Philander Chase Knox Estate Reviews
Reviews
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![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 06/18/2024Philander Chase Knox (PCK)
We had a great experience with PCK (venue under Robert Ryan Catering Company)! Everything was laid out clearly in writing so we knew what to expect from booking to the day of. Amanda, the event manager, answered questions and provided clear information. Our day of coordinator, Talia, made the day effortless. Our guests raved about the venue and the food! -
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![Amy]()
Amy E. Sent on 05/19/2022Couldn't recommend PCK enough!
We had the best experience with Robert Ryan Catering at Philander Chase Knox! The location and venue itself is so beautiful and peaceful - all of our guests were so impressed by combination of the the historic estate and the natural beauty of the park. The staff at Robert Ryan were very communicative and helpful throughout the entire planning process, and were able and willing to accommodate any of our special requests. Our day-of coordinator was very friendly and professional, and made the day stress-free and fun for everyone! We got many compliments on the food, and from the beginning, we were very impressed with the variety of dinner options. We couldn't recommend Robert Ryan and Philander Chase Knox enough! -
Allyson Sent on 05/02/2021
Incredible spring wedding at Chase Knox
My husband and I moved our wedding to Chase Knox in October 2020 when the Center City Philadelphia restrictions for Spring 2021 were still super tight. We were a little uneasy making the call so late in the game but Leigh and Luke made those feelings a distant memory.
From the minute we met with Leigh we felt at ease and super happy with our decision. She was so helpful, fun to work with and answered all of our questions with a smile. I must have changed my tables 10 times (sorry Leigh!!!!) and she never let it get to her. Luke was our day of coordinator and you could tell he loved what he was doing and that it was not his first rodeo. He ensured that each guest had a hot and delicious meal and that my husband and I always had a drink in our hand!
Our guests have told us that the food we served was the best wedding food they have had and that the house and atmosphere was perfection! It was truly the best day we could've imagined. Thank you so much to everyone at Chase Knox and Robert Ryan Catering! -
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![Annalie]()
Annalie Sent on 01/24/2020Gorgeous Day, Gorgeous Venue, Gorgeous Wedding!!
Our experience with the Philander Chase Knox Estate was beyond amazing from start to finish. From the first tour of the venue with Mark Ryan himself to the last few minutes of our reception, everything was absolutely flawless. Everyone at Robert Ryan was accommodating, friendly, and extremely pleasant to work with. They made the planning process as well as the entire day of the wedding flow so smoothly and efficiently that I never had a worry in the world. Leigh was amazing to work with throughout the planning process, and our day of coordinator Luke was wonderful. The staff, the space, the backdrop of Valley Forge, and of course the FOOD were all amazing. Friends are still raving about how fun and beautiful the night was. Thank you Robert Ryan Catering and Valley Forge for a truly unforgettable wedding!! :) -
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![Jackie]()
Jackie Sent on 10/10/2019Philander is so beautiful
Our wedding was PERFECT! The staff was amazing and Leigh is incredible. She responds to you with any questions you have so quickly and is there for you the entire way throughout the planning process. She felt more like a friend than a wedding event manager. The staff member assigned to me was great and she brought me up two rounds of appetizers while I was stuck getting my bustle done for a half hour and even offered to try and help! Also they were really good with my request to not allow the line for alcohol to get long! They started to usher around beers to get the line down! It made all the difference. The only negative I would say is that at the tasting you only get the taste the options you choose, but I must admit all the food was amazing and everyone raved about our food at the wedding! The pairing appetizers are so cool and were a HUGE hit! The venue is so beautiful and so unique. There are so many picture spots that you don't have to go far for pictures. And the Washington memorial chapel is right around the corner! Look it up its gorgeous and that is where we had our ceremony! Basically I am obsessed with Philander and I wish I could live my wedding day all over again! -
![Olivia]()
Olivia Sent on 10/05/2019Best Day Ever!
We had our wedding at Philander Chase Knox on 9/7/19 and couldn’t be happier! The venue was absolutely gorgeous, the staff was amazing, and all our guests were raving about the food! (Seriously- the food was SOO good!!) Leigh was so great! She could not have been more accommodating and helpful throughout the entire planning process, especially with us planning the wedding from Denver! Our day-of coordinator, Luke, was also amazing! He was so helpful and made the whole day go perfectly smooth! Thank you all! It really was our dream wedding!! -
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Pamela Sent on 08/09/2019
Amazing Experience and Beautiful Wedding
Robert Ryan Catering's PCK venue was absolutely everything we could have hoped for and more. Leigh was our planner and was extremely helpful throughout the year whenever we had questions. She and her entire team are very organized and professional. Planning was a breeze.
The day of, I couldn't have predicted how well everything went. Our day of coordinator, Beth, and the head server, Margie were an incredibly warm and caring presence for me, my husband, and our entire wedding party. It was close to 90 degrees that day, and as the bridal party were outside taking pictures, Margie walked out to us with a tray of waters, ensuring we were taken care of from the minute we walked in the door, to the very end of the night.
The food was incredible. The house and surrounding property are exquisite. We received so many compliments on everything, it made us so proud that we picked the right place! -
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![Tayler]()
Tayler Sent on 07/15/2019Efficient and Effective
We worked with Leigh and she was so helpful every step of the way planning for such an important day. The day of the wedding went so smoothly thanks to the impeccable catering staff at the venue. I could not imagine a more perfect place to get married! -
![Nina]()
Nina Sent on 05/30/2019Meet and Greet
Leigh has been absolutely wonderful to deal with and doesn’t get annoyed if I send 8 emails a day. She responds quickly and with an answer everytime! The grounds are breathtaking and kept in great condition even when an event is not going on. I haven’t even had my wedding yet but I can only imagine how seamless the night is going to go. -
![Debra]()
Debra Sent on 04/17/2019People are raving!
