Imagine a Pennsylvania wedding venue where Gilded Age opulence meets effortless modern romance. Enter: Elkins Estate. Nestled just outside Philadelphia, this breathtaking property is a dream come to life for any engaged couple craving pure magic. With its ornate architecture, sweeping gardens, and grand interiors, it’s no wonder that the famed Elkins Estate wedding & event venue has been gracing inspiration boards everywhere lately. As a PA photographer who lives for natural light and a little sparkle, I can tell you: this space is a true showstopper.
Where Is Elkins Estate?
Elkins Estate is located at 1750 Ashbourne Road in Elkins Park, PA, just a quick 20-minute drive from Center City Philadelphia. It’s the perfect blend of accessibility and grandeur, making it an incredible choice for couples seeking a luxury wedding venue without the chaos of city logistics. Plus, the grounds are so expansive and lush that it feels like you’re tucked away in a fairytale.
Read More: This Garden Inspired Elkins Estate Wedding Styled Shoot Belongs in a Fairytale
History Of The Venue
Oh, the history! Elkins Estate was originally the private residence of William L. Elkins, an influential businessman during the Gilded Age. Built between 1898-1900, the estate’s French-inspired architecture and sprawling gardens were designed to impress guests. Hellloooo Gatsby vibes.
Over the decades, the estate served different roles, including a retreat center, before being lovingly restored back to its grand, event-ready glory. As a Pennsylvania photographer, getting to shoot at a place layered with so much local history adds an extra dose of magic to every frame.
Who Owns Elkins Estate?
Currently, Elkins Estate is privately owned and operated as a luxury wedding and event venue under the By Landmark brand. The new stewardship has honored the property’s rich past while updating it with modern amenities perfect for today’s celebrations.
Elkins Estate Wedding Cost
Investment for an Elkins Estate wedding varies based day of week, season, time of year, guest count, and single-day vs. full-weekend rental. Here’s a typical investment snapshot for the average Elkins Estate wedding:
- Single Day Celebration Package: from $61,000
- Single Day site fee: $18,000–$35,000, plus a food & beverage minimum of $37,500–$40,000
- Ultimate Wedding Weekend Package (3 day / 2 night weekend): from $96,000
- Guest count: packages include 200 guests; additional guests $350/person
- Deposit: $5,000 to secure your date
This includes access to the mansion, the terrace, and the incredible grounds. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind backdrop that’s worth every penny for couples dreaming of an editorial, high-end wedding experience.
For a walkthrough of everything included in the Ultimate Wedding Weekend, visit the Elkins Estate Wedding and Event Venue menu package.
Explore all the details for booking a Single Day Celebration package.
Visit this page for updated Elkins Estate Wedding cost and venue tour links!
What Does The Elkins Estate Wedding Cost Include?
Elkins Estate wedding packages are all-inclusive! Your investment includes a premium open bar, curated food and dining experience from cocktail hour through reception, and full use of the property throughout your celebration. Depending on your needs, you can opt into additional experiences like a rehearsal dinner, after-party, farewell brunch, and overnight accommodations.
Another cool perk is the complimentary Stork Club Couples Membership you receive with your package booking! Couples can get access to dining and hotel discounts, priority reservations, and exclusive event entry at other by Landmark properties during the month leading up to their wedding.
Venue Layout and Design
If you’re peeking at the Elkins Estate floor plan, you’ll find an elegant flow between opulent ballrooms, marble staircases, sweeping terraces, and private outdoor spaces. Whether you envision an outdoor garden ceremony or a candlelit reception in the mansion’s grand hall, every corner of the estate offers stunning photographic opportunities.
Like, the crown molding has its own crown molding. Trust me, I practically squeal behind my camera with every new angle.
Elkins Estate houses a collection of historic mansions set across a 42-acre private estate in Pennsylvania. Elstowe Manor anchors the estate and features 69 guest rooms so you and your guests can celebrate for more than a single evening.
Between The Glam Room and The Billiard & Smoking Lounge, you can choose from two dedicated getting-ready spaces at Elkins Estate. The Glam Room features natural light, multiple beauty stations, and pink velvet lounge seating for getting ready photos. The Billiard & Smoking Lounge offers a totally different vibe. The billiards table and moody gathering space give wedding parties a more relaxed start to the day. Both spaces are included with the Ultimate Wedding Weekend experience, and all wedding parties get access to the rooms two hours before their celebration.
Chelten House will introduce a second event setting to the property and expand the estate’s overnight accommodations. It will also introduce its own dedicated getting-ready spaces for celebrations hosted within the mansion.
What Is Chelten House?
Chelten House is the second mansion at Elkins Estate, opening officially in 2027! Where Elstowe Manor makes the big, grand-staircase statement, Chelten House caters to more intimate celebrations. Picture an English-Tudor residence tucked beside sweeping lawns, a quiet pond, and a romantic fountain — the kind of setting where the evening lingers, and nobody’s in a rush to leave. (The English-Tudor charm alone would make a Bridgerton set designer a little jealous.)
Built in 1896 for George Elkins and designed by Horace Trumbauer, this English Tudor residence carries the same architectural significance as the rest of the property. Designed for up to 130 guests, it’s built for couples who want the full estate experience — private grounds, on-site accommodations, and that By Landmark hospitality — in a space that feels personal rather than palatial. Converted 19th century stables will serve as an on site distillery and tasting room with vodka, gin, bourbon and rye made right on the premises. Chelten House debuts in 2027 and is already taking inquiries for its very first celebrations!
