 26. We LOVED our wedding, thanks in large part to the fabulous venue. We had around 175 people for a seated dinner and used both the spaces on the second floor for dinner. We loved the warm, welcoming vibe of JBPC; we loved the Parks & People mission; we found it so easy to work with Malina and other JBPC staff that were helpful along the way. We can't recommend this venue enough.

We checked out multiple venues in DC, but none captured the vision we had for our October 19, 2019 wedding like the Josephine Butler Parks Center.

The space is beautiful enough to not need too much decoration but simple enough to be a blank canvas if you wanted to go big. We had 120 guests and it felt both spacious and intimate.

Malina was very informative and helpful and has done the wedding rodeo enough times to have answers to every question we threw at her.

And we felt especially great about using the Center because we knew we were supporting the Washington Parks!

We absolutely loved having our wedding at the Parks Center. Walking by it actually encouraged us to think about getting married for real. Malina clearly handles a lot but she was really accomodating and helpful. Since they do get a lot of business, be sure to book a long enough window for load in and prep (there ended up being a brunch the morning of our wedding that made prep start a bit late). I wouldn't recommend for anyone with a lot of elderly or disabled guests since there is a lot of stairs but otherwise it was absolutely gorgeous.

We just got married at the Josephine Butler Parks Center this past Saturday night. It is a mansion right out of a fairytale. It’s so elegant. But it’s not stuffy or overbearing. It’s really welcoming. Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park), across the street is DC’s best place for photos. When we were doing our photos we ran into 2 other wedding parties and 3 marriage proposals. Malina Eaglin was absolutely amazing. She is kind, warm, deeply knowledgeable, and really caring. She answered all of our questions and all of our parents’ questions. The venue has spectacular rooms with beautiful, classic decor. Beautiful large windows, Fireplaces, Tall ceilings, a Flowing grand staircase, and a grand balcony on the second floor overlooking the park. It also has a grand piano you can use for the ceremony or the reception. And there’s even a bridal suite on the third floor where the bride can get ready and spend some time with just her family and friends. This place is unforgettable. Make sure to put in your reservation a year and 6 months in advance. If everyone knew about this place, the wait for a wedding date would be 5 years.

Had a wonderful experience with the Washington Parks & People and the Josephine Butler Parks Center team! You will know that the fee for booking the venue goes to support a good cause - parks and park programming in Washington, D.C. - so even the experience of booking will make you feel great. The staff is friendly, helpful, and very flexible. The location is hard to beat and looks out over Meridian Hill Park. The venue is beautiful, and you can really be creative in how you configure all the space for your ceremony and reception! We felt very well taken care of before, during, and also after the event - after the wedding, they very kindly held on to some vases that we had left there by accident. Thank you so much for all your help!

We had the most wonderfully fabulous wedding at JBPC! Everything from the set up to the end was perfect. We had so many options for set up and rain plans, and it was more than perfect.

Our wedding was an August 2019 wedding with 160 people. We chose to use a preferred vendor, Timber Pizza, for our food. We hired a day-of coordinator (ANA Trio Solutions - shes the best), we used a local DJ, and we stayed at the LineDC hotel. We had a small bridal party but a LOT of family, and needed a solid, easy rain plan due to it being in DC in August.

You CANNOT get a better deal, and a more beautiful setting for a DC Wedding. Tables and chairs, as well as a number of other items, are included in the rental fee. The rental fee is literally pennies in comparison to other venues in dc, and most of those don't include any other items. A+++ for value.

The space itself is amazing - a historical DC building with roots and significance - with an amazing mission. It is amazing to help support them in their mission, while getting to celebrate your big day! When we first toured, I loved the building - it felt like it could mesh into a super formal wedding, or a casual wedding (that's what ours was). Two things that i was concerned on 1. could the space seat 160 people and would we have enough dance space, and 2. the yellow walls.
On the first concern - can it fit our people and our dancing? ABSOLUTELY YES. The space was perfect for ceremony, cocktail, and dinner and dancing. We ended up having our dance floor in the foyer upstairs under the chandelier. It made it intimate, and AMAZING for pictures. It did sort of block access to the bar, but folks navigated that fine. For seating, we had 17 tables in the main two ballrooms, and one table on the dance floor that we pulled up pre-dances -- it was seamless and easy, our catering staff took care of it. The cocktail reception was a mix of outside under the portico and inside on the two floors - it was great for folks to have a seat if they wanted, get drinks, mingle, and sign in to our guest book.
We had the ceremony outside in the garden area. With 160 folks, there was NO way to have everyone seated. Our ceremony was about 15 mins long, so we had 60 chairs placed, and had everyone else standing. it was the most magical thing to walk through a parting crowd of ALL your people. They closed in for the ceremony, then stepped back out for the recessional - it was PERFECT.

For the concern on the yellow walls - Yes, they are a buttery yellow and you know what? it ended up being AWESOME. We chose all white tablecloths, with a sage green napkin. We kept our tables simple - fork, napkin, glass, and lemoncello glass. We didn't do centerpieces, but instead had table numbers with adoptable pets on the back. The other decorations we had were greenery (from costco, HIGHLY recommended) on the mantles with pictures of our loved ones' weddings, or folks we have lost along the years (grand parents, friends etc.). It was simple, added just enough decoration, and allowed for the space to feel clean and uncluttered.
We asked our guests to wear as many bright or sparkly colors as possible, so that filled the space right up. The yellow now just looked fabulous in the background. All in all, we absolutely loved it and cannot recommend this place enough.

Malina was our coordinator, question-answerer, planning aficionado, and all around wonderful person who helped us navigate everything! She sent us floor plans and let me come tour several, several times. We talked through options and what would work, and what definitely wouldn't and helped us come up with an in-between that fit our needs. Thank You Malina for ALL your help and support!

Josephine Butler is one of my favorite locations in Washington DC for weddings. I'm a wedding photographer and know what happens "behind the scenes." When you aren't looking, the staff are busting their rears to make sure you and every vendor are taken care of. Additionally, the European vibe and location across the street from one of the choicest locations in DC. Make sure to check it out before all the dates are gone!

I am so glad that we chose Josephine Butler! Our indoor winter wedding felt glamorous, warm, and classy, and Malina and the Parks JB Center team were delightful to work with. Pictures below say a thousand words!

This is the perfect venue for small intimate weddings. We had about 100 guests and everything was perfect. The staff was professional and responsive and the surrounding area (park) is beautiful. So many wonderful areas for photos. Just be mindful parking is limited so providing transportation for guests would be ideal.

We had the best time working with Malina and the staff at Josephine Butler Parks center. The venue is beautiful, in a great location, and reasonably priced for a DC city wedding. Malina was extremely responsive and kind. The fact that the venue had beautiful tables and chairs and that the staff set them up according to our plan was a huge cost savings and made life a lot easier. I would highly recommend this venue!

The JBPC was an ideal venue for our big night! Malina was a pleasure to work with and made us feel at ease that she had everything under control (and she did!!!). This venue is the perfect place for a couple that wants an authentic DC experience without the "hotel venue" feel. Just a note - we had 135 at our wedding and it was just about the perfect size for the venue.

The JBPC is an absolute gem and such a unique spot if you have a mid-sized wedding. We couldn't be happier with how it turned out and the fantastic experience working with Malina!

My husband and I had the wedding of our dreams here. They truly went above and beyond to ensure our happiness and the space lent itself beautifully for the day. We couldn't have been happier with our venue choice and encourage all to check this place out.

