The Villa Reviews

My wedding was a couple weeks ago and I couldn’t be happier. Everything was great, the food, drinks and the staff - star of the show. My wedding coordinator Ronnie, the sweetest person! I’m so grateful for all of you at the Villa. Thank you so much!

Catering by uptown was the best! Our wedding was magical thanks to them! The service, the food, the venue, everything was perfect!!! The venue coordinator Margot was great!! I cannot thanked them enough for the wonderful service they provided us with, for the delicious food they served us, for the beautiful venue they provided us, for the exceptional experience we had on our wedding!! I’m already planning my daughter’s quinceañera in a few years in this place because of the good experience we had here. I recommend this place %100!!

My husband and I got married back in 2016. From the starting process of getting the venue secured for our date, to choosing the wide variety of food and choosing the flavor for our wedding cake, it was hassle-free. We appreciate the coordinator we had, she was very consistent and making sure everything went well. We are glad that we chose this venue!

The venue exceeded my expectations. From the decor to the food, everything was wonderful. Ann, Esther and Karyssa was nothing short of amazing! They made this experience worth while. They bought my vision to life and I’m so appreciative of the hard work they put in! Thank you all!!!

The Villa was amazing!!! I was blown away by the price and the quality they provided for my wedding day. It was a dream! I got married in the tent at night time with candles on the tables. It was magical. With it being all inclusive, I didn’t need to worry about table numbers, linens, cake, catering, etc. My wedding fell right around the peak of omicron (December 2021) in Maryland and The Villa worked with me so well to ensure a safe wedding. I would HIGHLY recommend.

I was looking for an all inclusive venue that we could afford and I am so happy we chose The Villa. I like to keep things very simple but elegant. So the Renaissance Suite was the perfect venue. They also have a ballroom if you’re looking for something a little more glamorous. The planning process was so easy from the beginning of signing our contract to our wedding day. We had originally set a date for Sept 2020 but unfortunately had to postpone due to the pandemic. I was afraid of having to spend extra money on doing so but they were very understanding. Maddy was so helpful in helping us set our new date to May 2021. Planning a wedding during a pandemic is not easy at all and she made the process so much easier. We met our day of coordinator Ya-Maila just a few days before our wedding and I felt like I knew her for years! She was so warm and welcoming. The day of our wedding was perfect! There was a little mix up with the table numbers so my parents sat a little further from us but it was okay! The food was so good we received many compliments from our family and friends. The staff was also very attentive, sweet and complimentary. We enjoyed our wedding so much and I am so thankful we choose this venue and got to meet great people along the way!

Veronica Parker was everything!! I would not have been able to pull it off without her and her staff , she will never be forgotten and she is a true gem for that company

Thank you ! My vision executed!

We will forever be grateful that this venue treated us like family. The vision we had was portrayed beyond our dream. The precision, the immaculate ans elegant flow of everything was amazing. So grateful to have found this gem to help us celebrate our special moment

I have to thank Jeff, Shonda and Veronica! They all helped me so much with my busy schedule to stay on top of the planning, the day of the event they took care of everything, and u was able to enjoy the event as a guest and it was allll soo extremely worth it! The food was great, communication was great, set up was just as I envisioned, my daughter loved the it as it was for her Quince. It was planned between her and I, and catering by uptown put it all together for us. Of course we used vendors for the extra items we wanted to have set up, and they helped with all the vendors! Absolutely LOVED it!

I just had my wedding at The Villa this past weekend and it was nothing short of an amazing experience. Shonda and Veronica were wonderful to work with. The flow of my event went great, the food was great and they made my vision come to life! I have no complaints and they made my overall wedding experience a great one. They provide so much for the money spent. I would highly recommend them to anyone.

Our experience with the Villa was phenomenal from start to finish. Shonda made sure that everything was perfect for my daughter and her husband and Veronica worked side by side with Shonda to bring my daughter’s vision alive. My family and friends are still talking about the our daughter’s wedding on 11/29/2020. Uptown Catering and the food that was served was everything. The cake and cocktail hour was superb.

The planner Shonda was excellent, very professional and kind. She help me planned the best event, The food was amazing. All my guest were very please with the venue.

We had Veronica as our day of coordinator, and she was amazing. She made our day perfect! Everything was flawless. She and her team made sure myself and the groom were well taken care of all night. The food was amazing. We received nothing but compliments about the entire night (ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception). The venue was flexible in allowing us to use the tent and ballroom. Going through the logistics the day before was also very helpful to making sure everything was on point and that our vision came to light. I would definitely recommend this place.

I feel in love with this venue right away! It was just so beautiful! It’s so perfect, it’s a little “hidden” but it was so close to where my ceremony was taking place I just could not resist. The attention to detail is wonderful. Everyone that works there is amazing, this was truly the best decision I made! They work with you every single step
of the way to make sure everything runs perfectly!

I cannot say enough good things about The Villa. This all-inclusive venue works with the catering company Catering by Uptown and provides a phenomenal staff and service. We chose the Villa because we wanted to have our ceremony and venue in the same building. Our ceremony was in the tent, while our reception was in the banquet hall. The food was EXCEPTIONAL. There were so many options to choose from. All of our guests enjoyed the cocktail hour hors d'oeuvres and the dinner entrees. The cake was AMAZING! I always hear people say that wedding cakes are just pretty, but not as fun to eat. Well our cake was PHENOMENAL. It was moist, the icing was delicious (not too sweet), and fluffy. I am still eating it a week later and it is just as fresh as on our wedding night. I have to say that every dollar I spent was well worth it. We were able to customize EVERY aspect of our day. Our planning team was phenomenal. Haley answered many e-mail and was always there to guide me in a positive direction. Our day of coordinator, Veronica, was PHENOMENAL. I can honestly say our day was literally PERFECT. No hiccups, no difficulties, no problems, what so ever. A week after our wedding, my husband and I want to do it all again. I absolutely loved our experience with The Villa. I HIGHLY recommend.

