Best place to have a wedding in the Philly area; the most beautiful location of all.

This is a sad tale..and buyer BEWARE.

My husband and I were shopping around for a place to have our wedding (hes from Norway so we had tons of folks flying in internationally) and I have family and friends from all over...anyhoo we saw a online pic of this place and fell in love...we went to an open house...loved it even more...we decided then and there that we wanted to have out wedding there.

We PAID in FULL up front....over 5K to rent to place several months in advance...a couple of months later the place filed a Chapter 11!!!!!!!
We were notified initially by email...them a formal mail..

We were crushed...and NO one...I mean No one could give a straight answer as to what we were to do next, if they would even be open OR not...it was a nightmare...so weeks turn into months...and if you have planned a wedding you know you have to abide by your timelines...reservations etc...well we missed them ALL..because of the shoddy management and the whole bankruptcy fiasco...fast forward almost a year later...apparently according to the paperwork forwarded from the courts in city hall, the place is free to operate business as usual...we got a email stating that we could request a full refund, only in writing...which of course we did...sent it certified US mail too...that was months ago...no $$$$$ refunded...and they aren't returning our calls...

So buyer beware, seriously...we are out thousands of dollars...time and effort , this place is super shady...and our special day was RUINED by these folks...don't be a victim like we were.....(update 2012 STLL havent heard anthing from these folks nor have we received our $$ back)

We had booked the Elkins Estate at a rather challenging time. While it was unfortunate that they went through a Chapter 11 filing shortly after we had paid in full, we were able to have our wedding there and the estate was the perfect backdrop for our fairytale wedding!! We love the estate grounds, Elstowe Manor, but particularly the history of the Elkins family in Philadelphia history. I really wish this venue continued success because one day... we hope to take our children there. We still drive by the property on the way to visiting my parents house. I absolutely love it there.

The Elkins Estate is a beautiful wedding location. All of my guests were astounded by the beauty! It's awesome for outdoor or indoor events. I was suppose to have an outdoor ceremony but it down-poured the whole day and I didn't mind one bit because the indoor space for the ceremony was equally beautiful. I would highly recommend them.

I was a bit torn writing this review. I'll start with the positives...I grew up in Elkins Park and always admired this venue, which when I was younger was not open to the public. The site is absolutely stunning - not only the building, but also the surrounding grounds. My wedding was a dream come true and my guests raved about how beautiful the Elkins Estate is.

Now the negatives...We signed our contract in the end of July and paid the full amount in order to get a discounted rate. We had no doubts about the wedding or the date so it seemed like a safe bet. Well in the beginning of November (after booking several professionals), we found out THROUGH EMAIL that the Elkins Estate had filed bankruptcy and we might not be able to have our wedding there. This mess went on forever and caused a ton of unnecessary stress, including my parents having to pay about $4,000 to secure a backup venue so we didn't lose our deposit with our vendors. We had to delay ordering invitations because we didn't even know where our wedding would be! We finally got some assurance a few weeks before the wedding that the Elkins Estate would work out, but it added so much stress to the wedding planning. I do believe that the Estate is doing much better financially now and may emerge from bankruptcy. A much more minor negative is that you have to pay for valet parking (a few hundred dollars), though they supposedly have plans for a parking lot.

Yes, the Elkins is an absolutely beautiful venue and that was why I signed a contract this summer to have my wedding there. Unfortunately for me, I didn't realize that I would be dealing with people who lacked integrity and only wanted my money. David Dobson and his staff claim that they are being honest and forthright with clients yet they did not disclose their 11 month "battle" with the Dominician Sisters when I signed in August!!!! Where was the honesty then?! Instead, they offered a "summer special" and mandated that I pay the ENTIRE contract fee versus the normal $1500.00 deposit. A logical person could reason that the special was offered to increase liquid assets and paying in full guaranteed them money in hand. Can you think of anything more deceptive??? I have attempted countless times to get specific answers from David Dobson and the staff and I have gotten NONE! The bankruptcy affidavit indicates that the Sisters now hold the deed to the Elkins; sounds like grounds to render the contracts with all tortured brides null and void.
I will never get my money back and neither will any of the other brides who are suffering in my situation. What a terrible thing the Elkins owners and staff have done.... taken one of the greatest moments in our lives and RUINED IT!! (And they can't even email back)
Any brides considering the Elkins....DON'T DO IT!!! Even if they make it through the bankruptcy, they are the same people.... Can't wait to read their response, it will be as dishonest as their business practices!!!!!!!