Choosing to have our wedding at the Josephine Butler Parks Center was the best decision we could have made with regards to selecting our wedding venue. Besides being a gorgeous and historic building in the middle of the city that supports DC parks, the staff was beyond accommodating, helpful, responsive, and very nice! We started off working with Mackenzie, who was absolutely wonderful and then worked with Malina when Mackenzie left, who was equally wonderful and so sweet! Our wedding guests another loved the space; there was enough room to have 85 guests for a seated dinner with a dance floor in the middle of the ballroom. We made so many special and cherished memories here! Thank you for the time of our life, JBPC!

My husband and I had our wedding at JBPC in June 2017. The venue is a beautiful, historical mansion that is perfect for a small or medium-sized wedding. We hosted 115 people for a sit-down dinner and dancing, and I think that was the perfect size for the space. Malina was quick to respond to our many emails and questions, so the venue was very easy to work with. We chose some of our other vendors through JBPC recommendations and they all worked out wonderfully. We also appreciate that the venue fee is technically a donation to Washington Parks and People. One additional note- we hosted our wedding on a very hot day in June, and even though JBPC does not have central AC, their units still did a great job keeping the place cool! I would highly recommend this venue for anyone hosting a small/medium-sized wedding who wants a special, historical venue that knows how to work well with couples and their wedding vendors!

I fell in love with the Josephine Butler Parks Center during our first visit and I was so happy to hear that our wedding guests loved the venue as well! It was such a pleasure working with both Makenzie and Malina - they are so laid back and accommodating. We were able to work with excellent vendors who also had a relationship with the venue and staff, which helped a lot. Finding a downtown DC wedding venue that includes so many extras but doesn't break the bank was a true challenge; however, the JBPC did not disappoint! I cannot say enough to express my gratitude to Malina and her staff for their excellent support and professionalism over the course of our wedding planning and on the big day! The Josephine Butler Parks Center is the most perfect wedding venue in DC.....hands down!

The JBPC is a hidden wedding gem in DC! Such a steal for the price, Which was $2-3K less other venues in DC proper that we were looking at that held the same amount of guests (150). But the wedding price also came with 8 full hours of usage and all the tables and chairs that we need, no need for rentals! That saved us at least two grand right there! It was the first venue we viewed (we only toured two venues) and the one we came back to. No need to tour anymore.

Josephine Butler was the first and only venue we viewed. We were smitten with the gorgeous facade of the outside and the historic nature of the space. The interiors are gorgeous and the space is perfect for a wedding of 150 or smaller. It is intimate and unique. One of the best values, besides how responsive and supportive the team is, is the amount of furniture the space includes. The round tables and gold chairs are often expensive and hard to find when renting in a space that does not provide! Truly feel like it was the best value with the most stunning location. We took photographs in Meridian Hill park between the service and reception! Not the mention that all the vendors I used from JBPC's recommendations were solid gold with local, organic, and sustainable beliefs I also share. I couldn't be happier with this choice.

Josephine Butler Parks Center was the perfect venue for us. The location is fantastic and the building is beautiful inside and out. We barely even needed to decorate and the photos look great. We did a cocktail-style reception for roughly 175 guests and the space worked really nicely, neither too big nor too small. Another major plus? JBPC has it's own tables and chairs! Our point of contact, Makenzie, was terrific. She was super responsive and easy to work with, so we never had to worry about venue logistics at all. We got tons of compliments on the venue and would definitely recommend JBPC (and Makenzie!) to any D.C. area couples looking for a fantastic venue at a reasonable price.

The venue was everything that we were hoping for when we booked the event - with minimal effort on our part, we transformed the venue exactly what we wanted. It is truly as beautiful as the pictures.

We had our October wedding at The Josephine Butler Parks Center, and it was elegant and beautiful! We invited 150 people and ended up with 130. Everyone fit comfortably in the ballroom for the ceremony and (after a flip) dinner. We were married in front of the backside fireplace in the second floor ballroom. We hired a pianist for the ceremony music to use the Center's tuned-up piano. We used the space between the second floor stairs and the balcony as the dance floor and the other second floor room as the buffet spot.

Simple flowers laid on the mantle and candles in the fireplace where we had our vows worked perfectly and helped set the elegant mood for the night. The place was so beautiful we didn't need much by way of decor. We had the cocktail reception downstairs spread out in the two rooms and spilling onto the front porch. We had our photos taken on the second floor at ceremony spot and on the balcony, then all around outside the venue. We decorated the tops of the other fireplaces (five in all upstairs and downstairs) with family photos, flowers, or both and candles inside.

Working with the venue's team was easy and always pleasant. They made the Center accessible to us and our vendors whenever we needed by appointment to help us plan the wedding. You can bring in outside booze and vendors, as long as all the paperwork is in order, though they do have a good vendors list. I highly recommend having your wedding or any event here. Being with my love and our family and friends all decked out in a fancy place was awesome! It was us, it was DC, it was fun.

Josephine Butler Parks Center was the perfect venue for our ~140 person winter daytime wedding. Throughout the planning process, Makenzie was incredibly helpful, responsive, and flexible to make sure that our wedding day was absolutely wonderful. JBPC is centrally located and simply stunning, needing very little decoration, and also supplied all of the needed tables and chairs, saving us a lot of money. We'd highly recommend!

JBPC was the perfect venue for our December wedding! The fires burning in the fireplaces and the holiday decorations helped create the perfect ambiance for our day. The building looked beautiful and made the perfect backdrop for our photos. Makenzie was very responsive throughout our planning process.

My (new) husband and I were looking for the perfect historical DC venue to celebrate our marriage. Our first apartment was just a few blocks from Meridian Hill Park so having our wedding at Josephine Butler Parks Center was very special to us. Makenzie was amazing to work with and promptly answered all my crazy questions. The building is absolutely incredible and “classic DC.” We also loved the fact that we could give back to the city through the Parks & People nonprofit!

This is such a wonderful space! What you spend for this venue -- equivalent or less than other similar spaces, goes to benefit the important work of Washington Parks and People. So what you spend to create a meaningful, beautiful wedding day also has reach far beyond your own experience. That was incredibly meaningful to us. The large space also gave us a great deal of flexibility. We were able to stay within our budget but include our greater community by having a smaller service and dinner and then inviting guests from the DC area to join for dancing, drinks and dessert for the last several hours of the night. We were able to do all of this in one space, at JBPC.

The Josephine Butler Parks Center is an amazing venue made better by the great staff. It was great working with them to plan our wedding and couldn't have asked for a better result!

I cannot think of enough good things to say about this venue and working with Makenzie! Our Friday, fall wedding was a dream. The venue is so beautiful from the lovely greenery outside, detailed arches, crown molding, to the yellow walls and classic ballroom. Our guests raved about the JBPC! The space was a perfect fit for our wedding of just under 100 guests. We also enjoy that our venue fee went towards the wonderful work of the Washington Parks & People, and helps give back to our DC community. Also, of note, the venue fee includes a wide selection of tables and gold chiavari chairs, which most places charge a lot extra to use. Makenzie made it so easy to coordinate with our vendors, and the day carried off without a hitch. Thank you JBPC for hosting our special wedding celebration!

Absolutely gorgeous venue, great staff, and a perfect day! Makenzie is efficient, super easy to work with, and accommodated our requests with a smile. The house is beautiful and needs very little decoration (we spent little money and effort on flowers). The mix of indoor and outdoor space makes it flexible, and the ballroom is stunning when lit up and set up for dinner. We did our own music using a playlist and the venue's sound system which worked great for the ballroom during dinner and on the dance floor. All of our guests loved the space and had a wonderful time at our reception. Highly, highly recommended!

The Josephine Butler Parks Center is just a fabulous place for a wedding in any season. The rooms of this historic mansion are beautiful, especially as the sun streams in in late afternoon. The space can accommodate lots of people--we had nearly 170 guests--with ease, and the person who handles it all, Makenzie Delmotte, is superb--smart, accommodating, knowledgable, very pleasant, efficient, calming. We had a wedding ceremony, cocktails, sit down dinner and then dancing and were entirely happy with whole evening. Costwise this is a great place since the reasonable rental cost includes all round/rectangular dining tables and gold chiavari chairs you need, wireless mics, fairy lights.

