The Last of the Venues...Part 1

So after two months of writing venue reviews I'm ready to move on. I have decided to post the last of the venues that I have info on but haven't blogged about yet. There are quite a few so I am going to break it up into two posts. After that I will post about my wedding venue and then I plan on hitting on other topics that I am working on now. Leave a comment if you want any more information about any of the venues listed below! Good luck on the search!

Point Lookout Resort: This is a rustic-chic resort in Lincolnville, ME that has a great lodge on a mountain top with awesome views. The views are what drew me to the venue in the beginning but the price ultimately pushed me away. I do have to say that the wedding coordinator, Lisa Tapken, worked with me for a while to try and bring the price back into my range. She was super nice and helpful. I would recommend this venue to a bride who wants the rustic-chic style but has a big budget.

The Endicott Estate: This is an historic mansion located in Dedham, MA. It is good for smaller weddings and allows you to bring your own alcohol and food, which can save you some serious money. They offer on-site ceremonies, house and tented receptions with different rental pricing for prime and and off-seasons. The contact there is Erin Perron.

The Stonehurst Paine Estate: The Paine Estate is an old wooden and stone estate located in Waltham, MA. It was really hard to get in touch with the coordinator Marcia Goodwin. She didn't always respond to e-mail very quickly so if it is a place you are really interested, then you should be persistent. This is a good venue for the couple looking for a historic venue that is reasonably priced. The estate can hold up to 150 people, so it would be good for a small to average sized wedding.

Alden Castle: This is a Longwood venue located in Brookline, MA. It is described as modern chic and the price reflects this. The minimum is $20k which doesn't include the 20% admin fee. This is a really nice space that can hold 150 people but it was too expensive for us. This would be a great venue for a bride who wants to have a city wedding but doesn't want to feel like they are in the city. The contact is Michell Sagi.

The Lakeview Pavilion: Lakeview is ballroom style wedding venue in Foxboro, MA. They have 150 person minimum for a Saturday wedding and only has one wedding at a time. They have outdoor space for a ceremony and the reception is held in a ballroom that is decorated with tulle swags and white Christmas lights. They offer some great discounts so I'd would recommend this venue to a south shore bride who has a bigger wedding party and wants to work on a mid-range budget. The contact for the venue is Terry Memmo.

Tuppor Manor: This is venue is part of Wylie Conference Center at Endicott College and is gorgeous. They have an beautiful room for the reception and you can have your ceremony on the beach. They are pretty expensive with food and beverage minimums up near $15k and the rental fee as high as $7k. This would be a great venue for a bride with a big budget looking for an elegant venue. The contact for the venue is Paul Bachinger.

More venues soon!

ME Wedding Venue: Spruce Point Inn

The Spruce Point Inn is an upscale collection of inn rooms and cottages on the coast of Boothbay Harbor, Maine. It is has all of the trappings of a coastal Maine inn with a seaside motif but in an upscale and elegant way. On the website and in the literature they send out, they really push the idea of having a whole weekend event. Obviously they want you to spend more money there but I am unsure if they only hold one event a weekend or even a day. I assume because they have three different reception spaces they would hold more than event a weekend if not a day. The reception spaces are a nice mix of indoor and outdoor areas. The Pemaquid is my favorite reception space because you get an indoor space to eat and dance but have the outdoor area to hang out and drink cocktails. They also have a really cool grand staircase to make a grand entrance. The packages for the food and alcohol are inclusive and I think are a pretty good deal. The packages range from $149-$179 per person and there are food and drink minimums but the packages include 4 hours of open bar, cake, dual entrees, two night stay for bride and groom plus more. Considering the individual costs for each of those things it is a pretty good deal. There is one draw back, they charge a 20% service fee plus tax and facility fee. This is pretty high considering the minimums and adds a lot to the bill. Always check for these extra costs to make sure they don't put you over budget! Details below!

