Knowlton Mansion Wedding Guide | Philadelphia, PA

Knowlton Mansion is a stone Victorian estate in Northeast Philadelphia, with a white pergola for garden ceremonies, terraces for cocktail hour, a horse paddock and a private wine cellar. I have been photographing weddings at Knowlton Mansion for more than ten years. Wait till you experience the richness of the entire property.

This guide covers where the ceremony happens and how the rain plan works, where cocktail hour and the reception go, the spots I like for portraits, and the house rules to know early. The venue details come from Conroy Catering, which runs Knowlton, so check anything important with them as you plan.

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Knowlton Mansion Wedding Venue Snapshot

From above you can see how it all fits together: the mansion, the conservatory’s glass roof, the white tent, the ceremony pergola and the paddock.

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Why Couples Choose Knowlton Mansion

There is tons of space for large groups, an abundance of shaded natural light, and beautiful landscape and architecture to photograph against. If you are still comparing it with other places in the city, Knowlton is one of the picks in my guide to the best Philadelphia wedding venues.

• The house has real history. It went up in 1881, with Frank Furness as the architect.
• The whole day can happen in one place: the ceremony at the pergola, cocktail hour on the terraces, and dinner and dancing inside.
• Thirteen landscaped acres, per Conroy, without leaving Philadelphia.
• A horse paddock, a fieldstone stable and big old trees, right on the grounds.
• A private wine cellar and a fire pit for the end of the night.
• Conroy Catering runs the venue, and the staff and the food are excellent, as always.
• You can pick your own vendors. Conroy keeps a list of Preferred Professionals, but it does not require them.

Out front, the stone tower and a half-timbered gable rise behind a round flower bed on the drive.

The outbuildings are fun too, like the rusted antique mower sitting on river stones beside one of the fieldstone buildings.

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What I Tell Couples Before a Knowlton Mansion Wedding

After more than ten years of weddings at Knowlton, this is what I make sure my couples know.

If a siren goes by

Knowlton is in Northeast Philadelphia, and once in a while a siren goes by during a ceremony. It doesn’t happen at every wedding. It has happened a few times, and it’s always brief. Just pause for about 30 seconds, let it pass, and carry on. Most officiants figure that out on their own, but mention it to yours ahead of time just in case.

Explore the whole property

People don’t realize how many great spots there are here. Out front, by the turnaround at the main entrance, cross the road to a set of really unique bushes with the mansion behind you. That one is best late in the day, at golden hour. There are great spots and wooded areas in the back corner behind the building too.

Getting ready: Knowlton or a hotel?

It’s about 50-50 with my couples. The rooms at Knowlton are really cool, vintage and old-world, with a quiet, calm feel. That makes for a relaxing morning, not a party. Big wedding party that wants a party atmosphere? Get ready at a hotel. It’s Philly, so the drive over is easy. Smaller group that wants calm? Get ready at Knowlton.

If it rains

I have photographed Knowlton in the rain, and it works. The ceremony moves inside to the main room. Out back there’s a covered area, there’s lots of tree cover, there are awnings at the front of the building, and there are plenty of spots inside, upstairs too.

Cocktail hour with great light

Cocktail hour is out on the back patio, or sometimes in the back of the main building. That end of the house is lined with windows, so the light in there is great.

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The Spaces at Knowlton Mansion

Conroy’s venue page lists Knowlton at 250 seated, with a ballroom of 4,050 square feet.

The mansion

Conroy restored the mansion in 1999 and brought the interiors back to reflect its Victorian past. Its floor plan shows a parlor, a dining room, a library and an enclosed porch, and its FAQ says food stations go throughout the mansion and out on the porches, weather permitting.

The conservatory and the cocktail terraces

Conroy describes the conservatory as contemporary but warm. It opens onto big cocktail terraces with a three-season tent, a pergola for ceremonies and the perennial gardens.

From the back lawn, a curving path lined with little lanterns runs past the tent to the conservatory’s green roof and the stone house behind it.

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Getting Ready and Hotels Near Knowlton Mansion

Where to stay

In the weddings on this page, everyone got ready off site and came over to the mansion after. Conroy’s FAQ lists these preferred hotels:

• Four Points by Sheraton, US 1 and Grant Avenue, Philadelphia
• Holiday Inn Express, Route 13 and Woodhaven Road
• Radisson Hotel Philadelphia Northeast, Trevose
• SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Willow Grove
• Courtyard Marriott, Willow Grove
• Courtyard Marriott, Bensalem
• Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District
• Hilton Philadelphia at Penns Landing

Where to do a first look

You can do your first look right on the grounds. I set one groom up on the walkway behind the mansion so the bride could sneak up behind him and they could see each other for the first time. Another couple did theirs on the side lawn by the mansion.

If you want some city in your photographs, one couple here did their first look and early portraits in Center City, then came out to the mansion for the rest of the day.

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Ceremony Options at Knowlton Mansion

The pergola garden

Conroy’s FAQ puts the outdoor ceremony site on the west lawns of the mansion’s 13 landscaped acres, with seating for up to 250 guests. The aisle runs through English boxwoods and seasonal flowers and ends at a white pergola.

At one wedding here, the bride came in through the white arbor gate at the edge of the ceremony lawn.

Under the pergola there is room for the wedding party on both sides of you. This couple added a canopy of birch branches.

Indoor option and rain plan

Conroy lists both indoor and outdoor ceremony options, so you can plan on an indoor ceremony from the start if you want one. For weather, its FAQ says the catering consultants work out a plan A and a plan B with you at your details meeting, and the Event Manager makes the call on the day.