We just had our wedding on Saturday and it was the most amazing day ever! The venue was absolutely beautiful, the staff had everything set up early and ready to go. The architecture is stunning and tables and beautiful chivari chairs are included the price. Compared to other venues we look at in DC I thought this was a steal. My event day wedding coordinator raved about how easy it was to work with the staff at JBPC. Makenzie was really responsive and even with the million requests I emailed her the week before the wedding she helped me stay calm and collected, letting me know we were in good hands. You should get married here!!!!

The Josephine Butler Parks Center was the space of my dreams for my wedding. Many guests commented on its beauty, and the fact that the space is so nice you don't need to have elaborate centerpieces or other decorations to dress it up. We had our cocktail hour downstairs, and then dinner and dancing was upstairs. The stairways look grand, there are fireplaces in several rooms, and everybody loved the balcony. If the weather is nice, you can also use the front lawn and side garden area. Bonus: the event fee includes tables and nice chairs! Our photographer loved shooting us around the space.

Makenzie was awesome to work with. She responded quickly to all questions during the planning process, was always cheerful, and had great advice based on other events she's done at the JBPC. She also let us stop by with our parents on a Saturday afternoon while setting up for another event to show them around and brainstorm the set-up for our wedding. Ketwanie (I hope I'm spelling that correctly) was the on-site coordinator the day of our wedding and she was also lovely to work with.

I wish I could have another event at the JBPC!

JBPC was a great value as compared to other venues in the area. It is truly a beautiful, unique, and classic setting made even better by the event coordinator's quick response times for inquiries. The ballroom was the ideal size for our 110 guests with a plated dinner. My only suggestion is to consider the time of year you are getting married as the facility does not have the strongest of air conditioning units. I highly recommend JBPC for weddings of similar size.

JBPC was a beautiful space to celebrate our wedding. So many of our guests commented on how much they loved it. The staff was responsive and helpful. We also loved the location and its proximity to Meridian Hill park (for wedding photos). It was a great deal.

We absolutely loved having our 100 person wedding at the Josephine Butler Parks Center! Since we were getting married in March, it was important to us to have a venue where the ceremony and reception could be indoors without feeling cramped. The Parks Center was perfect because it is a beautiful old mansion that has a ton of space and does not need a lot of extra decoration because of all the beautiful details. We also really liked how it balances being a formal building without being stuffy, which really fit our “classic but irreverent DC” wedding theme. Makenzie, the events coordinator, was really easy to work with and was flexible with the rehearsal and bringing in decorations. Josephine Butler Parks Center is a really popular wedding venue, which means many vendors are familiar with it. We found the familiarity to be a huge bonus, and it really minimized the stress of organizing vendors and other wedding details. There are many reasons why we love and would recommend the Parks Center, but the best one is knowing that some of the rental fee helps support their work to make DC a better place.

Josephine Butler Parks Center is absolutely gorgeous -- it's the perfect historic DC mansion, but at a third of the price of other local venues with the same idea. Plus, your fees go to support Washington Parks and People, which helps maintain the Parks and the Parks Center (which helps many of the other nonprofits housed in the venue as well!) A stunning location with a purpose? Perfect!

We held our wedding there this past weekend and I cannot say enough about how perfect it was. The staff at JBPC is incredible, on top of it and totally helpful in whatever way they can be. Makenzie Delmotte is absolutely amazing to work with -- responsive, helpful, hilarious, and always ready to do whatever she can to make your wedding experience as positive as she can.

Everyone has been talking about how unique and gorgeous the venue was - and that it provided the most perfect intimate and elegant wedding atmosphere. All of the other vendors have raved about how wonderful it was to work there, and all of our friends couldn't stop going on about how it was the perfect location within the city.

I couldn't imagine having my wedding at any other place. It was absolutely fabulous!

We held our wedding reception at the Josephine Butler Parks Center and it was the most perfect day. I knew I wanted to have our reception at one of the historic houses in Washington but with our large guest list (175) I wasn't able to find anything that wasn't chopping up our space into smaller rooms. Until I found the Josephine Butler Mansion - we were able to have a cocktail reception using the entire upstairs ballroom and gallery and used the portico and stairway apron as our dance floor. Our reception started at 2:30 and went until 7:00 - we had the beautiful afternoon light flooding through as we made our entrance, and exited to a sparkler filled walkway in the night sky. Views of Meridian Hill Park met our guests and the house itself provided such a beautiful background for our day. Makenzie Delmotte, the on-site manager, is amazing to work with. She genuinely cared about every aspect of our day and making sure that everything was exactly as we hoped.

In addition to including 150 chevari charts, the charming architectural elements of the house make it so that extra decorating costs/effort are superfluous. We were able to use the inherent beauty of the space to create an elegant atmosphere for our day. Makenzie also referred us to several of the vendors we used.

The JBPC is such a unique venue--the building has so much character and provides so many rooms for your guests to enjoy. All of our guests LOVED this venue, for its beauty and charm. It was perfect for our ceremony, since the room was so beautify on it's own it required minimal decorations. During cocktail hour, our guests went downstairs, while my husband and I went across the street to Meridian Hill Park. This was great, because we didn't have to miss much of the party since we did photos so close by!

For our reception, we used one of the upstairs rooms for a photo booth room, another for the bar. had the doors open to the balcony, and used the ball room for dinner and dancing. We had about 75 guests in total and there was more than enough space. Having all the tables/chairs and speakers at the JBPC was incredibly convenient---it saved us time and money. My husband and I actually had 2 DJs fall through, so we decided to use an iPod and hook it up to the medium-speaker system. It worked out perfectly!

Also, the special events manager, Makenzie, is amazing to work with--she is incredibly responsive and helpful! The day-of staff were very helpful as well. I honestly can't say enough about how much I love the JBPC and how happy I am that we chose this place for our wedding venue.

My husband and I decided to host our wedding here after visiting various sites and locations in DC and deciding that this one was by far the most beautiful, and the staff was hands down the most helpful out of anyone else that we met. Working with JBPC staff was like hiring a wedding coordinator but without the price. They have hosted so many events here that they are able to answer all your questions and provide you with referrals to make this as easy as possible for an event where you bring in your own catering. It allows for you to manage to price point and vision of the wedding to tailor your exact needs, without being stressful because of all the help you get along the way. Plus it is a stunning atmosphere and the money to rent the venue out goes back to the JBPC organization which is a great way to support local NGO's in DC. Love this venue!

We hosted our pre-wedding function called a Henna/Sangeet at the Parks Center. It was an exceptional experience and I am so pleased with how well our event turned out. Parks Center was where I had always wanted this event however I was informed they would be going through a renovation where my date would coincide. I went ahead and booked a different venue which ended up shutting down just 2 months before our event. As a bride, you can imagine the panic I was going through. As I had to find a new venue, I decided to put my chances on the Park Center in case that renovation did not occur. And I am so glad I took that chance because the Parks Center was in fact available! We met with Makenzie and immediately knew she would be very easy to work with. Through those 2 months prior to our event, Makenzie was informative, professional and very responsive. The actual day of our event, Makenzie went above and beyond to help us out and made sure our event went perfectly. She made the day fun and made sure it was always stress free for me! We are so happy that other venue shut down because having our Sangeet at the Josephine Butler Parks center was just magical!!

Amazing venue with fantastic, responsive and flexible staff. We had such a lovely wedding at the JBPC. I highly recommend!!