Elkins Estate Reviews
The reviews Elkins Estate receives from couples, their family members, other vendors, and guests speak for themselves. I’ve photographed enough weddings to know the difference between a venue that just looks good in photos and one that actually takes care of you, and Elkins is both! Here’s what keeps coming up:
The staff treat you like family
Couples name names in their reviews — Ed, the on-site director who’s there supervising the whole night; Devon, who runs the rooms and dinner service; Amy on the coordination side; and bridal attendants like Janelle who carry a bag of everything you might need at any moment! When people still remember their coordinator’s name a year later, that tells you something.
Rain doesn’t wreck it
One mom of the groom described it pouring at 3:30 and being sure the outdoor ceremony was toast — then walking out at 5:00 to find every chair bone dry and the ceremony starting right on time. (This one made me grin because I also witnessed this firsthand during Kaitlyn & Tony’s rainy July wedding!) The indoor spaces are every bit as gorgeous as the lawns, so a plot-twist forecast isn’t the crisis it feels like.
You get the whole place to yourselves
Elkins only books one wedding at a time, so you’re not sharing the grounds. Reviewers love having free range of the entire manor for photos, with every room they needed just a two-minute walk away.
The food is something to write home about
Review after review talks about cocktail hour like it’s the main event — pasta bars, multiple drink stations, a spread one couple compared to eating Thanksgiving dinner at their tasting. Dietary needs get accommodated, and you can tweak dishes at the tasting. Nobody leaves hungry or underwhelmed!
It’s a full weekend, not a five-hour rental
Rehearsal dinner, an after-party in the library, overnight suites, a buffet breakfast the next morning — couples describe arriving Friday and not wanting to leave Sunday. The rooms get called clean, modern, and genuinely comfortable, with valet parking and stocked snacks to boot.
And yes, it’s an investment
Most reviewers say it’s “worth every dime”, and the outer buildings and grounds are still being restored, so it’s a property that’s actively getting even better.
Elkins Estate Wedding & Event Venue Photos
I rounded up all the nooks and crannies worth exploring at the Elkins Estate wedding & event venue so you can get a sneak peek at all the magic before your tour! Explore each space below to find your favorite spots.
The Music Room (Ballroom)
The Gardens & Terrace
Getting-ready Suites
Indoor And Outdoor Ceremony Sites
Grand Staircase & Interiors
Elkins Estate Logistics FAQs
Just outside Philadelphia in Elkins Park, PA — a 42-acre estate in Cheltenham Township that feels a world away from the city without the long haul to get there. (More on the grounds and history up above.)
The Single Day Celebration Package starts at $61,000, and the three-day, two-night Ultimate Wedding Package starts at $96,000. That covers a lot including venue, food and beverage, overnight suites, valet, and staff. Your final investment depends on the date, season, and guest count. (Full breakdown in the pricing section above.)
Elstowe Manor, the main mansion, seats up to 300. Chelten House, the new English-Tudor space debuting in 2027, is built for more intimate celebrations of up to 130. And “up to” doesn’t mean “packed in”. One couple who hosted a 150-guest ceremony in the Music Room called it intimate, not cramped.
Nope, just yours! Elkins books a single wedding at a time, so you’re never sharing the grounds, the staff, or your photo spots with any other couples. That means free range of the whole property for portraits, which, as your photographer, I will absolutely take advantage of.
Yes, and it’s one of the best parts! You and your closest guests stay overnight in the estate’s suites and guest rooms (there are 69 total), which reviewers consistently call clean, modern, and comfortable. You’ll enjoy plush beds, stocked snacks, the works! Add complimentary valet and a buffet breakfast the next morning, and nobody has to rush off the second the last song ends.
Elkins Estate Wedding Planning FAQs
The Single Day Celebration Package is your wedding day start to finish — ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, a honeymoon suite for the night, and breakfast. The Ultimate Wedding Package stretches it into a three-day, two-night weekend: rehearsal dinner, the wedding day, an after-party, overnight suites for your people, and a farewell brunch.
This is the one thing guests won’t stop talking about. Think multiple drink stations, a pasta bar at cocktail hour, and a spread so generous one couple compared their tasting to Thanksgiving dinner. Dietary needs get accommodated, and you can tweak dishes at the tasting to make them feel like yours.
Yes. The Elkins Estate wedding and event venue team runs the day alongside you! You’ll get an on-site director (reviewers rave about Ed, who supervises the entire night), a venue manager handling rooms and dinner service, and a day-of bridal attendant who carries a bag of everything you didn’t know you’d need. It won’t replace your own wedding planner if you hire one (I always recommend), but you won’t have to figure it out solo.
Yes, and I’ve got receipts. Whether you equip all your guests with fun clear umbrellas or move the party inside, you have options! The mansion interiors are every bit as gorgeous as the lawns, so an indoor ceremony here is an actually desirable real plan B. (Check out the rainy wedding I shot here. I’m sold.)
Book Your Elkins Estate Wedding Event Venue Photographer
If you’re planning a wedding at Elkins Estate and are looking for a Pennsylvania wedding photographer who knows how to capture the estate’s light, romance, and grandeur, I’m dreaming of documenting your day. Let’s create some breathtaking Elkins Estate wedding photos together!
(And if you’re looking for wedding photographers in Pennsylvania who will keep you laughing, comfortable, and looking your best — hi, I’m Lindsey. Let’s chat here💕)
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