We got married at Barr Mansion in July of 2013. This was the first venue we checked out and it was by far my favorite among the others we viewed. The staff was always professional and helpful. Elyse was the wedding planner assigned to our wedding and she did such an amazing job of listening to our wants and needs and making them happen. She truly went above and beyond to help us have the day we envisioned. She was easy to talk to, fun to be around, and always available. We feel so fortunate to have had our wedding at Barr Mansion. The grounds are lovely and always well kept. The venue is inclusive which took a huge stress off our shoulders. The food was delicious and everyone really enjoyed it. I loved every detail of the venue from the gardens and the main house to the flatware and the chairs. Barr Mansion is truly a one-of-a-kind venue that will enhance any celebration! read more

Used Barr Mansion as a location for a commercial photo and film shoot. Terrific on site assistance from grounds staff. Multiple outdoor environments as well as the nicely worn patina of the mansion interiors, too. Reasonable and cooperative team on site. read more

Throughout the process, they were always available, helpful, and very clear about all details. They were even helpful in making suggestions to help me reign in expenses to fit my budget. The classy details like flowers along the bar, the arrangements on the tables, and the layout of the rock garden made me feel so beautiful and elegant on the day of. Rick (the free wedding coordinator provided by Barr) always respected mine and my husband's space and the importance of these moments for us while managing the timing of events at the wedding and rehearsal and coordinating, the also very respectful, staff. This service, which I probably wouldn't have paid for if it weren't free, was really priceless as it granted me my sanity leading up to and during the wedding. It also made me feel great to be able to serve such delicious, organic food, a lot of it grown right here in Texas, to all my friends and family from out of state. The origins of my food and the impact of my wedding on the environment were important considerations for me when selecting Barr and it means a lot to me that they care so much about these issues as well. read more

The venue is beautiful and the food is 5 star. That being said, if you've paid thousands of dollars for this experience you should be enjoying it not up at the house meeting with a deputy to make a robbery report, canceling your credit cards and consoling other members of the wedding party who have also been victims of theft. You could mark it up to an unfortunately event except fate stepped in several days after our incident and we learned that less than 30 before our event another wedding party was robbed at Barr Mansion. In addition, while we were going through the process of making a report and canceling credit cards and employee lied to a member of our wedding party stating that this had never occurred before. It took 4 phone messages and 3 days for the owner to get back to me with an insincere apology. She claimed that she had just learned of the theft. She has made no attempts to make things right and has not contacted the bride and groom since their return from their honeymoon. The owner's negligence in disclosing the previous break-in meant that we missed our daughter and son-in-laws reception. We can never have that back. Austin is a wonderful city with many choices for a wedding and reception. Do you want to take your chances with an owner who has so little consideration for clients and their guests? read more

I wanted to write a review because I saw so many wonderful comments about this place, and one not so good one. I guess I'm the other bride who didn't have a great experience. I found this place online and from the photos it's just stunning. It was after I called about it that I found all the wonderful feedback and was excited to see it. I wanted something that had so much architecture and appeal to it that it wouldn't need hardly any decoration past flowers. I thought it might be perfect. The website didn't give any information on what pricing and availability might be but it said to call and find out. So I called and no one answered and I had to leave a message- not too big a deal, places can be busy. Here 3 weeks later, I've yet to receive any response from them. I called again but didn't get an answer and again left a message but nothing. So needless to say, I haven't been able to see the place in person - I've since booked elsewhere (The Texas Federation of Women's Clubs - which is absolutely stunning) but it's a bummer to think something is so beautiful and not have the chance to see it or even get a response. The pictures are just gorgeous though - I'm sure it would make for a lovely wedding like so many people have commented. read more

