Curtis Arboretum Reviews

Curtis Arboretum is a JAM venue, so this review will mostly be about working with JAM, but also just a quick raving about how beautiful Curtis is.

First, a few raving words about the venue itself.
Curtis: We had both of our ceremonies at Curtis Arboretum. We had our Hindu ceremony with an Indian luncheon from 10-1:30pm, and then we had the Jewish Ceremony with a reception from 5-11pm. We loved Curtis because it has both a beautiful outdoor area and a beautiful indoor area with air conditioning. They have a music hall/dance floor attached to a permanent tent, so there are so many options for a multi-event day, and this venue has an amazing rain plan. The gardens are beautifully manicured and the steps and terrace add another level of elegance. In addition, the Music Hall has a bridal suite and a groom suite, so you can get ready on site. Overall, we were thrilled with Curtis because it gave us the opportunity to have our entire day at one setting, but we did two different orientations for the different ceremonies. We also wanted to have a venue with a great rain plan and air conditioning. Curtis had all these things, and we are so grateful we were able to celebrate our wedding at this perfect venue.

Hindu Ceremony and Luncheon:
For the Hindu Ceremony, our Curtis coordinator was Laura. When we first toured Curtis, it was with Laura and we were immediately drawn to her because she has such a positive, fun and game-for-anything personality. Whereas at some venues when we told them we wanted to do two different ceremonies the planner seemed skeptical or told us it would cost a very large amount of money, Laura was so excited and down, and she continued to maintain this enthusiasm throughout the weekend. She was wonderful to work with and also worked with the rest of our planning team so well.

We also want to give a HUGE shoutout to Toni Vitello, JAM’s General Manager, who managed the catering for our events. For our Hindu Ceremony, we wanted to provide a vegetarian, Indian meal. Toni worked with us to create a beautiful meal, that was within our budget and that we are all so proud of. He was so wonderful to work with, enthusiastic, and we are so grateful he is such an amazing Indian cook.

For our Jewish Reception, our JAM coordinator was Michelle. Michelle went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed and were able to soak in and enjoy our wedding. My favorite memory of Michelle is finishing our ceremony, and seeing Michelle ready for us with our drinks-of-choice in hand. Michelle cared so much about ensuring that we felt cared for, pampered, and she made sure we ate and were able to be together and soak in the moment. We also had a few guests who needed special accommodations, and every time I saw them, Michelle was with them, making sure they were comfortable and that our families could just enjoy. The entire night, I was always confident that we were in great hands with Michelle as our coordinator.

My son and daughter-in-law got married at Curtis last weekend and it was absolutely wonderful! The grounds are beautiful and the Hall for dancing is stunning. JAM Catering did an amazing job with the food. The real standout of the day was our wedding coordinator Michele Kuhl. She made the whole day (and day before) run so smoothly and she took such good care of the bride, groom and family. I would give her more stars if I could! I cannot thank her enough for providing a stress-free wedding day for all of us.

We are so grateful to the team at Curtis Arboretum and JAM Catering for all they have done to make our wedding perfect. The entire team has been so good to work with, ensuring that all of our questions are answered and concerns addressed. The venue is beautiful and embodies simple elegance, which is exactly what we were looking for. Thanks so much JAM!

Last July, we visited Curtis Arboretum, soon after our engagement (featuring JAMCatering) and we immediately knew this was the place we wanted to celebrate our most special day! The gorgeous trees around the property and outdoor space gives such a charm of simple elegance and the indoor ballroom adorned with murals of trees… speaks for itself. The process of planning a wedding has been made all the more ~enjoyable~ with the lovely staff at JAM. From the delicious menu with farm fresh ingredients, the planning sessions with the most lovely staff— we’ve felt supported since Day 1! We feel so grateful that we have such trusted individuals to work with to curate our big day! We highly recommend!!!

