Yelp Review 2025 #230: I came here for a friend's outdoor wedding in October. It was sunny but cool. They have 3 venues. I'll start with the not-so-positives first. I took an Uber from Downtown Philly to Pen Ryn Estate which took about 30 minutes. Somebody is there to direct cars where to go. I specifically heard the lady say "take the first left and keep going straight to River's Edge Garden Pavillion." What my Uber driver did was go all the way to the end and turn left. So, I second-guessed myself. I got dropped off at the wrong venue and I had to walk a loooooong way to the correct venue and I was late for the wedding (I was actually on time but late for my standards). I ran into other wedding guests attending somebody else's wedding trying to find their venue as well. This place is massive! We're talking acres of land. I made it to a shed and I asked somebody if I was at the right place - I had to be because I already passed 2 incorrect venues out of 3. And the gentleman told me to hop on the golf cart that would take me to River's Edge where the wedding is at. The golf cart driver asked if I was taking an Uber after the wedding and he told me what address to put in so I can get picked up directly from the wedding venue - which I found very helpful when I was ready to go back to my hotel late at night! The venue was nice. Since it was outdoors, you had to deal with some elements: strong winds, bugs and it got chilly close to sunset. You get a view of the river. Right behind us is a covered area like a tent where the reception is at. But it looked elegant inside. I'm very impressed by the food. The variety and quality of the food were fantastic. Probably the some of the best food I've had at a wedding. I was getting full during cocktail hour. The couple has Latin and Italian roots and their heritage were celebrated through food and I loved that. When I RSVP'ed for the wedding, I sent in my meal selection and I had forgotten I chose chicken. And I was filled with fear because catered chicken tends to be dry - not the one at this wedding. I enjoyed it so much. The wedding cake was made by a contestant on Food Network. But the spread for dessert was also fabulous. Overall, an impressive place for a wedding. read more

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PenRyn was the most amazing venue for our Spring wedding!!! They have planners working with you from start to finish. I would email them so sporadically and they would always reply quickly and professionally. On the day of our wedding, our coordinator and bridal attendant were extraordinary!!! We worked with Alyssa and Ares and they were so professional, detail oriented, attentive and kind. My parents and I were in awe at how helpful they were!! Everything was absolutely flawless from start to finish. The venue was the perfect backdrop for our special day. They really executed every detail. Even their house decor was fabulous! Additionally, I must mention the food. Our guests have not stopped raving about how delicious everything was. The cocktail hour Mac and cheese and dinner braised short rib were the big hits. Shoutout to the culinary team! Thank you once again for everything. We are so grateful for choosing PenRyn to host our special day. read more

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This past weekend we had the privilege of watching our son marry the love of his life. It took place at the Pen Ryn Mansion. One of several venues on the estate. The interesting fact is that two other weddings were taking place on the same day and none of us were aware of the other. Our concierge Danny is what carries the weight of the high star rating. Never in my over 25 years of attending formal events and weddings. Have I encountered a service person of his caliber. Danny was there for whatever whenever he was needed he made sure the bride and groom and their parents had the best service possible. Danny alone deserves 10 stars. It is because of him. Pen Ryn received a five star review from me had it not been for him my review would've been four stars. The mansion itself is lovely and offers several rooms to spread out activities and guests. The bartenders were friendly quick to serve and professional. The food came out hot full of flavor and rivaled most of what I've experienced in the past. The bridal suite was adequate, but definitely could have been bigger and more accommodating. There were only a few mirrors for a big bridal party to take turns with. This is definitely a bridal suite for a break from your crowd and pre-ceremony photos not actually sufficient for getting ready for your big day. The main dining area was definitely large enough to handle a huge crowd comfortably - the tables were dressed and set perfectly. The chairs comfortable enough for those who opted not to partake in dancing or activities. The large dance floor complete with a raised DJ platform made dancing the night away an ease. Both indoor and outdoor places to sit and relax when not at your table, as well as the grounds, gave the crowd room to mingle without being on top of one another. Pen Ryn is a pricier venue and do I think it is worth its price tag? I cannot say for sure. There are certainly other venues with equal amenities, similar service options and on food on par with Pen Ryn. But do they have a Danny? read more

