William F. Bolger Center Reviews

The William F. Bolger Center is a “hidden gem” of a venue in Potomac, MD. On 43 acres of gorgeous grounds, there is a beautiful area for an outdoor wedding, as well as two halls for indoor weddings/receptions. In May, 2022, we used the “Stained Glass Hall” for the wedding and the reception, and it was fantastic. This venue worked especially well because we had quite a few out of town guests. The Bolger has over 400 comfortable rooms that can be put into a discounted block for wedding guests on the wedding weekend. The cafeteria has much variety. The buildings are a bit old fashioned (somewhat like the older hotels in the big national parks), and very well maintained which adds to the charm. It feels like stepping back to the 50's or 60's and is a lot of fun.

The reception food is fantastic! We could give our guests a choice of three entrees which were all delicious. Vegetarian options were available for hors d'oeuvres and entrees. Bolger allowed us to pay for drinks consumed (lots of non-drinkers in our families) which was more economical. Staff were helpful and the wedding/reception went smoothly. Sarah, the onsite coordinator, answered questions quickly and professionally and contributed a lot to “making the trains run on time”. She interacted with family members and friends doing various tasks in a helpful and professional manner. Compared to other venues in the area, we got a lot of value for our money. And, after two months we are still happily together!

If you're looking for a great, open-spaced location in DMV, please look no further. This location met all our needs with a fantastic in-house catering facility, huge guest rooms, and green lush areas. The Franklin Ballroom and the Stained Glass hall were huge to accommodate all our guests. The location and its staff worked so well with all my vendors to create this memorable weekend for us. The food was delicious, the staff was amazing to cater to all the needs of the guests and their rooms. I can't thank Sarah Curiale from the Bolger Center enough for making this experience so seamless and stress-free for us. She worked really well with our plans and requests at all times. Thanks again!

We recently celebrated our daughter’s wedding at the Bolger Center, Potomac , Maryland. We and our guests were amazed how nicely the entire day went. From the very beginning when we visited there to see the venue, we were very impressed seeing the stained-glass room at the Osgood Building to have the wedding ceremony. Similarly, the reception hall and surroundings of the Benjamin Franklin Building was ideal for the numbers of guests we had. During this process, Ms. Sarah Curiale helped us in each and every step. She is unbelievably helpful and kind person. We emailed her so many times with thousands of questions, and each and every time she replied gracefully. Because of the stain glass hall, wedding mandap also looked so gorgeous. One of the major advantages Bolger center has, hotels and restaurants are within the campus, and Bolger Center has plenty of complementary parking for all of our guests and vendors, so no one has to pay for valet parking. Bolger center catered Western/South-East mixed lunch and Indian-style cocktail and dinner, for our wedding, and the food was delicious. Overall, we are very satisfied and extremely happy that we chose this venue. In my evaluation, Bolger Center is a beautiful open space for any events, and particularly for wedding. I highly recommend to everyone to come and see the Bolger Center before you choose your venue. Moreover, if you are fortunate and get Ms. Sarah Curiale as your sales manager for Bolger Center event, I can guarantee that you will have the best experience. If we do another event in future, we will come to the Bolger Center again. My best wishes to all Bolger Center employees for their coordinated effort to make our event so graceful and enjoyable. -Dr. Partha Banerjee

I am so thrilled we decided to go with Bolger for our wedding. The venue is beautiful and the food is amazing!! You can’t go wrong at Bolger.

We had our wedding at the Bolger Center during November of 2019 and were very with our experience and how everything turned out:

Sales Manager:
Sarah, our sales manager at the Bolger Center, was very knowledgeable, experienced, patient and accommodating. During our initial venue visit she was able to answer all of our questions in great detail, and came across as very experienced in event management. She demonstrated that same level of professionalism throughout the entire process. Sarah was also extremely patient with us. During the months leading up to our wedding, she was very accommodating in showing us, our families, and our vendors the space, even if that meant coming in on weekends or in the evenings. Further, on the weekend of our wedding she was patient with us when our rehearsal ran late, and on the wedding day she ensured things were going to plan. She was even present during our post-wedding breakfast, checking in with us to see if we were doing well. It was an absolute pleasure to work with her.

Property and Staff:
One benefit of having an event at the Bolger Center is that the property has everything you need. Most of our out of town guests stayed on the property during our event weekend. The venue also has a bar (Pony Express), which was a convenient space for us and our guests to grab some food and drink. We found the rooms well-maintained and the public spaces were clean and staffed appropriately. Perhaps what stood out to us most was the staff. Every employee of the Bolger Center that we came across, from the cleaning crew to the security, was very pleasant and always greeted us with a smile. Further, they demonstrated excellent professionalism during our event. As an example, we noticed that when they served dinner during our wedding, they had multiple staff members attend to one table all at once, so that food was served at the same time to each guest in a given table. The benefit of this was that there wasn’t anyone waiting for someone else in their table to be served before they could start eating, and therefore food did not get cold.

Our Wedding
During the last nine months leading up to the wedding, we worked closely with Sarah to make sure our vision for the wedding come to fruition. Everything that Bolger Center provided us from the rehearsal dinner to the post-wedding breakfast was spectacular. The getting-ready rooms for the bridal party were conveniently located in the same building as our event. Our wedding took place in the Stained Glass Hall, which looked absolutely stunning. The lighting in the room was customizable, and it looked perfect during our big day. Since we used the same room for the ceremony and reception, the flip of the room during cocktail hour was seamless. The food tasted excellent and was warm. The staff that attended to our wedding were very experienced and pleasant.

Overall, we had an unforgettable wedding at Bolger Center. All our guests spoke highly of this beautiful venue and we would recommend it to anyone planning a wedding in the DMV area.

We have just completed our third mitzvah at the Bolger center. All three times they were extraordinarily easy to work with, and our mitzvahs came out exactly as we had designed and discussed.

My children were so very happy, as were my guests. The food is really really good, and we have received rave reviews from our guests every single time. We have also been able to customize our menus in several ways all three times, and were pleased that Bolger was so accommodating for very little extra cost.

I also find the serving staff to be not only good at what they do, but very very warm. I have had servers who have worked more than one of my events, and one who has worked all three - and they know us and remember us :-). That, combined with my coordinator/manager all three times, has almost made us feel like we were family there.

The other reason we pick the Bolger was because it made it very easy on my guests that we could lodge them there, and also do our Friday night meal at the Pony Express. The Pony may seem like your average sports bar, but they carve out such a nice private space for a medium size party, and it has worked out beautifully every time. (and again – rave reviews on the food we have served our Friday night dinners). At our third Friday night event we had such beautiful weather that we were able to have drinks served to us on the adorable patio outback and then migrate into our private space for dinner.

Thanks Bolger, for all three :-)

Everything was perfect. This was the second time we hosted a significant family event at this beautiful venue.

The staff is experienced, efficient and thorough. They made our event smooth and easy! Ricky was extremely professional, knowledgeable and positive. Planning this event was delightful.

We had an incredible wedding at the Bolger Center! The grounds were picturesque and perfect for photos. The food was delicious; all of our guests enjoyed it! The best part of our experience was working with venue coordinator Sarah Curiale. She not only helped us to plan an amazing event, but made sure everything ran smoothly on the day of. She answered all of our questions, and fast! Sarah took care of so many things, making planning easier and giving us less to worry about! She worked with us every step of the way to make sure our special day was everything we had in mind. For example, when we couldn't decide which lighting we liked for the Stained Glass Hall, she went in after hours to take a picture of how the it would look after dark. Sarah definitely went above and beyond to make everything come together for the perfect day! Highly recommend.

Everything was great from the planning to the execution!
We really enjoyed working with Sarah and her team.
The food was great, the venue was beautiful and the service was top notch, Our guests also enjoyed the rooms and the restaurants which were both excellent values

My point of contact Sarah was not only knowledgeable but more than willing to share her expertise in helping frame every decision about our event. From assisting with the menu selection, room layout, vendor positioning, orchestrating the flow - she was a true asset. The staff were professional, organized and attentive to our guests' needs. The food was AMAZING. We received such positive feedback even from the most finiky of eaters. I have no reservations at all in recommending the Bolger Center and Sarah.

The Stained Glass Hall is a hidden gem in Potomac. We held an event there for 120 guests and the Bolger Center staff made sure it was perfect. Sarah Curiale, the Bolger Center coordinator, was prompt in her responses to our needs, very organized to ensure no details were missed and on site the night of the event to make sure everything went as planned. They offer flexibility in providing a garden setting for our cocktail hour, with an inside room as plan B in case of weather. They offer a delicious tasting of the food well in advance of your event so you know what will be served, and they offer a large variety of food to pick from. The grounds are beautiful and provide many spots for taking photos and the room itself has been upgraded with a beautiful marble atrium, and customizable uplighting to match the theme of your event. They provide detailed timelines and banquet orders to make sure your room is set up the way you want and your party runs smoothly. Their wait staff is attentive, polite and works diligently on the night of your event. I would highly recommend the Bolger Center for a wedding, Bar Mitzvah or other special occasion. We have held two events there so far and will not hesitate to return in the future.

We had our wedding reception in the Franklin Hall back in October and it was just perfect! I remember walking into the room during cocktail hour when it was just finished being set up- it better than I could have imagined! Honestly, it was hard to imagine making that huge room into the cozy, warm vibe I wanted since every time we saw it, it was set up for a conference. But it was completely transformed for the wedding reception- amazing lighting, tons of space, simple logistics with lodging available for out of towners, and the staff was awesome! They were so professional, happy, and helpful during the planning process and day of. Sarah is a pleasure to work with- responsive, honest, and helpful! Having your wedding here is a great decision!