My daughter had her wedding at Barr Mansion recently and I'm still basking in the glow of the magical evening. We loved the venue from the first time we saw it, it had everything we were looking for, indoor and outdoor space, rustic but classy decor, and we liked the idea of organic food and the dinner and party being in different spaces. The "party room" idea is brilliant. It does require extra spending for the rental furniture, but its so worth it and everyone loved it. We were hoping to have the ceremony outside, even with the heat and humidity, but with the threat of rain we decided that morning to have it inside and it was perfect, the flowers and candles turned out to be a beautiful ceremony space and luckily we were able to do all the pictures outside before the rain hit. We did have the foresight to rent a tent for the outdoor cocktail hour which I would highly recommend. The dinner food was delicious, we decided on family style so everyone would be served at once, with 212 people that was important to us and it worked out fine. I thought the food was outstanding and the cake was the best cake I've ever eaten. There were a couple of small things that kept me from giving the 5 stars and a perfect review. We had made arrangements for the bride and bridesmaids to dress in the brides room in the Mansion. The groomsmen were there as well and with one bathroom for 20 people it was well used. However, we found only half a roll of toilet tissue in the bathroom with none to spare, I had to seek out a staff member to go get toilet paper. Now this may seem like a small unimportant detail but I felt it was an oversight on the part of the staff person in charge that day. Another glitch was when we entered dinner there were no wine glasses on the table and I had paid for wine service during dinner. I came to find out our planner had made the decision to not put out glasses,(reason unimportant to this review) but to let people who wanted it ask for it. But no one knew to ask for it so no one had wine to toast with or to have during dinner. I myself didn't know to ask for it and I ended up having to wait in a long bar line for a glass of wine. Barr staff contends that if a planner makes a decision they assume the client knows about it, however, when that decision involves a large amount of prepaid money (over $600) I think the Barr staff person should have confirmed with me that that was my decision as well. I was charged the fee but no wine served unless someone asked for it. The Barr staff and I seem to have a difference of opinion on whether I should have been consulted by them on my planner's bad decision. The last glitch was the appetizer service. There were supposedly 60 trays of apps passed but I only saw one (empty) and I never tasted anything. I asked at least 30 of my guests if they had tasted anything and they said they also had not seen nor tasted any. A couple guests told me the servers told them the rain and wind was hindering the app service and they were blowing off the trays. So while they might have left the kitchen they certainly didn't all make it to the tent. The worst part of the app issue was not that I didn't taste them but that my daughter, the bride and her husband never saw or tasted one. According the the Barr staff person I spoke with the next day, the bride and groom are supposed to have a tray of all the apps to taste at either the time they are bustling the dress (she didn't bustle) or they were to be waiting at their place at the table. They were not at their place at the table and I'm sure now its because most of them flew off the trays and they didn't have the foresight to make up a tray for them before the app service began. So because of these two glitches I cannot give Barr 5 stars. However, I can say that they otherwise did a fantastic job, the venue is wonderful, food is delicious, and wait staff is good. Many of our guests said it was the best wedding they had ever been to and I have to agree, I highly recommend it. read more

For anyone considering Barr Mansion in Austin as an event venue (particularly for a wedding), please read this first. While the venue was gorgeous, I am completely disappointed by how certain events at my sister's wedding were handled. We were promised that the house with the bride & groom's rooms would be completely LOCKED up following the ceremony and family photos, and would not be accessible to ANYONE until the night was over. Following dinner, my mom (mother of the bride) needed her jacket, so I asked an employee for access to the house to get her jacket. Unfortunately, what I found was that my purse, my mom's purse, the maid of honor's purse and several of the newlywed's presents had been stolen from the house because at least one of the windows to the house had NOT been locked and one or more persons trespassed an stole our belongings. They even took my sister's signed marriage license! Adding insult to injury, it has come to my attention that an IDENTICAL theft has occurred LESS THAN A MONTH before my sister's wedding. Sept 5, 2015 was the date of the incident I am now aware of, and my sisters wedding was Oct 3, 2015. Not a single person made an attempt to warn us ahead of time to hide our belongings, remove them from the house, or even just let us know that there had been a theft at the house less than a month before. Even after we discovered the theft, STILL no one made any mention that this had happened before. Everyone acted as if this was a complete fluke. I am shocked, disappointed, sad and angry that I had to miss the second half of my sister's wedding (memories that I can't ever have) due to a situation that SHOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. There should have been a warning to hide our belongings. Someone should have double checked the locks to the house. There should have been someone sitting in the house for security KNOWING that a theft had recently occurred. It's really inexcusable. read more

