Powel House Reviews
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Reviews
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5.0 Fantastic
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10 Reviews
99% recommend it
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Quality of service 5 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5 out of 5 rating
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Value 5 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 4.9 out of 5 rating
![Powel House - 1](https://cdn0.weddingwire.com/review/3419/original/640/jpg/1229143.jpeg)
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+5
User photos
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Olivia L. Sent on 05/13/20245 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
An amazing place
All of our guests remarked how elegant the ballroom at Powel House was! We loved the historical details and paintings that made our wedding feel like one for the ages. Not to mention the rental and site managers are absolutely lovely and incredibly helpful. Why not celebrate your wedding in the same place as Washington celebrated his anniversary?All of our guests remarked how elegant the ballroom at Powel House was! We loved the historical details and paintings that made our wedding feel like one for the ages. Not to mention the rental and site managers are absolutely lovely and incredibly helpful. Why not celebrate your wedding in the same place as Washington celebrated his anniversary? -
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Ashley Sent on 09/24/20205 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
Enchanted Garden Wedding in the middle of Old City
When we started planning our wedding two years ago, we knew we wanted to get married in Philadelphia and I very much wanted an outdoor garden wedding. At first, I was worried about the restriction of no DJ, but once I toured with Meagan Regina, I fell in love with the venue. Not to mention, Meagan went to my college rival so we instantly had a connection. We loved the history of the ballroom - from George & Martha Washington's 25th wedding anniversary being held there to the original room being sold to bring Jews over from Europe during the Holocaust. As we were having a Jewish wedding and were planning on having a ketubah signing, we knew the ballroom on the top floor was perfect. We had countless walk throughs and Meagan was always readily available to answer any questions and walk through scenarios with me. Come 2020, and #Covid. Meagan was so helpful in the postponement of our original May 2020 wedding. By August, my fiance and I decided we just wanted to get married. We contacted Meagan once again and we were told Powel House was still under renovation, but the sister house, Hill Physick was available where I began working with the other Megan, Megan Thibodeaux. August 15th, 2020 we were able to have our dream wedding, with 15 guests COVID style, at Hill Physick and we were still able to have our ketubah signing in the ballroom of Powel House. I cannot recommend Powel & Hill Physick enough. In the end, I got my dream, an enchanted garden wedding in the heart of Old City.When we started planning our wedding two years ago, we knew we wanted to get married in Philadelphia and I very much wanted an outdoor garden wedding. At first, I was worried about the restriction of no DJ, but once I toured with Meagan Regina, I fell in love with the venue. Not to mention, Meagan went to my college rival so we instantly had a connection. We loved the history of the ballroom - from George & Martha Washington's 25th wedding anniversary being held there to the original room being sold to bring Jews over from Europe during the Holocaust. As we were having a Jewish wedding and were planning on having a ketubah signing, we knew the ballroom on the top floor was perfect. We had countless walk throughs and Meagan was always readily available to answer any questions and walk through scenarios with me. Come 2020, and #Covid. Meagan was so helpful in the postponement of our original May 2020 wedding. By August, my fiance and I decided we just wanted to get married. We contacted Meagan once again and we were told Powel House was still under renovation, but the sister house, Hill Physick was available where I began working with the other Megan, Megan Thibodeaux. August 15th, 2020 we were able to have our dream wedding, with 15 guests COVID style, at Hill Physick and we were still able to have our ketubah signing in the ballroom of Powel House. I cannot recommend Powel & Hill Physick enough. In the end, I got my dream, an enchanted garden wedding in the heart of Old City.-
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+2 photos
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Quality of service
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Michael B. Sent on 10/14/20195 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
Perfect venue for a smaller wedding in historic Philadelphia!
Perfect venue for a smaller wedding in historic Philadelphia!
We had a wedding reception for 65 guests at Powel in late September and we could not have picked a more perfect setting.
The combination of the house's main rooms and the garden spaced the reception well, with guests able to mingle and chat in the yard, or wander inside to observe the amazing history throughout the house. Anyone with an American history fascination may find themselves glued to the old tools of Ben Franklin and various portraits and sketches of our founding fathers.