The Bolger Center truly made my dream wedding come true! The planning process was a breeze due to their staff's professionalism and quick responses. Rhonda, who was our main point of contact was amazing from start to finish. Emails and phone calls were always answered within a timely manner. The day of staff were extremely accommodating and my guests were so impressed. I would not have changed a thing! We also had our rehearsal dinner here which was excellent.

The venue is beautiful inside and out. There are such amazing green spaces for photos. The venue feels like a retreat away from the city. Rhonda and her team are super amazing and helpful. I love this venue and recommend it highly.

AMAZING! We chose to have our son's Bar Mitzvah at the Bolger Center mainly to accommodate our out of town guests. I had no idea this property existed until we started exploring. First, planning with Rhonda and her staff was made easy and they met all of our needs. They helped with everything from choosing the rooms, to lighting, room setup, and the wonderful menu we put together for both kids and adults.
Our Bar Mitzvah service was held in the Overland Room which was so beautifully set up with a stage for my son and beautiful lighting coming through the stain glass. It was perfectly intimate! Everything (mic, tables, coat rack, etc.) was where it needed to be that morning.
For our party in the Stain Glass Hall, we had a kids buffet, adult cocktail and seated lunch service. The food was DELICIOUS!!!! The salmon, chicken, beef and vegan dishes received rave reviews. They were plated beautifully! The hors d'oeuvres were also delectable! We had seared tuna, lamb chops, stuffed mushrooms... also a beautiful Mediterranean Mezeh table. The room set up was GORGEOUS! My jaw literally dropped when I walked in. They had up-lighting in blue for my son. The set-up was perfect. Rhonda really knew how to fit us all in there comfortably. Our vendors loved working in this space! All of our centerpieces and "extras" were put right where we had discussed. The staff (front desk, servers, bar tenders, etc.) were all efficient, kind and professional
From our casual Friday & Saturday night dinners at the Pony Express (yum & fun!!) to the all-you-can-eat DELICIOUS breakfast, everything for our guests was at their fingertips. Many came right from the airport via taxi/Uber and never left the property.
This was such a positive experience that I have already booked our daughter's Bat Mitzvah at the Bolger Center and can't wait to celebrate there in 2.5 years.

We had an outstanding experience with the Bolger Center and highly recommend this venue for overall value and quality to anyone planning a wedding, Bar Mitzvah or other milestone occasion. Bhavna and Kara from the Sales and Catering team were extremely communicative, responsive and flexible during the planning process (not to mention kind and professional). They helped us create a modified menu and drinks package that fit within our budget, worked with the chefs to accommodate several dietary restrictions among our guests, and gave us a great amount of flexibility when it came to loading in and out before and after the event. We held a cocktail reception in the Overland Room and our main event later that night in Benjamin Franklin Hall. The level of service we experienced during our event weekend matched what one might expect at any fine hotel: each and every service person we came across was courteous, responsive and capable. We had text and cell phone access to key Bolger Center personnel so our day-of coordinator could be in constant contact if we had needs or questions. We were so pleased we hope to hold more events here in the future!

Our event was a Bat Mitzvah not wedding. The cook, was so nice and his food were great. Our party planner, Rhonda Kyle was responsive and great. Could not have gone better. Bolger Center is great for Bat Mitzvahs! Would go back to them for a wedding !

My review is a year late, but better late than never, right? Let me start by saying that my husband and I absolutely loved the Bolger Center! We struggled with finding a venue that met all of our needs -- date, aesthetics, professionalism, budget, and value. We had seen so many venues and were at the point of settling. I remember that my husband, MOH, and I had visited another venue earlier in the day we first visited the Bolger Center. Neither of them really liked that other venue, and I was so frustrated. We were almost a year out from our desired date and no where closer to finding a venue. I griped the entire drive from DC to Potomac, MD saying to just do a courthouse wedding and have an amazing honeymoon. My husband vetoed that idea. The moment we drove to the Bolger Center, I said, "Oh! This is pretty!" By the time we made it from the parking lot to meet Debbie at the entrance of Stained Glass Hall, I was in tears and sold on the venue.

Debbie was amazing from the first day we met her. She's super friendly, welcoming, responsive, professional, and to the point. Unfortunately, the date (and months ahead) we wanted was taken, but Debbie said that things happen, and people cancel. She took our info and said we'd be the first she called should anything change. The very next day there date opened up. It was meant to be! Debbie worked very closely with me with much patience. She helped me customize a menu that fit me and my husband's cultural backgrounds. The food was AMAZING!! Definitely not your typical wedding food. We opted for the Events package because it had more dishes. As a result, we ended up having two desserts -- creme brule that and cupcakes (as party favors) from one of their preferred vendors. We also had a small cutting cake for pics. The bar was great; we had 2 signature drinks. A year later, people still comment about the beauty of the venue, the great food and bar options. Having it all inclusive was great. A perfect day!!

We had our wedding lunch reception at the Bolger Center, Benjamin Franklin Hall for 300 guests on a Labor Day weekend.

Debbie Halpin was our event coordinator, and she was flexible, professional and highly accommodating from planning stage, food tasting and the actual event day. She has a well-trained crew. The service and food were exceptional. The grounds of the Bolger Center is beautiful for photo session; a prime estate in Potomac, MD.

Everything went smoothly for the most part, even when it was one of the most busy long weekends with 3-4 other parties. There was a small hiccup with the floor plan and table numbers for our VIP guests, but the staff was sincerely apologetic. We would highly recommend the Bolger Center to others for wedding receptions.

The Bolger Center was our choice of venue for our wedding because the cost was reasonable and the campus was beautiful! We were planning an interfaith wedding (Christian/Hindu) so we were seeking a neutral venue. It was a BONUS to work with our point of contact, Debbie Halpin. She answered my emails and phone calls immediately while she was handling other weddings and conferences that would be held before and after our wedding. The food tasting she organized was phenomenal! We chose the Indian/Ethnic Wedding Package and the chef, Kuda, prepared flavorful dishes which impressed our mothers who cook Indian everyday! Kuda and Debbie stayed the whole time and took notes on our preferences. Kuda even met us on the dance floor at our wedding and the food was spectacular. We received SO MANY compliments on the food!
We were originally planning to have our wedding ceremony and reception in The Ben Franklin Hall, but since The Stained Glass Hall had not been booked (by some miracle as there were 3-4 other weddings that weekend), Debbie let us use it. The Stained Glass Hall was beyond what I had imagined for my ceremony. It made me feel as if I were inside any of a church in England. If you want to see it, please make sure you call ahead of time as it is a typically a popular hall. The Ben Franklin Hall was enormous and provided ample room for those who wanted to dance and those who just wanted to mingle by the bar.
I also wanted to say that Jessica Schraibman and Kanisha Gudger were extremely helpful in booking rooms and were helpful in accommodating our guests. They were always prompt in their emails and returned phone calls.
Debbie was (and still is) amazing, personable, thorough, efficient, and organized with a genuine interest in making our wedding day special. Thank you Debbie for making our day memorable!!! I miss you already! Good luck to you all in your wedding planning adventures!

I've lived in the Potomac area for many years and never knew the Bolger Center existed. In fact many of my neighbors didn't know about it either.
But WOW, was I blown away when I went to visit. I have so many positive things to say, I hardly know where to begin.

The grounds are gorgeous (we had an outside wedding ceremony). All the buildings are convenient to each other and the walking paths are very pleasant.

Everyone I worked with was efficient and very nice-- especially Debbie Halpin-- the on site wedding coordinator extraordinaire. I can't praise the wait staff enough. They served the meal promptly and with a smile. The cocktail hour, also held outside was just lovely, the setting, staff and food was perfect.

The food was the best I have ever had at a wedding EVER! My guests gushed! I actually ate!

The Stained Glass room was the perfect size for our 115 guests, any more and it would have been tight. Plenty of room for the dance floor.

The hotel rooms were perfect for the price, but the hotel reservations wasn't always efficient and some of my guests had problems, all of which were solved.

After the wedding, some of the guests went to the Pony Express. It was so nice to have all these amenities on the same property. I never worried tipsy travelers. Those that wanted to drink, stayed the night.

Breakfast was available at a reasonable price and provided another gathering place for guests.

The price for the wedding is a set fee, but by far the best deal in town. I wish I had another wedding to plan, because it would be at the Bolger Center!

Overall, I could not have been happier with the Bolger Center. Debbie was fantastic. My questions were answered promptly, most were anticipated and easy to fix.
You will love it!

