Interested in this vendor?
About
Built in 1765, Powel House is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture in the United States.
Famous visitors during the Samuel and Elizabeth Powel residency included George and Martha Washington, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, the Marquis de Lafayette, the Marquis de Chastellux, and John and Abigail Adams.
The second floor ballroom is an exceptionally lovely space to entertain your guests. This is the room where the Powel’s held their famous salons and dinner parties. The garden can acoommodate up to 100 guests and is the space where dancing is permitted.
The Ballroom may be used for seated luncheons or dinners of up to 40 people. Cocktail receptions of up to 75 people can utilize rooms on both the 1st and 2nd floors. 100 is the maximum number of guests we can accommodate for an indoor/ outdoor event.
Venues you may like
See other venues that are popular with couples right now
Frequently asked questions
Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?
Reviews of Powel House
Marriage celebration
An amazing place
Enchanted Garden Wedding in the middle of Old City
-
-
-
+2 photos
Perfect venue for a smaller wedding in historic Philadelphia!
We had a wedding reception for 65 guests at Powel in late September and we could not have picked a more perfect setting.
The combination of the house's main rooms and the garden spaced the reception well, with guests able to mingle and chat in the yard, or wander inside to observe the amazing history throughout the house. Anyone with an American history fascination may find themselves glued to the old tools of Ben Franklin and various portraits and sketches of our founding fathers.
We cannot say enough about the garden. The entryway is perfect for a bar that doesn't butt up against dinner tables, and beautifully leads into the main garden space. We were blessed with clear skies so we cancelled the tent but kept string lighting (thanks to Ocean Tents for their great setup). We set up some cornhole and beer pong in the back corner which allowed a nice split between guests looking to sit and mingle and those who wanted to get a bit more lit. We've seen it set up with the tent, and it looks good, but if you have a chance to go tent-less with the string lights it creates a truly magical setting. Just google "Powel House wedding" and you'll see what we mean.
Working with Meagan and the rest of the Powel House team was a breeze. She completely understood the wedding vibe we wanted, gave great suggestions and support, and was always flexible with schedule our visits leading up to the wedding and our drop-offs and pick-ups before and after.
Some FYIs:
- The venue can fit up to 100 but considering the size we had, that 100 would be pretty tight.
- There are some limitations for music since it's a Philadelphia row home and neighbors' houses are fairly exposed to the garden. We brought a nice Bluetooth speaker and while it worked well for the back (party) half of the garden, it was hard to hear up front. Best to have a 2 speaker setup if you can.
- Since the garden is mostly grass, we recommend picking up some heel protectors and having them available so people aren't limited in their footwear.
- We booked the extra hour so it was a 5 hour reception from 5pm-10pm. It was an additional $500.
As for getting ready for the reception, Jonathan, the property manager who lives on-site, was very helpful and responsive. Between him and the caterer, Jeffrey A. Miller, the afternoon was perfect!
Awards
Explore other wedding venues in your area
Find your ideal space among popular ones and Couples' Choice Award winners.
See venuesProfessional Network & Endorsements