This estate is absolutely perfection personified! My cousin exchanged nuptials outside on the sprawling, picturesque grounds. The views and photo opps were incredibly beautiful. Inside, we feasted on appetizers, including a small taco bar and macaroni and cheese. The liquor was flowing as well! Beauty strewn throughout. The reception room was stunning, the food was pretty good (not overly impressed - had stuffed chicken breast) and everything ran smoothly. It was the top 3 weddings I've ever been too! read more

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Amazing wedding venue all around! Perfect backdrop with the lake behind it, well kept gardens, superb catering, and unique rooms for cocktail hour. Everything was well organized & timed by both the catering and venue staff in accordance with the wishes of the wedding party's wishes. Would definitely love to attend another wedding at this location. read more

Pen Ryn Estate - Filet Mignon - Caterers Near Me - Bensalem, Pennsylvania

I recently went to Pen Ryn for the first time to photograph a wedding and I do not have enough positive things to say about this venue and the team! They answered all the questions I asked and were incredibly kind. Not to mention, all three of the venues are beautiful. read more

My steak was so raw it was practically still mooing. Bartenders had horrible service posted on Twitter calling us "fucking morons" DURING the event. Do NOT under any circumstance host an event here. Horrible service and an even worse manager that is far from helpful. Worst service I've ever encountered read more

Pen Ryn Estate - Closing off half the bar 45 mins into the event for NO REASON - Caterers Near Me - Bensalem, Pennsylvania

We booked Pen Ryn for 2026 wedding and could not be more excited. Denyse gave us a great tour and made us feel confident Pen Ryn was our spot. Venue was beautiful and clean. read more

Pen Ryn Estate - Caterers Near Me - Bensalem, Pennsylvania

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I wouldn't recommend booking here for the sake of some pretty big issues of communication I noticed them having. They kept mentioning a shift in staffing that caused it, but it honestly made the planning process with them pretty horrible/stressful. I think it's because of how many wedding they host here, but I believe they have good intentions and just need a larger team. The minute someone left, there should have been immediate rehiring or a solution provided for already booked brides. Hopefully one day that works, but I really feel like I got the short end of it and therefore can't recommend to another bride. read more

Why why why why why do people still fall for this marriage scam? It's commercializing some abstract "feelings" (or assumed/alleged guaranteed sex for the men) you may have for another person. It's become like the bullshit superficial xmas celebration. Money money money money money. OK, this place was not what it's all made out to be. Some old worn out mansion on the river, music disturbing the peace of the people who live across the Delaware, there were news reports on this. During the fall and the winter the view disappears earlier in the evenings, this wedding I was at it was dark an hour before I arrived. Soooo, no view. best parts of the evening: -when driving down the long entrance driveway, a young woman greeted you and told you where your event building was and where to park. -the coat person and the bartenders were excellent. The wait staff were doing ok. worst parts of the evening: -the 6 or so steps down to the banquet room were a few feet from the overly crowded one-bar area, so I positioned my seat for the view of a possible fall down the steps with drink in hand after slight inebriation, and I was NOT disappointed. hahahahaha nice fall, bloody nose, but fortunately no breakage, only a broken ego. -bar area small -acoustics, there are NONE. The sound is horrible, bouncing off of the walls, and you couldn't hear the nuances in the music nor any of the toasts/speeches. -food was meh, it was banquet food, don't expect a foodie to enjoy. Bottom line: Don't be wedding suckers, don't waste your savings, get married (if you must) on a beach somewhere with 2 of your closest friends. The others will get over it in time. And to be honest, at this age I'd rather NOT get invited to any more weddings, it's an ordeal. read more

