Josephine Butler Parks Center Reviews

We coordinate a few weddings each year at JBPC, so I speak from experience when I say that this venue is a hidden gem for DC couples! Located right along Meridian Hill Park (think: garden photo ops!), this historic buildling becomes yours for the night and the stately rooms start to feel like home. The decor has just enough character to feel special while also being neutral enough for your vision to come to life - we've seen it done up in a dozen+ different styles. Staff and in-house resources are amazing, very tuned in to each guest and making your event special. They recently upgraded the restroom facilities among other updates. Don't sleep on this venue, we love weddings at JBPC!

Josephine Butler Parks Center is a magnificent Renaissance Revival mansion next to Meridian Hill Park. Washington Parks and People – a community organization led by Josephine Butler that revived the mansion and park in the early ‘90s – uses the mansion as a community center throughout the week for numerous organizations. On the weekends, the space is rented out to weddings to help support those community programs.


The mansion has the quirks and beauty of an old house. We had our ceremony in the side garden, which is close to an apartment building. Working with the venue, our photographer, and florist, the side garden transformed into the perfect space for a spring wedding in which the building disappeared. From the garden, our guests used the front steps and portico for cocktail hour before moving upstairs to the large ballroom for the reception. The venue was the perfect size for our wedding of 72 people that enabled our guests to dance, drink on the balcony, or relax in a sideroom while playing cards. If you have a wedding under 100 guests, this venue provides a blend of old and new DC for an intimate wedding and ceremony.

My husband and I got married in January and were looking for a venue to shelter from the cold with unique architecture and not just a space we would have to fill with decorations. JBPC is wedding-ready with its beautiful interior! JBPC is also across from Meridian Park. Although it was very windy on the wedding day, having a park as an option for taking pictures was lovely. The venue planning coordinators communicated well, answered our questions, and ensured the space aligned with our wedding day vision. Thank you, Josephine Butler Parks Center, for being a memorable place for our special day :)

We have lived near the Parks Center for years and have walked by many a couple getting married there. After we got engaged, we couldn't think of a place we would rather get married. The space is gorgeous and fit our aesthetic perfectly. The evening flowed flawlessly. We had the ceremony on the second floor, cocktail hour on the ground floor, and then dinner and dancing on the second floor. The division of space made each part of the evening (ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing) feel like its own event. They even had a new fire pit on the balcony, which our guests loved. We couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else.

We absolutely loved having our wedding at the Parks Center. Walking by it actually encouraged us to think about getting married for real. Malina clearly handles a lot but she was really accomodating and helpful. Since they do get a lot of business, be sure to book a long enough window for load in and prep (there ended up being a brunch the morning of our wedding that made prep start a bit late). I wouldn't recommend for anyone with a lot of elderly or disabled guests since there is a lot of stairs but otherwise it was absolutely gorgeous.

We had the most wonderfully fabulous wedding at JBPC! Everything from the set up to the end was perfect. We had so many options for set up and rain plans, and it was more than perfect.

Our wedding was an August 2019 wedding with 160 people. We chose to use a preferred vendor, Timber Pizza, for our food. We hired a day-of coordinator (ANA Trio Solutions - shes the best), we used a local DJ, and we stayed at the LineDC hotel. We had a small bridal party but a LOT of family, and needed a solid, easy rain plan due to it being in DC in August.

You CANNOT get a better deal, and a more beautiful setting for a DC Wedding. Tables and chairs, as well as a number of other items, are included in the rental fee. The rental fee is literally pennies in comparison to other venues in dc, and most of those don't include any other items. A+++ for value.

