The Atrium at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens Reviews

We could not have asked for a more fitting venue for two bird-, plant-, and nature-lovers to get married. We received so many compliments from our guests on how lovely the venue was and how much they enjoyed being able to stroll in the gardens during cocktail hour and the reception. The staff were very helpful throughout the planning process, and everything went well during the day of the wedding. It was sometimes challenging to find times to visit the space due to the combination of their event schedule and our work schedules, but the staff did their best to accommodate us.

As a photographer, this was a beautiful venue to work at! Grounds are big for different backdrops and the scenery is amazing, especially a sunset. very helpful staff as well.
Website: https://kandidartsphoto.com/
Instagram: Kandid Arts Photography

We fell in love with the Atrium at Meadowlark before we even got to see it in person. It is such a unique space that really brought in the colors and nature we were hoping for. All of the greenery and the little spring/river running through the space is beautiful and really requires little additional decor. Their team was great to work with, responsive, and kind. We also appreciated that they had their own caterer, Great Hearing Catering. This was one less thing to worry about during the wedding planning process and the food was SO GOOD. We had many guests come up to us and tell us how much they enjoyed their dinner. P.S. Be sure to go to Meadowlark’s annual open house. We met so many wonderful vendors there and got to really enjoy the space before the official wedding visits.

We were so, so pleased with Meadowlark as a venue for our November 2023 wedding! The venue was beyond beautiful inside and outside, and we even had the Meadowlark Walk of Lights outside that added pizazz to the night! The Meadowlark staff was professional, courteous, and did a great job seeing us through the entire wedding planning process. Thank you to Esther, Wayne, and the crew for all they did every step of the way to support us--from touring us around the venue, answering questions via email and phone, and providing expert advice and support as we navigated all of the many decisions along the way.
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An FYI just for planning purposes: Meadowlark is technically a separate org from Great Blue Heron, the catering company. So while they partner together, for planning purposes, consider them separate vendors and email/coordinate with them as such. In addition, we had a little glitch in the NOVA Parks system and weren't receiving their automated emails--so if you don't get emails after you contract, be sure to ask in case that has happened.

We decided to celebrate our wedding here because my husband proposed to me at the Winter walk of lights. And we couldn’t be happier with our decision. We saved so much money on decoration because the venue itself is breathtaking. Our wedding felt like a fairy tale because we were surrounded by so many flowers and plants. If you are a potential client, I highly recommend you come take a look!

From our first visit to the Atrium at Meadowlark, we were in love with the beautiful glass building and surroundings. It is the perfect combination of nature and romance. The team at Meadowlark was responsive and guided us through every detail of our wedding, helping create a wonderful experience for our guests - and for us. Everyone says that something always goes wrong during a wedding, but ours went off without a hitch and I'm certain that it's due in part to selecting the perfect venue.

Very beautiful and Green / Natural Venue I have ever seen!!

This venue is incredible. My photographs came out amazing because of the view!
We did our wedding on Sunday, October 16th, we had the changing leaves and it was very beautiful.
On my wedding day, it was not so cold so we could take our pictures outside.
They change the flower and decorations each season, so you can have a seasonal wedding anytime!

The workers were very kind and so nice!
They will respond to you fast if you send an email than call, so be careful.
My coordinator was very organized and took care of me a lot.

They have their own catering service, and I highly recommend that you should use them.
The catering team did an amazing job and was perfect. The bartenders worked very fast too. The foods were very delicious and all of my guests loved it.

Highly recommend!!!

Looking for a wedding venue can be stressful, especially if you are someone like me who struggles with decorating and having a "vision" for the big day. When we walked into the Meadowlark, I knew this was the venue for us. The room is surrounded with a variety of plants and streams. There are string lights hanging over the dance floor. 80% of the decorations are handled for you just by booking the space. The staff, Bettina and Wayne, were so easy to work with (even through a pandemic!) and the catering is right on site. It makes the planning so much easier when you have a team like that behind you! I would 100% recommend this venue and wish I could have a party there every year :) Thank you Meadowlark!!

This is truly my favorite place, and the absolute most beautiful place for a wedding in the DMV area. Our reception was in the Atrium here in June, and by bringing the outdoors in, we did not have to add much decor. The team was phenomenal to work with, and helped me through the multiple date changes #coronabride, made a room layout for our 16 person bridal party and 100 guests, had the sweetest staff catering to us all day and night, and not to mention one of the best meals I've ever had. Our guests are still raving about the dinner here (from Great Blue Heron Catering)! Since this is part of the Nova Parks, the rates are very affordable compared to other venues in the area. If you are at all considering this venue, first check their availability (they are so popular - I did this before we were engaged!) and then book a tour. You will fall in love!

