Wadsworth Homestead Reviews

I fell in love with the Wadsworth homestead at first sight of walking into the venue. It was a dream of mine to be married at the Wadsworth Homestead. My dream came true last year on August 13th. The Wadsworth Homestead is like its own hidden gem excluded from the world. The day felt like we were in our own world celebrating with close friends and family. We arrived Friday and didn’t leave until Saturday night. The ambiance was enveloping. Will and the staff were amazing, catering to our needs and making sure the day flowed. I love that everything is done in one place: the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. The grounds were enchanting, and the perfect summer day allowed for some incredible scenes for wedding photos. It was an amazing feeling not worrying how to get everyone from place to place. I just sat back, and relaxed knowing Will and the staff had it all taken care of. Will answered my millions of questions, with unbelievable patience and care. I felt like I was being heard. Some of the questions I had were about what would happen if it rained. There was a backup plan for this if it happened; the wedding could be held in the house with a carefully, well thought out plan of how everyone could view the ceremony. Another question I asked involved what would happen during the day. The pre-wedding zoom meetings (there were 3 of these with options to have more if I felt it was needed) detailed all the different things that would take place. These allowed me to feel at ease. My overwhelming sense of having to plan a big celebration was quickly replaced with peace and calmness knowing I could be focused on my part of the day – being the bride. As I look back at my wedding day, it was truly one of the best days of my life. I am so grateful to everyone that was a part of the preparation, delivery of the ceremony and the smoothness of the reception. Getting married at the Wadsworth Homestead was one of the best decisions I made. Thank you, Will and staff for making my dream come true!
- Kelsey Ames Shanahan

I truly don’t even know where to begin with this review - my husband and I just had the perfect wedding/one year vow renewal celebration (hello, COVID postponements) at the Wadsworth - best decision we made when wedding planning was booking this venue! Not only can every part of your day be handled right on the property (we did our rehearsal dinner in the house/porch area, an outdoor ceremony, cocktail hour inside the house, and a tented reception on the grounds) but you and your wedding party can also stay in the house for the weekend! There are no hidden fees or up charges that you see with most venues these days and the place is absolutely gorgeous (just look at the many beautiful photos). However, I do think the most invaluable asset you get when booking this venue is having Will Wadsworth as your unofficial wedding planner! Will was truly incredible - he thought of every detail and lent his expertise to our planning while still making the day feel extremely personal and our own - basically, if we asked he made it happen! He also had back up plans ready to go and was ready to jump in personally if he needed to (e.g., he fixed my dads boutonnière before we walked down the aisle, helped my brother sew on his tuxedo button that popped off right before he walked, and even drove my cousin home when he missed the last shuttle!). I also have to rave about the food. When you book the Wadsworth you must use the accompanying caterer but this is really just another convenience for you because the food was incredible and our main contact, Lisa, was incredibly helpful and professional. My husband and I actually ate almost our entire plates (at our own wedding!) because it was just so good we made the time to enjoy!! We also heard excellent things from our guests who were not only impressed by the quality but the quantity as well! The servers were all professional and everything came out hot and plated beautifully. Truly, not a single complaint comes to mind for the entire weekend. I could go on and on but the point is, you found your venue (and caterer) so book it now!

As New York City residents, my wife Ioanna and I planned our wedding to be in late August on the Brooklyn waterfront, with a guest list exceeding 400, and a myriad of extravagances, each ticking the box of what one would consider a "dream wedding" checklist. Never in our dreams would we have imagined that our special day would be no longer; moreover, it would need to be postponed to next year, or the year following! Little did we know that the impact of COVID-19 on our plans, and their ultimate dissolution, would be a profound blessing, shaped in the form of a picturesque, heartwarming wedding ceremony and dinner, organized and hosted by the Wadsworth family, some of the loveliest people you will ever encounter, at their historic Homestead in Geneseo, New York. In just two weeks, Louise, Will, Piper, Lauren, and Krista, collectively the Wadsworths, put together an event more special than we could have ever hoped for. Louise Wadsworth, the matriarch, was a logistics aficionado, making sure that all arrangements were in place, including flowers, makeup, hair, decor, etc. She even organized a live streaming platform. Almost 150 of our friends and family, including relatives from Greece, Albania, France, and Germany, were able to watch us and comment in real-time! Take that pandemic! Will Wadsworth, patriarch, historian, officiant, and savior (when I realized I could not tie my bow-tie), made us feel comfortable, well cared for, and eventually learned, after he graced us with stories of his family's past, much of which was tied to the charming Wadsworth Homestead, rich with artifacts, the smell of books, mahogany, and the fresh Genesee Valley breeze. Lauren and Krista, daughter and daughter-in-law to the Louise and Will, were highly professional and engaged photographers, providing us with memories that will last a lifetime. They even organized a horse to be brought to the property at my wife's request, so we could have a bride and groom with a horse portrait session! Piper (the youngest daughter) is a trained chef. She put together the most well crafted, pleasing to the eye (and tummy), cheese, and charcuterie boards with actual honeycombs. She made us a superb high-end restaurant-grade dinner, snacks, and breakfast of our choosing after we stayed the night. Words cannot express our gratitude to this family for all they did for us, especially considering the difficult timing. Each moment of that special day on June 11, 2020, is frozen in time as a lasting memory for me and Ioanna, her mother, and my father. We went from 400 to 4 wedding attendees, and it turns out bigger isn't necessarily better when it comes to weddings, and the Wadsworth Homestead made that possible. Thank you to the Wadsworth Family for working a miracle; we will be eternally grateful for what you gave us. Love, Greg & Ioanna O'Connell.