I attended a wedding on a Friday night. The location is beautiful right on the Delaware River. Signs on State Road are a few feet before the driveway. Three weddings were happening Staff were at end of driveway to direct so you attended the right wedding! Shuttles aka golf carts took us from the parking lot to the venue. This was great because it was either gravel or grass neither is friendly to heels! We walked into a huge tent and out to the river bank for the ceremony. The scenery creates a romantic backdrop. He tent was divided into 2 rooms- one for the cocktail hour and one for dinner. The cocktail hour had a cheese table, mashed potato bar, pasta, mussels, and a few other things. Very tasty! It was difficult to get a drink- long lines and 2 bartenders. Thankfully it was better during dinner and dancing Dinner was either fish, chicken or steak. The fish and chicken were very good. My husband didn't like the steak. It was fatty and overcooked ( things ran late so that may be why) The dessert tables had a good selection. The brownies and chi chip cookie bars were delicious. The donut board was a big hit! Coffee and tea were available It was a little chilly in the tent but blankets were available. The dance floor was a good size. The DJ was very good. The photo booth was lots of fun! read more

Pen Ryn Estate - The view - Caterers Near Me - Bensalem, Pennsylvania

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I attended a wedding in October at the Belle Voir Manor at the Pen Ryn Estate. The grounds & manor are beautiful. The food was absolutely delicious. I could not get over all the appetizer stations & dessert bar at the end of the night. Bartenders were nice and quick, and the banquet servers were wonderful. At our table, there seemed to be lots of confusion regarding meals (not with our meals), but with people at our table. I don't know what the cause of the miscommunication was, but it took awhile for all of our entrees to come out. When the food did come out, everything tasted great. I had the prosciutto stuffed chicken and my husband had the filet mignon. Delicious! I would love to be invited to another wedding here. read more

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Please do yourself a favor and choose elsewhere if you have high standards and expectations. At the end of the day, you will save some money at Pen Ryn, but the cookie cutter, nickel and dime wedding in a box standard formula just simply doesn't work. I was a bride at the Pen Ryn Rivers Edge Sunday 7/16/23. I had already read some of the buried negative reviews, but fell in love with the outdoor on the water ceremony and felt the price point was decent, so I ignored the negative reviews about staff, food, and disorganization. Big mistake. It rained on my wedding day, and so my biggest plus of having the outdoor on the water ceremony couldn't happen. Which then highlighted the inefficiency of the staff and the tent structure. There were several leaks from the rain, and lots of bugs, and if you want to open the curtains to see the view of the Delaware river you paid for, the venue will need to turn the AC off so at one point it was 95 degrees under enclosed plastic. Several people felt faint, and I had many older guests. I want to be clear, this is not a review against Chris who was actually extremely accommodating and clearly worked very hard, and I think would do very well at another wedding venue. This review is against management because Chris needed more people to do his job effectively. Everything was disorganized, the food presentation was not up to par for me and I received several complaints from my parents. Overall the event just felt extremely understaffed and unprofessional. There was zero attention to detail and I spent the entire evening running around confused. There were too many times where there was no staff to be found. We even had to cut the cake by ourselves with no guidance. I didn't feel anyone on the staff was truly thinking of me and had my back. I also want to call out that there was zero diversity on the staff which as a black bride really stood out to me, but clearly doesn't feel important to the venue. I'm expecting a snarky response about how I was difficult and the staff did everything in their power to accommodate me. But honestly, it was amateur hour, and this venue (after 28 years as they say) could really benefit from studying how other higher standard venues and teams operate. Denise sells you to get you to sign the contract, but don't fall for the pitch, the truth is this venue is a wedding factory and pumps out way too many weddings (3 in the same day) to provide true quality. To the point where as others have said, everything is handled via email. Name one wedding venue in Philadelphia where you aren't given the direct cell and email address to your event coordinator? There isn't one. And the fact that Pen Ryn makes excuses for this and normalizes this is wrong. Trust me on this, if you have high standards, spend the extra $5k or $10k for a more elevated experience elsewhere. read more

Very disappointed in the food and bar. Rude management, watered down drinks, raw food, overall terrible service. Apparently the servers/bartenders don't like frat parties even though the bill was paid upfront making comments on social media. Avoid this place. Management doesn't care. read more

Extremely rude and unprofessional. Did not deliver the services that we agreed to and paid for.

Wow!!!!!!!!! So cool and sexy! I was here for the Arbab wedding, beautiful couple and beautiful food. If you don't come here you are NUTS!!