Information					Comments
The Venue: The Spruce Point Inn					An elegant and modern inn in northern ME.
Location: Booth Bay Harbor, ME
Rental Season: No prime season specified.					As far as I can tell you can rent all of the spaces year round but the prices in the summer might go up.
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.
Capacity: The guest count ranges from 150-250.					You can have less people in each of the spaces, these are just the maximums.
Guest Min Required? There is a minimum of 50 ppl for the packages.
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes.They are rooms you rent at the inn.					Two night room for the bride and groom at complimentary.
Function Rental Fee: The Pemaquid: $2,750, The Linekin: $2,000, The Oceanfront Tented Deck: $2,250, The Oceanfront (no tent): $1,250					The rental is for 5 hours. I am unsure if you are the only wedding reception on your day.
Overtime Fee: Not specified
Ceremony Fee: Included in the rental fees.
Catering: All food provided by resort. Packages range from $149-$179 per person.					This includes cake, coffee and tea, champagne toast, apps and either buffet or dual entrée.
Alcohol: 4 hours open bar of call liquors included in all the packages!					It doesn't say specifically but I assume you can also have a consumption, cash bar or upgrade your open bar liquors.
Food/Beverage Min? Yes, ranges from $12,500 - $17,500 depending on the room.
Bar Fee: Not specified.
Extra Fees: 20% admin fee, and unspecified ME tax and facility fee.					$100 buffet station fee for each station.
Accommodations: 14 rooms.					The room prices range from $180-$745 depending on the day and season.
Venue Contact: Cindy Mastrella					CMastrella@sprucepointinn.com

 

MA Wedding Venue: The Hellanic Center

The Hellanic Center is an old estate mansion that is located in Ipswich, MA. I've talked about how much I love Ipswich before in other venue posts and this venue is located closer to the center of town than the other two.  The venue has three ceremony spaces. The first is on the side of the property and is a stone patio. It has a a few steps up to an elevated concrete platform with an arch. The ceremony can be preformed here with your guest sitting on the stone floor below. The only downside is that behind the archway is the road and driveway. This doesn't make for a very pretty or peaceful backdrop. The second (and my favorite) ceremony space is in the back lawn between two large oak trees. Here is is much more peaceful and the chairs can be set up anywhere on the lawn you'd like. The final space is in the more formal gardens where you walk down off the back porch into the ceremony space. This space is smaller so would be good for a smaller party. This space would be great for cocktail hour as well. Inside, the venue is one large room that you enter the minute you walk through the door. They were doing renovations when we visited but they said that they would be over by this spring. They have a built in bar and the room can be arranged in an manner you want. They provide the alcohol but you have to hire one of their three caterers for the food. I would recommend this venue to any bride who wants to have a large wedding and wants to have a nice outside ceremony. Details below!

Information					Comments
The Venue: The Hellanic Center					A former private estate on 13 acres.
Location: Ipswich, MA
Prime Season: No prime season.					Pricing the same all year.
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.					They have 3 different outdoor spaces which is where a majority of the ceremonies take place.
Capacity: Up to 250					There is only one indoor reception space.
Guest Min Required? 100 ppl for a Fri or Sun, 125 ppl on a Sat.
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes. They have suites to get ready in.					The bridal suites are upstairs and are ok.
Function Rental Fee: Sat: $4,400, Fri & Sun: $3,150, Sun (Pre-Holiday): $4,400					5 hour rental of the whole property. No pricing information given for a weekday rental.
Overtime Fee: $350/half hour
Ceremony Fee: Included in rental fee.					As long the ceremony is in the 5 hr rental.
Catering: Must hire one of the 3 exclusive caterers.
Alcohol: Open bar for 4 1/2 hrs $28/pp.					You can have a cash or consumption bar as well.
Food/Beverage Min? No
Bar Fee: No.
Extra Fees: 18% charge on the alcohol if the bartenders are not tipped by the guests.
Accommodations: No.
Venue Contact: Tamie Rodolosi					TheHellenicCenter@verizon.net

 

Asking all the right questions....