Agh. Where do I start. I came across Planning by Uptown and originally had my heart set on a different location. While I toured it, we definitely liked it, we were recommended to view one of their other locations. The planner, Jill, on a last minute whim, was able to get us in to view the other one the very next day. And we were SOLD. Location was amazing for us and family and the all inclusiveness was the cherry on top. We were immediately assigned our planner and she was amazing and so sweet. (We had Lauren E.). Everything was straight forward and she made it super easy. Food is AMAZINGGGG & the cake !!! The entire venue takes such good care of you & the day of truly exceeded and solidified that we indeed made the best choice of venue. The littlest things made me beyond happy. We had mason jars with lights that we used for the ceremony. However, we didnt instruct Lauren on what to do with them for ceremony. Come reception and after our entrance, i saw she used them to decorate our sweetheart table and I was IN LOVE! Lauren, thank you for making it an amazing experience!

We had our ceremony and reception at this venue. Vicky was our Day of Coordinator. Our Day was a total success. The service was impeccable from the beginning until the end. The food was outstanding and the cake was delicious. I would use this place again for another event. LaQuisha Beale

Our wedding was September 29 and it was beautiful. We got married in the ballroom. At that time, there was another wedding in the tent area and honestly we couldn't tell. The staff was excellent. Our venue coordinator Katelyn was excellent. She was able to see my vision and made it come true. She's very responsive to our emails and made sure we were happy.

I had my wedding at The Villa in Beltsville, MD on 9/8/2017 and it was absolutely AMAZING!!!! I don't have one complaint about my wedding experience because all of my vendors were fantastic. My wedding coordinator Shonda Cherry and day of coordinator Kathy Andrews were great! They were very warm and welcoming, which put some of most of my anxiety at ease. They were willing to do what was necessary to make my vision come to life. Her and her team exceeded my expectations beyond measure. The venue was nice and clean, and the everything i wanted from decor to lighting was spot on. The food presentation was awesome and it also taste wonderful. Especially the beef wellingtons and crab cakes :). The service from the staff was very professional from beginning to end. would definitely recommend this venue to anyone!!

Our wedding was 11.11.16... The BEST night ever! This was the first and only venue we saw- I fell in love the second we walked in! From start to finish the process, planning - everything was PERFECT!!! If you are considering this place.... Do it! You will not regret one single thing! The food was amazing. We received so much amazing feedback after our wedding from all of our guests!!! Wish we could do the entire night again! I have to note our wedding coordinator Erinn Fleming was incredible!! - Mr. and Mrs. Randall

The Villa made weddig planning so simple. The staff was more than helpful, the food was delicious and the venue was beautiful. Not to mention you get so much food for the money.

This place was fabulous! Everyone was so understanding and made sure I didn't have to worry about a thing on my big day! We chose to have our ceremony in the outdoor tent and the reception inside and both spaces were absolutely beautiful. Food was amazing as well. The Villas really made our special day memorable!

The Villa did a fantastic job for our wedding! It was everything we wanted it to be and more. We're so glad that we chose that venue for our wedding. Our coordinator, planning person, and service catered to us was outstanding! Thanks Celebrations at The Villa!

We had our ceremony and reception at the villa and we loved it. Our coordinator was Sadie and she was fabulous, so helpful and quick to respond to any and all questions we had. The food is excellent, the venue is beautiful. We had our wedding in the grand ballroom, they were so flexible and let me decided where I wanted the ceremony the moment we got there, it was chilly so we went inside. It was gorgeous.

The Villa was such a wonderful place to have our wedding and we really enjoyed working with them. My only tiny issue, my family is portuguese from the mainland and we saw they offered kale soup, we ordered it but the day of the wedding it was not the traditional, kale, green and potatoey soup we were expecting but more like a minestrone looking soup. It wasnt what we had expected and Im not sure what variation it was but it was still delicious so in the end, it was really very minor. All in all the villa and sadie and everyone else was so fantastic! We highly recommend them!

My husband and I renewed out vows for our 10 year anniversary. We looked at various places but to start with the consultation appointment was great. Linda definitely won the business. I was going back and forth with The Villa and another venue, but Linda was so responsive and detailed and nice that she wont me over and we went with them. Best decision ever!!! I was assigned to work with Miranda for the planning and she is sooo energetic and nice. I always prefer to communicate via email, Miranda was very responsive and always making me like I had nothing to worry about. If I showed the slightest sign of stress, very calmly she would say, dont worry it'll work out or we'll figure out. She was great!! The coordinator for our event was Alma - I have no words to express my gratitude towards Alma and her staff. Simply amazing!! She is super nice, also making the entire process stress-free. I had some last minute issues with decorations, she made some suggestions and everything was fine. Between her and Silvia tending to our needs during the event... it was just amazing. Everyone was soo nice and professional and attentive. I'm just so happy we decided to go with The Villa and their staff. Kudos to the chef as well. The food is unbelievable!!! I'm so grateful to God for having been able to do our vow renewal at this place!!!

The Villa is a gorgeous venue and we could not be happier! We ran into a situation where we needed to revise our initial plan and contract, and the management team was willing to work with us so that we could still have the wedding we dreamed of! The food was AMAZING, the staff was fantastic and our day-of coordinator ensured things ran smoothly! Love this place! Please give it a chance - it is well worth the money :)

The Villa was amazing, the aesthetics, the food, the flow, the personnel and the cake. Did I mention the cake? They were very attentive, organized and ready to help with anything we needed. They met and exceeded all expectations I could have imagined! My wife and I are very pleased with our choice to go with The Villa as our venue for our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. Did I mention the cake?