From the moment we walked in for a tour, we knew the Josephine Butler Parks Center was the place for our wedding. Beautiful, historic and elegant, without a "stuffy" feel was exactly what we were going for. As a person who has worked for nonproft organizations her entire career, the mission of Washington Parks and People and the other organizations housed in the building sealed the deal. Makenzie is wonderful to deal with - she is responsive, professional and nice to boot. The on-site staff the day off made things run smoothly and were also great to work with. The venue is flexible about how you use the space and clear about what parameters you need to follow. There are a variety of table sizes you can use in the inventory, as well as nice chavali chairs included in the price. We were able to have our liquor delivered with no issues and have the caterer of our choice. If you have to get your own liquor license (as we did), the venue is super helpful with directions. We utilized both the upstairs and downstairs space and our guests had only wonderful things to say about the look and feel of the building. The whole venue looks great in photographs too! I am only sad that I won't be a regular visitor now that our wedding date has passed. Thanks to the whole team at the Parks Center for helping make our day so special.

Unlike much of wedding planning, JBPC is a great value for your money. The staff is thoughtful and helpful. We were told to visit the venue as much as we needed. They were prompt at answering questions. The venue is beautiful and added to the quality of the pictures. I would highly recommend JBPC for all reasons!

JBPC was the perfect place for our wedding. I agree with what most of the other reviews here have said, so I will just add a few notes about what separates this space from others in the DMV.

Pluses:
- Amazing value for the downtown DC location
- Beautiful, old mansion that doesn't need a lot of additional decor. let their crown modeling, fireplaces and pretty wall colors do the work!
- Park across the street for great photos
- Can bring in own alcohol and save a ton of money
- Makenzie is lovely, super flexible and responsive (we walked through the space several times before hand; dropped off items the day before; stopped by the day after the wedding -- everything was easy!)
- Your money supports a great non-profit

Things to be aware of
- We had a 120 guests and I found it pretty crowded, I know people fit more people in there, but I think it would be tight.
- No parking lot (there are some spots in the back, but I wouldn't count on them; our caterer used them but no one else could get in there day of; it was a Sunday and everyone found street parking, but you need guests who can deal with this)

My husband and I rented the Josephine Butler Parks Center for our September 2015 wedding. For us, the decision was partly sentimental; we got engaged in Meridian Hill Park and we love to go there on weekends. But even taking that into account, the Parks Center would have been our top choice relative to the other venues we looked at. It's a beautiful space that's flexible enough to accommodate a ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and serious dance party; the Parks Center includes rentals like tables and chairs; and as a bonus, having an event in the space supports a host of terrific non-profits.

Everything that happened after we rented the Parks Center validated our decision to have our wedding there. Makenzie Delmotte, the events coordinator, was wonderful, responding to emails incredibly promptly, being helpful, funny, and generally comforting in the lead-up to the day itself. The space just shone; we had flowers and candles, but didn't need to do much else to make things beautiful. The Parks Center staff took great care of our vendors and guests, and the transition between ceremony, cocktails, dinner, and dancing was seamless. Makenzie even left us a lovely note and got my parents their deposit back basically immediately after the wedding. I can't imagine a nicer place to get married in Washington.

We found the Josephine Butler Parks Center facility itself lovely, historic, in the best urban way; and beautifully situated next to its lovely city park, perfect for guests and photos. The space lends itself, with the help of the staff's brilliant catering and other recommendations, readily suitable for ceremony and reception all in one place, saving time and travel for guests. Set up and transition were seamless, with a skilled site manager on hand. The grand staircase is lovely for entrances, and the balconies make for great little quieter reception areas, photos, etc. Throughout, Makenzie Delmotte, special events manager, and her team were gracious, enthusiastic, warm, and spot-on. A lovely occasion for us. Thank you.

This was the perfect venue for us! From my first email asking for information to the lead up to my wedding day, the staff was very responsive and helpful in answering all of my questions. The venue offers a lot of flexibility in how you set up your events. It was also really helpful that tables and chairs are included in the rental price, saving you money, and the hassle of dealing with an additional vendor. They were very flexible when it came to scheduling walk-throughs with vendors, or if I needed to just take another look at the space. I would highly recommend it the Josephine Butler Parks Center for any event.

The Josephine Butler Center was a wonderful location for our wedding! We wanted to have a small wedding and opted for a Sunday Morning "Brunch" event. This allowed us to do a few things. We kept the invite list to just close family and friends - total guest list was 50 people. We wanted very much to be able to talk and visit with each of our guests throughout the weekend and at the wedding itself. With 50 guests the venue was perfect. We had 6 tables (seating 8 people each) and a sweetheart table. The space was large enough to give us tons of room but small enough to feel intimate. We hosted the actual wedding ceremony in the Park (Meridian Hill Park) so the only set up that occurred that morning was the reception tables and chairs. The vendors had access to the Venue at 8:00am and they were set up and ready to go by 9:30. It looked so beautiful. The room itself gets a ton of light so it feels very spacious, and with the use of the balcony for the bar, people were able to move about easily. The Center also provides all tables (both dining and cocktail) and chairs, the microphone, access to an ipod hook-up and seating chart easel. Nearly everything we needed was included and the best part is that we had the entire house to ourselves. There were no other events taking place at the same time so it felt incredible private. The Sunday morning option was significantly cheaper than a Sat night option. We rented the space from 8:00 - 3:00pm and that includes 2 hours for set up and one hour for clean up. It was plenty of time and we enjoyed every aspect of our wedding day!

A charming and beautiful venue for a wedding. My daughter had her ceremony (outdoor garden) and reception there. We had about 100 guests and everything worked very well. No need for a lot of decorating. This place is pretty stunning both inside and out on it's own. Our event manager was extremely helpful and easy to work with (Thanks Makenzie).

This was the perfect place for our wedding, right down the street from where we met and a short cab (or metro) ride from anywhere downtown. The folks at the JBPC were great to work with and very flexible. We liked that we were in charge of catering and alcohol, as that saved us a lot of money compared to working with a venue that locked us in to buying food and booze from them. Luckily, there weren't any events in the space the day before the wedding, so we were able to bring a lot of items (beverages, flowers, etc.) in the day before, which was a huge time saver and made the logistics a lot easier. Everything was great on the day of the event, the space looked beautiful and was exactly what we had in mind. Could not recommend the JBPC more highly!

We selected the Josephine Butler Parks Center as our wedding venue and we're so glad we did! The venue is wonderful and Makenzie, the special events manager, answered all our questions timely and made us feel comfortable throughout the wedding planning process. We loved the layout of the building and decided to have our ceremony on the balcony, cocktail hour downstairs, and the reception in the ballroom. We had a little under 100 guests at our wedding, a great size for this venue. Staff at this venue are very flexible to your needs and are very helpful. All in all, we had an awesome experience and definitely recommend this venue.

The Josephine Butler Parks Center was a fabulous venue for our wedding and we couldn't have been happier with the space itself, as well as the personal support we received from Makenzie, who coordinates all of the weddings there. The historic mansion is absolutely gorgeous with its hard wood floors, high ceilings, and balconies; natural light floods every room. We had minimal decorations because the space was elegant on its own - we had table arrangements, pictures frames and votive candles on the mantel places, and cafe lights strung across the dance floor. All of our guests commented on how beautiful the JBPC was.

Aside from the space itself, Makenzie could not have been more enjoyable to work with. She knows the space incredibly well, so had wonderful suggestions and ideas for floor plans. Additionally, she is extremely warm and personable; she was professional and communicative and also got to know us and supported us in every way she could. We loved her! She made the experience of wedding planning so positive!

