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.