My husband and I got married at the Bolger Center in mid-April 2015. Everything went very smoothly and my wedding experience was as great as it can be!
1.Venue - Absolutely gorgeous. Our ceremony and reception were both held in the Stained Glass Hall. It was a lunch wedding so the sunlight coming through the stained glass windows made the hall look even more beautiful, romantic and elegant. When combined with uplighting along the wall, it is just perfect. The grounds are always kept neat and green. The trees/flowers/garden are really beautiful and perfect for pre-wedding photo session.
2. Staff - We had Debbie Halpin as our coordinator and she is an amazing lady. She is very experienced and detail-oriented. She did not miss a single thing I mentioned. She is very friendly, quick to respond, and easy to work with. She made my wedding planning very easy and peaceful. The servers on the day of were also very professional and courteous. We had about 150 guests and everyone was happy with the service. We had some issues with the A/V system during our reception but the A/V staff was also quick to respond.
3.Food - Bolger offers complimentary menu tasting for 4 people and every food option we tasted was very delicious. On the day of, the hors d'oeuvres, salads, entrees and desserts were all amazing. I really don't know how they managed to serve such good food when they had to cook for more than 150 people. We still hear many compliments about our food. The only complaint I heard from my guests about the food was that some of the steaks were cooked well-done/medium-well although all steaks were supposed to be cooked medium-rare. But they were still good!
Most importantly, they offer a great package deal. It includes pretty much everything you need: hors d'oeuvres, stations, 3-course menu, champagne toasts, coffee and tea service, 2 signature cocktails and open bar! It is very difficult to find a deal like this in the DC metro area.

My daughter was married at the Bolger Center in late November 2014. It was as close to a flawless experience as a wedding can be.

1. The Venue – beautiful and peaceful. The grounds (86 acres) are well kept, even in late fall. My daughter’s ceremony and reception were held in the Stain Glass Room. The outside lighting coming through the stain glass windows provided a romantic visual effect.
2. The Food – the hors d’oeuvres served at the reception were absolutely delicious and nicely presented. The dinner was amazing! The chef is to be commended for preparing such an outstanding repast. The buffet breakfast the next morning was also very nice, with delicious omelets made to order, and a nice array of other breakfast items.
3. The Hotel – my room was small, but clean and comfortable, and for the price, a real deal, especially considering the proximity to DC. Other guests were also pleased with their rooms, and the ease of checking in.
4. The Staff – Excellent. Debbie Halpin, our event coordinator was extremely helpful. She was always prompt to reply to our email questions, and offered many suggestions to help make the event even more special. She was willing to work with us and her recommendations were right on target. Thank you Debbie! Mauricio Martinez, the Banquet manager was on top of every detail. He and his staff were attentive, courteous, professional, and efficient. Again, the chef – I can’t recall his name, put together an exceptional feast.
5. The Cost – We visited several other venues, and found that the Bolger Center was highly competitive with other facilities. But taking into account that Bolger provided a package deal and hotel accommodations, it was the hands-down winner.

Without a doubt, I would recommend the Bolger Center to anyone planning a special event.

My wedding took place on July 12 at The Bolger Center. From the moment my husband and I walked in, we knew that would be our venue. I grew up down the street so the location was perfect for our local friends and family. All of my husband’s family came in from out of town so it was important for us to pick a place where everyone could stay on “campus”. Our family and friends loved the beautiful grounds and patios. Many took advantage of the pool, gym, wooded trails and bikes. Some of them took day trips into DC and Baltimore. It is an ideal place to host a wedding when the majority of the guests are out-of-towners.

In this area, you can’t beat the price. They provided the linens, place settings, alcohol, food, cake and complimentary bridal and honeymoon suites- The honeymoon suite was beautiful! We wish we could have stayed another night.

The food was amazing. I received so many compliments- many people said it was the best wedding food they have ever had. The servers and bar tenders were friendly, helpful and professional. We had the ceremony and reception in the Stained Glass Hall and they flipped the room in under an hour. It looked amazing when we walked back in for dinner.

Their preferred vendor list is a must have, especially Washington Talent Agency (Rockville) and Tierra Floral (Bethesda).

A big shout out to Annette, Jessica and the rest of the Bolger team! Annette was amazing to work with. I emailed her at least a 100 times. She responded right away or if she was out had someone else from her team email me. I never felt ignored. She went above and beyond to help make our day perfect. She helped make suggestions and worked with our wedding coordinator to make sure our day was perfect. If I could do it all over, I would definitely return to the Bolger Center. It was a really nice experience. I’m sad it’s over. They made everything so easy.

This was a wonderful venue! I love the campus style -- with the hotel right next door to the reception hall -- made it very easy for the guests to enjoy themselves (and not have to worry about finding transportation to their hotel).

I worked with Debbie Halpin who was fantastic! The food was amazing and all the staff was a great help throughout the night! Would definitely recommend this venue!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. They made sure our day was beautiful! The food was delicious and the staff is sooooooooooo wonderful and helpful. ..especially Annette and Jessica over in events!

We absolutely loved our wedding at The Bolger Center! It truly is a hidden gem in the DC area where venue pricing is crazy! We loved that there was no venue fee, just a food and beverage minimum. It was so convenient for our guests as well. We had our reception in the Stained Glass Hall. When I first saw the room fully decorated, I was in complete awe. It really was breathtaking! Our guests raved about the food, decor, and service. They also loved that we were able to have an afterparty at The Pony Express. Debbie Halpin and her team were great! They really customized our wedding and took care of all of our requests. The Bolger Center made my wedding dream come true!

My husband and I just had our wedding at the Bolger Center, which was a 3 day, multi-event Indian wedding. We utilized both buildings, for the Stained Glass Hall and the Franklin room for our reception, and our guests booked nearly 100 hotel rooms. We absolutely loved every minute of our wedding, and the Bolger Center exceeded my expectations in accomodating us. The grounds were beautiful, and truly, everything went very smoothly. We had made welcome bags for our guests, which they were able to hand out for us. They worked very well with all of our vendors. Lastly, after our reception, we partied late into the night at the Fireplace Lounge, without any problem! We used our own catered, but did use their Sunday brunch which was excellent. We loved this place.

Our wedding was absolutely everything we could have imagined and Debbie Halpin helped to make that possible.
When we went to go see the venue, as soon as the doors to the Stained Glass Hall opened, I could picture my parents walking me down the aisle to my groom. The ceremony took place in the Stained Glass Hall, our cocktail hour was right outside the Benjamin Franklin building and the reception took place inside their ballroom.
The grounds were absolutely breathtaking during the summer. Debbie worked her magic in order to make sure that we had everything we needed. If she wasn't available, or away from the office, when an email or call was place, she made sure that somebody followed up with us that same day. The month of our wedding, she checked in and let us know of all the upcoming deadlines and to see if we needed anything.
Wedding weekend came and Debbie was there through it all. She made sure that everyone, not just myself and the groom, were satisfied. Even if we weren't happy with something on the hotel side of things (b/c it is separate from the events staff), she was on it and made sure that we had a smile on our face.
Our wedding was 170 guest, majority of them were from out of town. Having the ceremony, reception and hotel all on one location was perfect. Since the Bolger Center isn't a typical hotel, we had the entire venue to ourselves the entire weekend. The grounds, rooms, and entire venue was always spotless and clean. Our guest were able to walk the grounds, get into DC quickly to sight see and come and go from all 3 of the area's airport without issues. People used the pool and I also used the gym.
Although the groom and I didn't eat lots of the food, all of our guest said their meals were delicious. There were a few hiccups during our original tasting but all of our worries were put to rest during our private food tasting. The chef made sure that all of our food looked and tasted wonderful.
I can't recommend this venue enough!!

The Bolger Center is Potomac's best kept secret. The property grounds are beautiful and having the hotel and reception all in one complex was very convenient for all of our guests. The Stained Glass Hall is a truly unique setting and made for a very elegant atmosphere. The food was very well done and offered a breadth of variety to choose from. The event coordination staff was very easy to work with and responsive to our requests and questions, often providing multiple options to easily choose from. The day of staff was very professional as we'll and our event went off flawlessly despite I climate weather. I highly recommend The Bolger Center for any private event, whether it is a conference or personal event.

I fell in love with Bolger Center as soon as I arrived. It was very beautiful and full of positive energy. I was working with Debbie Halpin and she was GREAT! She responded to all of my emails and answered all of my questions. Even though the wedding was only a month and a half away, she managed to help me and set everything up. The food was amazing, especially chicken and salmon with mashed potato. I had my ceremony outside and thank God the weather was just fine. I'd recommend to do the ceremony in front of the Stained Glass hall, since it was very hard walking on the grass in high heals during the photoshoot.
The price of the event itself was pretty reasonable, my husband and I went to a lot of different places and it was over 15,000 everywhere, and we couldn't afford something that expensive, whereas Bolger center had a minimum of 6,000 (since it was sunday. It's usually on fridays and sundays).
I was provided with two very cute rooms. One of them was on the day before the wedding and the other one on the wedding day itself.
They provided us with strawberries in chocolate and one bottle of champagne.

I loved my wedding and everything was PERFECT. Thanks to Bolger center, Debbie and everyone else who helped to make that day, the best day of my life.

Bolger center was a beautiful venue to have both the ceremony and the reception. The landscape alone will take your breath away. We had our wedding at the stain glass hall. The hall was ideal for less than 140 guests and its high ceiling really beautify the room. Annette was very professional and attentive. She response to all our questions promptly. She ensured that we received everything that we needed and/or wanted for the ceremony and the reception. The food was really good. It was very expensive but it was worth it. Our guests was very impressed. We recommend this venue to anyone looking for an all-in-one location.

We had our wedding reception in the Stained Glass Hall, and it turned out beautifully. From the beginning we worked with Debbie Halpin, who was always responsive with e-mails, and any of our questions. She also provided us with recommendations for other wedding venders, which was extremely helpful. Her knowledge and expertise gave us peace of mind throughout our planning process. Mauricio Martinez was our Banquet manager and did an amazing job setting up and running the event. The entire staff at Bolger was very attentive to our requests and ensured we had everything we needed. The rooms and reservation process was very convenient for our guests. We highly recommend Bolger for wedding reception services! They helped make our wedding day very special and memorable.