For the last 3 months I have been posting reviews about all of the venues that I looked at until I found "the one". I though that in addition to posting reviews I would also post questions that I think are important to ask when you go on venue tours. When I started out touring venues I expected them just to tell me everything but as I went on more tours I realized you really have to be up front in asking the questions to get the information you want. Listed below are a few categories and some related questions that should help you get a better idea about the venue you are looking at.

The Rental Space - it is important to know as much as you can about the physical space you are going to rent and what that requires. Here are a few key questions.

1. What is the venue rental fee? What space does it include?
2. Can I have my ceremony here? Is there an additional fee?
3. How long is the rental? Does this include the ceremony time (if applicable)? Can I purchase overtime and a what rate?
4. What is the maximum number of guests you can accommodate?
5. What is the rain plan? (for either reception or ceremony)
6. Are there limitations on decorations for the space?

The Food and Booze - The food and alcohol is important and usually the biggest cost associated with your reception. There are a million different ways venues handle, or don't, the food.

1. Does your facility provide the food and alcohol? If not, are there restrictions on who can cater the event?
2. What is the price per person for all of your food packages? What is the price per person for your open bar? What are included in the menu packages?
3. Is there a price guarantee on my package pricing? Is there a maximum increase limit to the price?
4. What alcohol options do we have? Open bar, cash bar, consumption based pricing? What variations of these can be done during the rental time?
5. Is there a hard end time for alcohol service?

The General Stuff - This is the little stuff that can often slip through the cracks but is just as important to consider.

1. Are there any additional fees (taxes, admin or service fee, cake cutting fee) that will be applied to my final bill? If so, what are they? Is gratuity included?
2. Is there a day of coordinator and who will they be? What will their job be on the day of the wedding?
3. Are there overnight accommodations for guests at the venue? If not, how close by are they and at what price points?
4. Are there off season/day/time discounts? What is required to hold a date?
5. Do you plan on doing any renovations near or before the time of the wedding? Will the be completed in time or will the facility look as you see it then?
6. Are there any additional or unusual rules or guidelines we must follow during the rental? 

This is a short and general list but more complete lists can be found and the following links below.

New England Bride Function Organizer

Real Simple Magazine's Q's

Glamour Magazine's Take on Venue Q's

NH Wedding Venue: The Hanover Inn Dartmouth

The Hanover Inn is another luxurious inn in a small New England town. I think there is defiantly a pattern in all of my posts! :)  This is a great inn that has 108 rooms, some of which over look the Dartmouth campus. Hanover is a great little New Hampshire town, in the western part of the state. It has fun shops and great little eateries plus the added benefit of a sophisticated collegiate atmosphere. I highly recommend checking out Molly's if you go to visit and need a place to eat!  The inn only gave me information on receptions, so I am unsure if they do ceremonies in their ballrooms but I am pretty sure that they don't have any outside space. The packages that they do offer are reasonably priced with the most expensive package option to be $145 per person. All of the packages include apps, dinner, a toast, linens and a 5 hour reception time, and comp room with a late night snack and champagne. I think that this is a really great venue for brides who want to have the feel of a big city, fancy ballroom wedding but in a beautiful, quiet location. I would recommend this venue to any bride who wants an elegant but still country wedding. Details below!

 

Information		Comments
The Venue: The Hanover Inn		Luxury in small town NH.
Location: Hanover, NH		This is home to the prestigious Dartmouth College and a great little New England town.
Rental Season: Prime season not specified.		I would assume prime is May-October but no off season discount mentioned.
Ceremony Onsite: They don't discuss ceremonies at The Hanover Inn.		I assume you could have one in the ballroom but I don't think there is any outdoor space and it is usually rented for receptions only.
Capacity: Two event spaces, each 100-300 people.
Guest Min Required? Not specified.		I don't think there is one.
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes. They are rooms at the inn and are complimentary the night of your reception.
Function Rental Fee (prime season): Not specified, but I believe it is included in the wedding packages.		5 hr rental.
Overtime Fee: Event Barn: Not specified.
Ceremony Fee: Not specified.
Catering: Food done by the inn. Packages range from $72-$145 a person. All packages include apps, dinner, and toast.		Linens, tables, chairs also included. The upgraded packages include cake, and more courses.
Alcohol: $22-$45 per person for five hours of open bar.		They also have cash bar and consumption based options available.
Food/Beverage Min? Not specified.		I don't think there is one.
Bar Fee: Not specified.
Extra Fees: 9% meals tax, 12% service charge on food and beverage and 5% admin fee.
Accommodations: They have 108 rooms for rent.		Prices range from $200-$500/night.
Venue Contact: Kate Martel		kathryn.martel@hanoverinn.com