By far the worst experience I have had at a venue in PA. If you are looking to host an event here, run. From the terrible food, to the drinks, acoustics and especially the appalling service, this ruined my night. The only good thing about this place is the driveway. read more

Attended our niece's wedding last night. I've been to many events at Penryn over the years so I am very familiar with the estate. The grounds are absolutely beautiful, the couple was married by the river and it was perfect. The reception was originally slated to be held in Belle Voir Manor at Penryn but due to Covid they had to postpone their original date. There is a new structure that was just built on the grounds to allow weddings to be held during these trying times. It's a large tent like space and again, very beautiful. The cocktail hour was 3 stations, garlic mashed potato bar, beef stir fry, and crudite with different cheeses. The beef stir fry was made with instant rice, it wasn't good. There were passed appetizers as well. They were slow in coming around but they were good when you got them. Dinner was a salad and a choice of chicken Parmesan or tilapia - both served with potatoes and green beans. We were served RAW CHICKEN for dinner. We all had to send it back. We were told we would get fresh meals but we were given plates that were served to someone else (chicken was cut up) and the food was burnt. None of us ate our meals. Dessert was a donut wall and various cookies and pastries as well as wedding cake and that was all delicious. As a treat for the guests there was a Taste of Philly display of Tastykakes, Hanks Root Beer and soft pretzels to go. I was thoroughly disappointed with the food at this wedding. Because of this experience I would never host an event at the Penryn. Too much money was spent to have an event that was, in my opinion, sub par. The venue is beautiful and our niece was absolutely stunning as a bride but unfortunately Penryn did not deliver their promise of a spectacular wedding. read more

Pen Ryn Estate - Chicken Permesan....burned after it was originally served raw. - Caterers Near Me - Bensalem, Pennsylvania

We had an absolutely beautiful wedding at Rivers Edge on July 24, 2021. Along the road with covid we had some delays and to be honest a few communication issues BUT in the end our day was absolutely magical. Every single guest said that rivers edge was absolutely beautiful and such a unique space. The staff was SO much fun and the food was delicious. read more

Pen Ryn Estate - Outside rivers edge - Caterers Near Me - Bensalem, Pennsylvania

Personal experience: Not accommodating, are "fake nice" acting like everything is perfect until a few days before the wedding/event, and then they treat you like shit and forget things, like transportation arrangements and agreed upon accommodations, without a refund. My family has attempted to plan 2 events here. Experience of others: Another couple had their wedding cancelled due to Covid, and they only offered them winter dates. The couple asked to look at 2022 due to having spring colors and decorations already paid for and pen ryn estate refused. Pen ryn estate also refused to offer a refund or discount and was trying to push them into a Thursday wedding without a discount. Disgusting practice. Another couple had money stolen from the bridesmaids purses that were supposedly locked away and safe, and cards stolen during the reception, and the only people inside at the time were employees. The bridesmaids asked to see the cameras and the planner refused to allow them to, which shows how sketchy the whole situation was. 4 horrible experiences for pen ryn estate, which would be enough for me to never book here. read more

My wife and I just celebrated our wedding here last week at Belle Voir Manor. There was alot of stress/confusion during our wedding due to our event coordinator Colin because he was unreliable. He said he would be there for us for whatever we needed during the day of the wedding but he wasnt, we couldnt find him half the time and when the vendors would ask him questions he did not know the answers. The shining star of this venue was a staff member named Dominic. He was our personal server, he was super attentive to our every need. Not only was he there for us he was also very helpful to our parents, family and friends. He has a great attitude and went above and beyond his job description. Toward the end of the night I lost my phone and was in such a panic but of course Dominic came to the rescue and found my phone! He is a true asset to this company and he deserves a raise/promotion! read more

