Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion, a venue located in Chevy Chase, Maryland, is situated on 40-acres of nature sanctuary. You and your guests will feel relaxed in this lovely setting known for bird watching. Woodend is the headquarter of the Audubon Naturalist Society (ANS). Built in 1927, the mansion was designed by renowned architect John Russell Pope (Jefferson Memorial, DAR Constitution Hall, National Gallery of Art) for the Wells family. In 1969, the family donated Woodend Mansion and property to ANS.
Facilities and Capacity
This elegant and natural setting offers couples the convenience of having both their ceremony and reception site on the same property. Outdoor ceremonies can be held in the romantic grove or in a complimentary back-up tent, which features side panels, tent liners, heaters, and fans, in case the weather is not accommodating. During winter you can exchange your vows and hold your reception in the mansion. Couples can enjoy this historic setting with up to 170 of their friends and family between spring and fall, and 120 during the winter months. As you and your wedding party prepare for your special day, you can do so in the two staging areas.
Services Offered
The Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion not only strives to offer couples privacy on their wedding day, but also a peace of mind. They will also provide you with a list of approved caterers who allow you to buy your own alcohol, and experienced vendors so that you can be confident in your selections. To make your stay more enjoyable, Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion also offers all couples and guests on-site parking, small shuttle accessibility, and Wi-Fi. You can also take advantage of the property’s natural beauty and use it as your wedding photography location.
Recommended by 93% of couples
14 User photos
Jimmy · Married on 08/06/2017
We can't say enough great things about our experience with Woodend for our recent wedding and reception.
Woodend itself is a very special and magical place--so close to the city yet it feels a million miles away like a country setting. It's intimate, relaxing and beautiful and it feels like you're getting married in a garden & home because it was one before becoming the HQ for the regional Audubon Society. You can be as formal or as relaxed as you want here, that's one its biggest charms.
From the first time we met Beatriz and through all coordinating and planning with her and eventually day-of with Kathy, the team at Woodend was fantastic! They treated us with love and not like clients which kept our anxiety levels low. Don't worry that they have a limited list of approved caterers and other service providers--you will be very glad these high quality vendors are intimately familiar with the layout and requirements of the historic mansion and grounds. They have no learning curve to create the perfect wedding.
One of the factors in choosing Woodend was the ability to move the ceremony indoors at the last minute if the weather didn't cooperate. They gave us excellent and easy options if needed, but thankfully they weren't needed as we had unseasonably comfortable temperatures and low humidity for early August in the DC area. Our guests overwhelmingly told us how much they loved the location and it certainly was a major part of the best day of our lives.
Andrew & Jimmy
Elyse · Married on 07/21/2018
Woodend is so beautiful! I'm so happy we chose this location for our wedding. Beatriz was so sweet and helpful. The grounds are so quiet and pretty. They have a seamless and great rain plan as well, which we ended up needing as it downpour the whole day and night, but it never put a damper on the fun! They were also much more relaxed about everything compared to other venues we looked at, they wanted it to be your day and how you envisioned it.
Sent on 10/16/2018
Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Anne · Married on 05/26/2018
This is an incredible venue- we absolutely fell in love with it, especially the hemlock grove for the ceremony! We had rain the day of, but the rain location under the terrace tent still looked beautiful! Beatriz at Woodend was such a pleasure to work with, she really looked out for us, was so friendly, and just wanted the day to go perfectly for us. The A/C in the bridal suite, with its private bathroom was SUCH a plus. They have a list of approved vendors, and they all were amazing, so that really saved us from hunting for vendors we might not have liked as much. This place has such a special place in my heart and I can’t believe I got married somewhere so beautiful.
Sent on 10/16/2018
Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion's reply:
Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion Price Rates
Woodend is offering an additional complimentary hour for new contracts. This offer is valid only for contracts signed after 10/20/2018 for weddings held between 1/4/2019 and 8/31/2019.
This offer does not apply to previously booked weddings or events, nor existing pending contracts. Book now before all remaining dates get booked during the holidays, the most popular time for engagements. Copy and paste this link on your browser and schedule your tour now:
https://calendly.com/woodendsanctuary/tour-of-woodend-sanctuary
Visit our website at woodendsanctuary.org/weddings
9 Endorsements
Woodend Sanctuary provides such a beautiful wedding venue, set right outside of Washington, DC. I've photographed many weddings here, two this year alone. The grove is one of my favorite outdoor ceremony locations to photograph. I love this venue's environmental story, and Beatriz is WONDERFUL to work with. Highly recommend!
Woodend is a favorite venue of wildlife and nature lovers. Their beautiful hemlock grove is a wonderful place for a ceremony.
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