My Wedding is upcoming. April 8 2016 :-). My day has not yet arrived but I have no worries at all. The Staff at catering by Uptown are all amazing. The initial consultation was unlike any others and their pricing and services out do all competitors. It's just begun and I know it will be spectacular and worry free because of Catering By Uptown! They do on site at either of their Several Locations or offsite. I chose The Villa and it's just perfect for us!

Great place to host any event. The staff is so nice.

The Villa was perfect for our wedding! Our guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the food and The Villa was extremely flexible with us.

We had our wedding reception at The Villa in Beltsville. My husband and I were extremely happy with the Villa and their assistance in planning our wedding reception. They were extremely friendly and flexible. We asked if they would cook some Polish food for the cocktail hour and they did! I provided them with a recipe and they cooked pierogi and bigos (hunter's stew). They have an enormous selection of food for cocktail and dinner. The same with linen and plate selection. My husband and I attended the food tasting and left so full from all the delicious food. The planning team was prompt in responding to my numerous emails- especially closer to the wedding day, when our guest count kept changing and so did our seating arrangement. They also followed all of my instructions in placement of certain decorations like my Polish welcome signs or Polish poster for the sweetheart table. The day of the wedding, I was able to text with my day of coordinator, Joe to let him know that we were going to be late and he kept me relaxed by letting me know our guests are taken care of. We rented the entire place, so even though the facility does not have a bridal suite, we were able to use the tent as our bridal suite. Throughout the reception, Joe made sure that my husband and I didn't need anything, and if I asked for anything- it was done immediately. The staff kept checking on my husband and I and making sure we ate. My guests complimented us on the wonderful reception and the food. I could tell that everyone did have a great time. Thank you The Villa for making our wedding a fun and unforgettable day.

Having out wedding reception at the Villa was one of the best decisions that we made. The venue, staff and food exceeded our expectations!. I would definitely recommend this venue to everyone that I know

The staff is excellent and everyone went above and beyond their duty. As the bride I never had to stress about anything because they took care of everything, including coordination of guests as they arrived, decorating the venue, the delicious food, providing the cake and providing directions for the wedding invitations. Some of our guests told us that they regret spending more than twice as much on their own wedding at different venues which were not as beautiful as The Villa thanks to Catering by Uptown.

I came here as a walk in with no appointment, and i got almost everything done in that period of time. Of course, my wedding was small, and i was a simple brinde, but they worked with me, and gave me a wonderful planner. I needed for nothing, everything was taken care of. I was especially impressed with how well the staff was working with me because i was planning my wedding last minute. Within that three month period of time i was able to choose the food, cake and patterns of my big day, even though it was really small. I wouldnt have done it with any one else, and to top it off the ceremony was at the same location as the reception and everything was wonderful. They worked with my photographer and dj very well, and like i said, I came there in January for a wedding I was having on April 6th, and it was wonderful

I had my Valentine's Day wedding here (2/14/13) and I had the best time of my life. The whole venue was beautiful, the staff was great, and the food was excellent. Let me first say that from the beginning when i came to visit The Villa I feel in love. I felt so welcomed and loved everything so much that we signed the contract 15 months before our wedding. I loved how this place is a one stop shop and everything was basically included. It was so much to choose from, and they offer so much that I couldn't say no. Over the months whenever I had questions the coordinators responded back in a quick and timely fashion. I never had a question unanswered. The day of the wedding the staff was awesome, everyone was so nice and professional. Everything was set up just like we planned and there weren't any issues. The whole day flowed like water. The food was so scrumptious and plentiful that our guess were so full they barely had room for cake. My signature drink was a hit as well. I think about this day and look at my wedding pics everyday as a reminder of the the dream wedding i had here at The Villa on 2/14/13. I would recommend this place/company to everyone!

The Villa is an amazing venue to have your wedding and any other celebration. The staff treat you well and are very responsive. They will work with your budget to provide you excellent service for your event.

The Villa did a wonderful job on making our dream come true.

I had my reception at The Villa. The service was impeccable. My wedding guest are still raving over how nice everything was. The whole staff is awesome from the owner Rob, to all of the coordinators. My day went on without a hitch. Every minute was planned perfectly. I have already referred my plenty of people and my neighbor is using this venue next month. Awesome service, great food, and beautiful decor to choose from (table cloths, china). I can't say enough about this place.

I just had my wedding a few days ago at The Villa, and everything was PERFECT!!!!

The staff at The Villa was amazingly professional and incredibly flexible to all my needs. They really do they're absolutely best to make sure you have nothing to worry about on your wedding day. The service was excellent, not only to us as the Bride and Groom, but to all our guests. They made sure everyone was happy and fed and having an amazing time.

It might seem a little pricey at first glance, but absolutely everything you need for your wedding day is taken care of. It's a beautiful venue and I would recommend it to anyone!

I just had my wedding at the Villa a few days ago and everything was PERFECT! They had everything perfectly set up exactly how I wanted it which was not an easy task. The staff was wonderfully mannered and kept us to our tight schedule.

People keep calling me and telling me how great the food was over and over again I get more compliments on how wonderful the food was than even my dress!! It was a lovely time and before the wedding they were willing to sit down with me and have me talk everything out so I was well prepared for how everything would work.

Their in-house/preferred vendors are a MUST working with them was so easy because they already knew the venue how it worked and where everything was. Their communication with the Villa was so easy that we didn't have to worry about anything.

