The Poe Museum

This venue is gorgeous but not for the faint of heart. Although this venue takes more work to organize and coordinate than other venues, if you put in the work you will be rewarded with the most unique and beautiful wedding you could imagine! Debbie Phillips and the other staff at the Poe Museum were helpful and responsive while we were planning our wedding, particularly during the pandemic. Debbie was extremely helpful in finding and working with vendors who were familiar with and respectful of the historic site. While the Poe Museum may not have traditional amenities other wedding venues may have – such as a formal kitchen, an indoor option, or specified parking – it really makes up for it in character, beauty, and a romantic atmosphere. A few caveats to consider before renting would be that you are not allowed open flames in the garden. We had to carefully consider what catering option would work with this restriction. As this space does not have an indoor option available, we had to gamble on the weather. We chose to host our ceremony and reception at the Poe Museum, but we had to seriously consider how many people would fit. This was during the pandemic and we already had to cut our guest list substantially. Ultimately, we had approximately 35 guests attend. We could imagine the space would feel full with 60 guests and respective tables and seating. If we had had more guests, we would have held our reception at another location. Ultimately, we absolutely loved this space. Even with the incredible amount of energy put into making this event possible, given the choice, we would still choose to get married at the Poe Museum.

My husband and I took one of our first vacations together to Richmond, VA and went to the Poe Museum on a whim. We both love Poe's work and had never been. As soon as I stepped into the Garden, I knew that this was where I was going to get married. We booked them for a Halloween wedding with an original guest count of 75. With COVID, we wound up having just over 50. The space was beautiful, Debbie was helpful beyond measure, and the entire staff was welcoming. The space itself is gorgeous and perfect for a small, quirky wedding. I do not suggest it for larger than 50 or 60 if you plan to have the ENTIRE wedding there (with the reception). That said, we also did not have the space for a dance floor because we didn't want one. Then again we had a photobooth. You could make it work if you were dead set on a dancing space. The price is also unbeatable.
This place seems like an odd wedding venue but for those that love quirk, history, and everything romantically macabre, I promise it is perfect.

We got married in the Poe Museum's garden on July 5th, we couldn't of envisioned a more romantic and charming place in the heart of the city to exchange our vows. Debbie was so helpful leading up to the event in coordination and answering any questions we had. So glad we chose to have our ceremony here, even in the July heat..it was perfect!