Our wedding at Curtis Arboretum on August 23rd was a dream! The grounds looked like a whimsical garden party with everything in bloom, beyond what we could have imagined. Throughout the entire process, the JAM team was professional, thoughtful, and extremely helpful. The entire team truly made it easy to just walk right into our wedding day at Curtis. Our guests had an amazing time and we received numerous comments about venue, staff, and everything in between.

Curtis Arboretum is everything we were looking for in our wedding venue!! I was amazed and in awe the first time we saw it in person, & continued to be every time we went back. From the ceremony space under the picturesque pergola, to the detail in the music hall ceiling, this venue is one of our dreams. I immediately loved how our day would flow perfectly, moving from the lawn ceremony area to cocktail hour in the garden, to dinner & dancing in the connected tent & hall. Not to mention the getting ready suites, and the entrance under the stage!!! Curtis has the whimsical garden feel we wanted, with classical, intricate, beautiful architecture that makes the whole area feel like a palace. This space truly is so unique & special for a wedding that we couldn’t find anywhere else!

We got married at Curtis Arboretum on 6/29/24 and could not have been happier with the venue. We knew once we toured Curtis that it was the perfect location for our wedding, we loved the gardens for cocktail hour, open air tent for dinner and beautiful hall for dancing. Working with JAM and Michele was great, they really thought of everything to ensure a great day. Our guests are still talking about how beautiful the venue was!

If you’re looking for a garden wedding, look no further! Hands down one of the prettiest venues that I have ever seen and the staff at JAM catering makes the planning process a breeze. 10/10 recommend!

My fiancé and I are getting married at Curtis Arboretum on June 1, 2024 and are so excited to be hosting our ceremony and reception at Curtis! We were immediately struck by the natural beauty of the venue. We have also loved working with Jeffrey A. Miller Catering, the venue's caterers. They've been so helpful and pleasant to work with. We're in great hands and can't wait for our wedding day!

My fiance and I have nothing but great things to say about JAM and Curtis Arboretum and the process so far! We just completed out tasting and what an experience! The food was excellent and the staff could not have been more nice and eager to answer all our questions! We are so looking forward to our wedding this June!!!

Curtis Arboretum staff have been so great to work with. Planning has been so easy and they are responsive to all questions etc. We've just had our tasting and my parents were so impressed by the food. We can't wait for our big day!

My fiancé and I are getting married on June 1, 2024 at Curtis Arboretum and we couldn’t be more excited for our wedding day! Curtis Arboretum was the first venue we toured, and we were immediately taken with the lovely, lush grounds, gorgeous outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour areas, stunning clear top tent, and intricately detailed ballroom. With its elegant terraced gardens, stone patio, and ballroom, Curtis Arboretum feels European, a unique gem on the East Coast. We searched high and low for the perfect venue in the tri-state area, but ultimately couldn’t find anything that comes close to the peaceful and joyful beauty of Curtis Arboretum. Besides the wonderful aesthetics of the venue, we chose Curtis Arboretum because of the venue’s caterer, Jeffrey A Miller Catering. Each person we spoke and worked with thus far has been on top of their game – responsive, knowledgeable, and inspiring total confidence that our wedding day will go without a hitch. JAM provides the ultimate wedding day experience, taking care of everything we need from catering, linens, and planning, to providing great recommendations for other vendors. We couldn’t be happier with our choice to get married at Curtis Arboretum and are eagerly awaiting our wedding day!

Curtis Arboretum was the first place I visited with my future husband. I was looking for a venue that was whimsical, natural, yet could deliver upscale glamorous vibes, had outdoor wedding charm but also indoor space for an equally stunning potential rain plan and most importantly ,overall ,would give me bang for my buck. I looked at various options online and visited several in person with my fiance and Curtis Arboretum is where we happily landed. The ceremony site gives me fairy princess whimsy, the partially clear tent provides for natural light in the day, stargazing opportunities at night and rain coverage if needed. The ballroom delivers old world charm with hand-painted grandiose wall that trumpet sound "Bridgerton this is your Diamond of the season" and the ceilings are fit for a royal ball. This place aesthetically is my compiled wedding dreams come true and it could be yours. Getting married can be pricey if you're doing so with a large guest count but I feel their cost is better or fair value as far as weddings go these days and they provide all the "bells and whistles" or upgrades for a reasonable fee making it affordable if you plan properly financially. Our wedding is happening in 3 weeks, so I will update post wedding bliss!