We cannot say enough about the garden. The entryway is perfect for a bar that doesn't butt up against dinner tables, and beautifully leads into the main garden space. We were blessed with clear skies so we cancelled the tent but kept string lighting (thanks to Ocean Tents for their great setup). We set up some cornhole and beer pong in the back corner which allowed a nice split between guests looking to sit and mingle and those who wanted to get a bit more lit. We've seen it set up with the tent, and it looks good, but if you have a chance to go tent-less with the string lights it creates a truly magical setting. Just google "Powel House wedding" and you'll see what we mean.
Working with Meagan and the rest of the Powel House team was a breeze. She completely understood the wedding vibe we wanted, gave great suggestions and support, and was always flexible with schedule our visits leading up to the wedding and our drop-offs and pick-ups before and after.
Some FYIs:
- The venue can fit up to 100 but considering the size we had, that 100 would be pretty tight.
- There are some limitations for music since it's a Philadelphia row home and neighbors' houses are fairly exposed to the garden. We brought a nice Bluetooth speaker and while it worked well for the back (party) half of the garden, it was hard to hear up front. Best to have a 2 speaker setup if you can.
- Since the garden is mostly grass, we recommend picking up some heel protectors and having them available so people aren't limited in their footwear.
- We booked the extra hour so it was a 5 hour reception from 5pm-10pm. It was an additional $500.Perfect venue for a smaller wedding in historic Philadelphia!
We had a wedding reception for 65 guests at Powel in late September and we could not have picked a more perfect setting.
The combination of the house's main rooms and the garden spaced the reception well, with guests able to mingle and chat in the yard, or wander inside to observe the amazing history throughout the house. Anyone with an American history fascination may find themselves glued to the old tools of Ben Franklin and various portraits and sketches of our founding fathers.
We cannot say enough about the garden. The entryway is perfect for a bar that doesn't butt up against dinner tables, and beautifully leads into the main garden space. We were blessed with clear skies so we cancelled the tent but kept string lighting (thanks to Ocean Tents for their great setup). We set up some cornhole and beer pong in the back corner which allowed a nice split between guests looking to sit and mingle and those who wanted to get a bit more lit. We've seen it set up with the tent, and it looks good, but if you have a chance to go tent-less with the string lights it creates a truly magical setting. Just google "Powel House wedding" and you'll see what we mean.
Working with Meagan and the rest of the Powel House team was a breeze. She completely understood the wedding vibe we wanted, gave great suggestions and support, and was always flexible with schedule our visits leading up to the wedding and our drop-offs and pick-ups before and after.
Some FYIs:
- The venue can fit up to 100 but considering the size we had, that 100 would be pretty tight.
- There are some limitations for music since it's a Philadelphia row home and neighbors' houses are fairly exposed to the garden. We brought a nice Bluetooth speaker and while it worked well for the back (party) half of the garden, it was hard to hear up front. Best to have a 2 speaker setup if you can.
- Since the garden is mostly grass, we recommend picking up some heel protectors and having them available so people aren't limited in their footwear.