I had a wonderful beautiful wedding that my guests will be talking about for a long time to come. I would highly suggest the Villa to anyone who is looking for a beautiful stress-free day.

After my first visit at The Villa I was in love with this venue however, it was over my budget, so I decided to look at other venues. None of the numerous places I visited could compare to the decor and overall feel of The Villa. I decided to give them a call to see if they could work with me to stay closer to budget and they were very receptive and made it happen for me. I received so many compliments from my guests and other vendors about the food, decor and staff. It was truly a dream come true! I would definitely recommend this place!

The Villa services over-all was great!! Our guests are still talking about how wonderful our wedding was...the decor of the venue, food (especially), staff service, quality of everything!!! The best aspect was definitely the food, I was very impressed (along with our guests) with the quality, creativity, and quantity of food provided!! Great work!!

I was taken aback by the decor and location of The Villa because it lacked in my opinion scenery as I desired a beautiful beach front or garden wedding. However, after stepping inside of this Tuscan inspired haven, I was introduced to a piece of heaven. The staff treat you like family from the minute you enter walking you through the facility which is beautiful. The tent and the food sold me as the lobster bisque is to die for. The price pays for itself with all of the amenities that they offer you from the endless food, wedding cake included and wedding planning services, which let me tell you includes planning your schedule, wedding day set up and break down. I also enjoyed with my budget and busy schedule that I did not need a wedding planner on the side, I did all the extras myself and cross referenced with The Villa staff who are more than helpful and everyone is ready to assist.

Every time I see someone who attended my wedding they give endless praise to the unique venue, the great food, and beautiful ceremony and reception. I have to say kudo's to my Wedding Day Coordinator who kept me on schedule and was my safe haven during times of stress. You will not go wrong with this one stop shop...trust me!

Working with the Villa and Catering by Uptown was AMAZING! The venue is beaufitul and my husband and I fell in love with it the first time we visited. After we went back for a second visit with my parents, they fell in love with it too. Its not only the venue that we loved, we also loved the true sense of caring all the employees provide. We worked with many different planners throughout the process, although we had one main planning contact and one day of coordinator contact. They really made us feel like family throughout then entire process and I am sad to not be planning my wedding anymore, because I am no longer in contact with them.

The food is amazing! The service was impeccable! The decor options they offered were unlimited! and the extra lighting options, coffee bar, and chocolate fountain were the perfect extra touches. They also use a delicious bakery for the cake.

All our guests keep saying how much fun they had at the wedding and how amazing the food and service was. I could go on and on about the Villa. The provide almost absolutely everything from the food and bar, to candles and non floral centerpieces, linens and china, cake, etc...

Now that my wedding is over I am telling everyone I know to check them out because I had such an amazing experience working with Catering by Uptown and using the Villa for everything- ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. It truly was my Cinderella wedding :)

The Villa fulfilled and exceeded all of my expectations for my wedding day. The food was amazing and plentiful, the planning team was easy to work with, and the venue looked absolutely stunning on the day of our wedding. I could not have asked for a better wedding, largely thanks to The Villa!

Catering by Uptown is def the place to cater your wedding if you are in the DMV. From the very beginning everyone was very helpful and would answer emails or questions the same day they would get back to you. The food was awesome, the venue was wonderful adn the staff was top notch. They catered to your every need

Our overall experience at The Villa was good. It’s just those extra fees that are thrown on you and/or are not discuss at the beginning stage of negotiations. Note that use of the space to rehearse is an additional fee (not included in the contract), and there is no dressing room on-site, disappointing but not a deal breaker.

Special thanks to YaMaila, Planning Specialist and Margo, Catering Specialist. It was a pleasure working with them and they did an exceptional job.

The wedding cake tasted exactly like the one we sampled at our tasting but the food wasn’t as flavorful as the samples we were given during the tasting. Our menu should’ve consisted of rice pilaf but it was just plain white rice with absolutely no seasoning.😳🤨

I appreciate the assistance provided from Tracy in helping me to plan my wedding. I also appreciate the assistance of Shonda on the day of my wedding. Both ladies were great.

The service at The Villa was great! The staff was friendly and very accommodating. My coordinator Katelyn was amazing and she did an awesome job making sure everything went smoothly. You absolutely get the most for your money from Thr Villa!!!

We had our wedding at The Villa about 3 weeks ago and we are still getting compliments on our wedding. People are saying its the best wedding they have been to which makes me happy. Working with our coordinator Karen was great,and I feel she went above and beyond to make our day flow smoothly which I am grateful for. The food was wonderful, and they work hard to keep you organized.

I recently posted a review for Catering by Uptown but the Villa is beautiful! Our ceremony and reception were held in the Ballroom and everything was set up perfectly. The guests left the ballroom for cocktail hour so they could transform the ballroom for the reception and they transformed the room very quickly. There was no gap or loss of time. There are also beautiful areas to take pictures for day or nighttime weddings.

We loved using The Villa for our reception. They were kind, courteous, and willing to work around my and my husband's crazy work schedules. We worked a lot with Peggy, and I would recommend her to anyone - she is GREAT!

The only reason I did not give The Villa 5 stars across the board is because the area where the coctail hour was held was a little hot and my guests were uncomfortable. In The Villa's defense, I did get married on a 95 degree day and had 150 guests in one room. The reception area was the perfect temperature, though.

Overall, The Villa was great!

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The Villa services was great!! Our guests are still talking about how wonderful our wedding was - the decor of the venue, the food, staff service, and the quality of everything!!! The best aspect was definitely the food, our guests was very impressed with the quality, creativity, and quantity of food provided!!

The Villa is expensive but it was worth every penny.

Best Venue ever! Everything was great from start to finish. Food cake drinks were delicious. Staff and service were amazing.