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Cocktail Hour and Reception at Knowlton Mansion

Cocktail hour

Conroy says the cocktail patios are great for mingling in warm weather. At one wedding here, guests gathered on the back terrace by the conservatory, and the couple came in along the lantern-lined garden path, where the bridesmaids met them, drinks in hand.

The reception room

The reception room in these photographs has a wood ceiling with timber arches, string lights and big pendant lamps.

Here is the same room once the dancing starts, with the couple up on chairs for the hora.

One wall of the room is old fieldstone with a green wooden shutter, and it makes a great backdrop for a sweetheart table.

Conroy’s FAQ says it staffs one person for every twelve guests, and a Personal Bridal Attendant looks after the two of you and is your main contact during the event.

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Best Spots for Photographs at Knowlton Mansion

You can do every portrait of the day without leaving the grounds. Here are the spots I like.

The paddock and the big old tree

The horse paddock has a split-rail fence and a huge old tree at the corner. There may even be a few horses around to photobomb your portraits.

The stone stable

Right beside the paddock is a fieldstone stable with green doors. I like to bring couples over to lean on the fence in front of it.

The garden walkways

Curved stone walkways wind through the gardens between the lawn and the boxwood hedges, with little lanterns along the way. If you have a long train, this is the place to spread it out.

The terrace at night

Toward the end of the evening, step out for a few minutes to check out the fire pit, the outdoor area and the private wine cellar. After dark the conservatory glows, the fire pit is going on the terrace, and lamp posts light up the lawn.

The wine cellar

The way down is a wrought-iron staircase with a grapevine railing, running along a rough stone wall.

Downstairs is a vaulted room lined with shelves of antique bottles. One couple even had a dance down there.

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Planning Tips for a Knowlton Mansion Wedding

• The bar goes through Conroy. Knowlton is a PLCB-licensed facility, so under PLCB law all alcohol on the premises has to come from Conroy and be served by its staff.
• Skip real flame candles in the mansion itself. Conroy allows them in the ballroom.
• Leave the tape at home. Conroy asks that nothing be tacked or taped to floors, walls or banisters in the mansion or the conservatory.
• Choose daytime or evening early. Conroy’s FAQ says it runs daytime events before 5pm and evening events from 7pm, and it is flexible on start times by request and approval.
• Love the holidays? Conroy says holiday decorations are up from the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend until January 15.
• Don’t count on a hold. Conroy’s FAQ says it cannot tentatively hold dates or offer a right of first refusal.
• For parking, Conroy lists an on-site lot and valet.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Knowlton Mansion Weddings

Where is Knowlton Mansion?

Knowlton Mansion is at 931 Rhawn St, Philadelphia, PA 19111, in Northeast Philadelphia. Conroy Catering runs the venue and has held events there since August 1999.

How many guests can Knowlton Mansion hold?

Conroy Catering’s venue page lists Knowlton Mansion at 250 seated, and its FAQ says the outdoor ceremony site seats up to 250 guests. Confirm your count with Conroy as you plan.

Can you have the ceremony at Knowlton Mansion?

Yes. Conroy puts the outdoor ceremony site at Knowlton Mansion on the west lawns, with an aisle through English boxwoods and seasonal flowers that ends at a pergola. Conroy also lists an indoor ceremony option.

What happens if it rains at Knowlton Mansion?

Conroy’s catering consultants work out a plan A and a plan B with you at your details meeting, and the Event Manager makes the call on the day of your Knowlton Mansion wedding. I have photographed Knowlton in the rain: the ceremony moves inside to the main room, and portraits keep going.

Are there hotels near Knowlton Mansion?

Conroy keeps a preferred hotel list for Knowlton Mansion, including the Four Points by Sheraton at US 1 and Grant Avenue, the Holiday Inn Express at Route 13 and Woodhaven Road, the Radisson Hotel Philadelphia Northeast in Trevose and the SpringHill Suites in Willow Grove.

Who does the catering at Knowlton Mansion?

Conroy Catering runs Knowlton Mansion and handles the food. It is a PLCB-licensed facility, so all alcohol comes from Conroy and is served by its staff.

Is there parking at Knowlton Mansion?

Yes. Conroy’s venue page lists an on-site parking lot and valet parking at Knowlton Mansion.

Can we bring our own vendors to Knowlton Mansion?

Yes. Conroy keeps a list of Preferred Professionals who know Knowlton Mansion well, but it does not require them. Give any outside vendors Conroy’s Policies and Guidelines, including the insurance requirements.

Where are the best spots for photographs at Knowlton Mansion?

At Knowlton Mansion I like the horse paddock and its big old tree, the fieldstone stable, the curved garden walkways, the ceremony pergola, and the wine cellar after dark.

Does Knowlton Mansion decorate for the holidays?

Yes. Conroy says holiday decorations are up at Knowlton Mansion from the weekend after Thanksgiving weekend until January 15.

Can you hear sirens during a ceremony at Knowlton Mansion?

Once in a while. It doesn’t happen at every wedding, and when it does it’s brief. Pause about 30 seconds, let it pass, and carry on. Mention it to your officiant ahead of time just in case.

Should we get ready at Knowlton Mansion or at a hotel?

About half my Knowlton couples get ready there. The rooms are vintage and calm, great for a smaller group that wants a relaxing morning. A big wedding party that wants a party atmosphere does better at a hotel, and the drive over is easy.

Have you photographed weddings at Knowlton Mansion?

Yes. I have been photographing weddings at Knowlton Mansion for more than ten years. It is also one of the picks in my guide to the best Philadelphia wedding venues.

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