The space itself is amazing - a historical DC building with roots and significance - with an amazing mission. It is amazing to help support them in their mission, while getting to celebrate your big day! When we first toured, I loved the building - it felt like it could mesh into a super formal wedding, or a casual wedding (that's what ours was). Two things that i was concerned on 1. could the space seat 160 people and would we have enough dance space, and 2. the yellow walls.
On the first concern - can it fit our people and our dancing? ABSOLUTELY YES. The space was perfect for ceremony, cocktail, and dinner and dancing. We ended up having our dance floor in the foyer upstairs under the chandelier. It made it intimate, and AMAZING for pictures. It did sort of block access to the bar, but folks navigated that fine. For seating, we had 17 tables in the main two ballrooms, and one table on the dance floor that we pulled up pre-dances -- it was seamless and easy, our catering staff took care of it. The cocktail reception was a mix of outside under the portico and inside on the two floors - it was great for folks to have a seat if they wanted, get drinks, mingle, and sign in to our guest book.
We had the ceremony outside in the garden area. With 160 folks, there was NO way to have everyone seated. Our ceremony was about 15 mins long, so we had 60 chairs placed, and had everyone else standing. it was the most magical thing to walk through a parting crowd of ALL your people. They closed in for the ceremony, then stepped back out for the recessional - it was PERFECT.

For the concern on the yellow walls - Yes, they are a buttery yellow and you know what? it ended up being AWESOME. We chose all white tablecloths, with a sage green napkin. We kept our tables simple - fork, napkin, glass, and lemoncello glass. We didn't do centerpieces, but instead had table numbers with adoptable pets on the back. The other decorations we had were greenery (from costco, HIGHLY recommended) on the mantles with pictures of our loved ones' weddings, or folks we have lost along the years (grand parents, friends etc.). It was simple, added just enough decoration, and allowed for the space to feel clean and uncluttered.
We asked our guests to wear as many bright or sparkly colors as possible, so that filled the space right up. The yellow now just looked fabulous in the background. All in all, we absolutely loved it and cannot recommend this place enough.

Malina was our coordinator, question-answerer, planning aficionado, and all around wonderful person who helped us navigate everything! She sent us floor plans and let me come tour several, several times. We talked through options and what would work, and what definitely wouldn't and helped us come up with an in-between that fit our needs. Thank You Malina for ALL your help and support!

I am so glad that we chose Josephine Butler! Our indoor winter wedding felt glamorous, warm, and classy, and Malina and the Parks JB Center team were delightful to work with. Pictures below say a thousand words!

This is the perfect venue for small intimate weddings. We had about 100 guests and everything was perfect. The staff was professional and responsive and the surrounding area (park) is beautiful. So many wonderful areas for photos. Just be mindful parking is limited so providing transportation for guests would be ideal.

Choosing to have our wedding at the Josephine Butler Parks Center was the best decision we could have made with regards to selecting our wedding venue. Besides being a gorgeous and historic building in the middle of the city that supports DC parks, the staff was beyond accommodating, helpful, responsive, and very nice! We started off working with Mackenzie, who was absolutely wonderful and then worked with Malina when Mackenzie left, who was equally wonderful and so sweet! Our wedding guests another loved the space; there was enough room to have 85 guests for a seated dinner with a dance floor in the middle of the ballroom. We made so many special and cherished memories here! Thank you for the time of our life, JBPC!

The JBPC is a hidden wedding gem in DC! Such a steal for the price, Which was $2-3K less other venues in DC proper that we were looking at that held the same amount of guests (150). But the wedding price also came with 8 full hours of usage and all the tables and chairs that we need, no need for rentals! That saved us at least two grand right there! It was the first venue we viewed (we only toured two venues) and the one we came back to. No need to tour anymore.

Josephine Butler Parks Center is absolutely gorgeous -- it's the perfect historic DC mansion, but at a third of the price of other local venues with the same idea. Plus, your fees go to support Washington Parks and People, which helps maintain the Parks and the Parks Center (which helps many of the other nonprofits housed in the venue as well!) A stunning location with a purpose? Perfect!

We held our wedding there this past weekend and I cannot say enough about how perfect it was. The staff at JBPC is incredible, on top of it and totally helpful in whatever way they can be. Makenzie Delmotte is absolutely amazing to work with -- responsive, helpful, hilarious, and always ready to do whatever she can to make your wedding experience as positive as she can.

Everyone has been talking about how unique and gorgeous the venue was - and that it provided the most perfect intimate and elegant wedding atmosphere. All of the other vendors have raved about how wonderful it was to work there, and all of our friends couldn't stop going on about how it was the perfect location within the city.

