The Last of the Wedding Venues: Part 2

Hi all, sorry it's been so long since the last post but things have been crazy. Here is the last batch of wedding venues that I will post until I do the review for my wedding venue! Hope you find these last few useful and always, message me if you want more info.

The Fells Historic Estate: The Fells is a nice garden and estate wedding venue located in Newbury, NH. It can hold 175 guests with up to 200 if special accommodations are made. They usually hold events from 4:30 pm to 10:30 pm because they are open to the public from dawn to dusk 365 days/year. They usually have tented events but you also have access to the main house. The rental fee is based on the number of guests you estimate on having with a maximum rental fee of $4,500. This would be a good venue for a bride who would like to have outdoor wedding and reception in a beautiful garden setting.


Mountain Top Inn & Resort : This inn is has great views of the surrounding VT countryside. It's selling point is that you can get married on the top of mountain that overlooks the Green Mountain National Forest. They have a newly renovated barn for a wedding reception space, but you can also have it in a tent on the grounds. They have accommodations for up to 90 people and are only 11 miles from Killington where more hotels are available. The rental fee various based on time of year and location of your reception but the highest rental fee is $6,500 for the barn during prime season. The barn can hold up to 250 guests. I think this would be a good venue for a bride who wants a country or rustic style wedding and has a large guest list.

The Essex Resort and Spa: The Essex is located in Essex, VT and is a resort that features two difference spaces for receptions and ceremonies. The two spaces are not located on the same property but are about 30 minutes away from each other. The main resort is where most people choose to have their weddings and they can have up to 300 people in the ballroom. The other venue is the Ponds at Bolton Valley. This site can accommodate up to 200 people. I wasn't overly impressed with the main resort venue because the reception space was a little outdated for my taste. I think that the outside ceremony space is really pretty though. This would be a good venue for a bride who needs a space that can accommodate a large party in northern VT.

The Topsfield Commons 1854: This was our second choice in wedding venue. It is a great place to hold your reception but might be a little tight for the ceremony. We were going to have our ceremony in a chapel and Andover, MA then go to the commons for our reception. This place is elegant and historic with the nicest people to help you out. They have a space one the first floor for cocktails and upstairs is a ballroom with a stage and balcony. The upstairs space is open and clean and the stage is great for a band or DJ. They allow you to supply your own alcohol but do the catering themselves. The prices were reasonable but they do require guest mins of 125 people on a Saturday and they also require you to hire a police officer for the entire time of your ceremony. Overall, I think this is a great venue that any bride on the north shore would like. It would be great for a bride with a medium size party to meet the minimums and who wants an elegant feel.

Gedney Farm and Mepal Manor: This is a rustic chic venue located in New Marlborough, MA. It is a farm and inn with a nice barn for the reception space. It is a little pricey and does require guest minimums for certain times of the year. Rental fees can top $5,000 with menu prices ranging from $95-$125 per person. The admin fees are 20% which really adds to the cost. They have space for people to stay but I not sure how many. I think this would be a good option for a bride who wants a country or rustic wedding but has money to spend.

Bar Harbor Resorts: The Bar Harbor Resorts are made up of two wedding venues. The first is Harborside Hotel and Spa. This has three reception location holding up to 290 guests. They are all ballroom style rooms with differing decor and size. The second venue is the Bar Harbor Regency Oceanfront Resort. It can hold up to 500 people in some of it's rooms. No pricing information was provided with the initial e-mail so I am unsure of what costs would be. I would assume on the higher end because of the location (right on the ocean) and because it is a nice resort. I think this would be a good option for a bride who wants to get married on the ocean and needs a venue for a large party.

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

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

 

NH Wedding Venue: Atkinson Resort & Country Club

The Atkinson Resort and country Club is a nice country club located in southern NH. It has a modern feel with dark wood accents. Everything seems clean and well kept. There are many different places for you to hold your reception. The largest ballroom can hold 450 people but requires a $25,000 food and beverage minimum on a Saturday night. There are two places to hold your ceremony outside. The most popular is the Trellis Area. It is a really pretty dark wood trellis set on a circular stone patio with a nice stone walkway to serve as an aisle. The ballrooms are pretty typical, the largest ballroom has very high ceilings and a lot of light but the restaurant is right outside the doors and even though they say they put up a wall in between it isn't totally private. The downstairs ballrooms have low ceilings and also don't have as much natural light. They do have a more secluded outside area for cocktail hour. They also hold more than one wedding reception a day but only one ceremony. We didn't choose the Atkinson CC because we didn't want a ballroom wedding but I would suggest this venue for the bride who needs space for a large wedding party and has some money to spend. Details below!