ME Wedding Venue: The Landing at Pine Point

The Landing at Pine Point is a unique wedding venue located in Portland, ME. The Landing used to be an old church that was converted into a modern, chic venue space. The Black Tie Catering Corporation bought The Landing and now rents it out for all types of functions and does all of the catering. You can have your ceremony inside the venue or right down the street on the bay near the ocean. They don't offer traditional wedding packages but in the rental fee include 5 hrs of reception, tables, chairs, some uplighting, bridal suite, etc. All of the menus are customizable  with individual pricing for every part of the menu. You can make it as expensive or inexpensive as you want. I didn't see anything mentioned about a food minimum so I think you have a lot of flexibility to make your menu as big or as small as you want. The Black Tie Co also provided the alcohol but they didn't provide any initial pricing. Overall, the venue space looks super modern and fun, plus it can hold up to 500 people so it is a great option for big wedding parties. I love the stage, which would be great for a live band or DJ and uplighting really makes the space look amazing. I think this would be a great venue for brides who want a unique space, have large wedding parties and really want to customize every detail of their wedding. Details below!

Information					Comments
The Venue: The Landing at Pine Point					An old church converted to a great function space.
Location: Portland, ME					The old part of the city is historic and a lot of fun to hang out in at night.
Prime Season: Not specified.					I assume May-October.
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.					The outdoor space is near the beach.
Capacity: Up to 500 people inside.
Guest Min Required? No
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes. They have suites to get ready in.
Function Rental Fee: Ranges from $2,500-$3,500.					Includes the whole property, 5 hrs for the reception, chairs, tables, flatware, etc.
Overtime Fee: Not specified.
Ceremony Fee: Not specified.
Catering: Black Tie Co caters. The estimate is $85-$90 pp and goes up for there.					They don't have packages and you customize your menu completely.
Alcohol: Provided by Black Tie Co, but prices not  given.					All open bars are subject to 7% ME tax and 18% service fee.
Food/Beverage Min? No
Bar Fee: Not specified.
Extra Fees: Most likely ME tax and service charge on food.
Accommodations: No.
Venue Contact: Ashleigh Hill					ashleigh@theblacktieco.com

 

MA Wedding Venue: The Lyman Estate

The Lyman Estate is an old mansion located in Waltham, MA. It sits on 37 acres of pretty lawns and gardens. Waltham is just north of Boston which is convenient for out of town guests but the grounds of the mansion transports you to a peaceful and quiet space. The mansion has an old world charm combined with the modern style of perfect gardens. The Lyman Estate is yours for the day when you rent it. You get 8 hrs, 2 for set up, 5 for the reception and 1 hour for breakdown and clean up. You can have the reception inside the mansion or in a tent on the lawns. There are no candles allowed either inside or out but that is the only major decoration limitation. You get to choose from 11 different caterers for your event, which gives you a good range of price points to choose from. They also only have seats and tables for 150 so if you have 200 in the tent then you will have to rent the extra chairs and tables. I think this is a great venue for any bride who wants and estate wedding and is looking to have a small to medium sized wedding party. Details below.