- We booked the extra hour so it was a 5 hour reception from 5pm-10pm. It was an additional $500. -
Quality of service
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Kaitlyn Sent on 11/25/20175 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
My husband and I wanted to get married outside and were able to do so comfortably at the Powel House in November! The garden is beautiful and the building itself is picturesque. Our even coordinator was extremely flexible, and helped us make decisions about where to do what. I highly recommend this place as both a museum and venue! Thank you to Jennifer and Jonathan!My husband and I wanted to get married outside and were able to do so comfortably at the Powel House in November! The garden is beautiful and the building itself is picturesque. Our even coordinator was extremely flexible, and helped us make decisions about where to do what. I highly recommend this place as both a museum and venue! Thank you to Jennifer and Jonathan! -
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User2271526 Sent on 08/15/20155 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
We live in Europe where there are hundreds of historic homes but we chose to fly all the way back to Philadelphia to have our spring wedding at the Powel House and it was the best decision we made. Planning our wedding from abroad was not easy but the staff at the Powel House were incredibly helpful and accommodating and went out of their way to make the planning process as smooth as possible. We found Jonathan and the site manager Jennifer extremely flexible and fun to work with. The actual property is one of the most beautiful historic houses in Philadelphia and the walled garden is stunning and a rare bonus for being in the centre of a city. We would highly recommend that anyone interested in the Powel House gives it a go! Our wedding was magical and all of our guests from Europe thought it was well worth the trip.We live in Europe where there are hundreds of historic homes but we chose to fly all the way back to Philadelphia to have our spring wedding at the Powel House and it was the best decision we made. Planning our wedding from abroad was not easy but the staff at the Powel House were incredibly helpful and accommodating and went out of their way to make the planning process as smooth as possible. We found Jonathan and the site manager Jennifer extremely flexible and fun to work with. The actual property is one of the most beautiful historic houses in Philadelphia and the walled garden is stunning and a rare bonus for being in the centre of a city. We would highly recommend that anyone interested in the Powel House gives it a go! Our wedding was magical and all of our guests from Europe thought it was well worth the trip. -
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Sheila Sent on 03/23/20155 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
The Powel House was the perfect venue for our small intimate wedding. I chose the venue because the the existing decor was classic and romantic and it allowed us to use each room for a different aspect of our wedding. We had the ceremony in the front room and then moved into the back room and hall for the cocktail hour and hors d'ouevres. The weather was snowy so we didn't use the outside garden but that is also quite lovely. We had our dinner upstairs and sat our guests around one long table underneath the fabulous chandelier. There are not many times in life that you can tie your own private history in with American History of such significance. The Powel House was spectacular.The Powel House was the perfect venue for our small intimate wedding. I chose the venue because the the existing decor was classic and romantic and it allowed us to use each room for a different aspect of our wedding. We had the ceremony in the front room and then moved into the back room and hall for the cocktail hour and hors d'ouevres. The weather was snowy so we didn't use the outside garden but that is also quite lovely. We had our dinner upstairs and sat our guests around one long table underneath the fabulous chandelier. There are not many times in life that you can tie your own private history in with American History of such significance. The Powel House was spectacular. -
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Natalie Sent on 11/28/20145 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
The Powel House was an absolutely beautiful and special place to be married. It is an 18th century home/ museum in old City where the first mayor of Philadelphia lived. Our wedding was small (40 guests) and we wanted a historic, intimate place with lots of character and charm. There is a beautiful garden courtyard, in addition to a ballroom inside and some lovely interior rooms for cocktail hour. The house manager is wonderful and helpful.The Powel House was an absolutely beautiful and special place to be married. It is an 18th century home/ museum in old City where the first mayor of Philadelphia lived. Our wedding was small (40 guests) and we wanted a historic, intimate place with lots of character and charm. There is a beautiful garden courtyard, in addition to a ballroom inside and some lovely interior rooms for cocktail hour. The house manager is wonderful and helpful. -
Quality of service
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Kristin Sent on 07/27/20125 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
How cool is it to have your wedding reception in an old historic house in Old City, Philadelphia?... to me, that was a Philadelphia reception!... I'm not into showing off the pretzels, Tasty Cakes, Mummers, and cheesesteaks for a wedding. That's something best left to taking out-of-towners to as part of the tour of the city. The space was lovely, and not typical for having an hors d'oeuvre reception, since one had to go from one room into another, and then we had dessert upstairs... but it created a wonderful flow to the afternoon, and allowed my husband and I to mingle and talk to everyone throughout the afternoon.