Information					Comments
The Venue: Atkinson Resort and Country Club					A nice country club done in a exposed beam country motif.
Location: Atkinson, NH					A cute rural area in southern NH.
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: The facility can from 450-50 people.					There are a total of 4 reception areas that you can choose from. They hold more than one wedding at a time.
Guest Min Required? No
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes. They have suites to get ready in. They also comp a room at the resort for the bride and groom.					One bridal suite has a balcony overlooking the ballroom which is cool, the other one is downstairs and doesn't have much natural light.
Function Rental Fee: Included in the package fee.
Overtime Fee: Not specified					You have a 5 hour period.
Ceremony Fee: $600
Catering: All food provided by resort. Packages range from $95-$75 per person.					1 hr of open bar is included with both packages.
Alcohol: Open bar ranges from $23-$17/p for 3 hrs.					You can also have a consumption or cash bar.
Food/Beverage Min? Yes, ranges from $25,000 - $7,000 for a Saturday night reception.					Depends on which room you rent.
Not specified.
Extra Fees: 5% state tax, 14% gratuity
Accommodations: 16 rooms.
Venue Contact: Nicolette Burns					Nicolette@atkinsoncc.com

    

NH Wedding Venue: The Oaks Country Club

The Oaks Country Club  is a run of the mill country club located in Somersworth, NH. This was one of the first venues I e-mail and then soon after decided I didn't want a country club wedding. Therefor I did not visit or really pursue this a viable venue but I will give you the limited info that I received from the first e-mail exchange. Basically, The Oaks is a typical country club that has a ballroom where they hold receptions. The ceremony can be held outside overlooking the fairways and they do offer a lot of extra add-ons to make your night special. They do offer fireworks for $775 which sounded cool until I saw a video of them and they looked kinda lame. I didn't get info on any bar services so I don't know how much extra that that is but the wedding packages are pretty inclusive and cheap (max $87/pp for the top package no add-ons). The ballroom can hold 220 so I think it would be a great venue for large parties on a budget. Details below!

Information					Comments
The Venue: The Oaks Country Club					Pretty standard country club
Location: Somersworth, NH					Southeastern NH, on ME border.
Off Season: None specified
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.					Most people only have indoor weddings in the case of rain. The outdoor space is overlooking the fairway.
Capacity: The Grandview Ballroom can hold up to  220.					The ballroom is the only event space available.
Guest Min Required? Not specified.
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes. They have rooms to get ready in for both the bride and groom.
Function Rental Fee: Included in the package price.					5 hr rental time.
Overtime Fee: Not specified
Ceremony Fee: $500
Catering: All food provided by the CC. Entrees range from $58-$87 pp depending on the package.					A lot is included in the packages which makes these prices a really good deal.
Alcohol: No information was provided about bar services.
Food/Beverage Min? No
Bar Fee: None
Extra Fees: None were listed but I would assume so admin fee.					No sales tax in NH.
Accommodations: None
Venue Contact: Leslie Santiago					lsantiago@theoaksgolflinks.com

 

NH Wedding Venue: Alyson's Orchard

Alyson's Orchard is a fully functioning apple orchard in Walpole, NH. They offer a unique wedding package, in the fact that you can rent the whole facility for the weekend during the peak season. The rental starts Friday at noon, to decorate and have rehearsal dinner that night. Then starting after 10 am on Saturday you have any 6 hours for your reception and ceremony. They hold Sunday afternoon weddings so your party would have to be out by noon but for $6,000 all that time is a great deal. In addition to having the facility all to yourself you can do fun activities on site like fishing (no permit required), horseshoes, swimming, boating and bocce. In the fall you can also offer your guests the option to pick apples in the orchard or provide fresh apple wine at your reception. The rental fee doesn't include food or alcohol. The alcohol is done by Alyson's but the food is done by one of their exclusive caterers. We found our dream venue before touring Alyson's but I think if we had gone we would have loved it. I would recommend this venue for brides looking for a rustic, country feel and those that have have medium to large parties. Happy hunting and details below!