Information					Comments
The Venue: The Lyman Estate					A mansion built in 1793 on 37 acres of land.
Location: Waltham, MA					Just north of Boston.
Prime Season: May-October
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.					The outdoor space is in the gardens.
Capacity: 150 people in the mansion, 200 in a tent.					You must rent the tent from one of two companies.
Guest Min Required? No
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes. They have suites to get ready in.
Function Rental Fee (Prime season): Sat: $4,000, Fri: $2,900, Sun: $3,100, Mon-Thur: $1,000					Includes the whole property, 8 hrs total with 5 hrs for the reception, chairs and tables for 150.
Overtime Fee: Not specified.					Music must end by 11 pm and is not to exceed 80 decibels.
Ceremony Fee: Included in rental fee.
Catering: Must hire one of the 11 exclusive caterers.					There is a caterer for every price range in this list.
Alcohol: Not specified, most likely provided by caterer.					No cash bar, kegs or tip cups are allowed. The bar must end 30 min prior to the event.
Food/Beverage Min? No
Bar Fee: Paid to caterer.
Extra Fees: Must purchase a one day liquor license.
Accommodations: No.
Venue Contact: Bill Blanchfield					bblanchfield@historicnewengland.org

 

NH Wedding Venue: The Bedford Village Inn

The Bedford Village Inn is a small but upscale inn in southern NH. They have really a beautiful lawn and gardens behind the inn were you can have your ceremony. Inside they have a couple of dinning rooms but the main reception space is the Great Hall. It can hold up 210 people and has nice floor to ceiling windows with an elegant feel. They have food and beverage minimums and some guest minimums on the lower packages  I didn't like how close it was to the road and big intersection, it sort of lost the intimate feel I was looking for. The price was also a little steep for what I was considering. I think this would be a great venue for a bride who has the budget to meet the minimums and wants an more urban (urban for NH anyway) location with a country feel. Details below!

Information					Comments
The Venue: The Bedford Village Inn					A classy inn in southern inn.
Location: Bedford, NH
Prime Season: May-October					They have "hot dates/cool rates" weekends on their website, there is one almost every month.
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.					The outdoor space is on the lawn behind the inn.
Capacity: The facility can from 36-210 people.					The Great Hall is the most common space to hold your reception.
Guest Min Required? The Gold package has a min of 80 ppl.
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes.They are rooms you rent at the inn.					The bridal suite is complimentary.
Function Rental Fee: Fri: $1,000, Sat Morn: $750, Sat Night: $1,800, Sun: $750					For any 6 hours on Saturday the rental is $2,2000. The normal rental is 5.5 hrs. On sat they hold two weddings.
Overtime Fee: Not specified
Ceremony Fee: Fri, Sat Morn, Sun: $750, Sat Night: $950
Catering: All food provided by resort. Packages range from $57-$166 per person.
Alcohol: Open bar for 5 hrs is $39 per person.					You can also have a consumption or cash bar.
Food/Beverage Min? Yes, ranges from $7,000 - $22,000 depending on the time and day.					A Saturday night in October or September requires a $22,000 min and a 6 hr rental.
Bar Fee: $350 for a cash bar.
Extra Fees: 20% admin fee
Accommodations: 14 rooms.
Venue Contact: Olivia Carnevale					OliviaC@bedfordvillageinn.com

 

MA Wedding Venue: The Bradley Estate

The Bradley Estate is a historic 1909 Georgian mansion located in Canton, MA. It is a very stately home with 90 acres of beautiful manicured grounds on which to hold your wedding. They only do one wedding a weekend from May-October so only around 200 couples have been married there since 2000, when they started holding ceremonies there. It is a really unique place to hold your ceremony and they are environmentally conscious for the brides who are looking to stay green. The facility rental gives you any 8 hours of any day on your wedding weekend. The reception time is 5 hours beginning with your ceremony. You can have the ceremony in the great gardens or inside the house. If you have your reception in the house it is spread over the whole first floor and can accommodate 100 people. You can also have a tented reception outside and have up to 150 people. You do have to rent the tent. I think this would be a great wedding venue for brides who want to have a unique wedding experience in a great historic mansion. Details below!