We had our 180 person wedding reception here last fall in Belle Voir Manor. My biggest issue was that we asked to have the leftover food from the sweetheart table packed (my husband and I hardly got a chance to eat) and was basically refused. They explained that they try to build it into the timeline so that we have time to enjoy the food. This was a little upsetting but we didn't push it as we had guests to entertain. See below for my other comments. VENUE: The photos on the homepage of their website does not do this place justice. I saw the venue in person and immediately fell in love. It's nicely situated right along the Delaware River (I think the view from Belle Voir ballroom is even better than from the main mansion). There are lots of spots to take beautiful pictures on the estate no matter the season. COMMUNICATION: They were quick to respond to my inquiry to see the place and answer questions along the way. I didn't hear from our contact (unless I reached out first) from the time we booked to a month or so before the actual event. You work with a couple of people up to and including the day of...catering sales manager, banquet supervisor, maitre' d, head waiter. EVENT SERVICE: In general, the staff was very nice, cooperative and tentative to our needs. FOOD: They group the menu tasting so you will attend a tasting with other couples getting married that season. You're allowed to bring one other person free of charge (usually your future spouse) and it's additional for other guests. Nice if they threw in an extra guest or two for the amount of money you're spending! I wish I could personally say more about the food on the day of. As I mentioned earlier, I didn't get to taste much of it! Our guests did say everything was very good and there was plenty of it. They highlighted the cake (from Isgros in South Philly) and the dessert bar. read more

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I just recently attended a wedding here in September and I must say that this place is gorgeous. The employees were very nice and the food was great! The whole room was set up really nice and it was different being on the river. I'm not sure if logistically everything ran smooth but from a guests point of view it was nice. read more

Great food beautiful surroundings the best servers . Clean tasteful and very accommodating.. not much more to say!

Beautiful venue, delicious food and excellent staff! We hosted our daughter's wedding this past weekend and what a lovely experience. I would highly recommend this venue, it was the perfect place for the couple and we could not be happier! read more

A certain political party in Bucks County had its annual Jefferson Dinner at Pen Ryn Mansion last week. The entire locale is incredibly pretty for Bensalem, Pa., but the Delaware River still has its charm, and the building and landscaping there are very nice. There is plenty of parking and if you have time you can stroll down to the banks of the river and watch the dusk settle in and the lights of Burlington, NJ come up across the river. The dining facility is ornate with heavy curtains and chandeliers, but although dated, it does give off an air of historical pretense. If there is an issue it is with the HVAC. On this relatively warm October night, the bar area was downright hot, and the large banquet room only a little more comfortable. Of course, all the hot air from the podium may have had something to do with that. Pen Ryn would be a nice place for a traditional wedding or other large format celebration. This is my third of fourth visit, and it is always an attractive, if not completely comfortable place to spend the evening with a few hundred of my closest friends. read more

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I am writing my review for Belle Voir Manor, which is operated by Penn Ryn Mansion and sits on the same piece of land. Belle Voir is actually the "carriage house" to Penn Ryn Mansion, but I find it to be bigger and much nicer. I held my wedding here a year & a half ago. I can't even begin to express how awesome this place is. Everyone I spoke to said it was the best wedding they have ever been to. The food is absolutely amazing-the mashed potato bar for cocktail hour was a big hit. The room was a perfect size & beautifully decorated. The staff was amazing & attended to everyone's needs. The bridal suite was great too. I got married in December, but the surrounding grounds are beautiful for an outdoor ceremony if that is what you are looking for. Pictures don't do this place justice! If you are planning a wedding do yourself a favor & check it out. read more

