Deepwood Museum & Gardens — Attraction in Salem

I try very hard to refrain from posting negative reviews. It's been my experience that often times reviews written out of anger or are emotionally charged, come across as just that. I've waited several weeks for the manager of Deepwood to change her mind and do the right thing, but it doesn't seem that will happen. Unfortunately, you've left me no choice but voice my opinion about your business practices.

My son and future daughter in law chose Deepwood for the site of their wedding next October 2017. In mid September they dutifully signed the contract and put money down as a deposit. 2 weeks later, my future daughter in law's mother suffered a horrific and catastrophic brain injury that as of this writing (mid November) still has her hospitalized in an ICU unit. This has been a life altering event for the entire family and money is tight.

When their plans changed and scaling back was the only alternative, they asked to break the contract and get their money back. Deborah refused. Without so much as an "I'm sorry", they got, "we have to stick with what the contract says". So basically, tough luck. Surely after 2 months, one would think that doing the right thing and quite possibly showing a little compassion for the situation would change her mind. Unfortunately it hasn't. With 11 months to go, surely they can re-book the date for another couple that can make it.

Maybe more than anything, this should serve as a warning to any potential brides to be. Buyer beware. Know what kind of people you are dealing with. Know that they aren't interested in making your day the best it can be, rather they are more concerned with keeping your money and the fact that a contract was broken. Be aware that if a family emergency arises, there is no viable recourse.

I'm saddened by this but better to find out now, than closer to an actual...

We had our wedding at Deepwood Museum & Gardens on May 27, 2023 and highly recommend it as a beautiful venue managed by exceptionally professional staff. After bouncing around the ideas of a destination or coastal wedding venue, my husband and I decided to keep it local for us and a manageable location to get to for our many out-of-state family and friends. I first spoke with Wedding Coordinator Elizabeth, and she was prompt to offer me a tour and very detailed information about wedding packages. After seeing how beautiful the venue was and how transparent the pricing was, we decided this was where our wedding was going to be.

About a week out from our wedding date, I met with Assistant Director Melanie to walk through the venue again to have a better understanding of ceremony and reception plans. Melanie's familiarity with the venue and weddings was incredibly helpful in laying out tables, chairs, and planning our walking routes from the first look to the reception.

On our wedding day, Deepwood staff expertly set up everything according to plan. Everyone was kind and quickly receptive to our needs. We had the intimate and whimsical garden wedding of our dreams at Deepwood. We cannot recommend them enough as a...

Deepwood Museum and Gardens was a perfect venue for our early August wedding. The variety of gardens offered multiple photo opportunities. Our favorite spot was the Solarium, where we signed our marriage license. The ceremony took place in the Great Room Garden. Despite being a hot summer evening, it was shaded among the trees.

Elizabeth was incredibly helpful from the start. Her willingness to meet with us when we had questions and her quick responses were greatly appreciated! The on-site staff were excellent, setting everything up before our arrival and tearing down afterward.

Our only concern was coordinating the rehearsal. We were unable to reserve a rehearsal time in advance due to potential conflicts with other weddings. We managed to secure our one hour rehearsal about a month prior to the wedding. Although we couldn't have dinner on site, it worked out as we enjoyed a meal at a local park instead.

Overall, we couldn't have asked for a better place to get married and celebrate our wedding! It was everything we hoped and we are truly...