Josephine Butler Parks Center provided the most beautiful backdrop for our brunch wedding! The way the morning light filters in through windows is just magical, and we received so many compliments about the space! Makenzie was a pleasure to work with as well. My husband and I were planning our wedding from a distance, and Makenzie helped us think through how best to use the space, patiently answered our endless list of questions, and accommodated us whenever we were in town and wanted to do a walkthrough.

The JBPC was the perfect choice for our wedding reception. The staff was extremely kind, efficient, patient, & helpful. The center is such a beautiful place. You essentially get the entire building, so it was perfect for our cocktail hour downstairs and dinner/dancing upstairs. There's even a "secret staircase" that the couple can use to get up to the private bridal suite when entering from the back. This allows you to have a moment of solitude before joining the reception. You also get to use their tables, Chiavari chairs, sound system (although I'd suggest having the DJ bring their own), and more when you get the wedding package. Many places make you rent this inventory for extra, but the JBPC just puts it all in their affordable package!

We had 96 people at our wedding, and used 12 of their 5ft round tables and sat 8 people at each. It was comfortable in the large dining hall without being crowded. We also had our wedding in the middle of summer, and we lucked out with the weather. It was hot but not overbearing the way summers in DC can be. Still, with that many people in one space at once, it does get hot. Our paper fan programs from the ceremony definitely came in handy!

Finally, I have to say I love that the center is run by Washington Parks and People. Their website reads, "We want the Center to become a lasting state-of-the-art 'greenhouse' for revitalizing and reconnecting diverse community green spaces across metropolitan Washington." How cool is that? I love that my money also went to such a great cause and place, not just another business like a hotel. My husband and I would definitely recommend them to anyone that asks!

PROS:
Gorgeous space; Affordable; Great staff; $ goes to a good cause; Inventory (tables, chairs, etc.) included in price; Private bridal suite; A ton of space; Next to Meridian Hill Park (great photo op!)

CONS:
Can get hot in summer; Not wheelchair accessible; Limited parking; No mid-event flip

My husband and I booked with the Parks center with the last two event coordinators. They got some iffy reviews for communication. When I heard they had both left and someone new had taken over I was nervous- but I couldn't have been happier to work with Makenzie. She was incredibly responsive and made me feel very confident that they could accommodate ideas and things I was nervous about. She answered emails quickly and was super pleasant to work with. She accommodated difficult last minute requests and made everything work smoothly!

The JBPC lets you bring in your own collection of vendors- which was a really fun way to personalize our wedding. We loved that we weren't getting a package- and we were able to get creative and save some money by brining in outside people. The venue was beautiful and the day of staff contact person was great. The building itself is stunning and they've just added a beautiful outside side lawn for first looks, pictures, or even your ceremony. Having chairs and tables included in the price is a huge money saver!

My husband and I were married at the Parks Center a month ago, and we could not be more pleased with the experience we had there. It was really easy to find a time when we could go check out the building, and all of the event staff that we worked with was really professional and able to answer any questions that we had. I was doing a lot of our planning and the special events manager Makenzie was great about responding to my emails and even asking me questions to make sure that there weren't details of my planning that I was forgetting. She also worked with me to find a good time for our rehearsal and to load in some of our reception the night before the wedding, which took removed a lot of the stress that I was having.

It's a *gorgeous* building, and it was really the perfect setting for our brunch wedding. The wedding package included all the tables, chiavari chairs, sound system, and a ton of other things. All of our guests were extremely impressed with the building, the staff, and with how many things were included in the wedding package. Doing a wedding in DC can cost a fortune, and we felt like the Parks Center was really a steal of a deal--plus we were really happy that we were helping to support Washington Parks and People. It was truly one of the best decisions we made to have our wedding there.

We have just started the planning process for our fall 2016 wedding and we couldn't be more pleased with this venue so far. Not only is the setting the perfect spot for our city wedding (an elegant mansion right across the street from the prettiest park in the city!) but the price is so reasonable for our day time event! Mackenzie has been incredibly responsive and easy/fun to work with. We are so excited to continue the planning process for our wedding and can not wait for our big day :)

The Josephine Butler Parks Center is a beautiful place and a deal for the price! We had our wedding here in May and the staff were great about responding to our inquiries and random questions about the venue (dimensions, additional site visits, etc.) in a timely fashion. They were more than happy to help! Never in working with the Parks Center did anyone tell us that something couldn't be done - they found ways to make it work. The customer service was incredible!

Makenzie was extremely helpful and a wonderful resource as we got close to the big day - helping to make sure that the staff on the day of the event was prepared and responsive to our every need. We loved the site and would recommend it over and over to friends and family for their big events or parties.

Gorgeous venue and very affordable compared to other event spaces in the Washington, D.C.-area that aren't your cookie cutter banquet hall-type spaces. It's located directly across the street from Meridian Hill Park and has early-20th century architecture (crown molding, hardwood floors, a ton of natural light) -- absolutely stunning. My fiance' and I visited a handful of event spaces and this was the only one that gave me the "warm and fuzzy" feeling just from walking up to it. Makenzie, the event coordinator, is extremely helpful and responds to e-mails/phone calls in a timely manner! If you are scouting event spaces for your ceremony/reception in the D.C.-area, definitely take some time to check this place out.

Josephine Butler Parks Center is a fantastic and affordable venue in the heart of Washington DC. The staff were friendly and flexible and the venue is so beautiful. Perfect for a wedding of any size.

We had few options for our budget in DC. We had about 130 people. I found this venue by googling "affordable venues in DC" and we fell in love once we visited. It is so beautiful, whether you're having a day or night event. Ours was at night, and it poured rain. People said it was magical looking when they arrived in the rain! We barely did any interior decorating because it didn't need it. There are plenty of great photo opps in and around the venue. It's also very convenient. It's about 15 min walk from the metro, so with women wearing heels, we suggested people cab, and then we had valet parking out front. Other reviews said the bathrooms were an issue, but there are 3 and then one in the bridal suite. Our guests said they never waited in long lines. The staff, we worked mainly with Mai, was all extremely responsive and helpful. There were two event coordinators on site during the event who were running around making sure all was right. My husband and I grew up near DC and never knew about this place. It's a hidden gem and we highly recommend it!

This is a beautiful venue!!! My husband and I wanted a place with character. The Butler center is gorgeous, classy, historic, and charming. Our friends loved exploring the gorgeous mansion during our reception. The terrace area overlooks Meridian Hill Park, one of the highlights of the wedding for our guest was spending time at the terrace. When you book the Josephine Butler mansion, you get to use all the space, first floor, ballroom, huge terrace, and a room across the ballroom (we used it for our bar, video booth and buffet).

Their price is one of the most affordable in DC, right in the heart of the city, your guests can walk to 14th street for your afterparty (which we did). Wedding guest still talk about the beauty of the place. It photographs beautifully. The place has chandeliers, fireplaces, DC art, a grand piano thus decorating it was not difficult as it was already breathtaking.

You get tables and the popular chiavari chairs for free when you book the place. Their wedding coordinators Mai and Abby are excellent, very responsive, flexible and kind. We received our full deposit back within a week after our wedding.

Honest, kind, flexible and gorgeous!




Go visit the venue, they hold weekly tours :)

We used the Center for an evening reception on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014. We had 150 guests and went with a buffet reception and cocktail/dance party with unassigned seating for 60-70 guests. We used all of the available space, upstairs and downstairs, and if the weather had been warmer, we would have used the outdoor space as well. More than a few of our guests said it was the best wedding they've ever attended and that the space was perfect.

Originally, our biggest concern about the space was the limited number of bathrooms (2-3 single occupancy bathrooms) given the size of our reception. However, it wasn't an issue the night of the event. Nobody complained (to us, at least), and the lines were never more than 2-3 people long.