Pen Ryn Estate - Pen Ryn Mansion - Caterers Near Me - Bensalem, Pennsylvania

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I am appalled by the response from Pen Ryn. I sat with Shauna after my review and again, asked her where did the 'special meals' go that the chef prepared. She couldn't answer me ... because they were NEVER prepared. I had asked her simply, 'if you go into a restaurant and order dinner, and the wrong meal comes out, are you expected to pay for it?' Her response was a 'chuckle'. They claim that they accommodate every special needs, however, our two special meals went accommodated! Finally on this matter, Jenna admitted to me in a phone call, 'that they dropped the ball'. Let's touch on the 'Taste of Philly'. They started to set-up the station at 10:00pm. The affair was scheduled to end at 10:30! AND, are they seriously telling me that the server setting up the station didn't shoo away my guests when they tried to take the goodies?!? I was standing there, being embarrassed. As far as the endless replenishing ~ NO THIS DID NOT HAPPENED!!! As a matter of fact, I have several guests who were departing at the 10:00 hour, didn't even see this station. And the reason I know this is because I specifically told them about it prior to the event. Needless to say as I did before, I was gravely disappointed with this station. It wasn't even worth 1/2 of what I was charged. Not to keep bantering back and forth with these reviews, if anyone has any questions, please feel free to 'inbox' me (kidnkat2@aol.com) and I will be more than happy to give you more of the mishaps that happened that day that I did not write about. I will be more than happy to let you know of the insensitivity of the event staff at Pen Ryn. Just to re-iterate what I initially said in my review .. Shauna is in more words or less, calling me and my family liars! In closing, I did try to resolve my issues with both Shauna and Jenna via email and telephone before I came to social media and made this review. read more

I was at the Belle Voir Manor for my cousin's wedding last week and although I did not get to really explore, I did like what I saw. Drove into the wrong wedding for a second because there was a sign for another wedding pointing straight but not one of my cousin's in which we had to make a right. There was an outdoor ceremony that was set up nicely. Inside, I liked the balcony the bridge and groom could come out and look down at into the lobby. There was valet parking and a cover area for when it rains like it did on the night of the wedding. The reception area was nicely decorated but the catered food was only okay. It was a nice change from all the Chinatown weddings I usually go to. read more

Had my wedding here a while back. The grounds were so lovely and we chose the mansion because we liked its rustic look. The wedding coordinator we were in contact was so helpful. She communicated with us alot and helped us with the price and every question we have. I wish she was there for the actual wedding day because the lady we had that day was not a good and was really pushy that is why I will not give it 5 stars The food was really good and every one raved about it so I guess they thought the same thing! read more

I am having my wedding at Pen Ryn in November. Our original wedding date was March 27th, but due to the coronavirus outbreak it had to be postponed. The Pen Ryn Estate staff have been so helpful and kind throughout our entire wedding planning process, and even more so during this unprecedented global pandemic. They helped us to reschedule our wedding seamlessly in a matter of hours. Clearly November was not our first choice since we planned for March, but I am just grateful to be having a wedding at all and that we can continue to hold it at beautiful Pen Ryn Estate. We had to change venues (from the Mansion to Belle Voir) but both spaces are beautiful so it doesn't even matter. I would recommend Pen Ryn Estate to anyone planning a wedding in the Philadelphia area! read more

In the early days of the pandemic they had a slow, and bad response to customer service, but they REALLY turned it around. My friends had there wedding here and it really was a great time. The massive tent that was erected by the river was awesome! Great job done by Penn Ryn read more

I've been to several weddings and events at Pen Ryn Estate, with elements of the affairs taking place both inside and outside of Pen Ryn Mansion and Belle Voir Manor, and the experiences have all been spectacular. I consider Pen Ryn Estate to be one of the most professional and premier wedding and events venues in the Philadelphia region. I loved the delicious food, exceptional service and impeccable preservation of the historic buildings. I hope to be invited to more events there soon, and will definitely consider booking the venue for my son's wedding and any events that I orchestrate for my business. read more

Just attended a wedding here while the grounds were beautiful the food was horrible. The filets were so dried and the flounder was mush. Very disappointed even the drinks were super strong not good bartending. I can only say the staff was very nice and the cake was the best part of the night. read more