The Villa was the perfect venue and location for our wedding! We were in their Renaissance Suite which was the perfect combination of mostly indoor and some outdoor space. The cocktail room space is fantastic, and your guests are able to use it throughout the whole wedding which was so perfect as well as the beautiful garden space in between where guests can get some air or kids can have some more space! Our day-of coordinator was Veronica - her and her team were AMAZING!! Absolutely incredible, we could not have asked for a better team! The day ran perfectly smooth with no hiccups. They took care of all the details so we could just enjoy the day and coordinated very well with our other vendors. The food was awesome and they also provided the cake which they decorated so beautifully!! The only issue we had with the venue was in the months leading up to the wedding. Before we were assigned Veronica, we received some conflicting information, did not receive a lot of communication from the venue unless prompted by us, and ran into glitches with their planning portal. I would recommend being very proactive in asking questions and making sure all your portal information is correct and saved. You have to be a bit more detail oriented to make sure all your information is correct, but it was worth it for us to have our wedding at an affordable all-inclusive venue with a beautiful tent, garden, and cocktail hour space!! It was exactly what we envisioned for our special day.

My wedding is 9/10/2016 and I can't wait to get into the details. The level of professionalism has been superb since my first contact. I was a little leary when arrived (outside dated) but once I entered those doors I was taken aback. My day can't get here sooner and I can't wait to start planning !

From the moment I saw this listing online, I thought it was a very nice venue to have our wedding reception at! Little did I know I would be able to experience it at my cousin's wedding! The venue was beautiful, the food was excellent!! All that was left was to convince my fiancé. Once meeting with the Villa, he was sold!
Are they extremely expensive, yes, however, I appreciate the fact that we are not being nickelled & dimed for everything (chairs, table clothes, up lighting, etc). It's all inclusive! Did I mention that the cake is I cluded as well?! They have been very professional & for the most part flexible.
I will say, however, please make sure you read through your contract thoroughly!!
We gave them our total amount of guests, including children upfront, but we they created the contract, they charged us full price for the children. Instead of it saying XX amount of "guests", it said XX amount of "Adults". They would not adjust it as the contract was already signed, so needless to say, we have to come out of our pockets with extra money that we really need to use for other things.
All in all, I'm excited for my big day & can't wait to marry my Love!!

My husband and I just had our Traditional African Wedding, Wedding Ceremony & Reception Celebration at the Villa last month. Overall it was a very stress-free experience and one neither I or my husband regret choosing as our wedding venue! We loved it! Here is the scoop:

The Price: Of all the venues that we looked at, Catering by Uptown was by far the most economical. We cash flowed our wedding and wanted to come in under so it was great to find something that was elegant and still affordable. I think the fact that it's a family owned business makes you feel like they genuinely care about your well being and aren't solely interested in your money. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that we were not able to get our money back for the 10-15 people who didn't show up but I think that's standard everywhere you go.

The Staff: I worked with Breanna while decided on which one of the Catering by Uptown venues to use then worked with Laney once we decided on the Villa to do the tasting and to answer any questions that I had. Honestly, Laney made my experience very stress free! She answered ALL the questions I had very promptly and did her best to accommodate us and make sure that all the planning leading up to the day of the celebration was flawless. Bethany was my day of coordinator and she also did her best to make sure that things move smoothly even though we started late. Overall the staff that I worked with were very warm and focused on making sure that we had an experience that fit our budget.

The Catering: I loved the fact that the chef was able to do different kinds of food which worked perfectly since this was a multi-cultural celebration (Kenyan-Nigerian & American). The chef is well rounded and requested that we send the recipes of different foods we wanted to try during the tasting. He put in his best effort to create the meals with authentic African spices and my parents and I really appreciated that and I am sure our guests did too.

I am excited! I and am looking forward to my special day based upon my experience with my initial meeting/event specialist in which I received exemplary service from, the food tasting, and the ease of contract signing.

I chose to have my wedding at this venue mainly because the food was amazing. My husband and I had visited this venue 2 years prior to us getting married and a few things changed for the worse some the better, they gave more food options 2 years ago and the cake was better. For better the price was reduced. After signing, initially it was hard getting responses to my emails (I believe they were switching systems), but once that got fixed I had no problems. My wedding was great, people are still talking about it, I'd do it again. The big things I didn't like were that they only offer 2 options of food for tasting, if you want to taste anything else you have to pay which I think it absolutely ridiculous. Also my day of coordinator wasn't great, she was fine with me, but if I didn't have outside help things wouldn't have gone as smoothly as they did. But I would recommend this venue, I felt my wedding planning process was easy since they provide majority of the things that give people headaches.

Nailing down the venue for our wedding was definitely one of the hardest things to do (and one of the most important). When we first got engaged in June 2021 we wanted to quickly find the spot since all of the 2020 wedding would surely roll over into this year and The Villa still managed to have a few available dates that worked for us. In terms of responsiveness and ability to reach planners/managers, the Villa surely exceeds many of its competitors. If you are booked with them you can always reach at least someone on their team even it is not your specifically assigned planner. The area where I struggled with this venue was communications when it came to the food/drinks. Initially when I was quoted for a full bar, I was told it would be one price; turns out that team member didn't quote me at the bar I wanted when selling me on the venue and we had to come up with an extra $1500. Should I have paid closer attention to the contract? Yes. Should they have been more clear when writing it out? Also yes. The problem was I was told by the sales team that everything in the contract they wrote out was subject to change so I shouldn't worry about what was on the menu etc. Anyhow, contracts were signed and we were locked in so time to make the best of it right? When it came to our tasting we were specific on certain items we wanted to taste test. We were told the menu was fully customizable and we could add in a special dish they didn't have on the menu. We get to the tasting after being greenlit for what we'd like to try and then surprise! They don't actually let you taste what you want specifically, its a general tasting they give to everyone else and if you want specific dishes you just have to gamble on if they'll be made right. Now all in all, this venue does offer a lot. They set all of the decorations up you provide (save for a wedding arch or florals) and are great at following your wedding timeline. The best part of the entire wedding was my week-of coordinator. She helped me finalize my vision and made everything run smoother than butter on the wedding day. Overall, the food and the cake were amazing day-of, I could always reach someone in the planning department, and we had an amazing time in the end after a few hiccups. I would recommend this venue if you're looking for an easier wedding since they help a lot in the planning process and can work with you, just be very specific on what you want.

