“My daughter and her husband chose Milton Ridge for their wedding venue. I live on the opposite coast so I had no opportunity to have a look myself. She and her husband were very happy with the layout of the property and the location. She assured me that staff were warm and friendly as well as very professional and that all questions were addressed promptly and in great detail. My daughter and her husband felt listened to and respected by everyone at Milton Ridge. I was anxious but it was their wedding and they had done a lot of research! I am overjoyed that they chose Milton Ridge for their very special day!! I spoke to many guests and family members that day and evening; everyone had high praise for the couple’s choice of venue. The property is self-contained with a beautiful turn of the century chapel on the lower level of the property and a very large bricked patio on the upper level; with an enormous wooden gazebo at one end and tiered garden area at the opposite end. Indoor or outdoor wedding?? Hard to choose as both areas are sooooo lovely. The Bridal suite and Grooms quarter are in a building adjacent to the chapel on the lower level of the property. Another turn of the century building with Bridal suite, porch and porch swing on the ground level and the Grooms quarters on the 2nd level via a private enclosed stairway; providing total privacy for both parties and their respective entourages. Both areas were very well appointed, comfortable and large; plenty of room for multiple people in each area to get ready for the big day! The Reception Hall was on the upper level with a porch and short stairway leading from the hall to the outdoor patio. The Hall was fresh and bright with plenty of room for DJ, tables, dance floor, bar and buffet without feeling overfilled or crowded. Bride and Groom chose the bar-b-que menu for their dinner; it was beautifully presented, delicious and plentiful. No one left Milton Ridge hungry that evening! The wait staff and bartenders were all very attentive and had obviously been very well trained at table service and bar service respectively. Music was provided by a DJ who was contracted by Milton Ridge and was included with the package that my daughter and her husband had chosen. The selection was a mix of old and new with the focus of getting the guests up and dancing. He was very good at his job and he accomplished his goal! Last but definitely not least; the photographer; also contracted with Milton Ridge! He was amazing!!! The unique shots, quality and beauty of his work left us speechless. He was everywhere, but never in the way, always inconspicuous and watching for that perfect candid shot. Even his posed photos had a very relaxed casual look about them. All photos were organized and available to the newlyweds on the Milton Ridge website within 10days of their wedding day!! ALL pictures belong to her and her husband to print, copy and share with whoever they wish!! Milton Ridge exceeded my expectation and I would never hesitate to recommend them to anyone!!”

“For Brookside, how does this sound? Brookside Gardens is a stunning place to get married. We got married in March, and despite fewer plants being in bloom, it was perfect. The daffodils and cherry blossom trees were stunning. We got married on Sakura Hill, under the twin Sakura weeping cherry trees, and although they weren't in bloom yet, the intricate branches and light buds looked beautiful. We took some newly-wed photos in the Conservatory, which is gorgeous year-round! Our reception was in the auditorium, which made it much easier and less stressful to plan for the possibility of rain. We DIYd our decor (ivy hung from the ceiling and curtain lights along the two walls), and it looked like an absolute dream! Jennifer, the event coordinator for Brookside Gardens, is extremely knowledgeable, organized, and responsive. She is very direct in her feedback, which was helpful. She was initially a little concerned about our auditorium decor plans, but she allowed us a couple of hours to do a dry-run when the space was not in use, and that was incredibly helpful to us to work out our kinks and surely also put her mind at ease. Because she is so knowledgeable about the gardens, she knew exactly the best spots for photographs, where most plants would be in bloom. The Brookside staff were also incredibly helpful on the day of the wedding. Since it's a public park, it's not closed off during the event, but staff blocked off key entrances to our ceremony space during the duration of our ceremony so that we had some privacy. They also drove the golf cart to transport our guests who needed accommodations, as well as to transport us from site to site. Brookside Gardens, being a Montgomery County Park, is also extremely affordable, and they offer a lower rate for MoCo residents. We added features to our contract like the fireplace and access to the Conservatory for photos, and it all fell within our small venue budget. One thing to note is that you're required to rent a dance floor if using the auditorium (we used Sammy's Rental and had a really good experience), which adds to the venue cost. You're also required to hire a full service and licensed caterer, but you can hire whoever you want as long as Brookside approves of them. That flexibility was incredibly important to us as we wanted to cater Indian food for our wedding, and most other venues require you to select from their short list of approved caterers. We loved our experience at Brookside Gardens, and we can't wait to regularly visit our wedding site (for free!) and remember how special our day was.”