We decided to pick this venue because of where it is located (on the river) and the beautiful grounds surrounding the venue.We had very few things go correctly with this venue and instead of being empathetic and understanding, our wedding coordinator was defensive and spiteful. During one of our scheduled phone calls 6 weeks before the wedding, our coordinator was unable to provide us with any type of update and told us that they are working on a plan but refused share their plan with us until they "finalized some loose ends". Instead, our event coordinator told us several times how many other couples that she had helped, which obviously left us feeling very frustrated and anxious. Over a year into the pandemic, I expected this venue to have some type of plan in place but they were anything but proactive. On the wedding day, things ran smoothly, however, I have to give most of this credit to my wedding planner, who made sure everything was being completed in a timely, organized manner. We were introduced to the matrie'd, who we never saw again the remainder of the night. We were also assigned our own wait staff who was responsible for making sure we had food and drinks throughout the night. Sadly, we ended up getting our own food and drinks as the person assigned to help us was nowhere to be found after cocktail hour. In my opinion, this reflects poorly on management as it was obvious that Pen Ryn was understaffed and employees were burnt out. In regards to the food, my meal was delicious as were all of the appetizers (so I heard). However, my husband had the filet as did most of our guests. Sadly, the feedback we received was that the rice was undercooked and the filet was extremely bland and dry. This was the most expensive item on the menu and was apparently the least appealing for many guests, which speaks to Pen Ryn's inability to provide quality food when the quantity increases. I will say Pen Ryn was accommodating to different food allergies including 2 persons who were vegan and 4 persons with celiac's disease (including my husband).  However, at our food tasting, Pen Ryn did mistakenly serve him food that was not gluten-free and he was very sick following our tasting. While we did not have any dessert at our wedding, our guests raved about the desserts provided. Sadly, Pen Ryn was a step behind per usual and did not cut the cake nor did they place the cake in to-go bags, leaving us with a large quantity of leftover cake and guests leaving empty handed. Despite all of the abovementioned errors, I think the most frustrating part of planning a wedding at Pen Ryn was the lack of communication and how difficult it was to get in touch with anyone. A week before the wedding we still had not heard from them regarding a tent contract, which Pen Ryn offered to us as part of their plan to accommodate more guests. The tent was an additional $4400 according to Pen Ryn, however, last week they were requesting an additional $1000 and appeared to have no idea how much the tent actually cost. Sadly, we still have no idea how much the tent actually cost as we have yet to see the contract for this tent that we paid for. And, here we are.... My wedding was 1 week ago and I have yet to see this tent contract that they promised to send over "right away" 4 weeks ago now. We also had not heard from Pen Ryn regarding the seating chart, event timeline, or final payment until the day before our wedding; even though we had reached out several weeks prior with this information. At that time, we were informed that our event coordinator who had been our point of contact for the last 2 years was away in Nashville getting married herself. This took us completely off guard as no one had ever communicated this information to us so we had no clue that our original event coordinator was away the week of our wedding and that someone else would be taking over. Don't bother trying to call Pen Ryn, the chances that someone answers the phone are worse than the chance of being struck by lightning. Jokes on you if you were thinking about leaving a voicemail...their mailbox is full and when it is not full it cuts you off halfway through and ends the call. Email and scheduled phone calls were somewhat effective. However, it frequently took 1-2 weeks before we would receive a response, despite their email tag saying they will respond within 24 hours. My wedding planner had scheduled a details phone call 3 weeks before the wedding and our event coordinator never joined the call. She apparently was called into another meeting but was too busy to communicate this to us. This was one of the many examples of their poor communication and lack of professionalism. Save your time, money, and frustrations. Do not get married here! read more

I was disappointed in the food, my brother had filet and asked if it could be cooked more and they told him They did not have control of the oven temperature. The dessert table left much to be desired and my salmon wrapped in bacon was not good. My mother's chicken was dry!! My son gave them a personal check for the last payment which they did not tell them until the night before the wedding they did not accept. When I got to the cocktail hour I was made to feel like no money no reception as guests are arriving. The only thing good about this place are the grounds which we did not get to enjoy due to weather. read more