We recently had our wedding at Barr Mansion and it was a fantastic experience. Rick was our wedding coordinator, and he was terrific (although we also dealt with Hannah from time to time and she was great too). Rick has incredible insight, was very flexible, helpful and professional. He made the rehearsal and the day of a calming experience and really made everything come together with ease. The property is gorgeous and very unique. The food is absolutely wonderful - we had compliments on everything with lots of people asking for recipes (which is generally unheard of at weddings). If you are looking for a very beautiful and special experience with your event, Barr Mansion is the perfect choice. We could not rave more about our wedding here and the people who made it happen. read more

My husband and I just celebrated our wedding ceremony and reception at Barr Mansion and Artisan Ballroom. I have only fabulous, glowing things to say about this establishment. They took care of EVERYTHING. The organic element was very important to us and our guests raved and raved about the food. We even got a cheesecake for our bridal cake! Fabulous! The staff was incredible - helpful and welcoming and we truly felt like part of the family. The grounds are stunning, the staff are experts, and the integrity of the Barr Mansion is unquestionable! read more

My daughter got married at Barr Mansion on 10/2/10. I have only heard the most wonderful reviews from all of our 230 guests of family and friends. I have heard, "the best wedding ever" and "magical" over and over. Rick Rabon was the wedding coordinator and he was so relaxed every time we visited him and the night of the wedding. He is a wonderful man! Keegan was always smiling and again, a very comforting help. All of the guests made a point of telling me how kind and helpful the staff (waiters, bartenders) that was in charge handled everything the night of the wedding. The venue is so beautiful that you really don't need to do much to have the most perfect setting. My daughter lives in Chicago so planning was so easy for her as they did everything from flowers, dinner, to the wedding cakes. One of the reasons we loved Barr is that if it rained, they had a beautiful back up plan with the ballroom. As you know, it burnt down this summer. The tent is very nice and the burnt down ballroom was an amazing space for the happy hour. Alot of my friends loved it so much, they thought it should not be re-built as it was so neat looking! Of course, they did not see it before and it is an amazing building......both ways! I really recommend every aspect of Barr Mansion!! read more

beautiful and rustic. quiet and great atmosphere!! the roads leading to ..are kinda scary..but .. i love it!!

I cannot say enough good things about Shanna and the rest of the staff at The Barr Mansion! They truly try to make your wedding planning experience as easy as possible. Our wedding was everything we could have hoped for and more because of the people at The Barr Mansion! No matter where you decide to have your ceremony on site, every single inch of this place is stunning! We initially wanted to have our ceremony outside by the tree, but the weather decided otherwise. Our plan B in the farmstead was still as beautiful as the tree would have been. Shanna and the team were so quick to help rearrange things and make the area look exactly how we wanted. Everyone that has commented to us about our wedding, the common thing that everyone had to say was how amazing the food was. They could not stop raving about it and saying that it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding! We would recommend The Barr Mansion to anyone ten times over!! read more

Barr Mansion was such a wonderful venue to work with. My husband and I only looked at 3 venues total and I knew instantly that Barr Mansion was going to be my choice. It had everything I was looking for. I knew as soon as I saw the historic house and beautiful grounds, that it fit my vintage style perfectly. They also have a new ballroom, which is just as beautiful, and they designed it perfectly for weddings. I could not be more happy with my choice. I love that they are a package deal. You get the ceremony site, the reception site and a full menu to choose from! The food was amazing. We got SO many compliments from our guests at just how amazing the food was. We also got numerous compliments at how beautiful the venue was, how friendly and helpful the staff was, and how smoothly the entire even went off without a hitch. Everyone was truly satisfied. The staff was very responsive to my phone calls and emails leading up to the big day. They are very experienced and will take care of everything for you. They also have a long list of suggested vendors that they usually work with, which can be very helpful. They are well organized, prepared and professional. Just a side note, you can not beat Barr Mansion in the Spring time, it is truly beautiful. Also, they are a pet friendly venue, which is very popular these days. I wish I could do it all over again! There is no stress when you book this venue. They walk you through it every step of the way and will take care of everything. Thank you to Barr Mansion and their wonderful team for helping make my dreams come true. read more

I cannot rave enough about Barr Mansion. The property is stunning, the staff really a pleasure to work with and the food is amazing. Abby is the best at what she does, hands down! When I told her my vision for what I wanted the "big day" to look like, she added her magic touch and provided me with ideas and suggestions that I would have never come up with on my own. She was there every step of the way. The property photographs beautifully. This is due, largely in part, to the care and maintenance of the property. Everything turned out perfectly with little stress on my part, it was definitely nice to say what you wanted and to get it! read more