When we chose to have our wedding at the Homestead, we could never have known how essential the venue we chose would be to our ability to have the wedding we envisioned. From the very start (months before the pandemic), working with Will and the Homestead team was easy, and a joy. The system is streamlined and they outline all the choices you need to think of. It was easy to make any given aspect of the plan our own, or, if we didn't have a strong opinion, to let the Homestead team work their magic. Will was ready with suggestions of reliable vendors and tips to make everything run smoothly.

The venue itself is far more beautiful than you can imagine before you visit it. The endless photo opportunities are fun and unique, and you'll find that photographers are thrilled to be asked to shoot there because they know how phenomenal the photos will be. The Wadsworth Homestead is rich with history, and throughout the process of planning an event there, learning that history makes your own event all the more meaningful.

When COVID hit, Will's communication was clear and reassuring. He reached out proactively long before we had begun to worry, assuring us that our deposits were safe, offering us the option to book a 2021 backup date, and opening the lines of communication. I've read horror stories from couples working with venues that took advantage of the fine print in contracts and am so grateful that we never had to doubt that we were in good hands.

Once my husband and I had decided that we definitely wanted to get married on our original date, no matter what, the creativity of Will and his team really shone. They were so clear that they would not compromise on the safety or on the quality of our event, and they delivered on that commitment. They were flexible, placing a last-minute order for some two-top tables so that we could have couples seated in "pods" at our request. They were ready with plans B, C, D, and E in the event of regulation shifts, such as preparing boxed picnics that we could pass out to our guests if a seated dinner was no longer an option or even pitching an additional tent on the property at their own expense to ensure that our tables could be distanced. While we didn't have to use any of those backup plans, we got great peace of mind from knowing that even if there were dramatic updates the week of our wedding, the event would still be fantastic.

Our wedding was better than we could have imagined. Will and his team took care of dozens of details before we even thought to ask about them, and from start to finish, their attitude was always that anything was possible. Every time I thought of something we needed, the answer was either "we've already taken care of that," or "we can source that for you, no need to think about it again." No detail fell through the cracks, and everything was beautiful. They were extremely careful about COVID safety protocols, with stocked hand sanitizing stations, masks and gloves on all staff, signage to remind our guests about the masking procedures we had outlined, generous distance between tables, a tent design optimized for safety, and more.

At the end of the night, we found that COVID had not put a damper on our day or on our celebration. Will and his team are creative, hard-working, professional, enthusiastic, and attentive to detail. We are so grateful to have trusted them with this event and cannot recommend The Homestead highly enough.

I got married nearly two months ago at Wadsworth, and I still don't think I can grasp how perfectly the day went. I kept putting off this review because I didn't feel quite ready to write it, because I am still trying to come to terms with how lucky I was. I don't know if I ever will! After over a year of planning and dreaming of my wedding, I had this nagging feeling as it approached that it was going to be similar to a birthday... a good time, but sometimes a bit of a let down because of how high your expectations were and how long you spent planning it. I am SOO pleased to say that the EXACT opposite was true!! It was the best day of my whole entire life and I can only attribute that to Will and his crew. Will showed up HARD, from the beginning to the end. He worked tirelessly throughout the entire day to make sure it was perfect for us. He made sure everything ran smoothly and that I wasn't even aware of any snags or problems. He handed everything, and I mean every single thing. He even bustled my dress when my maid of honor was missing, for Pete's sake!! I truly can't express how thankful I am for him. Not to mention the venue was in tip top shape!!! It was absolutely stunning. I was a very particular .... some may even say "hard to please" person when it came to my wedding - so the fact that Will blew my expectations out of the water is truly incredible. Book your wedding here, you will not regret it.