As for getting ready for the reception, Jonathan, the property manager who lives on-site, was very helpful and responsive. Between him and the caterer, Jeffrey A. Miller, the afternoon was perfect!How cool is it to have your wedding reception in an old historic house in Old City, Philadelphia?... to me, that was a Philadelphia reception!... I'm not into showing off the pretzels, Tasty Cakes, Mummers, and cheesesteaks for a wedding. That's something best left to taking out-of-towners to as part of the tour of the city. The space was lovely, and not typical for having an hors d'oeuvre reception, since one had to go from one room into another, and then we had dessert upstairs... but it created a wonderful flow to the afternoon, and allowed my husband and I to mingle and talk to everyone throughout the afternoon.
As for getting ready for the reception, Jonathan, the property manager who lives on-site, was very helpful and responsive. Between him and the caterer, Jeffrey A. Miller, the afternoon was perfect! -
Quality of service
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Clariza Sent on 01/22/20075 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 5.0 out of 5 rating
Exceptional service...Would highly advise a couple to web there.Exceptional service...Would highly advise a couple to web there. -
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Lisa Sent on 08/03/20164.7 out of 5 rating
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Quality of service 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism 5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value 4.5 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility 4.0 out of 5 rating
We held our welcome party at the Powel House the night before our wedding for around 80 guests. Throughout the entire planning experience, Jonathan and Jennifer were incredibly helpful. You can tell they are truly passionate about this house, and for good reason--it is just dripping with history and the private garden is perfect. Jennifer cheerfully accommodated us for many walk-throughs in the months leading up to our event and had a great understanding of what works best in the space.
I will say that this planning process was more involved than you might encounter at a standard event space. As this is a historic home, there is a set list of caterers to choose from, one tent company, and limitations on the bar location (no red wine can be served inside the house). Due to the fire code, no more than 75 people (I believe) were permitted to be inside, and the maximum guest count is (I believe) 100. To compensate, we needed to "rain hold" a tent to cover the garden so that guests could still be outside in case of bad weather. We ended up having a beautiful night and cancelled the tent, but still rented garden lights. The Powel House also doesn't have a liquor license, so we were able to bring in our own beverages--a big plus for us and a cost savings, but another layer on the to-do list!
In my opinion, these additional logistics were well worth the work. And compared to other historic venues, quite flexible! It was such a unique and intimate experience to basically have the run of the house, once "the" place to be in high-society colonial Philadelphia, for our party. Instead of a seated dinner, we provided heavy appetizers. While most guests congregated in the beautiful garden, there was a flow inside and out as guests explored, and Jennifer was there to provide mini-tours of the home. I would absolutely recommend this venue for an intimate event. This is not an “all-inclusive” event space, but a historic gem your guests won’t soon forget!We held our welcome party at the Powel House the night before our wedding for around 80 guests. Throughout the entire planning experience, Jonathan and Jennifer were incredibly helpful. You can tell they are truly passionate about this house, and for good reason--it is just dripping with history and the private garden is perfect. Jennifer cheerfully accommodated us for many walk-throughs in the months leading up to our event and had a great understanding of what works best in the space.
I will say that this planning process was more involved than you might encounter at a standard event space. As this is a historic home, there is a set list of caterers to choose from, one tent company, and limitations on the bar location (no red wine can be served inside the house). Due to the fire code, no more than 75 people (I believe) were permitted to be inside, and the maximum guest count is (I believe) 100. To compensate, we needed to "rain hold" a tent to cover the garden so that guests could still be outside in case of bad weather. We ended up having a beautiful night and cancelled the tent, but still rented garden lights. The Powel House also doesn't have a liquor license, so we were able to bring in our own beverages--a big plus for us and a cost savings, but another layer on the to-do list!
In my opinion, these additional logistics were well worth the work. And compared to other historic venues, quite flexible! It was such a unique and intimate experience to basically have the run of the house, once "the" place to be in high-society colonial Philadelphia, for our party. Instead of a seated dinner, we provided heavy appetizers. While most guests congregated in the beautiful garden, there was a flow inside and out as guests explored, and Jennifer was there to provide mini-tours of the home. I would absolutely recommend this venue for an intimate event. This is not an “all-inclusive” event space, but a historic gem your guests won’t soon forget! -
Quality of service