Curtis Arboretum is an amazing venue! The manicured gardens and arbor make the outside space stunning! And on top of that, this venue includes the indoor space of the covered tent as well as the charming Hall, that has so many vintage details! On top of that, Jeffrey A Miller Catering, the exclusive caterer for Curtis Arboretum, has been a joy to work with. They've been extremely patient, professional and helpful throughout the wedding planning process, and they make delicious farm fresh food that we cannot wait to serve to our guests! I would highly recommend working with them!

I am sooooo excited to have my wedding at the Curtis Arboretum this year! The outdoor environment for ceremony and cocktail hour is serene and relaxing. This element combined with the hand painted walls and intricate ceilings of the ballroom perfectly match my planned aesthetic for “modern bohemian chic.” I can’t wait for my guests to enjoy all of the same things I love about the venue and more especially thanks to the attentiveness of the venue coordinator working so closely with me and my family.

We are in the process of planning our wedding at Curtis Hall Arboretum. We knew immediately that this was going to be our venue. Everything is so beautiful at Curtis. The grounds and views are breathtaking, the ceremony area is straight out of a movie and the inside is magnificent with the paintings on the walls and the high ceiling.

We have felt that the process has been pretty easy because Curtis' caterers and staff are attentive and we could tell that they really care about us and want to make our wedding day the most perfect day.

We can't wait to celebrate with all our friends and family and we know that everybody is going to love Curtis Hall Arboretum.

We’re currently preparing for our upcoming wedding at the Curtis Arboretum and have been so thrilled with the service we’ve received so far! Not only is the venue beautiful, but all of the staff at Jeffrey A Miller catering have been a pleasure to work with. From our first tour, they have been willing and able to answer all of our questions. They were extremely up front with pricing and packages, which helped us to make our decision. We had our tasting a few weeks ago and we’re amazed by not only the excellent quality of the food, but by the sheer number of options! Jeffrey A Millers commitment to farm fresh food was evident and we left the tasting even more excited for our upcoming wedding!

My fiance and I are getting married at Curtis Arboretum this fall, the moment we saw the venue we knew it was perfect for us. We love the outdoor wedding area and hope the weather cooperates for our special day. The staff have all been very responsive and helpful for helping us plan our wedding.

My Fiancé and I are so excited to be getting married at Curtis Arboretum! It is such a stunning and unique venue. From the moment we booked our venue, working with the people at Curtis arboretum has been so easy. They have all been very helpful and responsive, always making sure our questions are answered. It has been a breeze to plan our wedding! Could recommend this venue enough!

Working with the people at Curtis arboretum has been so easy, they’re been very helpful and responsive always making sure our questions are answered and providing much information so make it a breeze to plan my wedding!

My partner and I got married at Curtis Arboretum recently. We worked with Michele throughout the planning. Michele was wonderful to work with and helped us execute our wedding exactly how we wanted it. She was a calming presence when we needed it and helped immensely with organization and setup.

The venue is truly stunning—something obvious even though we initially toured it in December. I also can’t say enough nice things about Michele and the rest of the JAM staff—everyone was friendly, attentive, and seemed to be having a good time!

The Curtis Arboretum was the first venue we visited when looking for venues, and nothing else we saw could compare. The natural beauty of the gardens designed by a renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead were immediately captivating. The gorgeous dance hall and the large adjacent tent created the perfect atmosphere for dining and dancing. We were lucky to have beautiful weather on our wedding day, and our guests couldn't get enough of the beautiful venue. We enjoyed the delicious food by Jeffrey Miller Catering, and we loved having the huge tent for dining right next to the air conditioned dance hall. Our handicapped guests were able to access all of the essential spaces including the ceremony under the pergola, the dining tent, and the dance hall and bathroom.