Elyse Shumsky-Alcorn (our day-of wedding coordinator and point-of-contact up to the wedding day itself) was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. She went above and beyond our expectations, and represented Barr Mansion incredibly well. She answered all of my emails promptly, I didn't have to worry one bit about coordination/flow issues on the day of, I was allowed to bring my photographer/parents/future in-laws on the site to show it off (just give them a heads up). Most of all, she catered to us personally (offered to grab us food and drink during the wedding reception). She gave us wonderful tips for our wedding, highlighting details my fiance and I had not even thought of. The highlight of my night was when she rescued our exit from the reception. We forgot to order sparklers, and some happened to be stored away (from previous weddings). Instead of just letting that go, she said we could use the spare ones. She revved up the crowd, and sent us on our way!!! Could NOT have asked for a better wedding coordinator...if the reception grounds and services offered alone do not convince you, Elyse is the BEST coordinator in Austin, Texas, and you'll definitely want her to help you plan your wedding. Barr Mansion itself is beautiful!!!! Even at night, even if it was blizzarding or snowing or sleeting in Austin (threat of sleet is moderately high in Feb in Austin), the grounds are still so gorgeous. We were looking for a non-country but sweet place mixed with industrial or modern touches, and this was the place. The glass wall itself makes for an incredible backdrop in pictures (especially with the walkway lights glowing in the background at night). My friends and family kept on saying (with non-feigned enthusiasm), that the place was so elegant but not stuffy. Food was incredible! Cake and pie were incredible! Projects are in the works, I hope to see pics of it online when their additions are completed (more outside patio stuff I think). Get married/have your reception HERE! read more

I fell in love with The Barr Mansion and Elyse!! I got married at the Barr Mansion on March 1st and my wedding was the wedding of my dreams and went off without a hitch. I was an out of town bride from NYC so at first I was a bit apprehensive about planning a wedding from so far away but Elyse made it easy and fun and really held my hand throughout the entire process. She is so knowledgeable on weddings and gave me spectacular recommendations and advice whenever I needed it. She always got right back to me on any question or concern and really kept my mind at ease. This venue is beautiful and the food was divine. Coming from NYC we have a high standard for food and Alan and his team in the kitchen completely surpassed everyone's expectation. People are still calling to say it was the best food at a wedding they have had EVER!! Thank you Elyse and Team for the best day of my life!! read more

This venue is beautiful. Stunning. Words can't even describe. We had our wedding reception there in late June. They take great care of the gardens and grounds. We had a pretty fancy wedding, so we had a plated dinner service. It was expensive, but the food and service quality were outstanding. Totally worth it for this once in a lifetime experience. As others note, the food is organic. But it's also just plain delicious! Great job Barr Mansion! read more

Barr Mansion is a unique wedding venue in a secluded area located in Austin yet feels totally isolated from the bustle of the city. The historic mansion offers sooo many opportunities for lovely portraits, from the bride's getting ready suite to wedding party and couple portraits on the balconies and front lawn. If you want a beautiful wedding that feels like "home" yet comes with the best farm-to-table food, this is your place! They've completed a brand-new covered pavilion for beautiful ceremonies in case of rain and it's gorgeous! Also have a beautiful indoor reception area so you're not sweltering in Texas heat while dancing. If I was getting married again, this would be my first pick. Check it out! read more

I just attended a wedding at barr mansion. Based on reviews I was excited to check it out. Highly disappointed with the entire production. They were impolite the food was mediocre at best and the ballroom acoustics were awful. For a venue just for weddings I would not pick this. the grounds were the most beautiful part of the event but everything else was overrated. In this case venue has more hype than substance. The wedding couple were beautiful and more than made up for the venue. read more

I am sorely disappointed by the lack of information that this venue provides to their guests. They failed to disclose to my sister and my family that their venue had previously experienced at least one burglary on the property during a wedding. Only after we became victims of theft ourselves, did they final disclose any information on facebook. I would take into serious consideration the lack of security measures they have in place. This experience has made us feel that they took little care and had little compassion for us on what should have been a beatiful day for my sister and our loved ones. read more

