Sherwood Center Reviews
Reviews
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![Megan F]()
Megan Sent on 11/13/2022A magical event!
My wedding at the Old Town Hall last weekend was everything I could have dreamed! The venue was such a perfect fit for our personalities. I feel like so many other wedding venues seem really fancy and nice but have a... coldness to them. This place felt warm, cozy, inviting, and historic in an accessible way. The big appeal to having a wedding here? GETTING MARRIED IN A LIBRARY! The ceremony space is stunning with so much natural light.
The front of the building is currently under construction. When we toured the venue, Brianne (who was lovely) told us that it may still be under construction when we had our 2022 wedding, but that if it was, we could get a discount on the space. We went ahead with it and we are glad we did. The construction just blocked off the front entrance, but all of the interior space was usable, and there was a beautiful garden and patio for outdoor photos. The discount they gave us more than made up for it! The building is accessible for people with disabilities-- there is a ramp at the back entrance and elevators inside. This was a concern of mine when touring a historic building, so I was happy to learn it was updated.
There are a few cool little treasures in there: the gorgeous baby grand piano and the buffet table that was said to belong to President James Buchanan. The oval shaped windows are so gorgeous and unique. And of course, all of the antique books! I cannot wait to see my photos.
Kaveh was the main person I communicated with when planning the wedding and he was wonderful-- attentive and kind and clear about how things worked. The staff at the venue was great, setting up and taking down all the chairs and tables according to a diagram I sent them the week before. We had about 90 guests and that seemed ideal for the space. The whole center of the reception room was a dance floor with 5 tables on either side and a buffet table at the head of the room.
A few things to take into consideration if you get married here: If you don't have a DJ, there is an audio hookup in the reception space but it's not great sound quality. We rented some speakers from Guitar Center that were not expensive and played the music off of a laptop and it sounded great. There is a catering kitchen, but talk to your caterers in advance about if they'll need you to pay for 'early dropoff' at the venue because that's an extra charge that needs to be booked in advance. I didn't and the caterers made it work but it wasn't ideal for them. Also, don't use any tape or tacks when putting up decorations and don't use real flower petals for the flower girls, but they're very clear with you about that stuff in the contract, so plenty of time to plan ahead.
Our wedding was very DIY, but the comfortable elegance of the Old Town Hall meant we didn't need much in the way of decor. The whole day was a dream come true and I hope to attend (or book) another event there some day! -
![Jennis]()
Jennis Sent on 05/05/2015We absolutely loved the Old Town Hall. We picked it because of the look of the building and for affordability. It is also one of few venues that allow you to bring in your own caterer which was huge to us because we were on a budget. Brianne and Kaveh from the parks and recs center was always speedy with replying to our emails. They answered all of our questions for us with professionalism and clarity. They even had an employee measure the bookshelves up front because we wanted to put up drapery so the books wouldn't distract from our photos. We used the two pedestal columns that they have onsite (it isn't listed in the brochure so ask for it) free of charge. A huge plus is that they have all the tables and chairs onsite (over 200 chairs) so you can have the ceremony set up upstairs and have enough chairs downstairs for the reception area to be set up. The upstairs is a bit tight so I don't recommend having more than 7 people in your bridal parties. We had 7 on each side excluding ourselves and our officiant. The AC also wasn't working that day but once we got the windows open it was fine! We also had two friends play live music (two guitars) during the ceremony and they had no problem getting set up upstairs. They are extremely flexible with the layout of the downstairs reception area. The floorplans they display on their site are simply suggestions. We had to adjust after realizing we invited too many people! Although the construction wasn't finished when our wedding took place, I'm sure that will be a great addition to any future weddings. We also rented a few tablecloths directly from the Town Hall to cover the round tables we used to hold our beer, cake, and gifts. Notes: no open flames, glitter, sparklers or bubbles. We exited under a tunnel of our guests arms instead. Loved everything about this venue!! -
![Misti]()
Misti Sent on 04/23/2015Old Town Hall was the perfect venue and Brianne Baglini and her team were great! Very prompt, professional, flexible and a pleasure to work with. The venue was the perfect setting for an intimate wedding with family and friends. It's traditional design, yet contemporary look (we basically got married in a library!) was the perfect combination! It was a great venue at an affordable price. The day of our wedding a pipe had burst and there was no water...when I arrived, about an hour later than expected, I was informed of the situation at that they were already working on it. Everything was taken care of in plenty of time for the ceremony/when guests arrived and the day went off smoothly. -
![Elizabeth]()
Elizabeth Sent on 06/05/2014Great value, great service and so cute!!!