Information					Comments
The Venue: The Bradley Estate					1902 Georgian mansion.
Location: Canton, MA					About a half hour south of Boston.
Prime Season: May-October
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.					The outdoor space is near a really pretty wood trellis with circular stone patio.
Capacity: 100 people in the mansion, 150 in a tent.					You must rent the tent from their exclusive rental company.
Guest Min Required? No
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes. They have suites to get ready in.					The bridal suite is located on the second floor of the mansion.
Function Rental Fee: $3,800 for a Fri-Sun. This is for an 8 hr rental.					Includes the whole property, they only do one wedding a weekend.
Overtime Fee: $900/hr.					House events have to end by 11 pm, tent events by 10 pm.
Ceremony Fee: Included in rental fee.					$195 to hold a rehearsal there.
Catering: Must hire one of the four exclusive caterers.
Alcohol: Not specified, most likely provided by caterer.
Food/Beverage Min? No
Bar Fee: Paid to caterer.
Extra Fees: Not specified.
Accommodations: No.
Venue Contact: Beverly Ann Bonner					WeddingB@aol.com

 
 

VT Wedding Venue: Stowe Mountain Lodge

The Stowe Mountain Lodge is part of the Stowe Mountain Resort, which is a very upscale and luxurious ski and golf resort in northern VT. They have wedding year round, held in their Lodge which has spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and is great in any season. The resort can best be described as rustic chic, with natural wood and nature decor but still elegant. They have all of the basic resort amenities and a lot of outdoor activities for you and your guests in any season. They offer complete wedding packages ranging from $160-$220 per person, with space for up to 200 people. Included in the packages are the facility fee, a 5 hour reception time and all the basics such as tables, linens, cake cutting, etc. For an additional $1,500 you can hold your ceremony outside on the stone terrace which is very pretty and has great views. There were some details missing from the packet I received, such as the alcohol information, overtime fees and what the extra cost for tax and admin fees were. We chose not to go with this venue mostly due to the price but it was also pretty far away for us and would have made planning a little difficult. I think that this would be a great venue for a bride who loves to do outdoor activities and wants her wedding to be a weekend experience for all her guests. A big budget would also be helpful, although they do have small wedding packages (all inclusive for $13k and under) for parties of 40 or less. Details below!

Information		Comments
The Venue: Stowe Mountain Lodge		Part of the Stowe ski resort.
Location: Stowe, VT		Stowe is a cute VT town located near Burlington.
Rental Season: Not specified.		They might not have an off season because they are resort that has both summer and winter activities.
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, outdoors or inside.		Most people get married on the stone terrace outside or overlooking the fairway for smaller parties.
Capacity: The Lodge can hold up to 200.
Guest Min Required? 50-100 ppl		You will be charged $100-$250 for being under the  min
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes, they are rooms you rent.		They comp your room in the wedding package.
Function Rental Fee: Included in package.		You have a 5 hr rental with packages.
Overtime Fee: Not specified.
Ceremony Fee: $1,500
Catering: Resort does the food. Packages range from $160-$220/person.
Alcohol: Not specified.		I'm sure they have open, cash and consumption bar options. The prices just weren't included in the initial packet.
Food/Beverage Min? No		Food and beverage mins come from the guest minimums.
Bar Fee: Not specified.
Extra Fees: Not specified. Assume at least state tax.		Parking fee of $8/car for non-hotel guests attending the wedding.
Accommodations: 312 rooms. They are pretty expensive, b/c they bill themselves as a luxury resort.
Venue Contact: Calais Van Horn		cvanhorn@destinationhotels.com

   