I can't say enough about how wonderful this venue and its hosts were! After all the venues I looked at, The Homestead offers the most with the best quality at a very reasonable price.

My (new) husband and I decided to purchase the weekend package, which I highly recommend! It was such an awesome and unexpected present to give our wedding party as they didn't have to pay for their lodging for the weekend. The entire house is SO interesting, impeccably maintained and full of some really amazing history that Will is very knowledgeable about! I can't imagine we could have found a cooler place to stay in for our wedding weekend; the history of the house made it a unique and unforgettable experience that our guests loved too.

Working with Will through the entire process was so easy and stress-free, he has such a calming presence and you can tell he truly cares about every aspect of your day. He had contingency plans for everything and walked us through with ease and patience. Even though I've never planned and completed a wedding myself before, he's done hundreds and it shows!

The Homestead works exclusively with caterer Lisa Bleier from the Caledonia Village Inn and the food was incredible! I have a cousin that has attended and planned tons of weddings and she said it was the best wedding food she's ever tasted. It was an excellent meal and the whole staff did an amazing job getting everyone served at once so that we could all eat together.

I have zero regrets about choosing The Wadsworth Homestead as my wedding venue; we had the most amazing experience!

Absolutely stunning location! Will was so helpful through the whole process, but especially on our wedding weekend. We did not have to worry about a single thing - Will and his team made everything so beautiful and the whole weekend ran so smoothly. We fell in love with this venue from the first time we visited it and it will forever be so special to us. Everyone from our wedding is still talking about how amazing this place is!! We would highly recommend!!

Our wedding weekend at the Wadsworth Homestead was perfect in every way. We opted for the 3-day weekend package and had our rehearsal dinner, ceremony and reception, and Sunday brunch at the homestead. Every part of our wedding weekend was magic. The owner of the homestead and day-of coordinator, Will, was the calmest, most accommodating host I have ever had the pleasure to work with. He kept everything running smoothly from the moment we walked in the door to the day that we left. His recommendations for DJ, catering, flowers, decor, and order of events were spot on. The historic Homestead itself is absolutely gorgeous and was just as gorgeous (if not more-so) than our wedding reception in the tent, which had gorgeous lighting and a perfectly sized dance floor. The grounds of the homestead were perfectly manicured and the views of the Genesis valley were gorgeous. To top it all off, the friendly horses in the paddock across the lawn were gorgeous to look at. Every staff person I interacted with was polite, eager to assist, and happy to be there. Everything started on time, ended late to accommodate our guests if necessary, and Will was present at all our events (quietly in the background) to make sure that if we needed anything at any moment, he was there to make it happen. He even set up the chairs for our ceremony on the lawn himself to make sure they were perfect. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a single thing. In fact, I wish I could do it all over again, because that is how wonderful it all it was! I cannot recommend this venue and this family highly enough. Absolutely perfect in every way. This was the best weekend of my life.

This was our dream venue, our first venue we looked at and we knew then that we would get married there. Will is absolutely incredible and a Godsend. He opened up the Wadsworth to us and made sure everyone felt comfortable. He made our dream wedding a reality and I would recommend this venue to anyone!

We recently had our wedding here, and cant begin to describe how beautiful our wedding was. The venue is beautiful and It was the first and onlu place we looked at, we knew it was the one! Will is so great and was there to help us with anything we needed. I have recommended the Wadsworth Homestead to others looking for a great venue!

As we approach the 1-year anniversary since our wedding, we realized we never wrote a review for this INCREDIBLE place! I get a little emotional thinking about it because, not only was the property absolutely stunning, not only was the house filled with rich history, but Will Wadsworth is the actual man - we owe so much to him for helping us to bring our perfect wedding into reality. It's rare to find a venue where the person you're working with begins to feel like family - and that's Will. On the day of our wedding, I changed the location of the ceremony a couple times to say the least. Will handled the changes with grace and ease, and while I know I can be a handful sometimes, Will never seemed bothered by the changes which is so important on your wedding day. Not only that, but the food was amazing (per Will's recommendation - Dipane Catering). Our wedding guests still tell us how fantastic the food and service was and its been almost a year later. Will orchestrates it all - I'm telling you, he's the man! If we had to do it all over again, will would be sitting at our head table.