We had the most amazing experience working with Wayne, Bettina, and the GBH catering team at the Atrium. The new covid restrictions limiting gatherings to 25 guests was announced literally one week before our wedding so we were scrambling to make so many last minute changes and they made everything so easy for us - we went from 65 to 22 guests (our original estimate in 2019 when we booked our date was 150 guests), buffet to plated dinner, stationary appetizers to passed hors d'oeuvres only, and full bar to only beer & wine. In addition to the superb service, the venue itself is absolutely gorgeous and unique. We also loved that our guests had access to the botanical gardens and the Winter Walk of Lights!

The entire crew at Meadowlark created the most magical day for us! We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful venue (with Christmas lights and winter decor!!), the staff was so helpful and the food amazing! It’s one thing to have a gorgeous venue, but the amazing staff was the cherry on top! We had so many guest comment on the beauty of the venue, the delicious food and the amazing staff. Bettina, Wayne and Bianca are the dream team! They run a well-oiled machine and know what they are doing... it was worth every penny!! It was the most magical and special day thanks to Meadowlark! Friends and family told me that something would go wrong and thanks to the staff at Meadowlark, everything was flawless and nothing ever went wrong! So smooth and so so beautiful.

What an amazing group of professionals. It was a pleasure working with them at this absolutely beautiful venue with breathtaking views.

It was the perfect place for us. They are super responsive, flexible and just down right amazing. the grounds are gorgeous and I can't believe that I've lived in Virginia for 20 years of my life and didn't know they existed. If they're open for a day you're good with, don't hesitate with booking them. Their caterer is delicious (We didn't get to eat much, but our guests couldn't stop telling us how delicious it was) and you really don't need a day of person when working with them. they are just awesome ^_^

The Atrium was the perfect place for our wedding reception and the Garden Gazebo was a beautiful location for our ceremony. The Staff were extremely attentive to our needs and desires and helped make our wedding fantastic. They had no problems working with a gay couple and made us feel extremely comfortable and welcomed. We could not be more pleased. The surroundings are just amazingly beautiful and so well kept. It was like a wedding in paradise.

We did not rent the atrium, we only rented the gazebo over the lake. Due to the short notice of the event, they did not have the available date and the price point was beyond our budget, but we really wanted to get married in the gazebo on the lake, and we did :-)

It was absolutely beautiful! We were able to rent just the space, the pictures are amazing, there was a butterfly that danced around us for the ceremony... it couldn't have been more perfect!! (and the best part was that by just renting the space, it was very affordable!!)

This venue is GORGEOUS. The staff at the atrium are wonderful. They do everything in their power to make your wedding spectacular. Everything was perfect. I would highly recommend this place. Not only do you get stunning pictures, you recieve a proffesional team that works with you from stage one.

I absolutely LOVED this venue. I can understand why it gets booked up a year or more in advance... it's a gorgeous place with TONS of places to take pictures. Even though management changed mid-way through our wedding planning, Renee and Liz were wonderful and made our day seamless. They took care of everything down to the littlest detail. I couldnt be happier with how it went... I wish it wouldn't have gone by so quickly!! Meadowlark is truly a wonderful place to get married if you like a garden setting.

A few people had recommended this location to me and I hadn't done any homework on it at all. I walked in and there was no question in my mind that this was the place. The price was a little more than I wanted to pay, but I thought it was fair and worth it for what I was getting. I worked with several people trying to get the wedding organized and they were always extremely helpful and willing to offer recommendations for vendors that they’d worked with. I was extremely happy with the service I received and would recommend it in a heartbeat.

This was a wonderful and gorgeous setting for our wedding reception. The staff was very friendly, professional, and took care of our needs. Overall, I would definitely recommend this venue!

The Meadowlark gardens is a superb place for a wedding ceremony and/or reception if you enjoy a beautiful garden setting. They have many beautiful outdoor areas as well has a full service large (200 ppl) glass atrium that is temperature controlled. It is a nice mix of indoor comfort with many outdoor options a few steps away.