The Bolger Center was a fantastic place for our wedding reception. Debbie Halpin was wonderful to work with and did a great job of coordinating all the logistics. Our tasting was fabulous – so many wonderful options! The location was perfect and easy to access. We loved the outdoor patio for the cocktail hour. The gardens and open areas were wonderful for pictures. Out-of-town guests loved the convenience of staying there, and the rooms were very nice and affordable. Highly recommend!

My reception was at the Stained Glass Hall. And the place was BEAUTIFUL. Great scenery, very pretty cocktail hour and a very beautiful reception hall. Everything was visually appealing. On top of that, the food was great and the service was awesome. The woman who really worked with me to help make my day wonderful was Debbie Halpin. She was so amazing in helping to get everything to come together! i just was overall very happy with the venue and feeling very lucky to have found out about this place!

I was the wedding coordinator for a ceremony and reception held in the Stained Glass Hall. The space is beautiful, the staff so helpful and since we had to have the room turned over, they had plenty of people helping with the turn over, went off without any issues. I worked with Debbie, Janet, Maurcio and Ahmed, along with many others from the Bolger, they couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. I'm looking forward to recommending the site to my future clients.
Perfect Detail Event Planning

I could not be happier with the Bolger Center where I had my wedding. The staff was so wonderful and accommdating from the start of the planning process to the end. I got married in the Stained Glass Hall, and the room was gorgeous. The food was delicious and the wait staff was awesome on the wedding day both for the cocktail hour and for the reception. Thanks to the Bolger Center, I truly had my DREAM wedding!!!!

Usually the groom does not get involved; however, I was so pleased with our wedding! Everything was perfect thanks to Annette and her crew. We had a perfect wedding. At first I was a little anxious regarding the venue and food. But the way they treated us from the beginning to the end was absolutely wonderful. If you were to ask me would I recommend the Bolger Center to anyone else? My answer would be "hell yeah"

Thank you Bolger Center

From Fritz and Danita

Debbie Halpin and her team were superb from our very first meeting and throughout the event. We have received so many comments from our guests and they are all the same - On a rating of 1 to 10, 10 being the best, you hit a 15!!!
We held the cocktail hour in the Osgood Dining room and it was great. The room was beautifully decorated and the food was incredible. The reception was held in the Stained Glass Hall which looked amazing and the food was also incredible.

Debbie's attention to detail made the difference for a truly memorable evening. We will never forget our special day which was made even more special by Debbie and her staff.

Thank you so much for everything!!!

Ginger and Pat

Our event manager for our daughter's wedding was Debbie Halpin. Debbie was wonderful to work with. She paid attention to all the details and gave us great ideas about how to do things. Everything she suggested worked out beautifully and some of her suggestions helped us to save money. Debbie's assistant, Jessica Schraibman, was very helpful, too. She handled questions that we had in a very timely, friendly manner. In addition, we found the wedding package was a great value. We had our ceremony in the Stained Glass Hall and our reception in the Franklin Building. Both venues were perfect! Many of our guests have commented that the wait servers were exceptionally accommodating and pleasant. Our maitre'd for the evening was Mauricio. He made a point of meeting us earlier in the day to go over details and throughout the evening he made sure everything ran like clockwork. The food at the reception was top notch...our guests are still talking about the delicious filet and sea bass. We found that both Debbie and Mauricio were highly professional and very friendly. Our brunch Sunday morning was held in the Osgood Building Dining Room. There were many different food choices and all the food was very fresh and delicious. Again, we found the price per head to be reasonable. It was an amazing weekend! The Bolger Center is gem!

I am the Mother of the Groom and was so impressed with The Bolger Center that I want to express my gratitude and provide a reference. Ms. Debbie Halpin was our point of contact at The Bolger Center. Her expertise and that of the many other individuals we met with during the planning process, helped guide us through the numerous decisions needed to successfully plan a wedding for 150 people. The employees were professional, respectful and without hesitation worked to provide us with an experience that would bless us with beautiful memories. It was our confidence in The Bolger team that allowed us to enjoy spending time with our guests at the wedding. I have already referred someone to The Bolger Center and will happily continue to do so in the future. The grounds are as beautiful and as inviting as the employees.

We had my son's rehearsal dinner and the cermony and reception at the Bolger Center this past weekend. Quite simply, we couldn't have dreamed of a better venue. From our first visit Debbie Halpin and the entire staff at the Bolger were kind, responsive and incredibly helpful. At first glance, it may seem a bit on the pricey side but the price is pretty much all inclusive. There were not a lot of extra charges. We had a large number of out of town guests for the weekend and the hotel and restaurants being right there made it very convenient for the travelers. The site is beautiful, the food was delicious but the staff of the Bolger was the icing on the cake! Everyone there went out of their way to help and were just so friendly it added to our enjoyment of the weekend. I would highly recommend the Bolger Center for any event.

Bolger Center is a fantastic venue. My wedding was planning in only a few weeks. I found the venue on theknot.com. I was offered a site visit quite quickly and meet Debbie Halpin--an event manager. She is simply wonderful!

She made the whole process of planning a wedding in a few weeks enjoyable and worthwhile. She replies to my many emails and questions in a quick manner. She allowed us to visit the site when we wanted.

Our ceremony was in the Stained Glass Hall. It was beautiful and lovely. Cocktail hour was outside near the reception hall. The reception in the Benjamin Franklin Hall was beautiful decorated and lite. They supplied the linen, glassware, tables, chairs.

Food was perfect. We choose the indian menu. Our guest spoke highly of the fish dish.

Our whole experience was wonderful and memorable.

Thanks to Debbie Halpin!!

We were married at the Bolger Center in July and the experience was great all around. We worked with Debbie who was very responsive and accommodating. She helped us through the whole process and even worked with us when we wanted to get a food truck for our rehearsal dinner.

Initially we were turned off by what we thought was higher cost per person but when you factor in that everything is included ,and there are no room fees just catering minimums, the cost ended up being equal or less than every other place we looked. Our guest also really enjoyed staying at the Bolger Center, people kept commenting that having everyone there for the weekend was like we were at camp or college (although the accommodations were much nicer than both!). And many people took advantage of the shuttle to the Metro and went sight seeing.

The food they provided throughout was delicious and more than exceeded our expectations. The manager and head waitress on the day of the wedding were very nice and asked us throughout the night if we needed drinks or food. The Bridal Suite was very modern and had a huge balcony. They also surprised us with a bottle of champagne and chocolate covered strawberries after the wedding.

We would highly recommend the Bolger Center to anyone who is getting married in the DC area.

There is no better place than having a wedding at the Bolger Conference Center. Convenient for DC, VA & MD residents. Plenty of parking. The wedding was held outside and the grounds were spectacular with blooming flowers, trees with mini-lights, exquisite ambiance and the staff could not be beat. The hors doeuvres were delicious as was the dinner. The reception at the Ben Franklin Bldg was spectacular. Debbie answered all our questions and kept things moving so there were no snags. This was called the "Wedding of the Century" by family and friends.

Wow! I was completely surprised to see the negative comments on this site from Will. I have had nothing but great experiences at the Bolger Center. I see that there are two different reviews for that day with completely different outcomes. Christina's review is more of the type of service you can expect from working with Annette. It's too bad Will and his wife had such an awful experience on their wedding day. It appears that they were definitely working with someone else. I just had to comment because his experience was so far from the service I received. I have had three events here and Annette and her supporting staff were always patient and accommodating.

Our experience with the Bolger Center was wonderful. Debbie Halpin made sure our wedding day and the all-important months of planning leading up to it were as memorable, beautiful, and stress-free as we hoped it would be. Food was delicious and the grounds are picturesque. Highly recommend calling her for a tour today!

Our wedding at the Bolger Center was amazing and exceeded my expectations. Annette helped with everything from booking the space, all the way down to the small details like setting up our candy buffet. :) She is the best!!! We had our ceremony on the lawn behind the Franklin Building, the cocktail hour in the Franklin Building's lobby, and the reception in Ben Franklin Hall. Unfortunately, it was thunderstorming the afternoon before our ceremony, but that didn't worry Annette. She got out her phone and pulled up the weather radar & told us we had a 30 minute window to get the ceremony in if we still wanted it outside. We managed to fit it in and it started pouring just as everyone made it inside. Cocktail hour was a little cramped in the Franklin Building's lobby (it was supposed to be outside, but due to the rain we moved it inside) but everyone told me that the appetizers were amazing. I was offered plenty of food during cocktail hour but just wasn't hungry enough to try anything. Now I wish I would have! The reception went off flawlessly. Everything was amazing! The ballroom looked perfect, the food was delicious (I did manage to eat dinner!) and the Bolger Center staff went out of their way to make sure we were happy. Our wedding ended at midnight and a big group made their way over to the Pony Express Bar & Grill for snacks & drinks. The staff there was very accommodating and didn't kick anyone out until almost 2:30! Finally, the rooms are a bit small, but if you go to the check in desk, they are able to show you the rooms before you book a room block. This is what we did, so we were able to let our guests know ahead of time that the rooms are a bit smaller than your average hotel. The honeymoon suite was incredible though!! I wish we would've had more time in there - it had a full living room area with a sectional, a balcony, a king bed with the most comfortable sheets, and a huge bathroom with an even bigger shower! With each room you book, you get 2 breakfasts. The breakfast is SO GOOD. Our families went each day and raved about it each time. I would highly recommend the Bolger Center to anyone looking for an all-in-one type of venue, with many different locations for your rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, etc.