I was invited to attend a November wedding here this year. The day before the wedding it had been raining all day (not a huge storm, just constant rain throughout the day). So while booking a venue with a waterfront view may seem like a great idea what actually happened was a bit different. The trees had lost all their leaves and made everything look depressing. This of course really can't be helped by the venue, and if you're planning your wedding in the fall/winter you know this is a risk just keep that in mind if you're booking the place in the summer based on how it looks. But what was really unfortunate was the flooding. The entire lawn before in front of the building was covered in these gigantic muddy puddles (10 ft across) I'm not an expert in landscaping but there has to be something they can do about better drainage. Because you'll be worrying not just about no rain on your wedding but in the days leading up to it as well. Outside the building is getting a bit worn down looking hit inside is quite nice. There's a lovely library that comes out fantastic in pictures. I was really unimpressed with the food. Everything was bland tasting and there was extremely long waits between each course. There were also no drinks at the table, you had to go up to the bar area for any drinks you wanted or wait for a waiter to come by and refill your water. There should have at least been a pitcher of water at each table and maybe a soda or juice. People kept having to go up and refill drinks and (also slightly they fault of the guests) would bring a new glass each time, leaving tables covered in glasses that were not cleared away for a long time. Please save your money on the donut wall. I saw it on the menu and everyone was really excited to see what it was. First of, they started setting up the wall when everyone already had cake at the very end. Second, it was basically just a tri-food science fair board with wooden pegs all over it and a couple of donuts on each peg. I was expecting a cute decorated "wall" and what I saw was similar to a third grade class presentation. The donuts were plain, undecorated and I'm assuming (based on the boxes they were taken care of and the plain taste and dense texture) were probably bought at Restaurant Depo. You can definitely make this venue work. The one I attended had a lot of love and effort put it so the evening was of course enjoyable. But the venue itself was very disappointing and I would avoid it for any special occasions. read more

I had my wedding here recently in March of 2011. The end result was a very beautiful well managed wedding, but to get to that point was a bit of a struggle. I give the place 4 stars because of a woman named Patty. Try your hardest not to deal too much with her. I live in CA and was planning my wedding across the country, so communication via email is very important. Once Patty had our deposit, she did not respond in a timely manner to emails and was not very helpful. When you ask a question, you would assume people would offer information and give you many options, but with Patty, it was like pulling teeth to get information out of her. One example was the fact that I wanted ivory table cloths for the cocktail hour; she said it would be about $30/table because they had to order them. A week or so later I find out that they have a different type of ivory cloth available for no cost which she did not bother telling me. There were countless events like this so be weary when Patty tells you something costs more, and make sure you write down all your questions so you can ask other people about your options. Patty was not there on my day though, Cindy was, and although she missed an appointment that we had, she was helpful and I was very happy to have her there on my big day. Mary was also great but was fired while I was still planning. Overall, great wedding and I would recommend this location to others. If you want your venue to feel homey and cozy, if you want to watch your guests arriving from the bridal suite, if you want a building with history, Pen Ryn is the way to go. All I can suggest is BEWARE of Patty because she is not helpful and just cares about the money. read more

The Pen Ryn Mansion is gorgeous, classy, adaptable, and fun. I shot a wedding there in 2006. Both the bride's and groom's preparation quarters were beautiful. The grounds are extensive and well kept. The estate itself is beautifully maintained. The food is excellent. The staff is fabulous. The couple was debating back and forth about whether to go outdoors or indoors for the ceremony because a drizzle was expected. The groom was in and out of the manager's office checking the doppler radar all morning. At last minute they decided to move indoors and the staff of the mansion scurried around and got all the chairs brought in and a makeshift ceremony area set up in the reception room. The couple was also brought the wrong cake and the venue staff spent their time and effort running around and coordinating with the bakery to pick up the wrong one and drop off a new one. The only real negative side to this was that a lot of guests let their children run around unchecked and the staff did nothing to control them. While I agree that it's not technically their job to control peoples' children, when there are 8 year olds behind the bar and taking armfulls of glasses to run around with, someone should say something. (and it shouldn't have to be the photographer) read more

I was a bridesmaid in a wedding here. The grounds are beautiful. Some aspects of the inside were a little too old for my taste but if you have very old fashion taste then you have nothing to worry about. The room that the actual wedding was in was great but I didn't like the happy hour too much because I felt like everyone was super split up into different rooms instead of being able to mingle all together. It was raining for the wedding and we took a really cute picture with umbrellas and rain boots! But beware because the beautiful grounds are half (if not more) of the appeal of this place and if there is inclement weather you aren't even able to enjoy them. The staff was nice but we did have to keep the bridal suite locked because of news that someone had gotten their things stolen allegedly from a staff member at a prior event. That definitely didn't take away from the event though (we probably would have locked our stuff up anyway) and all in all it was good atmosphere and great time. read more