I saw that a lot of the Boston brides are all having weddings outside of Boston. This makes me happy, because it is what FI and I are hoping to do as well - utilize the amazing beauty that can be found in surrounding New England!
That being said, WHERE we have our wedding is still up in the air. I said in the other post that my wedding is a year and a couple months away, but I am hoping to find a location sooner rather than later, so we are both happy.
I was hoping to get suggestions from all the lovely Boston ladies out there on beautiful venues that you've seen. Just to give you an idea, my FI is from the west coast, more specifically close to Mt. Hood, so he is used to mountains and rural beauty. Both he and I LOVE whitewater kayaking, so I was really hoping to find something down by a river or waterfall, and somehow incorporate mountains, but I am thinking this would only happen in Colorado. Initially he tried to convince me that his parents yard would be perfect, but it is very rural and my parents are helping us financially, so they requested we do it here..Anyway, anyone seen anything like this in the MA/VT/ME area?
I'm not much help becuase I mostly looked at venues closer to the city. But I did a quick search for you: I used the terms "white mountain wedding." Here's a couple links that I came up with:
I'm sure there are a lot more (as these are all in NH, I think). Again, I don't know anything about any of these places, but I figure this might help you get started. I hope this helps!
I am orginally a Western Mass girl, even though I now live on the North Shore, and everyone else thinks Massachusetts ends at 495...
Lenox, Lee, Great Barrington...If you didn't want to go out that far, my friends got married at a beautiful farm in Spencer (near Sturbridge) Zukas Hilltop Barn.
It would be especially beautiful in the Fall. It over looks rolling hills in all directions and would just be lit up by foliage.
I went to a wedding at Zukas....totally gorgeous! I would definitely recommend a Sat wedding though....we went to a Friday night wedding, and 495 S was an absolute bear. The only road in to Zukas drives you right past the gazebo where the outdoor weddings are held...so all the guests watched us drive into the parking lot just as it was starting. But the food was great and it's really an ideal venue.
Hi! You should definitely check out Castle in the Clouds (in NH). Amazing views of the Mountains! I happen to visit there one time when a wedding was going on and it was gorgeous - a bit pricey though I think.
Mount Washington Hotel as well in NH!! Right in the mountains and a river that runs through the poperty... not sure if the river it big enough to kayak in, but I'm sure there are places close by.
I agree with guinness, Western MA is beautiful and sounds like it would be great for what you are looking for! I'm getting married in Amherst, in town, but I know there are beautiful venues in the area (the area being anywhere within an hour radius, to us haha), near mountains and rivers. I'll go back through my research and see if I can find something appropriate!
Ok, this isn't W Mass, and I'm not sure how far into ME you were looking, but Mount Desert Island (Acadia National PArk) is beautiful if you are looking for mountains and water (though this is ocean water). The Bar Harbor (the big town) website has some info on weddings though I'm sure you could look into renting a house on a quieter part of the island: http://www.barharborinfo.com/weddings_frame.html
In Western Mass, here are some places where they may allow you to hold a ceremony/reception - since you are planning pretty far ahead you might be able to reserve a spot. They don't allow too many events in one season (I know, because I fell in love with one too late!)
You might also look through this website to see if any of these falls are adjacent to campgrounds that you might be able to rent out, or if a town might give you a permit to hold a ceremony: http://www.newenglandwaterfalls.com/
The Berkshires are lovely - and Cranwell (http://www.cranwell.com/weddings.php) is gorgeous. I'm not sure how far you were looking to travel for the wedding - it's at least 2 1/2 - 3 hour drive from the Boston area in Lenox.
When we were still trying to figure out what to do, we looked at Alyson's Orchard in NH. It's right on the Conneticut River so it overlooks VT and NH. You might be able to do rafting there, I don't know. You can fish and row on the pond located at the farm. Keene is the next town over with a decent selection of hotels and shopping centers so you're not far from necessities. The orchard also has some lodging and a beautiful event room. There is also a deck for BBQs if you wanted a casual rehersal dinner on site. You're also guaranteed to be the only event that weekend. We didn't end up going with them though because it's a couple hour drive out there from where we are and they were too expensive for us.
I am getting married in Western MA, but we are having the ceremony/reception at Mass MoCA (modern art museum). I have had several people mention that they loved Gedney Farm. It is a rural, beautiful locale. Here is the link: http://www.gedneyfarm.com/
I second Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor~ We just shot a wedding up there at the Asticou Inn Northeast Harbor and it was stunning!! Lots of outdoors to do and your guests will enjoy themselves as well!