Information		Comments
The Venue: Alyson's Orchard Conference Center and Lodge		It is a real functioning orchard, even though it says conference center.
Location: Walpole, NH		A little remote but beautiful.
Rental Season: Prime Season (May-Oct)		Off season is all other times of the year.
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, outdoors or inside.		There are four outdoor locations.
Capacity: up to 250.		Anything over 175 guests is extra ($10/pp), but max capacity of 250.
Guest Min Required? No
Bridal/Groom Rooms? They have rooms to rent and use as bridal suites.
Function Rental Fee (prime season): Fri-Sun: $6,000, Sun night: $3,500		The rental gets you the facility from Friday noon, 6 hour reception on Sat and through Sunday morning.
Overtime Fee: Not specified.		Events must by midnight.
Ceremony Fee: None
Catering: Choose from an exclusive list.
Alcohol: Based on consumption for open bar.
Food/Beverage Min? No
Bar Fee: Outdoor bar set up fees starting at $500 and going down based on what type of bar you have.
Extra Fees: 9% NH Meals and Rentals Tax included in rental tax. $150 kitchen fee is required.		The service charge and tax is insane.
Accommodations: 38 rooms in three different lodges.		Min 2 night stay.
Venue Contact: Fran Imhoff		info@alysonsorchard.com

                     

NH Wedding Venue: The Mountain View Grand Hotel

The Mountain View Grand Hotel was my mom's choice for my wedding venue for a long time. This historic old hotel is the height of New Hampshire elegance. It has a distinctive yellow color that makes it stand out in it's already impressive surroundings. The most picturesque time to be married at the Grand is in the Fall. The foliage is to die for and it only adds to the amazing outdoor spaces for ceremonies. The beauty doesn't end outside but continues into the guest rooms, spa and ballrooms. There are a multiple indoor reception spaces, all with their own personalities and capacities. The reason that we chose not to have our reception at the Grand (initially to my mother's dismay) was mostly due to the cost. The Grand is gorgeous but comes at a premium for you and your guests. I think that this would be a wonderful place for a large wedding with a flexible budget. Details below!

Information					Comments
The Venue: The Mountain View Grand Hotel
Location: Whitfield, NH					So pretty in the Fall!
Off Season: Nov-May
Ceremony Onsite: Yes, indoors or outdoors.					5 outdoor sites to choose from with capacities ranging from 35 to 215 people.
Capacity: The reception capacity ranges from 25-250 people.					They have four indoor reception sites to choose from.
Guest Min Required? The mins range from 25-100 people in the high season.
Bridal/Groom Rooms? Yes. They have deluxe suites that are included in your wedding package.					The rooms here are very luxurious!
Function Rental Fee (high season): Ranges from $500-$3,000					Subject to 9% NH tax. All events must end by 11 pm.
Overtime Fee: Unsure
Ceremony Fee: None!
Catering: All food provided by resort. Entrees range from $85-$100 pp. All packages include a wedding cake.					They have a bunch of extras for late night snacks or kid's meals. They also offer upgrades for a charge on food.
Alcohol: Full bar, 5 hours $75 pp and goes down from there.					There is a 50 person min for hosted bar services.
Food/Beverage Min? None listed because there is a guest minimum for reception and bar services.
Bar Fee: None
Extra Fees: 20% service charge and 9% tax on food and alcohol.
Accommodations: They have 144 guest rooms.					They offer you discounted blocks of rooms for your guests.
Venue Contact: Susannah Powell					spowell@mountainviewgrand.com

            

Wedding Planning Stage 2: The Venue

The venue. It is the space that sets the tone for your whole wedding. It is a way to express your style as a couple and one of the most important (and most expensive) parts of your big day. This blog was started because of my desire to have a place to go where all types of venues are  listed. For the next couple of entries I will review the places I visited and include information on the places I didn't. They will be in no particular order and I will post the most recent cost information I have for all of them. 

I am at the venue search stage in my wedding planning. I have given thought to all the other aspects but until you find your venue it is hard to work those things out. To date I have contacted about 50 or so venues in ME, NH, VT and MA. After factoring in cost, capacity and requirements I cut the list to about 20 that were contenders. The things that were important to me were the feel of the space, exclusivity and cost. We wanted to keep our reception at around $13,000 for 100 people. I also wanted a space that wasn't a cookie cutter ballroom but had a nice outside space for cocktails, pictures and a ceremony. I wanted a modern venue inside with clean lines and updated, but a homey feel at the same time. I knew I didn't want a tent or a barn. Finally, I didn't want to share my wedding space with another bridal party. I didn't even really like the idea of having my wedding at a place where they held one earlier in the day. So after cutting the list of 50 down to 20, we have visited 12 venues with about 5 more planned. The next post will feature The Crane Estate in Ipswich, MA. One that was very high on my list, until cost knocked it down a few pegs (but not off completely!).