We couldn't be happier with our selection of the Josephine Butler Parks Center. The space is gorgeous and hardly needs any decoration. The site is a great value, and tables and chairs and other items like limited A/V equipment are included in the cost. Abby and Mai were very helpful throughout the process and made sure that our questions were answered quickly. The event hosts who staffed our event were exceptional and made sure that everything ran smoothly. The staff also helped us arrange for taxis to be available at the end of the night for our guests. Best of all, the Center is run by a local nonprofit that does great work in our city, and it meant a lot to us to be able to give back.

We used mainly vendors from the Center's suggested list and we think that made things smoother, as everyone was already familiar with the venue, the staff, and the logistics of setting up there. These include Catering by Seasons, Bialek's Music, and Victoria Ruan Photography.

We would highly recommend this venue to anyone looking for a great location in the heart of DC.

We just had our wedding at the Josephine Butler Parks Center and it was amazing. First of all, it's really the best bang for your buck in DC. If you're looking for a 150 person venue in DC, this one is way cheaper than Dumbarton or Meridian Center or any of the other options. We worked mostly with Abby who was really great. The JPBC allows you to do a ton of stuff that most venues will not even consider. If you want a personalized wedding and want to pick all your vendors and decorations etc, this is the place for you. We hung pictures of ourselves in one of the rooms and had a DVD playing of our other (Israeli) wedding in a different room. We had our ceremony outside under the portico, then our cocktail reception on the first floor, and our banquet/dancing on the second floor. it was great to have everything in one place.
Keep in mind, it is small. We had 130 guests and it was perfect. If you are closer to 150 guests, I would not recommend this venue for you. The best thing about this venue is that it comes with EVERYTHING. The chairs, tables, even the sound system come with the venue so you don't have to rent anything. They also have an event manager on hand on your wedding day who can help with set up. One of the absolute best things about this venue is that they basically let you come by anytime to see it. I was able to check out the venue and different rooms many times before my wedding. I didn't have to make any serious meetings with the staff there to do this--they just allow it. It's really great because you can really plan things. Some venues let you come check out the place like once before your wedding. Lastly, I'll just say that it's a beautiful space. Sometimes when you're in the space during the week you can't quite get that vibe. I had thought I needed a bunch of decorations to make the space beautiful. Find some linens that complement the yellow walls and it will look stunning!

We wanted a location in our neighborhood and close to the ceremony venue, but so many places were out of our price range. We were happy to discover the Josephine Butler Parks Center was just a few blocks from our church, St. Augustine, and that it is non-profit, so we felt good about what our money was going towards. The staff is very accommodating and the layout of the space was perfect for our non-sitdown reception. Even though we didn't have sit-down meal, we were able to fit plenty of seating for guests and could easily transform the space into the dance floor when the time came. The venue fit our personalities and was flexible enough to fit our vision. It also has a great view of Meridian Hill park. So happy we discovered it!

We don't have enough good things to say about the venue. Not only is it gorgeous and unique, but the staff there is phenomena -shout out to Maia and Carl Jackson. They both really work with you to make your vision happen. It has great indoor and outdoor space and there are tons of nooks and crannies to add some festive/personal decor. The venue was my favorite part of our wedding!

We just had an amazing wedding at the Josephine Butler Parks Center. We had about 90 guests, an indoor ceremony, a tapas-style meal and dancing at our 3 p.m. Sunday wedding. The parks center was a great choice for us as the money spent on the venue goes right back into protecting the green spaces in DC. We were also able hang photos and a banner to decorate the South Gallery and end the night with a sparkler send-off. The bar needed to be indoors due to the wind but still worked out great and our vendors really enjoyed working with Abby Snyder, program manager at the parks center. The light-filled rooms and green trees just outside provided a gorgeous backdrop for all our photos, with few decorations needed, and we were able to take family photos on the front steps amidst the beautiful columns and arches. We would definitely recommend having your wedding here!

This venue is FABULOUS!!!! Such a hidden gem for the price. The venue requires minimum decorating and has ample space, furniture, and supplies.
Parking is a bit of a mess, but you can reserve spaces on the street through MPD, (police department)

The Josephine Butler Parks Center is a gift to the DC community, and the mansion was a beautiful and welcoming venue for our daughter's wedding. Abby, the program manager, was extraordinarily helpful and flexible, and was there to help with logistics from initial planning (recommendations for caterers, rental agencies, etc.) to the final minutes of winding down the reception. Carl, who hosted us the day/evening of our wedding, was professional and supportive (calming!) throughout the event. The Center provides tables and Chiavari chairs, and provides setup and take down service as part of the rental. This was a DIY wedding, with parents of the bride living hundreds of miles away. They made it perfect for us.

This has got to be by far the best place to get married in the DC area.

First, it's the cheapest place I found, and the rental includes a sound system, tables and chairs, PPT projector and screen, and everything we needed. We didn't rent anything extra. Second, the money you pay to rent the space actually goes to support non-profit parks and youth programs.

Third, the mansion is gorgeous-- simple elegance, lots of light, fireplaces, very easy to decorate beautifully at minimal cost, smaller rooms on the first floor (we used them for a photo booth and slide show), large ballroom upstairs, separate places for the bride(s) and groom(s) to get dressed, secret staircases and rooms to hide in prior to the ceremony, and a baby grand piano. We had plenty of space to do our ceremony and reception here, with food, bar and dancing.

Fourth, the staff took good care of us. I was planning a surprise piano serenade for the wedding, and I was allowed to stop by the mansion any time I wanted to practice on their piano (which they had tuned just for me). We were concerned about the temperature at our winter wedding, but it was perfect inside. Maybe the only slight issue is very limited parking, but that was not a problem for us.

I was completely satisfied with this venue. It provided us a beautiful backdrop for our wedding, while being subtle enough so that we and our ceremony were the highlight.

The Josephine Butler Parks Center was a perfect venue for us.

For our wedding, we sought a venue with lots of character that could host both the ceremony and reception, was located in a fun DC neighborhood, and would not break our budget. The Josephine Butler Center proved to be all these things. The space is beautiful and versatile. We were able to configure the space in a way that suited our wedding's needs, with the helpful suggestions of Alison at the Center. The staff at the Center also did a great job working with our caterers (Eat & Smile Foods) to set up the space before the ceremony (and to flip one of the rooms to the reception configuration). We were also able to do very minimal decorations for the wedding because the venue itself was so distinctive. Using the balcony during the afternoon reception was also fantastic. The location also proved to be great because it was easily accessible by cab, car, bus, and Metro, while also providing access to Meridian Hill Park. Finally, for all the space that you get, the rental fee for the Parks Center is really quite reasonable.

The only thing that was not perfect was a rather small issue. The day before our wedding we scheduled a short rehearsal in the main ballroom. Unfortunately, the folks in charge of a wedding scheduled that night were also told they could the ballroom at that time. We were all kind of in each others way, but ultimately were able to both do what we needed to do.

We are extremely happy that we picked the Josephine Butler Center for our wedding.

Alison and the rest of the staff at the Josephine Butler Parks Center were awesome and very professional. The Center is a gorgeous place for a wedding, and a really great value. We used the entire space, and they were cool with us setting up one room as a kids room with games and toys and babysitters, one room as cocktail hour room, and then we had upstairs the ballroom and the buffet line room. So, tons of space, and if the weather is nice, there's an outdoor patio on the second floor. It's just a beautiful backdrop for a wedding. We did a very DIY wedding, and Alison was very flexible with us in allowing us to buy some extra hours the day-of for set-up.

Josephine Butler is a gorgeous historic house tucked between Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan. There's relatively little parking, but the venue is a steal! Rental cost for the venue includes tables, linens (if you like white), gold chivari chairs, and dishes. The rooms have been recently refurbished and the light the place gets in the afternoon is absolutely gorgeous through the large windows.