We had our ceremony only at Elkins in the Rose Garden. It was a scary thought of having you ceremony out doors in October but with it being at Elkins I knew everything would be just fine since the inside is just a beautiful as the outside.

I held my wedding reception at The Elkins Estate in July and it was fabulous! This is a truly unique space for a wedding reception. I looked for months and months and can say I didn't come across anywhere so unique!

The Estate's staff was so attentive and helpful before the wedding, even helping me unload everything from the car! The event staff were happy, friendly and always checking to see how things were going (thanks Amy and Lindsay!). We did have a warm day, but the ballroom was nice and cool so my dance floor was packed all night. We extended our event from 5 to 6 hours a couple of weeks before the wedding, which was a great idea since we also held the ceremony in the Library Lawn.

I would suggest The Elkins Estate for anyone looking for a super unique space for an event, and somewhere nobody has even seen yet!

I recently had my ceremony and reception at the Elkins Estate the last weekend in July 2010. After getting engaged in the summer of 2009, we started looking at venues in the fall of 2009 and read about the Elkins Estate online and went to one of their open houses. We were in awe at the beauty and architecture of the mansion and we were sold. We had visited other venues, such as Cairnwood and even Oheka Castle, but being from Philadelphia we wanted a place that was close for our family and wanted to have our wedding at a venue that very few had experienced before.

After less than a year of wedding planning, the week before our wedding seemed to come very quickly and Lindsay helped us with finalization of all of the logistics involved for our special day. Our wedding was a flawless event and a day I will never forget. The Estate was beautiful and all of our guests were so pleased with our wedding, that we almost extended our reception because no one wanted to leave! The ballroom was transformed into a gorgeous reception, and we used minimal floral, which helped save us a lot of money! The Elkins Estate made our wedding a dream come true, and I suggest the venue to any bride to be that wants a unique wedding enriched with the architecture and history that the venue has to offer.

The only obstacle that the Elkins Estate faces is air conditioning, as the main court area is not air conditioned yet, but the reception ballroom is, which remained cool throughout the reception. Other than that, the Elkins Estate is ideal for a wedding!

Thank you Lindsay and her staff for all of your assistance in making my wedding day dreams come true!

There’s no denying this is a beautiful venue and makes for a stunning backdrop for any wedding or celebration. Unfortunately, being a new venue, there are still some kinks to be worked out. Air conditioning is still an issue. Besides the main ballroom and the bride/groom suites, there is no AC throughout the estate. And even in the ballroom and suites, the AC could be cooler, esp. when they are filled with people. When we signed our contract, we were told that AC would be retrofitted throughout the common areas where it is typical to hold the cocktail hour and/or ceremony. A month or so before our wedding, when we checked on the status of the AC, we were told it would only be available in the ballroom and suites and that fans would be used in other areas. Not the most attractive or the most suitable alternative, but they offered no other options.

In addition to the AC, another change that occurred after we signed the contract was that the dance floor in the ballroom could only be placed in one area (in the back). Due to structural reasons that they didn’t know about when we signed the contract, they had to limit the area of the dance floor. In the end, it was fine, but again, just be sure you know what can and can’t be done before you sign the contract.

The day of staff, Melissa and Jacqueline, were great! They were helpful and pleasant to work with. However, communication with the Estate event planner during the planning process wasn’t as great. It always took two or three follow up emails or calls to get an answer and scheduling a visit to the Estate was a bit difficult b/c there is no staff onsite. There are plans to change this, but be prepared.