All of our guests can’t stop talking about how beautiful the location was! We couldn’t have asked for anything better -
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Kate Sent on 09/27/2018We had our daughter's wedding there Sept 15, 2018 and it was wonderful! Leigh and Lucas made the whole process seamless, from the beginning when we booked until the end of the evening. If you have any questions during the process, Leigh answered right away.
The venue itself is beautiful. The wedding suites upstairs are spacious and well equipped. There are many areas on the property for the photographer to take great pictures.
The food was awesome and plenty. We provided the liquor and it was an easy the day of. We just delivered liquor and other decor items after 9am and the employees at the venue took care of everything.
We would highly recommend the caterer and the venue. -
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Lindsay Sent on 09/18/2018Wow, Robert Ryan knocked it out of the park. From beginning to end & everything in between they were accommodating, responsive, helpful, professional, and a pleasure to work with. The venue is breathtaking, the food is delicious & the staff doesn’t miss a beat. It was a fairytale dream come true!
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![Ali]()
Ali D. Sent on 11/04/2019Beautiful and Classic
Philander Chase Knox is the most stunning and unique wedding venue - we absolutely loved it. Luckily the weather cooperated and we were able to take advantage of how beautiful the park is for our photos, ceremony and reception. Leigh is great to work with and a calming presence during the stressful planning process and Luke (our day of coordinator) is the BEST. Calm, cool and collected and he made sure the day went exactly according to plan. Can't recommend enough! -
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![Emily]()
Emily Sent on 07/31/2023Beautiful Landscape and Venue with Some Needed Changes...
I want to start off by saying I had the best day ever. Many of our guests said they also had the most fun at a wedding. However, I think if we held our reception at any place, that would hold the same impression since it really had to do with the music. We had a generally easy process planning with a sweet woman named Andrea (who since quit). Since this is a seasonal venue, you can only see it during open months, but we got engaged in the fall/planned in winter, so we booked based off of photos (I don't recommend). We liked the location and saw nice professional photos but I was slightly taken back by what I saw during our first tour (after we paid deposit). The dance floor was coming apart and outdated, the carpet around the entire reception deck was stained, old and dirty, and the bar came straight out of a an old 70s VFW. Our parents looked at us like we were nuts. Many photos we saw we realized much later that people had rented several things to make the tent look nicer. We were very close to canceling the wedding and eating our deposit but we couldn't find any open venues elsewhere for the date we wanted. For 25K+ I was expecting more updates (there's a difference between vintage/rustic and just outdated). You have to pay extra (and i mean EXTRA $$$$) for table linens, to change the cushion color etc. Behind every corner is an upcharge.
That being said, the food was incredible – everyone loved everything they got and for that I am thankful! I imagine that's the bulk of the money–quality food and ingredients. I really enjoyed the personalized tasting night too!
We had a day of coordinator who was a no BS kind of girl (which normally I'm all for), but also made a lot of my bridal party and family feel uncomfortable starting immediately at rehearsal by yelling at everyone for parking where they did (no one told us where to park in the first place). Secondly, we were told the bridal suite would have "crudités" for our 14+ bridal party members but it was literally 5 celery sticks and some tomatoes and ranch. Thirdly, I paid an extra $120 on top of the package deal for our cake from the Master’s Baker for premium fillings and flavors. We were dancing all night and knew our cake was sitting at our sweetheart table waiting for us and we were so excited to try them all! For whatever reason, the dessert table was cleaned up SO incredibly quickly and they THREW AWAY our 4 tier cake and we didn’t get a single slice (mind you, our slices were packed up in to-go containers). When I was asking the coordinator where the cake went she first apologized that a server threw it away. She then lied right to my face and said “the entire cake was eaten by the guests” A 4 tier cake. Eaten by everyone, right. I asked several of my guests if they had cake and none of them even saw the dessert was out. I talked to just 4 whole people who had a slice of cake. Mind you, I brought takeout containers that they could have easily packed with cake. That really rubbed me the wrong way – the cake was a total waste of money.
The last thing that really set me over the edge was the breakdown. I had arranged several times with the coordinator that the card box and gifts were to be given to my husband’s father when we leave. She had asked about this again in our final meeting. We had a trailer that we were told we could keep there and the team would safely put all our decor into at the end of the night. This was great because I assumed we’d be putting it away. I wish that were the case now. I am on my way out the door asking all the staff where the cards were and no one knew. Thousands of dollars completely unaccounted for and no one cared. I assumed my mother had taken it (she was asleep at the hotel) so I tried not to panic. The next morning I find out she has no idea where it is. We go to pick up the trailer the next day and it is in there – unlocked, available to the public to just steal! The staff who packed that trailer were irresponsible, reckless and careless. Several items of ours were damaged from them throwing stuff in there, and I had 5 metal black lanterns I rented – which the staff decided to stuff an alcohol soaked tablecloth with, completely dissolving the metal finish forcing me to have to pay out of pocket for all 7 lanterns ($45 each!) due to the damage. It was the most chaotic packing I had ever seen. If I knew what I know now, I would have completely packed the whole thing myself (but that’s what we paid them to do).
All in all, I would not recommend this venue in terms of the value, but it was a beautiful area and the staff were nice to us and accommodating–there were just moments where I felt different. If it were priced around 10K or less I’d book it–but for over 25K there are several beautiful venues in the area that will not cause as many headaches and have more modern touches. If you have no budget and can add all the bells and whistles then it's great!
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