I would reccomend this venue. The day of coordinator was wonderful. However, the air blowing in the tent is loud and my videographers were unable to pick up the sound for my video. Although the tent is pretty, I would reccomend having your big day in the ballroom unless you are forunate enough to test out the sound with your mics b4 making that decision. Just something to consider. If it's a hot summer day, guests and the bridal party will still be a little warm inside the tent. The air doesn't blow that cool.

The Villa is a great choice for the mid-range budget. Work closely with the Event Coordinator to manage your contract and to ensure that the Day of Coordinator is ready to fulfill your vision. Shonda and Elizabeth are a dream! They'll make sure your dreams come true.

I am using this vendor for my wedding on October 9, 2016. I am looking forward to it, I have attended a wedding here in the past and it was beautiful. I know my wedding and reception will be fabulous. The value can not be beat, where can you get everything, venue, ceremony, reception, delicious assortment of food to choose from, wedding cake, and open bar all for under $12K?

My husband and I had our ceremony and reception at The Villa in November 2016. We were in the ballroom. Every staff member we interacted with from our first visit was helpful and nice in person and over email. Including many speedy responses to my slew of random questions in the weeks and days leading up to the wedding. The ballroom is large and beautiful and was the perfect space for our 150 guests. Our wedding was in the evening so it was dark by the time the ceremony was over. There are not a ton of spots to take photos but luckily the other half of the venue was not being used so we took group photos there. We also got some great nighttime shots outside. The food was delicious! And our cake tuned out wonderful -exactly my vision! There was an issue with the table numbers not matching the floor plan they provided us, but thankfully our guests understood and all had a wonderful time. All in all, we enjoyed working with Catering By Uptown to have our wedding at The Villa. Would just recommend double checking the little details like table arrangements before your wedding.

I had both ceremony and reception at The Villa and it couldn't have worked out better. The more weddings I go to, the more I realize how perfect my own was. The food was delicious and everything ran so smoothly.

If you are looking for an elegant venue with great catering in the DC/MD area, The Villa is a great option. My husband and I thought it was beautiful when we first came to visit. Words cannot describe how beautiful it looked on our wedding day. Our guests were definitely impressed with everything about The Villa - the friendliness of the staff, the exquisite decor, and the food (particularly the passed appetizers).

My one issue with Catering By Uptown is that they are very responsive to potential clients they are courting and their responsiveness wanes once the contract is signed. It was difficult getting scheduled for a tasting. It would be great if they had an automated system rather than the email request mechanism.

Also, when we finally attended the tasting (after we signed our contract), I was disappointed with the food (except the desserts and the symphony salad). Something must have been amiss at the tasting, because (thankfully) everything at our wedding was delicious. The mini crab cakes and spicy shrimp are amazing.

When my husband and I arrived in our limo, a staff member greeted us with two glasses of champagne. When we were seated at our sweetheart table, we were also offered a generous sampling of the passed appetizers we missed during cocktail hour (we arrived late).

There are also some convenient aspects to this location. For example, The Villa has a huge parking lot (one of the reasons we decided to do our wedding in Maryland instead of DC). There is also a Comfort Inn that is mere footsteps away (and a Sheraton around the corner if the Comfort Inn is not "fancy" enough) that gave us a really low price to accommodate our out of town guests.

A cake is included in the package. The Villa partners with the Columbia, MD-based Touche Touche bakery. Our cake was AMAZING!!!!!!!

The quality of service/interaction varies by staff member. Rachel was particularly awesome. She was funny and friendly when answering my myriad of questions.

My wedding at the Villa was beautiful and everything was just about perfect, except the fact that it rained which was out of their control and the mean day of event coordinator. My whole experience at The Villa was a great one except the day of, I had no idea that my day of the event coordinator would be someone that I only meet a couple of times who was mean and rude. Her name was Zora and I received so many complaints from my guest about how rude she was to them. I was informed by The Villa that they would be very accommodating the day of my wedding and if it started late or went a little over that there would be no issues. Well due to the rain I did run about 20 minutes late and right after my ceremony, Zora told me that we are running behind and I will need to rush through my pictures so that we can get back on track. I also had my own day of the event coordinator that did a wonderful job at keeping me and my guest as happy as possible. She did her best not to let Zora worry me or talk to me. After taking my photos Zora was informed that we were done with photos, but than had me and my guest wait for a good 30 minutes to set up for the reception after she rushed me. I was told by guest that she would talk to them like a child by yelling at them to move from one area to another or telling them they need to hurry up and sit down when they entered the reception area. I would have gave them 5 stars, but when you have a person that is telling you that you need to speed up your wedding, rush through photos and it is your fault that the reception took so long to set up because you requested different color chairs for your ceremony it can make any bride upset and stressed. Overall, my wedding day was a good day, but only because I had my own day of event coordinator that put people at ease by her kindness and good sense of humor. Up until the day of, every other person I meet at The Villa was wonderful and so kind, maybe we just had that one bad apple out the bunch.