Another update... as of April 24th, Barr Mansion was given 2 weeks to return just under half of the $4000 I put down as the deposit for my wedding. For additionally details, see my other posts... but as a quickie- for those of you who have not been following this petty melodrama- this amount was designated to be paid within 2 weeks by an Arbitrator for the Better Business Bureau who listened to the case about a month ago (PUBLIC RECORD, peeps!) And here it is, May 12th, just shy of 3 weeks later, and- big shocker- we haven't seen a dime. The resolution specialist at the BBB said that the letter regarding the decision was faxed and mailed to them and that this letter is legally binding... so I am giving it one more week and then my lawyer is going to be getting his pen ready. After everything I've been through, Barr Mansion would be mistaken if they think I won't take this to court... stay tuned for more delights and surprises! read more

The Artisan Ballroom was absolutely beautiful and had the feel of the most magical place, especially with the many twinkling lights (cost extra) that decorated the ceiling. But this is where the enchantment ended. Our wedding was in Jan '07 and till this day, I cringe remembering the service we received at the Barr Mansion. To begin with, our "free coordinator" was seen eating our passed appetizers. Then, the first course/soup was served an hour later than scheduled. And the rest of the courses didn't come out for another 45 minutes. The organic local vegetables looked horrible and mushy. The "beautiful colorful cauliflowers" were disgustingly brown. Luckily the meats (e.g. the ribeye & halibut) came out delicious, so our guests didn't starve. And the topper... our chocolate ganache groom's cake. My husband loved the cake so much at the tasting that it was actually a deal maker. When served... the server hacked the cake and WAX PAPER and served it to our guests. And when we confronted Rick the next day, his comment was to tell us nonchalantly oh yes, we noticed when cutting the cake. No apology. And these were just the highlights of our complaints. Should I even mention the 1 rickety rusty ugly 30+ year space heater that was assured would heat up the entire ballroom that we paid extra for? Or the "professional" bartender that didn't know how to make a vodka & soda that we paid extra for? Or....... Or....... Or....... read more

My wife and I live in Chicago, and we were married at Barr last Memorial Day weekend. We could not have been happier with the wedding, and even speaking as the Groom, I was blown away by how beautiful the the facilities were, and how accommodating the staff was. We received more comments of amazement from our guests than I could have imagined, which meant a lot considering most of our guests flew in from all over the country. Working with Abby was terrific, and that was really important to us considering we had to arrange everything from long distance. We were also able to bring in our own liquor, which to me was really important. We wanted to have a variety of liquors and other beverages without running up a huge bar tab, and we were able to stock up at Spec's and return everything we didn't use. The staff at Barr even mixed up and served our customized signature drinks, as if they had professional mixologists working the bar. In reference to another post, sure, they do collect a deposit, and they probably will not refund the deposit if you cancel your event, but that is going to be the case with just about any place. Non-refundable deposits are just that, non-refundable. That does not make them crooks. I hope that fact does not cause anyone to miss out on having their event at a great place like Barr. read more

My husband and I got married at Barr Mansion Friday, May 26th. We had the BEST experience with all of the Barr employees, to name a few - Jessica, Caroline, Aislinn and Heather provided fabulous service throughout the entire 10 month planning process. Our favorite things about Barr - the property is GORGEOUS (so many picturesque areas), the food is amazing (you get to go to an awesome event with all the other couples getting married in your time frame and try the yummy food to set your menu), Barr has an in house coordinator (Heather aka Wonder-woman) who makes sure your wedding is seamless (she thinks of everything and is phenomenal at her job), they allow animals on property (our golden retriever was in our ceremony and was allowed at the reception!!), and last but not least was our guests' experience - we got told over and over how much fun our wedding was and I am positive it is because of Barr Mansion. Thanks for hosting the best day of our lives! read more