We are so grateful that the Wadsworth Homestead popped up on our wedding venue search, we couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else. I'm telling you, you will NEVER regret getting married at the Homestead. We are still in awe of how beautiful and smooth everything was. This place is pure magic, I swear, schedule a meeting and go see for yourself.

Did we mention we love Will?

The Wadsworth Homestead checked every box we had, plus so many more! This venue was beyond our dream venue. It has everything. Charm, history, nature, and individuality. We could not have asked for a better venue for the best day of our lives. From the beginning, Will was responsive, accommodating, and wonderful to work with. Thank you, thank you, thank you. We are still on cloud 9!

Lauren and Michael, July 28, 2018.

The Wadsworth Homestead is the perfect venue for a romantic wedding. After viewing several venues in the Buffalo area, my daughter and her husband-to-be fell in love with the Homestead and were married there in July, 2018. The house and gardens are so gorgeous and impressive, and therefore the pictures from the wedding are absolutely beautiful. We couldn't have been more impressed with Will and his very professional staff. They definitely go above and beyond to make the weekend very special - Will even went out at 1:00 in the morning to find the Bride some McDonald's! Our wedding guests continue to express what a great time they had and could not have been more impressed by the venue, food, flowers, and music (all vendors recommended by Will). Our family is looking forward to going back some day for a quiet, relaxing weekend!

Where do I even start. I got married at the Wadsworth Homestead at the end of May after only seeing the property and meeting Will for not even an hour in July of 2017. We immediately knew this was where we were going to be married. First, the Wadsworth is more than a wedding venue. It is an insanely beautiful, historic, magical, family home that Will generously opened up to us for our wedding weekend. We were taken care of from the second I booked, to Sunday morning after our wedding when we said our (tearful) goodbyes. Will is by far the most kind, helpful, knowledgeable, and calm among a million more things and is the perfect person you want to work with on your wedding day. He went above and beyond to make sure every person was okay and had what they needed. I live in Atlanta, but grew up in the area and I never once felt any worries one could typically have about having a destination wedding. Even when the ONE thing that went wrong, which was not even the Wadsworth’s fault (the dj’s USB didn’t work and we had no music for a period of time..) Will jumped in and fixed it HIMSELF and kept us calm and kept everything moving. The food was fantastic, people were blown away with how beautiful the house and grounds were, and for those of us who stayed in the house all weekend, we still can not get over our experience.
We are forever grateful for Will and we are so happy to be apart of something so special he has going at the homestead. We will never forget the weekend and we hope to visit again soon!

We could not have chosen a better place to have our wedding reception at! The house, grounds, and reception area were absolutely stunning and my guests could not rave enough about the Homestead. Will was amazing...as a bride planning the wedding from overseas, Will made everything run smoothly and made the planning process so easy and calm. I highly recommend The Wadsworth Homestead!!

From the day we booked the venue up to the wedding day, everything went perfectly. Will was very responsive, and in tune with anything we needed. The wedding day went smoothly, Will was there at every step of the way to make sure we didn't have to worry about anything and could just enjoy the day. The food was great, wedding and reception were beautiful and everything went on time. We wish we could go back and do it all again because it was one of the best days of our lives and we know a big factor in that happening was because of Will. We could 100% recommend this venue to others!

We booked The Wadsworth Two years in advance and Will was engaged throughout the entire process. We were planning the wedding from out of town which added a little more complexity to the process. We coordinated visits back and exchanged probably 100 emails- Will was always responsive, thorough and always eased my worries. On the day of, it was exactly what I had imagined. The service, execution, catering, and grounds were absolutely perfect and was exactly what we had worked on together over the two years. Thank you Will for being a part of the best day ever.

The Wadsworth Homestead is a perfect relaxing venue for a wedding. The grounds are beautiful for both a wedding and reception, and have a wide variety of picturesque locations. Will was amazing to work with and took care of every need both before and during our wedding. The staff was very attentive and fantastic. Being able to spend the night in the beautiful historic rooms was the perfect ending to an amazing day for our wedding party.

We got married in September 2017, The Wadsworth Homestead was perfect! Working with Will was easy and he was super accommodating. The Homestead is an incredible venue and we loved every minute!

We were so happy with our wedding experience at the Wadsworth Homestead! Will and the Wadsworth Homestead staff are wonderful!