I highly recommend making a quick visit to the park. The pictures don't do it justice. Tell them you are considering using their wedding venue and they will let you in for free. In addition to the Atrium with a outdoor terrace, there are severl gazibos including one over a lake. The whole area is delicately maintained and picture perfect.

We had our ceremony on their Atrium terrace with the reception tables setup inside the glass Atrium. During cocktail, the photographer took us outside for some amazing garden shots.

They rent the entire Attrium with outdoor access for 6-8 hour blocks and ensures that no other couples will be in the park at the same time. The Atrium also has a prep kitchen, restrooms, and changing room. Friday, Saturda, Sunday rates are pretty insane, ranging from $4K to $6K. Rates on other days are far more affordable, starting around $2K for 6 hours. One of the small garden gazebos can also be rented for a few hundred if you are ok doing the whole wedding outdoors. They don't provide any staff, just an event corrodinator. The caterer you choose must be licensed and insured.

I highly recommend the Meadowlark location if you like outdoor settings. The Atrium is very good for indoor comfort, and all the glass and indoor gardens makes you like you are outdoors as well. It is also helpful that they give you generous time alotments where as many places charge for each hour. A full ceremony + reception + dancing will take at least 8 hours. Book early as they are very popular.

I knew about Meadowlark from back in my High School years (yes, it's been a while lol); actually chose this location as the wedding location for my project haha. Can't believe we ended up using it as our wedding venue over 10 years later! We were worried the venue would be too small, especially the dance floor area, but it worked out! After looking at several locations in the DMV area, we felt like this one fit our vibe and budget the best. We loved the interior and exterior plants/greenery. The staff was great to work with. There were staff changes, but Meadowlark made sure to inform us and didn't cause any impacts. We ended up working with Esther Kim for the wedding and she's great! Esther, our external event coordinator (Laura), and staff made sure everything was perfect. They really brought our wedding to life, especially our late night snack and cake table. They arranged it so beautifully! Everything went so smoothly, and we really have the Meadowlark Team to thank as well, so thank you guys!! Really appreciated their recommendations, expertise, and touches on what we had. Loved how everything turned out, especially our snack table!! ^_^

The Atrium at Meadowlark was the perfect venue location. They were very accommodating, their staff was professional, friendly and quickly responsive. The venue itself is breathtaking, with beautiful views. We were fortunate enough to have our dream outdoor wedding on the terrace (which fit our 20 person wedding party, plus bride & groom and 150 guests comfortably), in the middle of November, following an indoor/outdoor cocktail hour and reception. However, the venue was prepared to hold the entire ceremony, cocktail hour and reception in doors if needed due to the weather.
Their venue coordinator, Esther was the absolute best. Esther helped us plan everything for our perfect day, including a floorplan and overall wedding day layout that we loved, assisting with dessert station decor, help selecting the perfect linens and being available for questions that we had along the way.
My only cons, which may or may not be directly a responsibility of the Atrium but I would recommend that every couple does their research on the preferred vendors, as we had a very poor experience with one of their preferred wedding coordinators that we hired, solely on the basis that they were recommended. So please do your research and hire professional and capable vendors that you trust.
I would also recommend communication between the staff running the winter walk of lights with the Atrium personnel, we had several guests on the night of our wedding, during normal hours, be forced to leave the winter walk of lights "if they were part of the wedding" and told that they were permitted from walking through the winter walk of lights in the gardens. My understanding was that this was complimentary for each guest, so we were shocked to recently be advised of this by our guests.
Overall, and regardless of the two aforementioned cons, if given the opportunity, I would pick this venue again, without a doubt!

Amazing wedding venue!! My husband and I decided to get married here after visiting the garden to see holiday lights during one of our first date years ago. We are so happy we did! It's an absolutely stunning venue, and the garden looks beautiful in any season! Our wedding was on a rainy fall day, and although we didn't have the outdoor ceremony we were hoping for, I wouldn't change a thing. The Atrium looked so stunning for our ceremony and even more beautiful during the reception! Esther was incredibly helpful in the couple months leading up to our wedding, making sure we had our final guest list and seating chart together, and working with us and our coordinator to ensure everything was set up just as we needed. Additionally, we had a half Indian wedding with a Baraat, so it was important for us to find a venue that could accommodate this, and needless to say, the Atrium did so beautifully. It ended up being the best day in a beautiful venue that we will look back on and treasure for years to come!

The atrium is gorgeous, climate controlled, and has the perfect setting for weddings.
We couldn't be more pleased.