The Woodward Theater Reviews

We had our 130 guest wedding at Woodward in August and could not have been happier! The venue was beautiful and the staff made the planning process easy. They were very responsive to questions and the day of staff were on top of every detail. They flipped the room between our ceremony and reception and tore down a few tables to expand our dance floor after dinner and we didn’t even notice them working because they were so quick! We would definitely recommend this venue!

The Woodward Theater and MOTR Pub have always been our favorite places to hang out downtown and especially our favorite venue in the city for live music. My husband and I were eloped this past October and chose the Woodward for our post elopement celebration this February. We already knew it was going to be amazing going into it but the venue exceeded all of our already high expectations!! Dan is such an easy and accommodating guy to work with and all of the planning was so easy! We went with one of the Woodward's preferred caterers, Eli's BBQ which made the catering planning even easier. Tables and chairs were already all set up and waiting for us when we arrived the morning of. We had so much fun taking over the historic poster boxes too! The venue was incredibly accommodating as well for our more "non traditional" reception ideas. We did board games instead of dancing, cookies instead of cake, had cornhole upstairs and they even set up the projector which we hooked up a Nintendo Switch to to play Super Smash Bros! We got so many comments all night and for days after about how beautiful the venue was and how lovely all the staff members and bartenders were!! All around the absolute perfect party! This is an incredibly special venue and we highly recommend it for any large event!! Can't wait to see it with the new marquee all lit up!

We had our wedding ceremony and reception back in October (sorry this is late) and I cannot say enough good things about this venue and the staff! Dan and Wednesday were very easy to work with and available to answer questions whenever needed. They provided recommendations on other vendors, venue set-up, and design and even allowed us to come visit the venue numerous times with family and friends for planning. The staff on the day of the wedding was fantastic and everything was flipped, broken down, and cleaned up without a hitch. I continue to get compliments on the uniqueness of the venue and the beautiful space. I recommend this venue to everyone I know who is planning a wedding!

They transformed this old theater into a beautiful setting for our son's wedding. It was absolutely the nicest venues we could have chosen. The staff was so accommodating, friendly and what above anything we could have asked from them. Highly recommend this venue for a wedding.

I have to admit that I was a little skeptical at first, as other reviews said, it seemed like they were just getting used to weddings so I wasn't sure how the day would turn out, but I was optimistic and the owner was always very friendly. In the end everything was PERFECT. My coordinator and their coordinator worked together and everything went so smoothly. I didn't have to answer a single question or do anything on my wedding day and everything went off without a hitch. They are willing to help in anyway they can. Also, a HUGE benefit to the theater is their sound quality and 'sound guy.' We had so much going on - a DJ, a band, a video and it all went so well!!! I found out later that the sound was being manged all night for top notch quality - our band sound amazing! Not to mention that the sound guy and all the equipment was included in the rental which helped me negotiate down the cost of the band - an FYI for anyone getting a band!! We had so much fun at the Woodward - great reception venue with loads of character and I highly recommend it.

The space is beautiful and they are still working on improvements. They are dedicated to the original look of the building, which I find respectable and exciting. The staff is always available for communication and tours. We visited the space several times before the event to plan in the space. They have good drink options and are willing to customize. They are also working on making different amenities more available. Right now, you have to bring in most of your own materials (tables, chairs, tablecloths, dinnerware).

Unique, historic venue with a lot of character. Amazing stage, so definitely consider a band! Had our reception here and it is definitely a cool space. Staff was very helpful with set up and cleanup. Be mindful of their busy schedule during wedding season and plan ahead - we had some DIY decor that needed to be brought in the morning of, but the staff were very helpful.

If you're looking for a unique OTR venue with a ton of character and an old-school vibe, the woodward is your place. We loved having our wedding reception there - very well-priced with none of the time restictions other reception venues put on you. All the staff were great, and Dan is super easy to work with. I'll say this - it's a little more self-service than other places in terms of planning compared to other places. If you're looking for a place that you can basically sign/pay for and be done, this is isn't it - definitely for the DIY bride (or someone who booked a good planner)

NOT for the hands-off bride who doesn't want to lift a finger/wants everything to be handled by the venue. That said - I LOVED having my reception at the Woodward. An incredibly unique location (unlike some other more, ahem, basic brewery-type venues in OTR), and it looks so spectacular when they set it up for weddings and events. Dan is super easygoing and great to work with. Again, he's not a wedding coordinator (I think they may have someone on staff who helps with this now but I never dealt with them).

We looked at venues downtown, because we wanted a place close to hotels. We had also really wanted a place that was unique with a lot of character. We viewed several venues, but the one that really stood out was the Woodward Theater. The space may look plain when first viewed, but fill it with tables and chairs, string bistro lights overhead and add in some plants, and the space is incredible. The owner was very friendly and easy to work with. He took care of providing and setting up all of the tables and chairs needed for both the wedding ceremony and the reception. We had the ceremony on the first floor, then moved everybody to the bar area and up onto the balcony for appetizers while the staff of the Woodward moved the chairs out and set up half of the tables on the first floor (the other half was set up in advance on the balcony). The space worked out perfectly… it easily could have accommodated double the people we had at our wedding, but it still felt very intimate, never cavernous or half-empty. The Woodward provided and installed bistro lights overhead that really made the space. Everyone we dealt with at the Woodward was very friendly, professional and accommodating. We would highly recommend the Woodward Theater as a wedding event space.

When my fiancé and I walked into the Woodward Theater, we knew we had found something special. When we saw the beautiful stage and old-fashioned copper bar with 24 beers on tap (you can request your favorite craft brews for your big day), we were intrigued. And once we talked to Dan, the venue manager, we were sold.

Dan is very flexible and will work with you to make sure you have everything you want for your day. There were a couple of times I (in my wedding-planning nerves) wished he would reply to emails slightly faster, but he was quite responsive via text.

On the day, the staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating, working hard to serve guests and provide extra personal service to the wedding party. More than one guest said it was the best wedding they'd ever attended.

Here are a few notable details:
- The Woodward is a concert venue, so it has a sound system built in - you can get a deal on a DJ who will work with a plug-and-play setup.
- There was no nearby parking in that part of OTR when we had our wedding, so Dan added valet service to our venue package so we could offer our guests an easy parking option. (A garage was under construction a block away, so when that's done, parking will be easier.)
- We had the ceremony and the reception at the venue - staff flipped the room while the guests bellied up to the bar for cocktail hour. Our 175 guests fit easily.

The Woodward was such a unique place to host our wedding reception. The space is ever-evolving and constantly being improved - the owners have a vision and are working hard to realize it. Everything was flexible & customizable, which we truly appreciated. Dan will work with you to make your event shine - even if your requests are a little unusual or new, he will be enthusiastic and helpful! The only part of the experience that could use some work is understanding the wedding customer & their needs, but I expect this will only get better as they do more weddings.

The Woodward is a very unique and different place to have a wedding reception. They were flexible and willing to accommodate our ideas and allow our vision to come to life. The service the night of the wedding was terrific. They are new to hosting wedding receptions and will hopefully improve their organization and communication skills for future events there.