MA Wedding Venue: The Conner's Center

The Conner's Center is an awesome old historic mansion that is set on 80 acres of beautiful land. The mansion is owned by Boston College and therefore they give all of their students first pick for dates and don't release the rest of the dates until the February of the that year. This was the main reason we didn't pick it as our venue, because it would be to hard to plan a wedding four months. There was also no guarantee that the date we wanted would be open or that there would be any dates in the month we wanted open. Other than this detail it is an amazing place. It has a ton of history and some beautiful grounds. I fell in love with the Lower Garden which is so amazing! The garden is has a stone detailing with stone arches in the background framing the stone building  Inside there is dark wood accents and the chapel can be used as a dinning room for the reception and had a large glass window which the sun sets in. Both the FI and I really liked this as a venue but just couldn't get over the restriction on picking the date. I would suggest this venue for any bride looking for a unique venue and can handle planning a wedding in short period of time (unless you are BC student). Details below, as always leave a comment if you can share a good New England wedding venue!

Information					Comments
The Venue: The Conner Center					A BC affiliated venue.
Location: Dover, MA					A cute town, just south of Wellesley.
Prime Season: Not specified					It is probably May-October.
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.					They have multiple outdoor spaces for ceremonies, all of which are gorgeous.
Capacity: The facility hold up to 300 in a tent or 140 inside.					They have a couple of options for indoor and outdoor reception areas.
Guest Min Required? No.
Bridal/Groom Rooms? They have suites for the bride and groom to get ready in.					The bridal suite is nicely decorated and has a lot of natural light.
Function Rental Fee: Fri&Sat: $5,000, Sun-Thur: $3,500.					B/c it is a BU property the don't release wedding dates for the public until the February of that year. BU students have first pick at all dates.
Overtime Fee: Not specified.					You have a 5 hour period and outdoor music has to end by 11pm. I'm unsure when the absolute end time is.
Ceremony Fee: Not specified.
Catering: You choose from one of their five exclusive caterers.
Alcohol: Open bar for 4.5 hrs is $45 pp.					They also have consumption and cash bar options.
Food/Beverage Min? No.
Bar Fee: Not specified.
Extra Fees: 6.25% state tax. $25 liquor license.					Parties over 150 require a police detail which the couple has to pay for.
Accommodations: They have rooms for 70 people, 55 single bedrooms that are dorm style and share a bathroom.					The rest have private bathrooms.
Venue Contact: Susan Burton					s.burton@bc.edu

 
  

ME Wedding Venue: Hidden Pond

Hidden Pond is an upscale, "rustic" Maine resort located in Kennebunkport. Kennebunkport is a seaside town that caters to rich tourists in the summer and considerably diminishes in size during the winter months. It is a chic Maine town that has many posh restaurants, hotels and resorts. Hidden Pond is one of these resorts. It is only open May-October and offers cottages to rent, a spa and some award-winning dining. They have two major event spaces onsite, the Event Barn and The Farm. The Event Barn is for smaller wedding parties of 80 or less and is by far the more affordable option. They have a food and beverage minimum ranging from $8,000-$12,000 depending on what date you chose but do offer discounts for weekday weddings. The Farm is more pricey and can hold up to 200 people for a tented event. You however are required to pay a site fee in addition to renting everything from the tent to the china and dance floor. There is a 100 person minimum and $150/pp min required on food and beverage. Both places require you to rent transportation because they only have limited onsite parking so most people are required to park offsite. From the pictures the resort seems to be perfectly manicured and beautiful but this place was too expensive for our budget with the number of people we wanted to have. I would recommend this venue to a bride who has a smaller wedding party and can go with the Event Barn. It is by far a better deal and you are getting more for the cost. Details below!