We chose the Villa because of the ability to do one-stop shopping: venue, catering, cake, decorations. How great is that! Overall we were pleased with the staff, the food, and the preparations. Our coordinator Holland was very helpful in putting the final touches together. The Villa has a ton of extra decorations left from previous weddings, so if you're on a budget, you can spruce up your centerpieces without having to do a floral arrangement.

Working through the website was sometimes a challenge. Items weren't always updated to show the correct information. Usually an email or a phone call took care of that. We did the large tasting first, but since we were planning a stations party, we weren't able to taste our potential food. Fortunately, this wasn't a problem and we were able to setup another tasting with our food choices. The food was fantastic! If everyone talks about the food, it's for a reason.

We made a few extra trips to the Villa to plan for the wedding. The staff was accommodating and never gave us a problem. We were fortunate that on the day of our wedding, there were no other parties, so we were able to utilize the tent and the ballroom. The tent is nice, but the AC doesn't work very well and is really noisy. On a hot day, it can be a bit stuffy and warm in there. You might try to work out something with the staff ahead of time to make sure it functions to your liking. The tent is also very bright during the day, so pictures can be tough. We chose to do some pictures at a nearby park and were thankful we did. Our decorations for the ceremony were fairly simplistic, and the Villa provided most of them. When we arrived, the decorations weren't in place yet, which added a bit of stress to the day. My husband's brother ended up putting bows on chairs and moving a table around for the ceremony, something he shouldn't of had to do. Also make sure that if you decide to have the reception in there, you get a good picture for how many guests it can accommodate.

After the ceremony, we chose stationary appetizers. Overall the guests were pleased with the food, but for a large party, there weren't enough trays for the food, and the food rapidly vanished. They were replenished, but as the time got closer to the dinner, the staff stopped delivering food.

For the dinner, we were suppose to have a stations party, with full seating. Unfortunately, something got mixed up and we ended up having stations food in a buffet line. The result was a huge food line backup, something that would have been avoided with the stations. The food was also prepared/presented differently from the tasting, so we were a bit disappointed with that. The staff did prepare a plate for us however, which was nice. The cake was great and everyone seemed to love it. They also prepare the top of the cake for you to take home. They included a small plate from the dinner as well. It was a really nice touch!

The staff was very quick to clean up after the event, so we felt a bit rushed to leave the premises. We would have liked to have been able to take our time to say goodbye to the guests.

Overall, it was a positive experience with some discrepancies along the way.

Everything was included with this rental which made everything easier and cheaper but at times it was extremely hard to get in contact with someone on the phone.

The Villa is very pretty on the inside, but it is certainly not in the most scenic locations. If pictures are very important to you it will take a lot of creativity to make the most out of the location. I happened to get married on one of the hottest days of the year the week after a hurricane hit the region. The air conditioner in the tent was broken and instead of moving up to the ballroom they kept us in the tent. I believe that was why one of my bridesmaids passed out during the ceremony! The food was great, but I couldve had Uptown cater at a different location.

In general, the caterer did a good job... Specifically the coordinator Courtney was excellent. She worked super hard and I am so grateful. My main problem with the caterer is that they made a lot of promises that they did not keep. They are also pricey considering what they provide.

I am definitely disappointed in the service I have been receiving this year! When I initially signed my contract in 2016, I received superb customer service and professionalism. Now, I have been receiving lack of responsiveness, lack of customer service and client service from management. I have requested to speak to the owner on multiple of occasions and have not been addressed about my issues. I do not feel confident about my big day coming up

After months of planning we went with uptown because of promises of changing the carpet. Unfortunetly after months they did no such thing! The venue was nice and guests did not notice the smell of carpet! I would recommend using the tent outside if you decide to rent here its quite nice!

Unfortunately we did not have as great of an experience with The Villa as others did. The Villa made a lot of promises to us that they did not keep. For starters, we were told we would be the only event in the building and that we had rented the entire building for the evening. But, another wedding was scheduled the same night. I have a feeling that the other wedding was told the same thing, they ended up moving so we did end up being the only party there that night in the end. The Villa promotes itself as an all-inclusive type venue, including planning services, a "day-of" coordinator to help you figure out details, etc etc. But I sent multiple emails that were never answered, got responses to emails that answered only half of my questions, and met with a different person every time I went. We still didn't have a "day-of" person scheduled the week of the wedding, the first we heard of him was the Thursday before when we dropped everything off. They didn't offer help to me, did not give me an idea of what was included, I had to ask about every little detail (is there a coat check? do you have uplighting? what kind of chairs will be in the ceremony?), and as I said a lot of my questions went unanswered.

Their prices would be allowable if they were as inclusive and outstanding as they suggest they are. They are expensive, even for the area.

The food was good, but they insist you give a list of special meals for your guests (and names), but all of my guests who needed them told me they had to ask, and sometimes still didn't get what I ordered for them. As a part of a vegetarian family, this is so annoying when you're at a wedding, you don't get your food until everyone else, and you have to call yourself out to the waiter. They insisted this wouldn't happen, but unfortunately it did. Also, only about half of our guests say they got served cake. Then where did the rest of our cake go?

Our wedding day went great, but only thanks to a wedding planner I had to hire last minute (Tina's Creative Touch...she was amazing helping with the Villa). I would recommend this venue only to brides who know what they're getting into, have the extra funds to hire a wedding planner, and have a LOT of patience. The day did turn out beautifully, but if I had to do it again I would never book with them.

Very disappointed the.I was misinformed that the tent was fully equipped the weather was super cold the heater only works on one side. All the guest was not enjoying at all. I recommended at all unless it's summer time. I'm not recommended this place at all.