The staff and manager did and AWESOME and fantastice job, I highly recommend them to any bride and groom looking for quality services and a friendly staff!

Annette and Stephanie were AMAZING to work with. I have already recommended the Bolger Center to several engaged couples and I will continue to do so. The new renovations are gorgeous, the rates are affordable compared to other venues, and the service is unbeatable. Thanks again for all of your help!

-Danny and Kerry

Not many people know about this place but it was absolutely beautiful! There is also a hotel which makes it even greater! The food was absolutely amazing! (highly recommend the filet!)I can't think of one thing that went wrong. Diane was such a pleasure to work with, she was so helpful in decision making while keeping the price within our budget.

The Bolger Center is a wonderful choice if you're looking for a venue that can accommodate your getting ready rooms, ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, after-party and hotel rooms. It is much more reasonably priced than many of the other locations in the area and the service is excellent.

We worked with Rhonda, who was incredibly friendly and always willing to negotiate and work with us to ensure a perfect wedding. She was responsive, organized, and went out of her way to make sure we were receiving the service we wanted.

The venue itself is beautiful which allows for a lovely backdrop for an outdoor ceremony if the weather is good. The grounds are extensive and you can take photos in the woods, which adds some great variety. However, if it rains there is also a gorgeous stained glass room that can accommodate weddings inside.

The dressing rooms are large (especially for the bride) and the service is great. They provide the mirrors, chairs, coffee, etc so you're able to have a very relaxed time getting ready. There is plenty of staff available throughout the day to help.

You are limited to their catering. However, the chef is very willing to work with you. We had multiple tastings to ensure the food was exactly what we wanted since some of the recipes were new to him. The service at the reception was great and the linens, etc were good quality.

The only issue we had was with the hotel bookings where we had to spend a lot of time ensuring everyone's rooms were booked and paid for correctly. These issues were ultimately settled although were definitely frustrating at the time. We recommend that you have all of your guests book their rooms individually (we had booked for some of our guests to ensure the rooms wouldn't run out but this didn't really work out well).

Overall, we were thrilled with the Bolger Center and we were extremely glad we were able to have our wedding there. We highly recommend Rhonda and the Bolger Center!

Beautiful location, delicious food, amazing service. I couldn't ask for more. I am glad I chose Bolger as my wedding venue. I would do events again and again if I could..

They did a wonderful job both for the reception and for the guests staying at the hotel. We did not do the ceremony here but for the reception the Bride had very explicit instructions on how she wanted the room laid out and how the tables should be set up. They followed her instructions perfectly. The food was excellent and the service very good. We did the cocktail hour outside in the courtyard of the Ben Franklin room and it could not have been more perfect. We only had one hiccup during the reception with the staff being slow to refill the dessert table. After the reception about 2/3 of the guests continued the party in the courtyard outside of the sports bar at the hotel. The hotel staff was very accommodating and helpful. Breakfast the next morning was excellent again with the staff being very helpful. I would so this again for my second daughter -

I had my wedding reception at the Bolger Center July 5, 2014, and I am so glad I had it there. The ground are absolutely STUNNING and perfect for pictures, and no one had to drive after the reception. I wanted a country club feel with the convince of a hotel wedding, and the Bolger center had it all. it was perfect. Debbie, the event coordinator was amazing. I made a bunch of things for my wedding, like the table numbers, place cards, a Mr. and Mrs. for the back of the chairs, picture frame for the menus, and I had a precise way of how everything was set up. Debbie and her crew got EVERY detail perfect. Really, it was perfect. I am big into the little details and I was so happy and impressed with how they were able to do everything for me! Debbie was wonderful to work with. The only reason why I didn't give the Bolger center straight 5s was for two very minor things. The servers with the water and wine weren't frequent enough (this was a minor detail since we had an open bar) and we had a viennese table that didn't get refilled. The people that were last in line didn't get dessert because the dessert status wasn't being monitored closely enough. Other than those two things, it was perfect! Thank you Bolger center!!

My daughter was married on June 22, 2013 at Holy Rosary Church in Washington, D.C. and the reception was held in Franklin Hall at the Bolger Center, it could not have gone better. Debbie Halpin made sure that every detail was covered and there were no mistakes. With a large number of out of town guests, the venue was perfect. They offered everything we could have wanted before, during and after the reception. This is going to be one of those weddings that will be talked about for a long time. The food was great, the entertainment was incredible (Adam Mason of Party Central), and everyone enjoyed the breakfast buffet the next morning. Thank you to the entire staff.

This place is a gem and I’m so glad I found it! My fiancé and I worked with Annette Fulmore to plan our wedding here. She was so, so helpful throughout the entire planning process and did such an excellent job to make our day so very special. We used the stained glass hall for our ceremony and the Ben Franklin Hall for the reception. I addition, we also had our rehearsal dinner in the Pony Express the night before the wedding. Everything was beautifully setup and the entire night went perfectly. Annette met with us several times and answered hundreds of emails and questions . She truly is a saint and is so great at what she does. The Bolger Center is a wonderful all in one place to hold an event. It has beautiful, well-maintained grounds, an on-site hotel and catering, free parking, and they provide tables, chairs, linens, and dishes all built into the price. There are no extra fees at all! Thank you Bolger Center staff and especially Annette for helping to make my dream wedding come true!

The Bolger Center was a lovely venue for our daughter's wedding. Debbie Halpin, the wedding coordinator at the Bolger Center, was personable and professional, offering her advice and experience to make the wedding a memorable event. The Bolger Center also has a hotel, which made it very convenient for our out-of-town guests. The grounds are gorgeous and the location (in the middle of Potomac, MD) was exceptional - close to DC but pastoral and picturesque. We highly recommend the Bolger Center and Ms. Halpin.

The Bolger Center was absolutely amazing! We held our wedding ceremony in their stained glass hall and loved the breathtaking view it gave us. The high ceilings along with the beautiful lighting gave us so many options and different ways to make our day so special. The coordinator for the center, Sarah Curiale, was amazing! Sarah helped us to navigate this special day in every aspect possible. Planning a wedding through a pandemic and around changing regulations was definitely a challenge. Sarah kept us informed and updated us on every aspect and made the process so much easier. Moving from a limited capacity to our eventual target number gave us a much better peace of mind and Sarah was definitely instrumental in helping with that.We are absolutely grateful for her and the Bolger Center and will definitely recommend the place to our family and friends.

From the very beginning we saw multiple venues and once we visited the Bolger Center and met with Sarah Curiale, we immediately knew this would be our wedding venue. She worked with us every step of the way from the very beginning and kept us at ease throughout the typically stressful wedding planning process.

We had our wedding in the Stained Glass Hall last month and the room was perfect from the lighting to the acoustics and the beautiful stained glass and ceiling tile. All of our guests commented on how nice everything looked. The food service was great as well! Our reception and ceremony both took place in the Stained Glass Hall and everything was flipped in a quick and tidy manner. This venue is certainly a hidden gem and Sarah was an absolute pleasure to work with. She was in constant communication with us, including the morning of our wedding and was always accommodating to any changes we had as well. We were able to meet and set up our lighting. Having the Pony Express on site was also a great feature as our bridal party and some other friends were able to have a small rehearsal dinner there the night before. Sarah went above and beyond in ensuring that our special day is one that we and our guests will always remember fondly. We would absolutely recommend Bolger Center for any major events.

Close to downtown Washington but with expansive grounds that make you feel like you are worlds away. We used this venue for a 90th birthday weekend, including a sit-down dinner for just under 100 and a Sunday brunch for overnight guests. The service was impeccable and the food was delicious. Everyone, starting with our coordinator Sarah, was easy to work with and very professional. All service staff - hotel check-in, maintenance, dining room - were polite, professional and responsive. Despite the venue hosting three events that weekend, we felt like we were the only group there. They obviously know what they are doing. Highly recommended.

Everything was perfect from beginning to end! Sarah Curiale was amazing and every single detail was taken care of for us. I can't say enough about how happy we were with our experience!

I was the matron of honor at a wedding reception held at the Bolger Center. (I don't know what anything cost so that's why I gave it a 4/5 stars because frankly I don't know) But I can speak to the quality of the staff: Courteous, accommodating, just honestly lovely to work with. Every last person I interacted with (from the on site coordinator, to the people at the front desk, to the maintenance people, to the business center people helping me make last minute copies, to every person serving food and drinks to the guests), Every. Last. Person was cheerful, professional, and accommodating. Half the time they didn't even know I was associated with the wedding: they simply want to serve anyone who is at the Bolger Center to the very best of their ability. They would bend over backwards to make my life as matron of honor was easy in the name of making the Bride's day special. They make sure to treat the Bride and Groom like royalty, they make sure to fill in any cracks that appear on the wedding day to make the entire event go over seamlessly and they do so with a smile. I would really recommend the Bolger center to anyone who wants the full package. It was a really positive experience from the inner circle of a wedding. Thank you so much, Bolger Center.

First of all, know that my wife and I had a great time with our wedding and we will readily recommend the Bolger Center as a venue. We did have a couple of hiccups (which I will get into), but overall the experience was above what we expected.