If you're looking for the appeal of a historic house without the price tag of a small museum or private club, this is the place to get married. Alison Grace, the new event coordinator is a delight to work with and was super-flexible. She even let our florist and lighting designer visit the building after hours to see what spotlights would need to be placed for our evening reception. Likewise, we were able to light candles, switch out the artworks, and have the run of the place for 10 hours on a Saturday–all things that seem next to impossible at many historic venues in DC.

Bonus: Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park is across the street, which makes for a lovely location for formal pictures.

This is a gem of a place if you want to do your own wedding and save money. The house sparkles and gleams and would cost at least double the price at a more full service venue.

I found the staff responsive and helpful - they really want you to have a good experience - but they work part time and they don't know how everything works - like the sound system they provide.

This is fantastic, beautiful place and excellent value for money.

Steve and his wife were so hospitable and generous and pulled out all the stops for our afternoon wedding in October! The space is beautiful and well maintained - just charming and I will never forget walking down that grand stairway to the ceremony!

This was an incredible team to work with. Not only in JBPC affordable and beautiful, but the park center went above and beyond to make our day special. On the night of the rehearsal it was raining quite heavily and the park staff not only were available to help us with everything we needed, but provided umbrellas.

We had a small health emergency, and staff was on hand to make sure our guests were okay.

This ended up being the perfect place for our wedding, and we couldn't have been happier with it. The value is truly amazing, given other spots in DC that aren't nearly as nice charge significantly more. All in all, the JBPC was a huge part of what made our wedding day so special and fun.

Perfect venue for our wedding. The sun was shining and the spaces helped us create a special environment for both our ceremony and reception. Makenzie is a delight to work with also - professional, calm and always friendly and helpful. The Josephine Butler Parks Center is impressive, while not being stuffy and precious like many venues.

My daughter held her wedding and reception at the Josephine Butler Parks Center. The venue is beautiful. We had use of the first two floors including the terrace overlooking Meridian Hill Park. The architecture is beautiful and needs little added decor. They provided tables and chairs and a day of host. It's a perfect setting.

The Josephine Butler Parks Center is an amazing place to have a wedding. The price is affordable, and the building is absolutely gorgeous. The entryway is a great place for photos, as is the new grassy area they have recently added to the side of the building. The interior is so open and full of natural light. As with any older building not originally intended for this purpose, there were some minor challenges when deciding which rooms to use for which parts of the reception. Totally worth the effort. The people who work in the building were very experienced and were able to advise us on how to use the space effectively. We ended up actually liking how the dance floor was a little bit separated from, while still adjacent to, the dining area. We felt like it encouraged more people to dance since it didn't feel like people seating in the dining area were gawking at them. It also allowed for people who were seated to be able to hold a conversation without having to shout. The balcony was an awesome place to situate a bar so people could enjoy a drink out in the fresh air.

The Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park across the way is also a great place for photos, but be sure to get there early if you want photos by the fountains. We got there around 4:30pm and there were already three other brides waiting. We ended up finding other beautiful places in the park to take photos. I'm sure this is less of a problem in off-months.

We had a great wedding at the Josephine Butler Center. The staff there was very professional and accomodating. It was so wonderful to know that our money was going to support Washington Parks and People. The space is gorgeous and doesn't need much decorations. Due to rain we had a last minute change to move our ceremony indoors and the staff was incredibly helpful to make this happen. People said it was "one hell-of-a backup plan". We highly highly recommend this venue.

Despite the high sweat investment I made, this venue was an excellent choice for my wedding. Makenzie was a pleasure to work with. Although hard to reach by phone, she was always responsive by email. The beautiful place needs minimal decoration (one source of savings) and has multiple spaces to make it easy to hold different functions in different rooms. We were able to have a very elegant wedding at a huge savings (about $106 per person for rental, food, service, and alcohol whereas the minimum for DC hotels is about $175 when you add up the taxes and mandatory service fees). We did pictures in the beautiful adjacent park. The down side was it was a lot of work to get the liquor license, alcohol, a food caterer, and a rentals/service caterer. (Make sure you have enough lead time or time off to plan! I did it in 6 months working 40-60 hours a week at my business--not recommended. I almost had a nervous breakdown.) My guests commented that it felt like going to someone's home, and we had a unique, memorable wedding, one that many called "the best wedding I ever attended."

The Josephine Butler Parks Center was a dream venue, and the staff was easy to work with, responsive, and so helpful the day of the wedding. I keep telling people I don't know why anyone gets married anywhere else in DC! It's a great value for the money -- beautiful setting, tables/chairs/AV equipment included, and friendly staff.

They had some turnover over the year that we were engaged, but Makenzie, their current events coordinator, is fantastic.

The bridal suite was wonderful. Very spacious, a full length mirror, a powerful air conditioner (which is definitely helpful when you're getting stuffed into a pouffy dress and it's 80 degrees), and a huge bathroom.

We got so many compliments on the choice of venue. We barely did anything to decorate because it's such a gorgeous building.

The high ceilings mean it's a bit of a climb to the second floor which was tough for a couple of our older guests. However, they are working on installing an elevator, and once that happens, there will be literally nothing wrong with this place.

Technically, you aren't allowed to load anything into the venue until your reserved time, but our day of coordinator asked anyway, and we were able to bring things in the day before and store it in the basement. This was a huge help. It might not always be possible because they regularly have other events scheduled, but it's worth an ask.

Overall, I don't think we could have dreamed of a better place to get married.

We had a wonderful time working with the Josephine Butler Parks Center over the last several months in preparation for our wedding reception this past weekend. Not only was the space absolutely gorgeous, but they were very flexible with decor and how we used the space. We were a large group so we used the whole place- including the upstairs bridal suite as a babysitting room, and the conference room as a play room for kids. We loved that there was outdoor space- a large balcony and some seating at the front- for people to enjoy the lovely weather. Mai, the even coordinator, was great throughout the process- responsive to our questions and had great suggestions from past events about layouts and set up. She was also friendly and responsive to our caterers and other vendors, which helped coordination a lot. On the day of, Mai was flexible on when we could get into the venue to set up. The site coordinators- the people who were at the event, in charge and helping out through the evening-were wonderful as well, helpful, warm, and there when we needed them, without being ovewhelming.

The only concern we had before the event was that there weren't very many bathrooms for our large party (165 guests). But, actually, we had no problems with lines at all. I guess the placement of the bathrooms (two downstairs, one on the busy upstairs level, and one in the third floor bridal suite) manages the flow of traffic well.

We both work for non-profits, and it was an important feature for us that the parks center was a community-focused non-profit that supported other non-profits, but you would never know it from the space itself, which is regal yet warm, and very, very well maintained (including newly installed air conditioning!).

Our guests couldn't say enough about how lovely the space was and we're so happy with the overall experience. Thanks once again to Mai and everyone who helped us!

The Parks Center provided just the right ambiance for our wedding. The price is really good for the area, especially since chairs and tables are included.

Abby, the events manager, was very pleasant to work with. She also was really flexible when we asked for a couple of exceptions to minor rules about using the center.

Abby wasn't as responsive as some of our other vendors (it would take a few days to hear back on an email), but it wasn't a big deal. I think the growth of the Parks Center's popularity has exceeded the staff there. I think I heard that they just added another person to the events staff.

Everyone raved about the venue, which is kind of how I felt about it, too. The natural light is so beautiful, and it's great that people can spread out over the two levels and the outdoor space.

The terrace was extremely popular -- we left it open except for a couple of high-top tables, and guests were out there all night chatting and enjoying the weather. A few tables and chairs were left in the circular driveway, and a lot of people enjoyed sitting out there during cocktail hour. The only slight downside is that there are only two bathrooms, which can make for a few lines.