My husband and I live in the Boston area so most of our work with Will was done through email and phone calls which worked great! He was very responsive and helpful with all our questions. Will provided us local vendor recommendations which was incredibly helpful and saved me countless hours of research. I took his advice regarding the Photographer, Florist, Hair and Make-up, DJ & donut wall. I am so happy I did; their work quality was wonderful. Also, the homestead’s dedicated caterer was wonderful! Their food was delicious, and they worked with us to create a menu that we were excited about.

We had a couple of wedding day stresses & surprises (as every couple does) that could have been difficult, but Will and the Homestead staff tackled them, so we didn’t have to worry. It was very clear these issues were unanticipated on our part, and equally clear Will has dealt with similar issues dozens of times before. His anticipation and calming manner was greatly appreciated! For example: The Mother-of-the-Bride broke her ankle a few weeks before the wedding and could not put any weight on her foot. The homestead was able to find a golf cart to shuttle her to different parts of the property to enjoy all the celebrations (both indoors and outside).

We decided to go with the 2-day overnight option package. I highly recommend that option! The beds are really comfy, and air conditioned in the summer. Being able to have a bridesmaid’s night the night before was a lot fun and having all the wedding party able to just crash on site after dancing the night away was perfect.

I got married at the Wadsworth Homestead in July, 2017 and I couldn't have been happier. The grounds and house are beautiful; Will Wadsworth is extremely responsive and was accommodating of our every need; the food was wonderful and the day went by so smoothly and stress-free. Everyone in our families said it was the best wedding they had ever been to. The wedding party also stayed on the property for the entire weekend instead of getting a hotel and it was the best decision. It really made the whole weekend feel like a celebration and it was so convenient to have all of our stuff close by. Thank you so much to entire Wadsworth staff for making it the perfect wedding for me and my husband.

Having our wedding at Wadsworth was probably the best decision we could have made for our nuptials. Will was exceptionally helpful and accommodating with everything.

We had our wedding planned for a ceremony on the back lawn However, it rained all morning. Will had backup plan on backup plan to make sure we had a great ceremony. He watched the weather until the last minute, and an hour before my bride walked down the aisle, the skies had cleared and he had the lawn set with chairs for our friends and families. It was the epitome of professionalism.

He gave us free reign over everything. The mansion was gorgeous, as were all the decorations provided that they've collected over the years. We even got to spend some time with the horses.

The food was outstanding, as was the service. Every member of the service team was incredible. Whenever anyone needed help, they were there. They even helped my wife bustle her dress before dancing. Not once did I see someone without a smile on their face.

As far as value, we priced out upwards of 10 venues around the Rochester/Buffalo area. Wadsworth was by FAR the most reasonably priced and best bang for your buck. Will is very honest and up front with everything. There are no hidden fees or charges. Everything he has is included, and its listed right there in front of you.

All in all, my wife and I could not have asked for a better experience. Whenever a friend or acquaintance is looking for a wedding venue, the first and only place I'll suggest is the Wadsworth Homestead.

Will and his team were all so great from the start of the planning to the moment we left. My husband and I did not have to worry about ONE THING the entire day of our wedding or leading up to it. All our request were granted, and we could have not asked for a more beautiful setting, both inside and outside. We even loved being within walking distance to downtown Geneseo! When everyone left for the evening, we were able to explore and continue the celebration! There are so many photo ops on the premise and so many different settings, this place never gets old! We loved our special day, and the venue made it so much more special.

We had a fantastic experience with the Wadsworth Homestead and highly recommend the venue! It was the perfect, relaxed yet elegant summer wedding that we imagined with gorgeous countryside views at a beautiful estate. Will was awesome and dealt with all of our questions and anxieties like a pro. He made sure everything we needed or wanted was in place - from making sure my dad had the craft beers he wanted to lighting the bonfire just when we needed it. On top of that, he is just an awesome guy that our families loved meeting, talking to, and even having a couple drinks with! Also... the food... I have gotten so many compliments that it was the best wedding food our guests have ever had. We had a full service dinner and the plates were restaurant-sized portions with delicious options that the caterer customized for us. The value was also excellent. Thanks Will and everyone else at Wadsworth for a wedding we will always remember in a place we will always treasure!

This is such an unique and wonderful venue that you and your guest will truly enjoy. From the house to the grounds, everything is well maintained and unlike any other venue. Being able to actually stay in such a historic house is amazing! Will is fabulous to work with. He puts your mind at ease and is very helpful in all aspects of your special day. I would recommend this venue to anyone!