As far as the planning and contracting stages went, the Bolger Center was utterly fantastic. We dealt with Rhonda Kyle, and she was a dream to work with. I'm a very detail oriented person, and I tend to think of a lot of questions and like to have my ducks in a row, so to speak. Rhonda was happy to answer all of my questions quickly and concisely. I'd shoot her an email, and she'd respond as soon as she was available. The time between we first contacted the Bolger Center and our wedding was short, so we had to get a lot squared away rather quickly. Rhonda was outstanding and kept us on-track with the decisions we had to make (the Bolger Center has a bunch of options to pick from). Even small last-minute changes were accommodated easily. I could not recommend Rhonda enough.

As far as the cost goes, the Bolger Center was at the top-end of our budget. But considering everything that was included and the work put in by the Bolger Center staff, the cost was worth it. My wife and I wanted a venue that had a combination of good Indian food (and some American food), enough space to accommodate our guests, great views for pictures, and a wonderful reception hall. The Bolger Center had all of these.

Regarding the quality of the food/drinks - we are still getting compliments on the food and drinks. The Bolger Center offers a tasting before hand to try out the food that you would want at the wedding - we highly recommend taking advantage of the service.

I know that with a day with as much complexity or as many moving parts as the wedding are bound to have some issues, but it's the way the venue handles the mistakes that really make them stand out. In our minds, the Bolger Center certainly stands out.

We reserved this place because of the comments about the beautiful grounds and food. And boy we weren't disappointed. Some things are worth commenting about, what kind of altered our experience was that the previous sales and catering manager, Debbie, left without warning and did not tell us. Unfortunately the new catering manager, Ms. Rhonda, was not left with the complete files on everyone thus we did not hear from them about our scheduled tasting until a day in advance and only after we called/emailed to ask what happened. There was also some other bumps in the road due to the switch in management, however it did get ironed out. We received a personal apology from the general manager and the rest was smooth sailing from there.

On the day of the wedding, the reception turned out beautifully (we had the ceremony at the church) and the food was amazing. Multiple guests commented that it was great, especially the amount that was available. The one downside was the secondary cocktail hour space did not have enough seats, but that was taken care of as soon as some of the guests mentioned it. We had a sweetheart table and was assigned a personal waitress who was very responsive. At the end of the evening we came back to the honeymoon suite with a personal message from Ms. Rhonda and some of the dinner boxed up.

The rooms were fine, we were able to tour a couple of them. Of course for the price it was not the quality of upscale hotels, however it was still nice. The quality of the rooms were about Holiday Inn Express quality and the staff was great. Some of my guests had trouble booking outside the room block but that was fixed easy with a call to the hotel front-desk manager.

Our guest list was about 80ish people. And the total cost for the reception (NOT the entire wedding) was a little above 17K. So reasonable for the DC area since an open bar was included in the price.

We had our reception in the Ben Franklin ballroom and it was beautiful. Debbie was fantastic to work with! She was responsive and her team made our day go so smoothly. We have heard repeatedly from our guests that the food was the best they ever had at a wedding. It was a perfect place for us!

Debbie and the folks at the Bolger Center made our wedding weekend a breeze and helped us craft an amazing weekend for everyone. From helping us make logistical decisions early on, through the wonderful food tasting and day-of details, Debbie was great and very accommodating to all our requests and questions. She worked with our day-of coordinators to make sure everything was ready and organized and the day went off brilliantly without a hitch!

The catering was also delicious and the Ben Franklin room where we had our reception looked great all decked out, including uplighting provided by the Bolger Center. They also had built in projection screens that we used to show a dance montage during the reception.

Debbie Halpin was fantastic! Very attentive and responsive. She answered all of my questions and even provided thought provoking question that I hadn't thought of. Everything was wonderful at my 04/27/13 ceremony, cocktail hour and reception and all my guest loved the facility. We received so many comments from our guests on the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. My out-of-state guests arrived several days prior to the wedding and had ample time to explore the property - coffee on the veranda, drinks by the fireplace, breakfast buffets, dinner in the evening at Osgood's - they loved it. The Stained Glass Hall was a perfect location for our wedding. Even the cocktail hour looked amazing! Mauricio, the banquet manager was diligent and got all the preparation just right. The staff flipped the room from a ceremony to a reception in a remarkable amount of time. I was impressed. The extra conference room was also a great addition, so we could gather the wedding party and have some organizational space away from the guests. On the night of the wedding, our guests were thrilled at the opportunity to attend an 'after party' at the pony express and the outdoor patio.
The only 4.0 I gave was on flexibility and that is because we personally would have preferred a 5 pm ceremony instead of starting at 7 (meaning our guests ate dinner late), but in the end, they didn't seem to mind and it all worked out.
Thank you so much to the staff at the Bolger Center for all of your hard work and coordination. I will gladly recommend this facility to all my friends.

Everyone at our wedding was in love with the venue. The Bolger Center has lovely grounds that were appreciated during our wonderful Spring wedding. The staff was very helpful, food delicious, and everyone noted that this was the best wedding ever. A few notes, as our wedding was done during the early Spring, the AC had not yet been turned on for some of the campus, so prior to our wedding it was very hot. The staff quickly assembled to provide fans and open windows for guests. The reception hall had wonderful AC. We were lucky that temps cooled down and we had a perfect wedding day! We were greeted with beautiful chocolate covered strawberries and champagne in our room after our event. Wonderful venue and wonderful people!

The Bolger Center served as a perfect venue for our wedding. We had our ceremony in the Stained Glass Hall and our reception in the Franklin Ballroom. We worked with Debbie Halpin as our point person at the venue and she was so thorough and really took care of us. During the wedding reception, Mauricio Martinez was the banquet manager and he did an amazing job. We didn't have to worry about anything during the ceremony or reception, everything was taken care of and was done exactly as planned. Thank you to the Bolger Center for helping to make our day perfect!

I got married at the Bolger Center on September 29th. Besides the fact that it's a beautiful place to get married at, the people there were amazing! Working with Debbie Halpin was a great experience. They were very accomodating and very helpful. Not everything went smoothly (obviously it's wedding - never would it all go smoothly) but I have not one complaint against the Bolger Center and their staff. Debbie was very helpful and even gave me cute ideas for my signature drinks! We got our bridal suite extended at the last minute, which meant a lot to me!! We stayed at the honeymoon suite, which was also very nice! I would recommend this place to anyone for any parties, especially weddings! The entire staff went above and beyond and accomodated our every need.

Debbie (who was ALWAYS responsive right away with phone and email) and the Bolger staff were amazing. We were a little worried because the price per plate was a touch on the pricier side, but we ended up getting our money worth - and after all, we knew this wasn't a time to skimp on our budget. Debbie helped us plan out every little detail (and helped us think of something things we didn't even realize), added extra touches for us, and the staff made everyone feel welcome and invited on the day of. No request was too big or too small, and they were ALWAYS accommodating. Again, it was so nice to know that the little bit of extra money spent was well worth it - especially because no one had to worry about anything on the day of.

We had our wedding at the Bolger Center in the Ben Franklin Hall on October 22nd. Annette Fulmore was our event manager and she really helped to make everything absolutely perfect! I would highly recommend the Bolger Center and Annette for any wedding, large or small for many reasons:

1. Hotel on site--super convenient for all guests even those not out of town that don't want to travel home at the end of the reception. The rates were very reasonable. We also stayed there in the bridal suite which was very nice.

2. After party venue on site--we had ours at the Pony Express until 2 AM which was an awesome way to end the night for those that wanted to keep partying! We ordered late night snacks, played music and everything.

3. Food--We are still receiving complements on the passed hors d'oeuvres and the main course, everything was absolutely delicious. We are big foodies so this was a huge deciding factor. The Bolger Center worked with us to provide a small tasting before we booked the venue and they were very flexible with customizing our menu to serve exactly what we wanted.

4. Beautiful grounds- Just driving by you can take notice of the beauty of the entire facility, it looks even better in the fall with all the leaves changing colors and was a great spot for photography.

5. Great venue space- The Ben Franklin Hall was recently renovated and has a lot of flexibility in terms of decor and creativity. We were able to do so much with the space and still seat 210 people for dinner with a large dance floor and lots of room to move around.

6. Annette! It was fabulous working with her. She truly listened to our wants and needs and helped us to create the perfect venue to meet our every expectation.

I could not have chosen a better location. Seriously. If you can grab this place, get on top of it before they realize what a gem they have and start raising the prices. For starters, the grounds are beautiful, and if you have a wedding of under 170 people you can easily fit into the Stained Glass Hall which is absolutely GORGEOUS.

For seconds, there is no room fee. There IS a minimum, which means that you have to have a certain amount of guests (the minimum depends on which room you use). But it's not a bad minimum at all, and the Bolger Center covers EVERYTHING. The tasting, the tables, the linens, the glassware, the silverware, the top shelf open bar, the cocktail hour, the reception, the salad & entree courses, your choice of gold or silver chargers under the plates (SO classy), set-up, clean-up, a bridal suite before the ceremony to change in and a fantastic honeymoon suite... and not only that, but it can (if you want) include the ceremony and the changeover of the room from ceremony to reception.