All in all, we had a great time there, and I definitely recommend it.

The Parks Center was such a phenomenal choice for our brunch wedding this past September! The venue was a perfect fit for the approximate 110 people who attended and the building and surroundings are quite beautiful. We were relieved the outdoor space was able to accommodate the ceremony and the main ballroom’s windows provided such great natural light during our daytime reception. However, I think we and our guests took more pictures on the balcony than any other location onsite (haha)! We loved the fact that we could bring in outside vendors and were able to build a unique celebration. Malina and the Parks Center staff were very responsive, professional, and accommodating throughout the entire process and we are grateful we chose this venue for our wedding.

My husband (!!!) and I absolutely loved having our wedding at JBPC! It's a gorgeous, flexible space with so much charm, warmth, and natural beauty. The staff at the Parks Center is wonderful to work with, and it's a great deal compared to other venue in the city proper! The only thing I would note - they list their seated capacity at 150, but we had around 120 and I truly can't see much more than that fitting comfortably.

We held our wedding last weekend at the JBPC and it was the perfect night. This venue is a great location and a great deal in DC. The included equipment, multiple options for space, and proximity to Meridian Hill park make it a great place to be.

A couple of things to be aware of: once the piano is in location it cannot be moved during the night, you can no longer keep items overnight in the venue and cannot get in until your rental time begins, so make sure you have friends and family + a great wedding planner to help you move things in and out and set up quick. They do a ton of events here and sometimes it can take a few days to get a response, but the event coordinator is always kind and helpful.

Highly recommend this spot to anyone looking to get married in DC!

JBPC is extremely well priced and flexible, while still offering a glamorous DC setting. Working with JBPC was easy because of the staff and flexible policies. Makenzie was prompt and professional every step of the way, even giving us some excellent vendor recommendations. Being able to bring in our own alcohol and having most of the rentals we needed already at the venue made it easy to save money. It was an amazing place to have a memorable and comfortable wedding.

We were very pleased with the Josephine Butler Parks Center. The staff is really wonderful and were amazingly responsive to our many questions - Makenzie is a very comforting presence! It is also a special, historic, and community-oriented place. In addition, the park across 15th Street (Malcolm X park aka Meridien Hill Park) provides a good location for additional photos. There are a variety of options for where in the building (including the garden) to have a ceremony. We had both our ceremony and the reception at the Parks Center and the "flipping" was seamless. They let us visit the venue several times before the wedding. They worked very smoothly with our vendors - we picked a caterer from their preferred list. I might suggest paying for an extra hour, as the time went very, very quickly.

Finally, they have tables and chair there, giving couples one less thing to arrange and pay for!

A terrific wedding reception venue! Excellent location, very easy to work with, elegant, beautiful former Embassy that has a relaxed and comfortable feel. With larger weddings, making use of downstairs and outside for cocktail hour, desert, etc. was helpful. Also, for larger weddings holding the ceremony nearby and then using the venue for the reception only is a good way to go. Staff was extremely helpful on the day - helping guests to get cabs as they were leaving and helping to get a slide show running. They have fireplaces that they let you use so it would be a great fall or winter wedding spot too. Lots of perks, like they provide their own sound system w/ mike if you need it, they have a piano, they let you use the whole house and have reasonable hours, etc. All for a very reasonable price for the city and to an organization that supports the community.

We were thrilled that we were able to book the Josephine Butler Parks Center for our wedding in October 2013! Besides being a beautiful space and having stunning views overlooking Meridian Hill Park, the best qualities were the value and flexibility. We booked almost a year in advance; for $2500 we were given the entire building for up to ten hours - and on the day before Columbus Day! From my understanding the rates have gone up since and the number of hours has gone down slightly, but still, it's hard to find a better value in DC. We also appreciated the flexibility since we had a very DIY wedding and wanted free range with our choice and type of vendors. The quality of service and professionalism were excellent as well. Responsiveness was very good by the Event Coordinator, Abby Snyder, who filled in the position about six months before our wedding once the previous coordinator, Alison Grace, left the staff. This is the only category where I rated less than five stars since while Abby was away for a few weeks the Executive Director, Steve Coleman, filled in and he was sometimes slow to respond or gave contradictory answers; however these were usually just about minor issues. I highly recommend this venue overall!

We had our wedding reception at the Josephine Butler Parks Center, as it was conveniently only about a mile north of our wedding ceremony site. JBPC is a large mansion, formerly an embassy, with a ballroom on the second floor, and access to the first and third floors.

JBPC's big selling point is probably price - it's a public venue, and it is significantly less expensive than other locations in the area. Some of their advertising literature suggests the ballroom can hold up to 200 people, but we had about 150 at a seated dinner, and it was tight, so I would not recommend more than that amount. Even with 150, we had to clear away several tables after dinner to make room for dancing. Our catering staff was able to handle that gracefully.

Parking can be a bit tight - if people are strategic, the lot in the back and around the sides can probably accommodate 25 or 30 cars, though you need to leave room for your vendors. You can also get reserved parking signs from the city to post on the meters across the street, and there is usually some available street parking on the surrounding streets (15th St NW, just across from Meridian Hill park).

The building itself is charming, and large enough so that some of your guests can slip away from the main event if they want to talk or have some privacy. We had a buffet style service set up in the room across from the ballroom, drinks served on the second floor landing just before the entrance to the ballroom, hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail hour served downstairs while guests were arriving, and a small dressing/prep room upstairs for us and the bridal party (which we could access from a rear staircase to avoid walking in the front and ruining the surprise!).

Definitely consider JBPC as a potential venue if you are looking in that area.

My wife and I were married at the Josephine Butler Parks Center on October 26, 2013. We love Meridian Hill Park and frequently visited it while dating, so the JBPC's location was very meaningful to us.

When you rent the JBPC, you can get use of the whole house (though we kept the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and reception all on the second floor). The space is so beautiful and well maintained that we didn't have to do much in the way of decorating. The second floor has a terrace overlooking the park that is perfect on a warm evening. Large windows let the sunset be the backdrop to our ceremony in the ballroom. The bridal suite has been recently renovated.

Our hosts for the evening were incredibly helpful and easy to work with. They were especially helpful when we were decorating the space and as vendors were arriving, and during cleanup. The coordinators we worked with were professional, answered all of our questions, and were accommodating to timeline changes. They even let us store some decorations in the bridal suite to make the set-up easier. The reason for taking a star off on responsiveness is because we wished they had responded to emails more quickly. This is only a minor quibble, though, since everything ran so smoothly on the day of.

As far as size: the floor plans that the JBPC provided showed dining space for 150 in the ballroom. We had a little less than 90 guests, and we felt like the space was perfectly sized. You could definitely fit more there, but we had a hard time seeing how 150 guests would be comfortable. We also had 8 hours for set-up, ceremony, reception, dancing, and clean-up, which we were worried was a little cramped. It ended up not being the case, but if you want 4 hours for dancing, you may want to pay more for additional hours.

I would highly recommend the Josephine Butler for any event. It is beautiful and spacious. It can seat 120 people if you need something large and has plenty of rooms for food. It is affordable and tax deductible, since the money goes to the upkeep of this building.

They have a bridal suite that is wonderful and a back staircase so you can surprise your guests when you enter. (no front door entry needed). Also there are 2 kitchens, one on the first floor and one on the second if you need it.

Beautiful layout to make your event go smoothly.

I loved this venue and it was one of the most affordable we found in Washington DC. Only downside was that it was a bit hot (they have air conditioning, but window units.) We knew this going in though and we still decided on June. And we loved the terrace. Try to pick a month that isn't usually so hot! The staff was amazing and the wedding was the best night ever... The natural beauty of the place is all you need!