We spent most of our time getting ready off site, and when we got to Curtis on our wedding day in the three hours allotted before the start of the wedding, we changed and began taking loads of pictures around the venue. The Bok Suite for the bride and her bridesmaids was nice. The speakeasy where the groomsmen got changed was really cool. The photographers weren't able to take too many pictures due to lighting and space constraints, but that's why you have the rest of the venue! Plus, these spaces provided a great spot to retreat to in the blissful chaos of the wedding day.

The bar during the cocktail hour was well staffed and in a perfect spot by the entry, and the cocktail tables were nicely spread out through the garden. The venue provided so many natural beautiful spots for photos. The tented dining space was beautiful and spacious and accommodated our 125 guests easily. We loved that the separate dance hall allowed guests to choose to sit separate from the music and enjoy their conversations without screaming. The dance hall was lively all night, and it created picture perfect opportunities during our first dances. There was always seating available inside as well for those who wanted to be a part of the dancing but needed a little break.

We had a great staff on our night, and Laura, our coordinator, was such a joy and pleasure to talk to. We had a great time meeting with her in person, and she kept all the necessary paperwork as smooth as she could.

We cannot say enough great things about how beautiful and magical our wedding at Curtis was. We loved the staff, the food, and the feeling of awe we got every time we looked around. We highly recommend having your wedding here, as well!

I have no words to describe how amazing our wedding was at Curtis Arboretum. Michele, our day-of coordinator, was THE BEST. She truly took care of us from start to finish. I’ve had so many people tell me that this was the most beautiful venue they’ve ever been to- the grounds are so well-kept, the gorgeous murals and ceilings inside are to die for, and the cocktail hour outside was STUNNING. The food was fantastic, service was excellent, and drinks were lovely! I could go on and on, but needless to say- this was simply the best day of our entire lives and that is all thanks to this wonderful venue and the people working here. We feel so very lucky to have been able to have our wedding here!

We love this venue and it was so beautiful on our day! It's filled with beautiful greenery, flowers, a gorgeous hall with hand-painted walls and a gorgeous tent for dinner. Every detail was perfect thanks to JAM Catering. Our only note is that the property is historic and so there is some needs with handicap accessibility for the ceremony.

How do I explain that this was a dream wedding and more than I ever hoped for. I can't help but to repeatedly watch videos and look at pics of my wedding day with a big goofy smile on my face. I started out fully intending to have a tiny wedding which grew to 155 people. This is big for me. I come from a family who believes they are all chefs and one thing I kept being told was "Hope the food is good". Most of my guests later told me that this is the best food they have ever had at a wedding. I already knew this though from the food taste testing. I remember looking around during dinner on the day of the wedding and everyone who ordered sea bass had empty plates and happy faces and all the lamb shank plates were reduced to bone. It was great seeing how much everyone enjoyed the food. Even my Mom finally said to me that the food was delicious. Another shining star of this wedding was my on-site coordinator Michele Kuhl. Every need I had was anticipated by her. She walked us through this whole wedding process, from making a seating chart, types of decor, table arrangements and types, EVERYTHING! No question was a stupid question. We were so lost in the beginning lol. Then on the day of the wedding she was saving me left and right. From always bringing my husband and I drinks (surprisingly as a bride & groom you can easily not eat or drink from being so busy greeting people and being overwhelmed) to solving issues. For example, I ordered a 360 camera booth, but two different companies came and both wanted to stay (one I was chatting with whom I finally told that I would not be using their services after all and another company I paid in full). She handled for the company I paid to stay, and had the other one leave (even though they were reluctant to do so) without me even having to get involved or stressed out. I also made my own flower decors that would be put in different locations throughout the venue. All I did was tell her where and they were placed perfectly!!. She is beyond amazing. She took my vision of my wedding day and turned it into a beautiful reality. I could go on and on about her but this review would be too long. I never EVER write reviews, but I had to this time about this wonderful venue, JAM catering, and Michele's assistance.