We jumped on that as soon as we realized that we paid the same price, whether we had the ceremony there or not. The Stained Glass Hall used to be a sanctuary so it's the perfect place for a ceremony, and it also is a GREAT reception room. Also, the food is fantatic. We got rave reviews from all of our friends and family afterwards about the food, the service, the drinks, etc. I worried about absolutely NOTHING on the day of (although, I do suggest hiring a day-of coordinator to help with this). A couple of times the staff checked with me to make sure I was having a good time, and I was having a BLAST.

During the planning process there were times when I wished they'd return my emails faster, but I know I was just being an impatient bride. They always answered my questions within a week, and by the time we were 3-4 months out they were answering them within 48 hours, and the closer we got to the day of the faster they answered any questions I had as my wedding became more a priority

Having everything in one place was such a blessing... we took photos immediately following the ceremony on gorgeous grounds. We had our own parking lot for our guests. A lot of people spent the night there so that they didn't have to drive home afterwards. But it didn't have the feel of a cheesy hotel, and it definitely didn't have the price of one!

Excellent venue! We had the ceremoy and reception here! The food was excellent!

We had a wonderful beautiful June wedding at the Bolger Center. We worked with Debbie and she was always responsive--she even responded within an hour to our 2am emails! The only negative experience we encountered is the room reservation staff was not always helpful to our guests, a few guests wanted to have an early check-in and were told to call the day they wanted to check-in to find out whether they would be able to. Also, we had some complications setting up our room block. The rooms we thought we had on reserve were only a courtesy hold and not a complete hold. Luckily, we were able to work with the room block staff to try to rectify the situation, but it took a number of calls and emails to sort it out. Other than these small problems, we had a fabulous event, friends and family loved the venue and its affordability, and the food was great. I will say that it is rare to have such a large event and people rave about the food, but they did.

My daughter was recently married at the Bolger Center. In general it was a very good experience. We held the entire event on the grounds - the rehearsal dinner, the ceremony, the reception, and the brunch. Debbie Halpin was our event coordinator and she was very good. She responded quickly and was patient with our myriad of questions and requests. We had anticipated having the ceremony and cocktail reception outside, but the weather did not cooperate. The Bolger Center was able to work with the changes that became necessary. We had the ceremony in the Stained Glass Hall and they were able to turn it over for the reception quickly and efficiently. The alternate space for the cocktail reception wasn't great but it worked. Most of the staff was attentive and courteous. The food at all of the events was delicious and well prepared.
There were some glitches which included cold rooms with no ability to turn on the heat. System is old and cannot be changed over easily. Space heaters were offered but not effective. The room the bridal party used for dressing was to have food delivered early but it did not arrived until almost noon. The room the b&g were supposed to relax in after the ceremony was to have comfortable seating and food for them. This did not happen. I asked more than once for no beer in bottles and that had to be corrected at the rehearsal dinner. The signature drinks were also served in the wrong glasses and prepared incorrectly.They were to be passed at the cocktail reception and weren't. There was confusion with some of the reservations.I was assured that the guests would be able to get food at the bar and the restaurant in the Osgood building. A wedding was booked in the bar which closed it to hotel guests during the day. My guests had to go out and buy food elsewhere. Osgood closes from 11 - noon. These are not huge issues but shouldn't have occurred and caused unnecessary stress especially since most of them had been discussed in advance.

The Bolger Center is a great location for a wedding. The convenience of the grounds is unbeatable in this area. My guests were able to choose from a variety of rooms, and were able to enjoy lots of activities in between wedding activities, such as walking the trails, using the gym, and touring DC. For the actual event, it was wonderful for guests to go in between the reception hall and their rooms, especially those with children. And after the reception we all really enjoyed going to the Pony Express Bar and Grill afterwards, which was a great way to end the night and allowed guests to go to bed when they wanted to. I don't know another location that has this much to offer for the quality and the price. People are still talking about how good the food was at the reception, and the staff did an excellent job executing the details of the reception.

The Bolger Center did an excellent job at putting together our daughter's bat mitzvah. The entire team was wonderful and the food was very good. It is a hidden gem here in the DC suburbs.

The Bolger Center was the perfect place for our Nigerian American wedding! It had excellent food, it was a beautiful space, and we loved that we could stay over! Annette was awesome in responding to every e-mail and phone call and willing to work with us with our budget and theme. We spent a little bit more then we wanted, but we were pleased with the venue. Our cocktail hour was supposed to be outside in the beautiful garden, but it rained a little so it had to be moved inside. Also, we lost a few items during the reception. But we had so much fun! I would recommend this venue!

This place is amazing, they take care of everything for you. There is no need to search for outside vendors like catering, alcohol, or decor. This is what helped us select this place as our venue. The packages included cake, alcohol, bridal and honeymoon suite, and the food. What makes a wedding planning so stressful is searching and booking outside vendors. Or worrying about what goes where the day of the wedding. Our wedding planning has been very stress-free. We only had to search for a DJ, photographer and florist. The Bolger Center crew is very energetic, polite and creative. They take care of every detail for your wedding. Which is wonderful no need to hire a day of coordinator or wedding planner. They certainly help ensure our wedding planning process ran smoothly. They only thing I was not too happy about was the responsiveness of our coordinator. She is no longer work there a month before our wedding she emails me to tell me she got another job and someone else will be taking over for her. The new person is a sweetheart! But I do have to mention that since booking our wedding with the Bolger Center we had 3 different people take over. I think it was just our timing. We booked our venue 3 years in advance and that's probably why we were a bit forgotten about. I had to be the one emailing my coordinator to ask when did we have to do our food selection. Some of my emails were never answered, but I didn't worry so much just because I knew that at the end of the day it will be handled. Since they make sure of that and ensure every detail is perfect for the day of the wedding. The day of the wedding a few of the details that we discussed were not covered. We were told my bridesmaid and I were going to have a separate room to get ready and that did not happen. We were told they were going to bring the apps and signature drink to us, but we only had a few apps. We asked to have the steak pre-cut for the guest that also did not happen.

My wedding at the Bolger Center turned out perfectly. Annette was great at helping us see the big picture and helped us put all the little pieces together. She is really great at knowing what can and cannot be done with the facility. We had our ceremony out on the front lawn, the cocktail hour on a back garden patio, and the reception indoors. They have so many different spaces! The food is unreal. We are still getting comments on it. As the day got closer, it became a bit difficult to get everything tied down, but Annette is not an event planner, just the sales rep. I would suggest a day of coordinator for this site. The rooms are a bit small, but people really just slept in them anyway. At the end of the day, we had an amazing event and I wouldn't change anything.

I had my wedding reception at the Bolger Center. It was the perfect location for me and the grounds are beautiful (especially during October). My wedding party got ready and took photos on the property before the ceremony. Debbie was the sales coordinator and was very helpful leading up to the wedding. I love that the Bolger Center has all rentals included in the catering costs- tables, linens, votive candles, etc. The food was amazing! Our guests could not stop talking about the cocktail hour. We also liked that guests could stay right on the property after the wedding which removed the worry about people driving. I would definitely host another event here.

The setting for our ceremony was absolutely perfect and they did a wonderful job directing our guests. Everything was magnificent!

I loved this venue and working with Ronda. She was great the day off and on top of everything. We had a few switch with day of event coordinator but Ronda was wonderful. Although we had to reach out a lot more in the beginning, a month before our big day they responded a lot faster. They were very flexible with payments and I would definitely recommend this venue for your wedding. It's a beautiful property and worth every penny.

My reception at the Bolger Center was wonderful. Debbie Halpin did a great job assisting me during my planning process and provided everything that we needed for the wedding day.

Unfortunately, the power was out at the Bolger Center (hotel portion) so my guests were inconvenienced. If this did not occur, everything would have been perfect.

Let me start by saying the Bolger Center grounds are absolutely gorgeous! We took a lot of pictures outside, and the green spaces and landscaping were amazing backdrops. We had our rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception all at the Bolger. Our guests are still talking about how good the food was at the reception. It was so nice having everything at one venue, it took a lot of stress out of the scheduling. The hotel rooms were nice, the suites definitely offer a nicer space than the "deluxe" rooms and are worth the extra couple of dollars. In the A, B, C buildings behind the registration desk, there are a couple of great suites that overlook the woods and have a large balcony -- we used a couple of these for our dressing rooms.

A couple negatives about the venue -- communication was not great. Sometimes it too almost a week to respond to emails. Also, the Bolger can source a cake for you as part of the wedding package. We weren't happy with the selections after two different tastings and ended up using Just Cakes in Bethesda (they were awesome). So the planning process itself wasn't great, but the physical venue and the food were AMAZING. As with the other reviewer, I had a day-of coordinator which really helped out a lot. The grounds are a bit spread out, so the coordinator was able to run around all morning and manage the deliveries and setup.

The venue for the reception was wonderful. The reception hall suited my needs. I was also able to use lighting to enhance the decor, the lighting was provided by the Bolger center. The coordinator, Debbie Halpin was a God send. She was very attentive, flexible and available. Debbie is very professional and a sweet lady, I would recommend her to any bride, you're in good hands with her!
The only aspect of the hotel that caused a bit of frustration was the booking of the hotel rooms. I found out that all of my bridesmaids were placed in different buildings at the Bolger center which would be a nightmare come time for makeup. It took some time but eventually the hotel manager was called to rectify the situation, it all worked out in the end.

