Marywood Retreat & Conference Center Reviews

We cannot say enough good things about Marywood, and we would choose it over and over again. The grounds are absolutely stunning, the reception room is beautiful, and the food is delicious. Ansley is SO kind and is on top of everything. She constantly went above and beyond to help us have our dream weekend. Many of our guests stayed on site in the villas, and it was so much fun to have all of our family and friends together throughout the weekend. It was the absolute perfect venue for us, and we appreciate Ansley and her team so much. Would highly recommend!

What I loved about Marywood was that I was able to have my dream wedding and not go over budget. For the incredible price, we had the best team who truly made our wedding the best day ever. Their food is the best and we had so many guests ask us who catered the wedding. They were shocked to hear that the Marywood not only housed our reception and provided the food! The villas they allow you to rent are exquisite and perfect for guests who are not local. Lastly, the bridal suite was exquisite and the perfect area to get ready in.

I cannot say enough great things about Marywood. It is a beautiful venue and very convenient for Catholic brides. We had about 150 guests attend our wedding and they were all able to stay on the property, which is a game changer. Very kid and family friendly. Brianna is extremely professional and so helpful. The food is outstanding and the service was fantastic. I’d recommend this venue to anyone.

Thank you a million times over for the best experience! The event coordinator, Ansley, is the absolute best & we had our dream outdoor wedding with zero stress! We love Marywood! :)

Everything about Marywood was absolutely perfect!!!! The venue itself is so beautiful after all the renovations. We spent Friday-Sunday there. The villas were brand new and so nice inside. We had the rehearsal dinner out on the dock with around 60 people there was plenty of room and the sunset was beautiful out on the water. Everyone loved the food for both the rehearsal dinner and reception. Last but not least Ansley!! She was absolutely amazing to work with and is the sweetest person you’ll ever meet! She dealt with all my emails and met with us multiple times and was so accommodating! We didn’t have to worry about anything on our wedding day because she was on top of everything and had everything handled. Everyone loved her!

We had our daughter’s reception at the beautiful Marywood Retreat Center. I can’t say enough about the entire staff and Ansley, Matt and the chef. From the moment we called Marywood to inquire about the venue to the day of the reception, Ansley (and Matt) were always very responsive, going above and beyond to meet any requests and handle last minute changes. Ansley was a blessing during the entire process always providing recommendations and suggestions to make this a truly perfect reception! The bridal suite was perfect for all of the bridal party to get ready and the breakfast and brunch provided by the chef was so delicious! We have received many compliments from our guests on how beautiful the riverfront property, the River Room and everything was, the tentativeness of the staff during cocktail hour through dinner until the grand exit. The food was so delicious and the chef was accommodating to special requests. We also had many guests stay in the lovely renovated overnight villas, and they had a very comfortable stay with great service provided by the staff at Marywood. I would highly recommend Marywood, Ansley, Matt, the chef, and the entire staff at Marywood for any wedding or other event. They are the best in the business for providing top notch service and a truly memorable event!

My husband and I loved every minute of our wedding at Marywood. Ansley and Matt were so easy to work with and met our every need! This venue has at all, a church, reception hall, hotel rooms all on the same property! Our guests loved the convince and the view of the river is beautiful. The food was also amazing. We couldn’t have asked for a better venue and staff. Ansley and Matt made our wedding everything we hoped it would be and more!!!!

Maywood venue and the staff was amazing! Ansley is the sweetest person ever! During a very stressful time, she worked diligently with me to make every detail of my wedding perfect. The venue is newly remodeled and is absolutely beautiful. I could not have dreamed of a better venue for my wedding. The food was amazing, setting was amazing, Ansley was amazing, and all of the other Marywood staff was amazing!!

We booked Marywood for a wedding that was last month. The coordinator Ansley was fabulous, as were the setting, scenery (on the St Johns River), beautiful chapel, and wonderful reception with outstanding food! The location was perfect as was everyone we dealt with there. Ansley assured me everything would be perfect, and it was!!!

I wish I could write a novel about this place!! ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! It is because of Marywood Retreat Center that my wedding was PERFECTION! Matt, Ansley, and Shawn are the perfect team to make your dream wedding come true! The atmosphere is beyond superb and absolutely perfect!
I had my whole wedding there-- myself and immediate family stayed on site in the Inn and accommodating rooms, my ceremony was in the chapel, and the reception in retreat center. I have no critiques that could make my day anymore perfect! The entire staff is EXTREMELY accommodating, everything was perfect! Even though my wedding was a month ago, I still have family members contacting me about the atmosphere, the food, the venue as a whole, and all they say is positive complements! There is absolutely no need for a wedding planner if you have Marywood Retreat Center as your venue, everything will be taken care of. I had this venue booked 2 years in advance and as of right now, they are only accepting Catholic members... But the planning and wedding went flawless. It was because of Matt, Ansley, and Shawn that I was stress-free prior to, during, and after the wedding.
I cannot thank Marywood Retreat Center enough, my wedding was complete perfection and ANY wedding party would be beyond satisfied if they choose this venue!
**I only have the sample photos as of right now... I will try to upload more photos when I have them...

The Marywood Retreat and Conference Center was the most beautiful place! The photo opportunities were endless, especially the sunset pictures overlooking the river. The staff was wonderful, the catering was delicious, and the planning staff was extremely helpful. You need to see this place to appreciate the natural beauty!

My husband and I cannot say enough positive things about our experience with Marywood. We had a beautiful ceremony at San Juan Del Rio Catholic Church (where we were welcomed with open arms even though we are parishioners at a Church across town) and then had the most enjoyable wedding reception at Marywood. We really enjoyed the convenience of having the ceremony and the reception all in the same area. The reception room at Marywood overlooks a beautiful landscape and has a water view. The wedding pictures we were able to take have breathtaking backdrops due to the landscaping. My favorite pictures from our wedding day have massive, majestic trees in the background. If you love photography in nature then Marywood is perfect for you. I also have to compliment the catering. Marywood outdid themselves with the variety of food options they give brides. Everything is delicious. I had 150 guests and a dance floor and we had plenty of space plus enough room for the buffet tables. Marywood also takes care of setting up tables, providing tablecloths, seat covers, and all dishes and cutlery. They literally make everything so easy for the bride. I also loved the uniqueness of this venue. None of my wedding guests had ever been here, so it was really nice to show everyone such a hidden gem!