My fiance and I are getting married here in November 2022, and our experience has been nothing but wonderful so far! The team is incredibly helpful, the grounds are beautiful, and the food at our tasting was delicious! Highly recommend, especially if you are looking for an elegant/ sophisticated venue with a touch of nature.

My Fiancé and I searched high and low for the perfect venue in the PA/DE/MD area. We really wanted a venue that felt like a total experience for the evening. We certainly found that at Curtis Arboretum with the beautiful shady pergola for our ceremony, impressively manicured grounds for cocktail area, and spacious covered patio for dinner. Our favorite space is the indoor area for dancing-- completely refinished with hand painted murals, herringbone flooring and a gorgeous ceiling. Our wedding will not be for another 4 months but we've had a great experience with the Jeffery A Miller team so far. We are especially excited for the food on our wedding day because JAM places a huge emphasis on sourcing the best and freshest ingredients. They have what seems like unlimited options for food and drink. We are so excited to get married here!

We had our wedding here on 9/26 and couldn't recommend it more. The staff were extremely accommodating and really went out of their way to make our day special despite all the challenges involved with Covid. Michelle was our on the day wedding coordinator and we couldn't have been happier. She was able to deal with every issue from food to vendors, ceremony to first look effortlessly and made us feel so relaxed on our wedding. We never had to worry about anything as she just seem to handle everything before it became an issue. The ceremony site was beautiful, food excellent and the dance hall was a blast. In comparison to many other similar locations the overall cost was much better in dealing with JAM catering.

We had the most wonderful wedding reception at the Curtis Arboretum at the end of April! Laura was our wonderful planner throughout the entire process- she was so responsive and easy to work with, especially given the unexpected pandemic! I really appreciated her checking in with us throughout the night of our event to make sure we were okay and keep us up to date with the timeline. All of our guests were so complimentary of the unique venue (especially the outdoor cocktail hour), amazing food options, and overall great time that they had! We were so happy with how everything turned out and couldn't have asked for a more wonderful wedding reception! Thank you to Laura and the entire JAM team for giving us the rustic yet elegant wedding we dreamed of!

JAM was over the top AMAZING!! We had an issue with our venue about 7 months prior to our wedding & they took care of everything for us. Everyone raved about the food & the Venue was indescribable. We couldn’t have asked for anything more and our wedding day was absolutely perfect. We couldn’t have asked for anything more! A big thank you to Laura Shoup!

Thank you so much for everything Laura! You were amazing and everything turned out beautifully and exactly as we had envisioned! Our bridal party and parents all gave compliments about how great you and the staff were. It was truly a dream come true and we cannot thank you enough!

My fiance and I are thrilled to be getting married at Curtis Arboretum. It has everything we are looking for. The arboretum and the grounds are stunning. The venue has recently undergone a huge makeover, with beautiful landscaping, a massive tall tent attached to the hall that can hold up to 200 guests, a new floor and murals in the hall, and large separate areas in the basement for the bridal party. I often joke that Curtis is a hidden gem!

We have been working with Laura Shoup, the salesperson and planner for the venue, who has been amazing. We could not speak highly enough of her. She has done multiple walk-throughs of the venue with us and our families, put us in touch with many vendors, and is super responsive and knowledgeable. She has taken a lot of the stress out of this process. We still have 9 months prior to our wedding day, but we couldn't be more excited to get married at this venue.

JAM usually does not disappoint and specially at Curtis Arboretum!

We researched over 100 venues, got quotes from a couple of dozen, and toured six. We fell in love with Curtis when we saw it in person and are so happy that we chose to have our spring wedding here. Although we were initially disappointed that the day was rainy, it couldn't have been more beautiful. Our guests were wowed by the beauty of the hall, airy tent, and lush arboretum. The day was truly magical. Working with Jeffrey A. Miller Catering was a fantastic experience. We wanted an outdoor wedding and even with less-than-ideal weather, Curtis fit the bill perfectly.

Such a beautiful venue! Great for weddings!

