What Couples Discover When They Tour Willowbrook for the First Time

Last week, a bride told us she almost didn't schedule her tour at Willowbrook Wedding. She'd looked at our photos online and thought she had the venue figured out. Then she walked through those hand-done black iron doors at our new ceremony space, and everything changed. "I had no idea," she said. We hear that a lot.

Your first visit here tells you things a website can't. You'll understand why couples choose one ceremony location over another, what your reception timeline will actually feel like, and whether this place matches what you've been picturing in your head for months.

Seven Ceremony Spaces That Look Different in Person

Willowbrook's Walk In the Park just opened, and it's already the space couples ask about first. The entrance frames your walk with hand-done black iron doors that feel both dramatic and intimate at once. During your tour, you'll walk through them yourself. You need to feel how they open, see the sightline your guests will have, and picture yourself in that moment.

The Courtyard surprises people because it's not what they expect from a countryside venue. It's a large concrete patio under bistro lights, modern and open. When those lights come on at dusk, the whole mood changes. Some couples arrive thinking they want woods and flowers, then they see the Courtyard at golden hour and realize they actually want something cleaner and more contemporary.

The Woods ceremony location has an aged stone wall accent with a natural wooded backdrop. It photographs beautifully, but standing there in person gives you a completely different sense of scale and light. You'll see how the tree canopy filters sunlight at different times of day.

We'll also show you the Pond, the Pavilion, Willowbrook Hall for indoor ceremonies, and the Waterfall if you're planning something intimate. Each space works for different reasons, and the tour helps you figure out which one actually fits your day.

How Your Day Actually Flows From Ceremony to Reception

Our Main Hall is climate controlled and holds up to 250 guests including your wedding party. The Pavilion works as an outdoor reception option for up to 150 guests. During your tour, you'll see how guests move from ceremony to cocktail hour to dinner without feeling crammed or confused.

You'll see where the permanent bar sits and why we positioned it there. You'll understand how the dimmable lighting shifts the feel of the room as your evening progresses. These details matter when you're planning your actual day, and they're impossible to grasp from photos alone.

The Getting Ready Spaces You'll Use All Morning

The bridal suite has six hair and makeup stations with professional lighting, a private bathroom, a large lounge, and a separate dressing area. You can access it as early as 8:00 AM depending on your date. When you see it in person, you'll understand how your morning will actually feel. You'll picture where your mom will sit, where your photographer will position herself, how your bridesmaids will move through the space.

The groom's room sits on the opposite side of the property with a pool table, TV, and lounge space, accessible as early as 11:00 AM. During the tour, you'll see why we positioned it away from the bridal suite and how that affects your first look timing if you're planning one.

The Vendor Policies That Affect Your Choices

We provide a preferred list of caterers and bar services, but you can request a caterer who's not on our list for approval. Bar service depends on liquor licensing under Delaware law. If your caterer doesn't have an off-premise liquor license, you'll choose bar service from our preferred bartenders list. If your caterer does have that license, you must use them for both food and alcohol.

We don't provide coordination services. We'll recommend coordinators, but the coordination itself is outsourced. Our team stays onsite throughout your event to manage the venue, but we're not running your timeline or cueing your vendors. Couples need to know this upfront because it affects your budget and planning.

Specialty vendors need our approval. All other vendors are your choice.

The Photo Locations Beyond What You See Online

We have about 20 acres, and most couples underestimate what that means until they tour. You'll see the gardens, woods, pond, courtyard, waterfall, pavilion, and fields. The real surprise is the back forty, which is additional acreage we keep available specifically for couple and wedding party photos.

Our team provides golf cart support to get you out there, and during the tour we'll show you how long it actually takes to reach them. You'll understand which locations work best at which times of day based on light and sun position.

If your photographer hasn't shot here before, bring them to the tour. They'll have questions about light, timing, and access that we can answer better in person.

What's Included With Your Venue Rental

We provide 250 white padded folding chairs for ceremonies. For your reception, you get 30 five-foot round tables, 4 eight-foot farmhouse tables, 5 eight-foot rectangle tables, 10 high-top cocktail tables, a half-round five-foot table, a cake table, a dessert table, and 250 black chiavari chairs with cushions. We offer three dance floor color options in varying sizes. We have a permanent bar plus multiple bar setup locations with three bar tables and linens.

What we don't provide: linens and tableware. We recommend Barton's Grand Rental for those items.

We also have optional rental add-ons available. Antique doors for your ceremony entrance, sweetheart tables, floral rings, boxwood walls for photo backdrops, and patio heaters. You'll see the actual items during your tour, not just photos.

Your Rain Backup Plan

We offer two rain backup options included with your booking: an indoor ceremony under roof in Willowbrook Hall, or an outdoor covered ceremony in the Pavilion. You'll see both setups during your tour so you know exactly what each looks like set up for a ceremony.

We've hosted hundreds of weddings, and rain has never stopped a ceremony from being beautiful here.

Conclusion:

We offer in-person tours and FaceTime tours if you're not local yet. We also host monthly open houses. Bring anyone whose opinion matters to your decision. Parents, wedding party members, planners, and photographers join tours regularly.

If you're interested in 2026 or 2027 dates, check our Dates page first to see what's available. Our 2025 calendar is fully booked, but reach out about cancellations if a 2025 date matters to you. For weekday weddings, email info@willowbrookde.com.

Tours take about an hour. You'll walk every space, ask your questions, and revisit any location you want to see again. By the end, you'll know whether Willowbrook works for what you're planning. If you’re ready to see it for yourself, contact us to schedule your tour.

FAQs

Can I bring my photographer or wedding planner to the tour?
Yes, and we encourage it. Bring anyone whose input matters to your decision. If your photographer hasn't shot here before, the tour helps them understand light, access, and timing for your day. Tours take about an hour and cover all seven ceremony locations, both reception spaces, and the getting ready suites.

What comes with the venue rental?
Your rental includes 250 ceremony chairs, 250 black chiavari reception chairs with cushions, round tables, farmhouse and rectangle tables, cocktail tables, cake and dessert tables, three bar setups with linens, dimmable lighting, and access to all seven ceremony locations. You'll need to source linens and tableware separately. We recommend Barton's Grand Rental.

How does your catering and bar service policy work?
We provide a preferred caterer list, but you can request approval for a caterer not on our list. Bar service depends on Delaware liquor licensing. If your caterer doesn't have an off-premise liquor license, you'll choose bar service from our preferred bartenders list. If your caterer does have that license, you must use them for both food and alcohol.

What happens if it rains on my wedding day?
We include two rain backup options with your booking: an indoor ceremony under roof in Willowbrook Hall, or an outdoor covered ceremony in the Pavilion. Both spaces comfortably accommodate ceremonies, and we'll show you both setups during your tour.