If you plan on holding a rehearsal at the Estate, make sure it’s in your contract ahead of time (though they’ll probably charge you additionally for this.) When we asked if we could hold a rehearsal at the Estate, we were told there would be a charge and that it might be problematic if another event was scheduled. This was a month before the wedding and no event was even scheduled for that night, so a conflict seemed unlikely. They eventually waived the charge, but only because we had the rehearsal outside and no one from the Estate had to be present. I understand time is money, but as a new venue, you’d think they would be a little more accommodating, esp. when there is no conflict with another event.

In a couple years, I’m sure the Estate will be amazing and will have worked out all the kinks. In the meantime, it is trial and error and while the errors aren’t enough to ruin most weddings, be prepared to be flexible.

I recently (this June) had my wedding (reception only) at the Elkins Estate with just under 200 guests. It was 86 degrees on my wedding day (typical for a summer day in Philadelphia) and my entire wedding was miserable. The air-conditioning in the ballroom at Elkins was entirely insufficient to handle the number of guests, and the temperature in the room caused all kinds of issues for the catering staff (who got extremely behind on serving wine and pushing out the entrees due to the need to fill guest's water glasses), and completely melted my croquembouche wedding cake, leaving me with no cake to cut with my husband and just a bunch of cream puffs to be served by the caterers. The temperature in the room was so uncomfortable that guests were leaving and going outside just to get a break from the horrible heat.

Elkins offered us a modest refund for the unacceptable heat, and said that they "did not realize" that the AC in the ballroom would not be sufficient on a hot day (granted my wedding was from 6pm to 11pm). The refund did not even come close to making up for the fact that my reception was pretty much ruined by the horrible experience had by our guests. I had chosen an indoor, air-conditioned venue for my wedding specifically because I did not want to deal with the Philadelphia summer heat on my wedding day. The venue is absolutely gorgeous, but don't even think about having your wedding there if you would like a summer wedding.

.

Although Elkins Estate did not provide me with my wedding services, I felt the need to write a review on this venue for the TERRIBLE thing they are doing to many Philly Brides.

My good friend was supposed to get married at the Elkins Estate in the upcoming year of 2011. I went with her to look at the venue and it was gorgeous! She knew that she wanted to have her wedding there and did not even have to look at anymore places. Elkins Estate was offering a summer special at the time for discounted pricing if booked before the summer ended in 2010.

However, 2 months later she received an email claiming that the Elkins Estate has been in a "long standing battle" with the Nuns who own the property and is filing for a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. They have only been opened for a year and already having a "long standing battle?" Which makes me question the advertised discount and their motives?

Elkins Estate said that their doors are not closed and were advised to continue with business as usual BUT their website is no longer working, they are no longer advertising on theknot.com, where my friend found them and WORST OF ALL... cannot guarantee her event date. Keep in mind that this is AFTER booking her other vendors of which she also put down non-refundable deposits.

The sad part of it all is that its such a beautiful venue but run by such a non-professional staff. I had such a wonderful wedding experience and could not imagine having to go through the stress of this on what is supposed to be the best day of your life.

Long story short... DO NOT GET MARRIED HERE! Even if Elkins Estate works out the kinks, who is going to guarantee that you will have a venue after you gave them a few thousand dollars, ordered your invitations, hired your caterer, dj, photo, video, etc. I wouldn't take the risk!

Perfect Venue.
Better than Perfect People.

We mainly worked with Anessa. Anessa was brilliant. The Elkins Estate was helpful, considerate, calming, and extremely professional.

Everything was in perfect condition. They worked day and night to make sure that my (now), husband and I were happy.

You will be Very happy and your guests will be Blown Away with the Beauty and Professionalism at The Elkins Estate!

Worth Every Penny!! Guests are still raving!

Thanks to the entire staff at The Elkins Estate, (especially Anessa), our reception was incredible!