We are so excited about our upcoming wedding at Curtis Arboretum! The venue is beautiful - we saw the venue in pouring rain, flood warning, and even then, we saw its beauty. The fact that it's listed in national historic register is a bonus.

Beyond the location, the staff and included services we've encountered are wonderful. There's a concierge service that helps with vendor selections. We thoroughly enjoyed our call with Michele. She was nurturing yet firm in guiding us through what needs to be done. We are a few months past signing contract and so excited to work more with staff and plan our dream wedding :)

Outside space, tent and indoor dance hall with band was perfect! JAM Catering owns the space.

We are getting married at Curtis Arboretum in June and truly could not have found a more beautiful venue. The outside ceremony space is everything we wanted for our wedding (including a fantastic rain plan) and the indoor ballroom is STUNNING. Can’t wait to continue our experience with Jeffrey Miller Catering.

We're thrilled to have booked Curtis Arboretum as our wedding venue! We can't wait to exchange vows surrounded by the stunning natural beauty of the arboretum. The picturesque gardens and landscapes will make for breathtaking photos and a truly unforgettable experience. Overall, we're excited and counting down the days until we can say "I do" at Curtis Arboretum. It's truly the perfect setting for our dream wedding.

The venue itself is absolutely beautiful and would be a wonderful place to have a wedding - without JAM as your caterer. I wish I had some nice things to say about Jeffery Miller Catering, but their actions preclude that in this case.

My fiancee and I had our 125 person wedding planned for September 20th, 2020. However, like many others in mid-March of this year, we found ourselves unexpectedly out of work (both of us are in the restaurant industry). Given that we had no indication of when we would be fully employed again, or able to safely have an event of the type we were planning (and still don't as of 11/20, on either count), and also had a deposit just shy of $10k due on April 1st (on top of the initial $5500 we put down when we booked the date), I immediately called JAM in the hopes of arranging an alternative.

At first, my concerns were addressed by informing me that no one else was cancelling for September, and implied I was worrying too much about at all this. I was then told in no uncertain terms (and after my contact with JAM double checked with Jeff himself), after asking about postponing into 2021, that my only two options were to either postpone within 2020 or to cancel the contract altogether and potentially forfeit my initial deposit. JAM made no representation whatsoever that we'd be entitled to any kind of refund on either deposit in the event they were not able to hold our event on the newly contracted date. Considering our own circumstances at the time and the uncertainty about a rescheduled event being safely or legally held at all in that time frame, we had no choice but terminate the contract, as laying out another $10k with no guarantee of return would have been absolutely foolhardy on our part (without having jobs and all).

I was also told that JAM would not consider any couple postponing into my now vacant date as a "re-booking" according to the contract, which would have entitled us to receiving at least $2500 of our original $5500 in the event that happened. When I pointed out that no such language was in the contract specifying that and asked what they had done in previous situations like this I was told "I don't know, this has never happened before." Essentially, this means they didn't have a policy regarding this and decided to pick one that could potentially screw over their clients and save them the most possible money.

Finally, after I had submitted a formal letter serving to cancel the contract, JAM came around and sent out a letter to all clients offering up certain (limited) dates in 2021. Their offering was for different locations in Jan thru March of 2021 or weekdays (not counting Friday) beyond that. As frustrating as that was (the idea of spending $20-40k to get married on a Tuesday isn't necessarily appealing to anyone), it's something we possibly could have worked with if not for the fact that yet again JAM made no representations about offering refunds in the event even those dates were impossible for reasons related to the ongoing (with no end in sight) pandemic. So, given their stance on the re-booking clause (which considering what everyone was going through I thought was an indefensible stance for a public facing business to take), and the fact they weren't saying a peep about potential refunds, I could only conclude JAM was content to take your money and string you along forever in postponement hell if that's what it came to.

They were looking out for themselves, which I suppose is only natural, but this is not a business I would recommend to anyone I cared about (not for an event of this magnitude and the potential dollar amounts involved, no way). As much as it still hurts to have lost the original $5500 in these times, we're absolutely thrilled we don't have $15k tied up with this company right now.