I had a great experience here. My husband and I wanted a low-stress ceremony that felt special but still relaxed. We chose Barr Mansion because the food sounded great, the grounds were beautiful, and it feels secluded even though it is fairly close to central Austin. We also looked at Mercury Hall, but I liked the look of the artisan ballroom at Barr Mansion more than I liked the indoor space at Mercury Hall (although it is also pretty). Everything went off without a hitch and the food was amazing--they have wood-burning ovens to make pizza, they made amazing fish tacos, and several people said the wedding cake (lemon with cream cheese and strawberries) was the best they had ever had. I didn't use all their recommended vendors--the florist they recommended was too expensive--but I did find a photographer, an officiant, and a guitarist for the ceremony with our coordinator's help and was very happy with all three. If you are a laid back couple that still wants to do something special, I would highly recommend Barr Mansion. For us, it was worth the money, especially since we did not also have to find a caterer. read more

Our June 23 wedding at Barr Mansion was above and beyond our wildest dreams! When beginning the venue search, we were looking for something peaceful, romantic, "garden-like" and just all around lovely. From the moment we stepped foot on the property, we knew that it was something special! My hubby and I really loved the "all-inclusive" type of feel with Barr--food, venue, help, etc. Their list of preferred vendors was super helpful for filling in the gaps, especially since Barr Mansion has great relationships with them! The mansion and surrounding areas are absolutely beautiful, especially in the spring and summer months. Because we were married in the middle of summertime and had family coming in from Chicago, we opted to do the ceremony inside of the ballroom and have dinner in the farmstead, then back to the ballroom for dancing. Though it turned out to still be quite hot everywhere (103+!), it was the best night! From the incredibly delicious food to yummy Steel City Pops, to a beautiful setting and a surprise birthday cake for my hubby's Grandpa, everything was absolutely wonderful! The grounds, the staff, the chef--EVERYONE--is eager to help, attentive to whatever you may need and willing to go the extra mile to make it all happen. The VIP award, though, would definitely go to Heather Winnika. She is put together, thoughtful, and all around remarkable! Heather was a joy to work with and always made us feel like her priority. We are forever grateful for the kindness, expertise and dedication from everyone at Barr Mansion! Thank you all for making our wedding day the very best day! read more

I can't imagine a better wedding venue! My daughter and son in law ( : had their wedding there two weeks ago and it was just the loveliest, sweetest, most smoothly handled wedding I would have ever imagined and I never felt stressed once! We met with the coordinator Elyse (best coordinator in the world, but I'm sure they are all good there) twice before the wedding. She was very helpful with choices we needed to make and she was very patient with us as we were pretty naive. We had a smallish budget that she never made us feel self conscious about. The wedding was just fun. Everyone said it was the best wedding they had ever been to, and whether true or not, it seemed to be said sincerely. The venue was sweet and calm and beautiful and even the bride and groom had a great time instead of feeling nervous about what to do next. The whole wedding and reception was subtly guided by Elyse and her crew. The outdoor is just perfect for the ceremony and the reception hall is amazing - perfect for dancing! The food was incredibly delicious and I just cannot say enough about how much fun it all was. What sweet sweet memories! Thank you Elyse and Barr Mansion for this incredible experience. read more

I got married at the Barr Mansion on May 16, 2008, and I could not have had a more perfect wedding. The staff was wonderful: they were always quick to respond to my questions, not pushy for me to use any of their ancillary services and instead provided plenty of information on photographers, musicians, etc at all price ranges, and my wedding coordinator, Rick, was perfect (who is included as part of the deal at no extra cost at the Barr Mansion, as are the cakes and table settings). I never knew where he was or what he was doing, but everything proceeded perfectly, and he was never pushy or intrusive. At the end of the night when everyone was having a blast dancing, he let us stay a little late because the food had come out a little bit late (although no one noticed this). The food was excellent and unique; it is all organic, and It is nice that they do the food there, as it is one less vendor you have to find on your own. The cakes are included and they did a yummy chocolate layered cake covered in chocolate shards. As for a beautiful place to get married, you cant beat this. The grounds are green as can be and the flowers were all in bloom in May. Because of the beautiful scenery, our pictures turned out great. The ballroom is beautiful and romantic with all the lights. They have a back-up indoor site to get married in case it is raining on your day. The best way I can describe the feel of the decor is natural, eclectic, and rustic with a touch of an eastern feel. So many people were asking "Wow! how did you find this place?" We had sparklers for when we left the wedding, and the staff handled setting it all up. And, as per our request the car we left in had boxes filled with food, cake and leftover wine for us to take to the hotel. To sum it up: great people, great food, gorgeous and unique location. read more