First I have to say that we really loved the Bolger Center in Potomac MD. The grounds are beautiful in the summer and it is very convenient with hotel rooms, a great restaurant, a large ball room that will hold 300 people, and a second restaurant for breakfast. Our coordinator was Annette Fullmore and she was wonderful!! She was very professional and organized every step of the way. We really enjoyed working with Annette. I would definitely recommend her to anyone. The Bolger Center caters on-site and the food is awesome! We had our rehearsal dinner on site at the Pony Express and loved it! We rented out the place and had such a great time. A wonderful atmosphere:) The ceremony, cocktail hour and reception went really well and we couldn't have been happier.
Our only complaint was with our hotel rooms. We(the bride and groom) had many issues with our rooms during the weekend. My family also has many issues over the weekend. We were disappointed with this but The Bolger Center worked out most of the problems and we were satisfied with the results. If it weren't for the room issues this would have been the absolute perfect weekend. In the end we are very happy with the Bolger Center and hope they fix some of the booking issues in the future.

Thank you for catering to our needs on our Big day.

I used the Bolger Center for my entire event: accommodations for my guests, rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, and brunch the next morning. Overall the venue was great! The grounds are beautiful and we had hoped that we would be able to have the ceremony and the cocktail hour outside. As it turned out, the weather did not cooperate with the plan, so we didn't get to enjoy the grounds as much as I would have liked. Debbie, the person who worked on my event, was really responsive. The staff did a good job of changing plans to account for the weather change. I was really happy with the food served at all the events and the overall service.

A few of the things I didn't love:

1. The weather was colder then expected and because the heat hadn't been turned on throughout the property yet, the rooms were very cold. The venue did provide space heaters for every guest, but they weren't very effective. I recommend keeping that in mind if you are planning an event between seasons.

2. I was allowed to pick two signature cocktails, but then they were served incorrectly. I was annoyed that they offer that service, but then didn't follow through on it.

3. Overall, there were a lot of moving pieces and some of the details fell through the cracks. Though Debbie was very responsive to deal with those, there was just too many things to keep track of. I didn't hire a wedding coordinator, that might have improved this part of my experience.

good solutions for the local vendors or members

The Bolger Center is a beautiful venue! We had both our ceremony and reception in the stained glass hall. Planning leading up to the wedding was a headache. We worked with Annette and she seemed to be out of the office frequently and unable to return our emails promptly. A week before the wedding, we still didn’t have any idea how things were going to operate and didn't have exact room numbers the day of the wedding for the bridal party/vendors. The groomsmen got kicked out of the room designated for the “Kid’s Room” before the ceremony because staff used it as a place to set up tables/chairs, so the guys had to squeeze in with the bridesmaids in the bridal room. It was also a headache after the wedding. I found a charge randomly on my credit card from the Bolger Center with no explanation until I inquired about it. They said it was a charge from the rehearsal dinner which had already been paid for.

However, the staff during the reception was wonderful. They were professional and made sure we were fed and comfortable. Food was brought out promptly and according to schedule. We had some vegan friends so the Bolger Center offered vegan options. When they brought out a salad that they could not eat, the servers/kitchen staff brought something that they could eat which was really nice of them. We did get a complimentary bridal suite & honeymoon suite to stay. As for budget, they were able to cater to our budget and are flexible with their menu options, which was a huge PLUS.

In conclusion, if you want a beautiful venue but a difficult process before and after the wedding, go for it. But be warned that you will need to be the one to take initiative to ask about your wedding plans, details, and check your credit card statements for extra charges that they may slip in there without your authorization. It’s unfortunate that these smaller things made our experience bittersweet. But definitely a beautiful venue and great place for pictures outside!

We had a large Indian Hindu outdoor wedding. Although the experience was mostly very stressful/unideal, things turned out beautifully - ALL thanks to Bhavna. She came into the pic 5 days before the event, due to our original absolute nightmare of a coordinator, Debbie, leaving w/o warning.
We had worked with Debbie for ~a year during which time she NEVER initiated contact, took WEEKS to respond to calls/emails, & was constantly mixing things up & going back on her word. For ex: early on we sent her a draft menu and were VERY clear that it was just a draft to give the chef an idea of what we wanted (since it was a new cuisine they hadn’t done before), and she assured us repeatedly that we could make mods. BUT when we sent an update, she seemed to have lost her memory & was very adamant that we couldn’t change the menu. She outright lied to us, & was always very rude & unapologetic about her many mistakes
Though we should have been notified of her departure earlier than 5 days before the wedding, Bhavna was PHENOMENAL - responsive, flexible, & professional. She went out of her way to make sure we were happy. For ex: 1 reason we wanted an outdoor wedding was natural light, so she changed our Plan B from the ballroom to the Stained Glass Hall, so if rained we’d still have natural light from the beautiful large windows. Debbie had said this wasn't possible due to another event (a lie). Another ex: it rained all week up to the wedding, but Bhavna encouraged us to wait before finalizing to move indoors. She didn't have to do that (since it makes more work for her), but she knew how much we wanted outdoor. & thankfully she did bc we ended up having a beautiful outdoor wedding!
Also, we weren’t notified that our original chef from the tasting, Kuda, was out on emergency leave until the week of. But thankfully Chef Shannon did an AMAZING job! Despite Debbie & the lack of timely communication throughout, everything worked out beautifully all thanks to Bhavna & Shannon!

We had our wedding at The Bolger Center in August of 2016. See my honest review.

Planning/Coordination: There was a bit of miscommunication and a lot of back and forth, but that is to be expected. Overall, Bolger's responsiveness and coordination are pretty good! They really want to make things work for you, so they are willing to meet face-to-face and really hash things out. Bhavna is a very professional and sweet lady! My only complaint is that the cocktail hour setup and appetizer service were lacking.

Service: The serving staff is really good! On-the-day food and drinks service was great. Not a plate or champagne glass was out of place. Everything was served and ready in a very timely, professional manner. The exception is the appetizers during cocktail hour. Several guests did not get the passed appetizers.

Food: The appetizers tasted amazing, but several guests complained that they did not get all of the tasty appetizers. They were passed around by the Bolger serving staff. In hindsight, I should have requested the appetizers be laid out on platters so guests would have better access to them. The main buffet dinner was so terrible!! I am so disappointed in the food! We created a custom menu, which tasted super amazing at our initial tasting. On the day of, however, the food was super dry and tasted so bad that I didn't eat more than two bites of each item. Major disappointment for me and our guests.

Overall, I would say that Bolger is an excellent choice for the space and service. Our wedding day was beautiful and had no problems, thanks to Bolger's coordination and timely service. For food, hire an outside caterer.

Working with Aramark and the Bolger Center for your wedding is not for the faint of heart – you might want to come prepared with a lawyer and a therapist.

In short, we were severely misled by the salesperson we initially began working with in October 2022 (salesperson 1). We were told that we could add reception and open bar hours – key selling points for us – for a fee, and that Bolger would be undergoing renovations that would not affect our event. After 8 months of work with Aramark/Bolger and other vendors, we found out on our own, less than a month and half from our wedding, that salesperson 1 was no longer with Aramark. Upon meeting the new salesperson at the final detailing meeting, we were told new restrictions (e.g., on reception end time, open bar duration) that salesperson 1 told us would be no problem. We also found out Osgood’s Restaurant might be closed to our guests staying at the Bolger hotel. There were other minor issues which we won’t mention here.

In the end, we did not get the extra reception and open bar hours we had looked forward to due to reasons that were explained to us after several times of asking, but Damali and Bhavna took our feedback to heart and accommodated us as much as they could as we approached the wedding. Fortunately, the restaurant renovation was completed just in time as well. While things worked out in the end in many ways, the entire process left a lot to be desired, hence our warning above. The food was very good and day of execution for cocktail hour and reception was solid with the assistance of our day-of coordinator.

P.S. We and many of our guests had issues booking rooms at the Bolger Hotel, as well as plumbing issues in the rooms. We were aware of Bolger’s basic lodging, but this came as a surprise.

I was extremely disappointed with the Bolger Center. It is a beautiful setting and in the end, it was fine, but the service from the beginning was not acceptable. The first point person we were given would not return calls or emails, so we were given another contact who seemed competent until the day of the wedding, when she was nowhere to be found. She had told me that the Bolger staff would work hand in hand with my day-of-coordinator. This did not happen at all! in fact, they were nowhere to be seen. My husband had to run out to stop our guests from going into the reception hall after the ceremony because the Bolger staff was not outside to point them towards the cocktail area as they had said they would be. Our DJ found our special vegan cupcake near her table sitting next to the bread (instead of in the kitchen) and she unwrapped the bread because guests were about to come in. The Bolger Center didn't put out the candles that were listed in our agreement, did not turn out the lights for our video (which we paid a lot for them to play so we wouldn't have to stress about it), did not have prepared the two special meals we requested for guests with dietary restrictions, did not bring food we requested to my husband and me between the ceremony and the reception. . .the list goes on and on. Our day-of-coordinator said that if she hadn't gone into the kitchen to ask about the salad course, it would have been extremely late. I was truly shocked by the disorganization of the Bolger Center staff on our wedding day. It made me think that staff quit that day or something. When our day-of-coordinator called them to give a report the next day, our point person didn't even have the decency to follow-up with me directly to see how I thought they day went as my day-of didn't even see some of the things that went wrong. That's when I knew that they were embarrassed by their service. I would not recommend the Bolger Center unless you tell your day-of-coordinator every single thing that they say they are going to do for you (unfortunately, I didn't), because you can not count on them to follow through.