I actually used this vendor for a 50th Birthday party celebration. I signed the contract in April 2014, I had to personally reach out to this vendor on August 1, 2014. They never contacted me in all those months and my event was taking place in October. We finally had our tasting for menu selection in August and October. On the night of the event the menu, the service and just about everything went haywire. They didn't serve us the food we tasted and selected. We were told we were going to have a carving station; we received tenderloin beef already sliced on a cutting board. I have a family member with a nut allergy, they served us a Walnut based salad dressing and they were informed about this allergy issue beforehand. We also asked if we could take our food leftovers home, on two occasions our Planner told us yes we could. On the day of the event all of a sudden we are told we couldn't do that because of insurance issues. I don't want to see a bride and groom have they day ruined by this company. Don't use them. I voiced my complaints to the Manager of the Planning department, the owners offered me a $250 refund if I sign a disclosure statement and do not put anything bad about them on Social Media or any website. I refused their offer and asked for a least a 25% refund, they offered $500 and told me that's all they would offer. Basically we went through a bait and switch with our food choices; what we tasted during our planning process was completely different than what our guests were served the night of the event. Don't use them.

The villa seemed great in the beginning, but on the day of, my expectations were not met. The first thing that really upset me was the temperature of the room. All the guests complained about it being way too hot in the ballroom. Even though my family let the coordinator know multiple times during the event to get the temperature right, there wasn't a change made. When the guests went into the tented area, there was still an issue with the temperature and the place was way too cold.

Another issue I had was that I didn't even see the coordinator throughout the event. I expected her to be around if anything was needed. The way the guests were escorted into the tent was not done properly as well and many were left behind in the ballroom wondering if everything was done.

I had also requested for a slideshow projector and screen. When we try to get them to play the slideshow, we come to find out that they have a screen setup but there is no projector available. I did like the food and the cake that was provided by them.

Overall, I was very disappointed with this place and would not recommend it to anyone.The staff is very nice throughout the process and they make it seem like they'll make it the perfect wedding, however, the day of, there was no one there taking care of the event.

I was supposed to have my wedding at The Villa in July this year (2020) but due to COVID, I asked my wedding coordinator Tracy if I could reschedule for next July because I would rather have my anniversary month if I could no longer have my special date this year. They wanted me to pay a $2,000 change the date fee knowing COVID would not allow our contracted guests count of 100+ allowing us to enjoy our wedding date comfortably. To avoid the $2,000 change the date fee they only allowed rescheduling up to March of 2021 but even if you reschedule you need to pay an ADDITIONAL deposit. Knowing very well people are losing their jobs and stability they were asking for more money! For those that know on-peak (spring to summer) wedding prices cost A LOT more than any other season. They wanted my on peak ($11,000+) priced contract for an undesirable month and were unwilling to adjust the contract so we would pay what the venue was worth for the off-peak seasons. I didn’t get to have my wedding day and they kept our deposit; I would NEVER recommend them. If I had listened to my gut when their sales rep was being pushy to get us to sign a contract, I would have never signed that contract. Don't be distracted by the chandeliers the place is really not great. The Sales rep said they had a contract with a hotel near BWI airport so guests that stayed there would have a shuttle to take them down to the venue. When I asked about it again after signing, my coordinator somehow did not know about it. Convenient. There is NO “get ready” room and the bathrooms are tiny hallways. The food tastings were not consistent, so their favorite selling point is not really up to par. They say they are a family-owned venue but they are pretty much run by catering-by-uptown. Be mindful all of the nice linens and chargers come at an extra cost when they claim they are a one-stop-shop. Save yourself the headache and find a venue that will not take the rug out from under your feet.
Update: After I posted this complaint on google I was reached out to by the owner that he would help us get a resolution and if I could take down my complaint. The only resolution we wanted was our deposit back. During our first call, the owner said yes and give him a call back later that week. We lost our faith in them and we just wanted our money back. I called back a few weeks later (due to the owner not picking up my previous calls) and told him we would prefer our deposit refunded. All of a sudden that option is not going to be possible...Find a better place.

I would never recommend this venue. First you have to deal with 3 different people, a sales rep, an event coordinator (which literally does nothing), then a day of coordinator. Why do I have someone different as my event coordinator and day of coordinator? So you have to explain what you want to 3 different people. The sales rep will agree to anything to get you in the door, MAKE SURE YOU GET EVERYTHING WRITTEN IN YOUR CONTRACT, LITERALLY EVERYTHING YOU REQUEST MAKE SURE ITS IN THE CONTRACT. Then you have to repeat the same request to your event coordinator which has to get management approval (even though the sales rep agreed to it), then you have to repeat the same step for your day of coordinator. Extremely stressful especially when you have to do all of this during your wedding week. Catering by Uptown sends you a huge packet that you have to complete & sign the week of your wedding to make sure all of your details are correct, this would be amazing if they actually followed what was in the packet, but they don’t. Everything I signed in my packet was not part of my wedding at all. I had the wrong wine, missing food, and vegetarians were served food with meat. After my wedding, I told them food was missing and they told me it wasn’t, I then had to PROVE to them that food was missing. Another issue I had was that I barley saw my day of coordinator throughout the event. I expected her to be around if anything was needed. On the packet you complete, it asks for names & numbers for people who the coordinator is supposed to speak to in case anything goes wrong, my day of coordinator came up to me to tell me things that were going wrong. NOT SOMETHING I WANT TO DEAL WITH ON MY WEDDING DAY. The staff make it seem like they'll make it the perfect wedding, however, the day of, there was no one there taking care of the event. I sent multiple emails that were never answered, got responses to emails that answered only half of my questions.