I couldn't imagine having my wedding at any other place. It was absolutely fabulous!

The JBPC was the perfect choice for our wedding reception. The staff was extremely kind, efficient, patient, & helpful. The center is such a beautiful place. You essentially get the entire building, so it was perfect for our cocktail hour downstairs and dinner/dancing upstairs. There's even a "secret staircase" that the couple can use to get up to the private bridal suite when entering from the back. This allows you to have a moment of solitude before joining the reception. You also get to use their tables, Chiavari chairs, sound system (although I'd suggest having the DJ bring their own), and more when you get the wedding package. Many places make you rent this inventory for extra, but the JBPC just puts it all in their affordable package!

We had 96 people at our wedding, and used 12 of their 5ft round tables and sat 8 people at each. It was comfortable in the large dining hall without being crowded. We also had our wedding in the middle of summer, and we lucked out with the weather. It was hot but not overbearing the way summers in DC can be. Still, with that many people in one space at once, it does get hot. Our paper fan programs from the ceremony definitely came in handy!

Finally, I have to say I love that the center is run by Washington Parks and People. Their website reads, "We want the Center to become a lasting state-of-the-art 'greenhouse' for revitalizing and reconnecting diverse community green spaces across metropolitan Washington." How cool is that? I love that my money also went to such a great cause and place, not just another business like a hotel. My husband and I would definitely recommend them to anyone that asks!

PROS:
Gorgeous space; Affordable; Great staff; $ goes to a good cause; Inventory (tables, chairs, etc.) included in price; Private bridal suite; A ton of space; Next to Meridian Hill Park (great photo op!)

CONS:
Can get hot in summer; Not wheelchair accessible; Limited parking; No mid-event flip

This is a gem of a place if you want to do your own wedding and save money. The house sparkles and gleams and would cost at least double the price at a more full service venue.

I found the staff responsive and helpful - they really want you to have a good experience - but they work part time and they don't know how everything works - like the sound system they provide.

This is fantastic, beautiful place and excellent value for money.

We had a DREAM wedding at the JBPC. I cannot say enough about the team here and the venue!!!! Everything throughout the planning process was incredibly easy. The JBPC team was responsive, kept us updated on their inventory, and accommodated us coming in several times during the planning process. Seriously, the best venue and the best organization. Our day was executed flawlessly thanks to their above and beyond help.

We got married at JBPC on October 26. We LOVED our wedding, thanks in large part to the fabulous venue. We had around 175 people for a seated dinner and used both the spaces on the second floor for dinner. We loved the warm, welcoming vibe of JBPC; we loved the Parks & People mission; we found it so easy to work with Malina and other JBPC staff that were helpful along the way. We can't recommend this venue enough.

We checked out multiple venues in DC, but none captured the vision we had for our October 19, 2019 wedding like the Josephine Butler Parks Center.

The space is beautiful enough to not need too much decoration but simple enough to be a blank canvas if you wanted to go big. We had 120 guests and it felt both spacious and intimate.

Malina was very informative and helpful and has done the wedding rodeo enough times to have answers to every question we threw at her.

And we felt especially great about using the Center because we knew we were supporting the Washington Parks!

We just got married at the Josephine Butler Parks Center this past Saturday night. It is a mansion right out of a fairytale. It’s so elegant. But it’s not stuffy or overbearing. It’s really welcoming. Meridian Hill Park (Malcolm X Park), across the street is DC’s best place for photos. When we were doing our photos we ran into 2 other wedding parties and 3 marriage proposals. Malina Eaglin was absolutely amazing. She is kind, warm, deeply knowledgeable, and really caring. She answered all of our questions and all of our parents’ questions. The venue has spectacular rooms with beautiful, classic decor. Beautiful large windows, Fireplaces, Tall ceilings, a Flowing grand staircase, and a grand balcony on the second floor overlooking the park. It also has a grand piano you can use for the ceremony or the reception. And there’s even a bridal suite on the third floor where the bride can get ready and spend some time with just her family and friends. This place is unforgettable. Make sure to put in your reservation a year and 6 months in advance. If everyone knew about this place, the wait for a wedding date would be 5 years.