I loved having both my ceremony and reception on the same site. I'd recommend it anyone! -
![Parastu]()
Parastu Sent on 07/09/2013Growing up in fairfax city, I always loved seeing the brides and grooms coming outside of this venue for pictures. I am glad to have had my own wedding here! It is very easy to book, as well as, beautiful, and very charming! If you want to it to be even more affordable than it already is, then book on a Friday night! -
![Michelle]()
Michelle Sent on 10/30/2012Old Town Hall was the perfect venue for our wedding reception. We only utilized the downstairs, but it worked perfectly for our ninety guests, including a buffet on the large cabinet table and room for a dance floor. Brianne and Kaveh were very responsive and helpful in fitting all of our needs into the space. I would definitely recommend to any other brides looking for a historic venue to host family and friends on their special day! -
![Margaret]()
Margaret Sent on 09/27/2011My husband and I had our wedding ceremony and reception at the Old Town Hall.
The ceremony was upstairs and reception on the main level. Everything went off with a hitch! I worked with Brianne who was very organized and professional. We recently relocated to NC and did most of the planning through emails and phone calls. She was very responsive and helped us decide on a great floor plan.
The hall looked beautiful and everything was in it's place. For the cost and preparation, this venue is definitely a good value! -
![Rachary]()
Rachel Sent on 03/26/2010Everything about our experience at Old Town Hall was 100% positive. Laura Lister was our contact and she was Awesome - really fast to respond to my emails, always helpful, just super nice. The staff on site is great too, we worked with Amy and Brenda and they were both just, well, awesome. I'm sorry I can't think of any better descriptors than "awesome" and "super." The venue was perfect for our wedding - and being right across the street from a bar is a bonus if your guests might want an afterparty. ;) You can't beat the value in this area either. -
![GingerTabby]()
Maddy Sent on 04/29/2014I am so glad I found the Old Town Hall for my wedding! The venue had everything I wanted- I could have my ceremony and reception at the same location, I could bring in whatever vendors I wanted, there was plenty of free parking, and all tables and chairs were complimentary. The value for the price was outstanding and all of my guests said the setting was beautiful. Brianne, who was my contact with the City of Fairfax, always responded to emails quickly and professionally so I knew I had nothing to worry about.
The event space worked perfectly for my party size (about 50 guests). Everything was clean and in good working order and I received back my security deposit very promptly. I highly recommend checking out the Old Town Hall. -
![Rose]()
Rose Sent on 07/02/2022WEDDING - Civil War and Interpretative Center
We had our wedding reception in June 2022 at the Civil War and Interpretative Center and it was such a special location! With all the history that came with it, how private/quiet and tucked away it is in the greenery (a rate find for Fairfax City!), and the beautiful environment it created! We barely had any decorating to do inside and out - this property is stunning! With it being open to the public, we were able to visit the location several times ourselves to walk around it, but we also had a couple meetings with Kaveh on site and he was extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and easy to work with! He was exceptionally quick with emails, helped us with the layout and vendor recommendations, and was flexible with our schedules to make the walk through happen on short notice. The contract process to rent the venue was very simple and tables/chairs were provided as well. We were able to have an outdoor cocktail hour, a mobile bar park in one of the close parking spots, outdoor yard games, and a beautiful reception space (with a dance floor!), and catering setup in the lobby. This location was perfect for our 60 person wedding and the weather on the day was perfect and allowed guests to move inside and outside the reception, we could not have asked for a better experience working with Fairfax City and the value we got from the price of this venue! Our pictures are outstanding because of the beautiful greenery and historic buildings on the property - we even got a discount for being City of Fairfax residents. Thank you Kaveh and the City of Fairfax Team! -
![User1998257]()
User1998257 Sent on 09/18/2014I used the upper level for cocktail hour and the main level for dinner and dancing. I would highly recommend it. Brianne and the staff were very responsive to my questions and had everything set up as I requested. The main level was roomy enough for a small dance floor and buffet-style dinner for 110 guests. It felt cozy without being cramped. Even though the garden and parking lot were inaccessible because of construction, the interior is beautiful for photos and there is ample free parking nearby. -
![Jessica]()
Jessica Sent on 06/23/2009This is an excellent venue. It is an historic building in the center of old Fairfax City -- just beautiful. Our wedding was lovely there.
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