A view outside the Woodend Mansion for a Wedding

WOODEND SANCTUARY & MANSION: WHERE NATURE, ELEGANCE, AND CONVENIENCE LIVE IN HARMONY

Surrounded by a lush 40-acre nature sanctuary, this historic estate is filled with natural light and fresh air from its meadows, mature trees, native gardens, and forest.

Outdoor Ceremony

Your outdoor ceremony can be held in the charming Grove beneath the trees, or on the south and the upper lawns closer to the Mansion.

Should inclement weather arise, a tent is included in your rental from spring through fall, complete with drapes, chandeliers, fans, heaters, and air conditioning for summer comfort.

For smaller weddings of up to 50 guests, the Great Hall offers a cozy indoor option.

Outdoor setting with bride and groom and wedding guests sitted at Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion

Beautiful buffett tables with chafing dishes and flowers

Cocktail Hour and Reception

Your cocktail hour can take place outdoors on the surrounding lawns and portico, while the tent serves as a delightful space for the meal.

During winter months, Woodend Mansion can accommodate a reception for up to 80 people in the Great Hall or up to 120 people in the library and adjacent room. If you plan to have an intimate wedding for up to 50 guests, we could accommodate both, ceremony and reception, in the mansion.

Dancing occurs in the Great Hall, featuring beautiful hardwood floors and dimmable sconces.

Photos

Woodend offers a picturesque setting for your special day, with photo opportunities available in the mansion, surrounding laws, meadows, grove, and even in the forest along a convenient, eco-friendly paved trail.

Bride and Groom at the Altar looking out at the wedding guests

Your Rental Fee Contributes to Nature Forward’s Environmental Mission

Woodend is the headquarters of Nature Forward, a local environmental nonprofit that inspires residents of the greater Washington, DC region to appreciate, understand, and protect their natural environment through outdoor experiences, education, and advocacy.

A portion of the rental fee for bookings of 8 hours or more contributes to Nature Forward’s programs and is considered a tax-deductible donation. This means you can enjoy a memorable wedding while contributing positively to the environment.

History

Historic Woodend Mansion was built in 1927 and designed by John Russell Pope, the architect of the Jefferson Memorial. The Wells family bequeathed the mansion and property to Nature Forward on the condition that it remains a nature sanctuary.

Location Highlights

2.9 miles from downtown Bethesda, MD
3 miles from downtown Silver Spring, MD
9 miles from downtown Washington, DC
14 miles to DCA
28 miles to IAD
35 miles to BWI

A wedding cake with a view of the french doors leading to the outdoor tent at Woodend Mansion

What Sets Woodend Apart

A portion of your rental fee is a tax-deductible donation to Nature Forward’s environmental mission (bookings of 8 hours or more).
The mansion provides seamless flow between the reception and dance floor areas.
There are 2 staging rooms that are large enough to accommodate each of you and your wedding parties.
The rental fee includes a tent from spring through fall, complete with chandeliers, fans, heathers, drapery, and ceiling liner.
Air conditioning is provided in the tent from June through September.
You can bring your own alcohol with no corkage fee.
No restrictions on items such as red wine and red food.
Located 9 miles from downtown DC and accessible from all three major airports.
Ceremony and reception at the same location with no additional fee for the ceremony.
Approved expert caterers familiar with Woodend.
On-site parking available for up to 70 cars.
Shuttles for up to 30 people each are permitted.

We loved having our wedding at Woodend! The new tent is gorgeous and the whole venue is so gorgeous, including the grounds! We were happy to keep our decor minimal and let the mansion’s beauty shine, and we got so many compliments on the venue’s set-up of having the dance space (Great Hall) separated from the dinner seating (tent). We also loved Woodend’s gorgeous property, which really shined for our late October wedding. I would fully recommend considering Woodend for your wedding – plenty of parking, beautiful space, great team, and your venue fee goes to a great charitable cause.

– C.B.

We held our wedding ceremony and reception at Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion. The combination of nature and exquisite mansion, as well as connections with a wedding planner and catering package, drew us into this venue. While we were unable to use the outdoor grove area for our ceremony due to Tropical Storm Ophelia, the catering company was able to transform the tented terrace into a lovely ceremony location. Other perks of this venue include the central location, plenty of parking space, and a lovely bridal suite and charming library for the groomsmen.

– M & A

Woodend was the perfect venue for our wedding! We wanted a space that would offer us great options for ceremony & reception regardless of weather, and Woodend absolutely delivers on this. Luckily, our weather was perfect, so we were able to enjoy the mansion and the outdoors. Our wedding was in the morning and kid friendly, so having all the outdoor space for running around and playing lawn games was amazing – it also allowed people to escape the hustle and bustle to be peaceful, especially those who get overstimulated! Our wedding turned out to be everything we imagined and more due to our amazing vendors & the incredible venue!

– D & C

Thank you so much, our wedding was a total dream, as was Woodend— our guests absolutely loved the house and grounds all around. And the weather was lovely in the end in part thanks to the rain the day before— it was sunny and very warm but not blistering hot and doing the ceremony on the meadow side with the sun streaming through the trees was so heavenly. I’m so happy we chose Woodend, it was perfect.

– C & N

We chose Woodend Sanctuary & Mansion for our wedding venue during the month of October and the autumn colors provided a stunning backdrop to the beautiful architecture of the historic mansion and the grove. The teams we worked with were responsive and helped our day go perfectly.

– A & T

Woodend Sanctuary was the perfect venue for our outdoor wedding. The Hemlock Grove was serene and filled with flowers and birds. With the combination of the wedding music, the guests had a marvelous experience. Dinner in the tent and dancing in the mansion rounded off the experience to perfection. “A spectacular wedding!” was the comment heard from most guests.

– A & R

Woodend was a fantastic venue. The space, both inside and outside, allowed our guests to feel comfortable and welcoming. Our wedding was in November, so once the sun went down and most guests ventured inside, there never once was a moment that it felt like areas were too crowded. The staff were incredibly nice and a breeze to work with. I would highly recommend Woodend as a venue for someone planning their wedding.

– J & A

Woodend was a perfect venue for our son’s rehearsal dinner and welcome party. The terrace was ideal for the seated dinner, and the great hall was perfect for the band. Having multiple rooms that open together gave our guests different spaces to gather. I can’t think of a venue that would meet our needs better than Woodend.

– C. K

My husband and I held our wedding reception here in May and are so delighted we did. Woodend is a serene and timeless venue and really doesn’t require much decorating, especially inside the mansion.

– M & A

Woodend was great from start to finish, truly a magical location to say I do to forever in. We loved working with the staff and our wedding was a dream.

– E & S

Woodend was so accommodating and helpful for us as a couple; the planning was especially helpful since we had never planned a wedding before. They took a lot of the stress off us in the process and were so sweet to work with!

– N & A

This site is the perfect choice for anyone looking for an outdoor feel/location for their wedding with the setting of a glorious mansion.

– S & K

When I first saw pictures of Woodend, I knew it was where I wanted to get married. The grounds and house are beautiful and so picturesque. Many guests commented on how beautiful the venue was, and we had a nice gentle breeze blowing through the dinner space. The wooded grove is something out of a story book, it’s so beautiful.

– Kate

I was planning my wedding internationally and had to pick Woodend based on online reviews. If you are in the same position I am in, I would say many of the reviews on here are spot on. I wanted an outdoor wedding, and Woodend provided the perfect venue. Don’t think twice about this place if you want a natural setting.

– Anonymous

Availability
& Rates

Beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony in Woodend Sanctuary

Availability and Rates

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