Had a wonderful experience with the Washington Parks & People and the Josephine Butler Parks Center team! You will know that the fee for booking the venue goes to support a good cause - parks and park programming in Washington, D.C. - so even the experience of booking will make you feel great. The staff is friendly, helpful, and very flexible. The location is hard to beat and looks out over Meridian Hill Park. The venue is beautiful, and you can really be creative in how you configure all the space for your ceremony and reception! We felt very well taken care of before, during, and also after the event - after the wedding, they very kindly held on to some vases that we had left there by accident. Thank you so much for all your help!

Josephine Butler is one of my favorite locations in Washington DC for weddings. I'm a wedding photographer and know what happens "behind the scenes." When you aren't looking, the staff are busting their rears to make sure you and every vendor are taken care of. Additionally, the European vibe and location across the street from one of the choicest locations in DC. Make sure to check it out before all the dates are gone!

We had the best time working with Malina and the staff at Josephine Butler Parks center. The venue is beautiful, in a great location, and reasonably priced for a DC city wedding. Malina was extremely responsive and kind. The fact that the venue had beautiful tables and chairs and that the staff set them up according to our plan was a huge cost savings and made life a lot easier. I would highly recommend this venue!

The JBPC was an ideal venue for our big night! Malina was a pleasure to work with and made us feel at ease that she had everything under control (and she did!!!). This venue is the perfect place for a couple that wants an authentic DC experience without the "hotel venue" feel. Just a note - we had 135 at our wedding and it was just about the perfect size for the venue.

The JBPC is an absolute gem and such a unique spot if you have a mid-sized wedding. We couldn't be happier with how it turned out and the fantastic experience working with Malina!

My husband and I had the wedding of our dreams here. They truly went above and beyond to ensure our happiness and the space lent itself beautifully for the day. We couldn't have been happier with our venue choice and encourage all to check this place out.

My husband and I had our wedding at JBPC in June 2017. The venue is a beautiful, historical mansion that is perfect for a small or medium-sized wedding. We hosted 115 people for a sit-down dinner and dancing, and I think that was the perfect size for the space. Malina was quick to respond to our many emails and questions, so the venue was very easy to work with. We chose some of our other vendors through JBPC recommendations and they all worked out wonderfully. We also appreciate that the venue fee is technically a donation to Washington Parks and People. One additional note- we hosted our wedding on a very hot day in June, and even though JBPC does not have central AC, their units still did a great job keeping the place cool! I would highly recommend this venue for anyone hosting a small/medium-sized wedding who wants a special, historical venue that knows how to work well with couples and their wedding vendors!

I fell in love with the Josephine Butler Parks Center during our first visit and I was so happy to hear that our wedding guests loved the venue as well! It was such a pleasure working with both Makenzie and Malina - they are so laid back and accommodating. We were able to work with excellent vendors who also had a relationship with the venue and staff, which helped a lot. Finding a downtown DC wedding venue that includes so many extras but doesn't break the bank was a true challenge; however, the JBPC did not disappoint! I cannot say enough to express my gratitude to Malina and her staff for their excellent support and professionalism over the course of our wedding planning and on the big day! The Josephine Butler Parks Center is the most perfect wedding venue in DC.....hands down!

Josephine Butler was the first and only venue we viewed. We were smitten with the gorgeous facade of the outside and the historic nature of the space. The interiors are gorgeous and the space is perfect for a wedding of 150 or smaller. It is intimate and unique. One of the best values, besides how responsive and supportive the team is, is the amount of furniture the space includes. The round tables and gold chairs are often expensive and hard to find when renting in a space that does not provide! Truly feel like it was the best value with the most stunning location. We took photographs in Meridian Hill park between the service and reception! Not the mention that all the vendors I used from JBPC's recommendations were solid gold with local, organic, and sustainable beliefs I also share. I couldn't be happier with this choice.