Information		Comments
The Venue: Hidden Pond		A upscale, "rustic" resort.
Location: Kennebunkport, ME		A gorgeous seaside town on the ME coast, summer home of former President George H. W Bush.
Rental Season: Only open May-October
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, outdoors or inside.
Capacity: Up to 200 if you use the Farm and a tent, 80 for the Event Barn.		The Farm is only rented out in the Spring and Fall. Very limited dates available.
Guest Min Required? 100 ppl min required for Farm rentals.		No min required for rental of the Event Barn.
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes. They are rooms in cottages that you would rent.
Function Rental Fee (prime season): Farm: $7,000, Event Barn: $2,000		5 hr rental for both spaces. The Farm also requires you to rent the tent, tables, chairs, dance floor, etc.
Overtime Fee: Event Barn: $55/hr, Farm: $500/hr		Noise ordinance enforced at 10 pm.
Ceremony Fee: Not specified.
Catering: Food done by resort. Packages range from $34-$52 pp but don't include appetizers or dessert.
Alcohol: $59-$39 for four hours of open bar.		They also have cash bar and consumption based options available.
Food/Beverage Min? The Event Barn: $8,000-$12,000, The Farm: $150/person
Bar Fee: Not specified.
Extra Fees: 7% NH Meals and 20% service charge on food and beverage.		If you rent the Farm you also have to rent transportation to and from the parking lot because it is off site.
Accommodations: 36 cottages onsite for rental.		Farm rental requires site buyout for two nights.
Venue Contact: Colleen Geary		sales@thecoastalhouse.com

The Event Barn

The Farm (tent example)

MA Wedding Venue: Wedgewood Pines Country Club

Wedgewood Pines Country Club is a pretty typical country club located in Stow, MA. Stow is a nice, more rural town about 40 minutes west of Boston. I didn't visit the country club so I don't know that the actual facility looks like beside what the pictures show. Some good things about the venue are that they only hold one wedding a day so you get to pick any 5 hours for your reception  You can also have your ceremony outside near the new pergola or inside overlooking the fairway. They also include a lot in their packages which are reasonably priced. You have to pay a rental fee and more for an open bar but those prices weren't given in the initial packet I received. I am also unsure if there is a ceremony fee. We didn't choose this venue because we had already picked our venue and like I mentioned in my previous post, we didn't want a typical ballroom reception. I think that this would be a good venue for people who have large wedding parties and are on a budget. Details below!

Information					Comments
The Venue: Wedgewood Pines Country Club
Location: Stow, MA					Stow is a great town about 40 minutes west of Boston.
Prime Season: Mid-April-December					They give discounts for Friday and Sunday weddings as well.
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.					The outdoor space is near a newly built pergola.
Capacity: The facility hold up to 225.					They only have one ballroom.
Guest Min Required? No.
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Not specified.
Function Rental Fee: They have fees but they didn't specify them in the packet.
Overtime Fee: $400/hr					You have a 5 hour period and all events must end by midnight.
Ceremony Fee: Not specified.
Catering: All food provided by resort. Packages range from $74-$115 per person.					1 hr of open bar is included with all but the lowest package.
Alcohol: Prices for more than 1 hr of open bar are not specified.					You can also have a consumption or cash bar.
Food/Beverage Min? No.
Bar Fee: Not specified.
Extra Fees: 6.25% state tax, 20% house charge
Accommodations: No.
Venue Contact: Kerri Macaluso					kerri@wedgewoodpines.com

  

MA Wedding Ceremony Venue: The Chapel at West Parish

The Chapel at West Parish is located in Andover, MA and is amazing! Originally built in 1909 and restored in 1998, it is made of this beautiful tan stone with Tiffany stained glass windows. The inside has dark wood pews and a great organ at the front of the alter. The chapel holds 125 seated, with a balcony in the back  that the photographer or videographer could use. I absolutely loved it when we went to visit and the contact, Nancy Simili (nsimili135@yahoo.com) is so nice and such a hoot! The only thing I didn't know before we went was that the chapel was located in a cemetery. We had to drive through the cemetery to get the chapel and that was sort of a surprise. At first I was a little creeped out, but the chapel was so cool and had such great history that I got over it. It is non-denominational so all people are welcome to celebrate there, which was great for us. Outside there is a pond with a water feature, stone benches and pretty flowers to take pictures. There are also other pretty places around the cemetery to take pictures (places without gravestones!). It is $900 to rent for your wedding, with a $200 deposit. Overall, I would recommend this to any bride who wants to have a ceremony in a unique location, has a small wedding party and doesn't mind their ceremony location to be in a cemetery.