My husband and I got married at Zukas Farm and it was wonderful! I've also been to Mt. Hood, and Zukas isn't the same vibe as Oregon, but it'll give you that outdoorsy New England feel. Our reception was in the tent out back and it was amazing.
My husband and I are also wedding photographers, so we've had the chance to see many other venues. One of our absolute favorites was at The Inn at Mountain View Farms in Vermont. http://www.innmtnview.com/ The reception was in the converted barn- several tables were in the stalls! The photos on the website don't do it justice, so email me if you want to look at more photos from the wedding we were a part of :)
Thanks all so much! I finally got the FI to agree to start looking at sites with me this weekend - I AM SO EXCITED! Keep the fabulous ideas coming, I get the impression we will be visiting a lot of places before we decide. Lucky for us we love travelling all over New England! I promise to write back with responses to individual posts as we start looking at them!
I saw that a lot of the Boston brides are all having weddings outside of Boston. This makes me happy, because it is what FI and I are hoping to do as well - utilize the amazing beauty that can be found in surrounding New England!
That being said, WHERE we have our wedding is still up in the air. I said in the other post that my wedding is a year and a couple months away, but I am hoping to find a location sooner rather than later, so we are both happy.
I was hoping to get suggestions from all the lovely Boston ladies out there on beautiful venues that you've seen. Just to give you an idea, my FI is from the west coast, more specifically close to Mt. Hood, so he is used to mountains and rural beauty. Both he and I LOVE whitewater kayaking, so I was really hoping to find something down by a river or waterfall, and somehow incorporate mountains, but I am thinking this would only happen in Colorado. Initially he tried to convince me that his parents yard would be perfect, but it is very rural and my parents are helping us financially, so they requested we do it here..Anyway, anyone seen anything like this in the MA/VT/ME area?
You guys are awesome!
posted by finbladez 5 months agoHi finbladz,
I'm not much help becuase I mostly looked at venues closer to the city. But I did a quick search for you: I used the terms "white mountain wedding." Here's a couple links that I came up with:
Lincoln Woodstock
Sunset Hill House
Darby Field
Mountain View Grand
Indian Head Resort
I'm sure there are a lot more (as these are all in NH, I think). Again, I don't know anything about any of these places, but I figure this might help you get started. I hope this helps!
~Miss Toucan :)
posted by toucan 5 months agoYou could also look in the Berkshires.
I am orginally a Western Mass girl, even though I now live on the North Shore, and everyone else thinks Massachusetts ends at 495...
Lenox, Lee, Great Barrington...If you didn't want to go out that far, my friends got married at a beautiful farm in Spencer (near Sturbridge) Zukas Hilltop Barn.
It would be especially beautiful in the Fall. It over looks rolling hills in all directions and would just be lit up by foliage.
Good luck!
posted by guinness257 5 months agoI went to a wedding at Zukas....totally gorgeous! I would definitely recommend a Sat wedding though....we went to a Friday night wedding, and 495 S was an absolute bear. The only road in to Zukas drives you right past the gazebo where the outdoor weddings are held...so all the guests watched us drive into the parking lot just as it was starting.
But the food was great and it's really an ideal venue.
A couple of popular venues in southern NH are The Granite Rose and Bedford Village Inn. Good luck!
posted by Trebuchet 5 months agoHi! You should definitely check out Castle in the Clouds (in NH). Amazing views of the Mountains! I happen to visit there one time when a wedding was going on and it was gorgeous - a bit pricey though I think.
Mount Washington Hotel as well in NH!! Right in the mountains and a river that runs through the poperty... not sure if the river it big enough to kayak in, but I'm sure there are places close by.
Good luck!!
posted by WinniBride 5 months agoI agree with guinness, Western MA is beautiful and sounds like it would be great for what you are looking for! I'm getting married in Amherst, in town, but I know there are beautiful venues in the area (the area being anywhere within an hour radius, to us haha), near mountains and rivers. I'll go back through my research and see if I can find something appropriate!
posted by katze 5 months agoOk, this isn't W Mass, and I'm not sure how far into ME you were looking, but Mount Desert Island (Acadia National PArk) is beautiful if you are looking for mountains and water (though this is ocean water). The Bar Harbor (the big town) website has some info on weddings though I'm sure you could look into renting a house on a quieter part of the island: http://www.barharborinfo.com/weddings_frame.html
In Western Mass, here are some places where they may allow you to hold a ceremony/reception - since you are planning pretty far ahead you might be able to reserve a spot. They don't allow too many events in one season (I know, because I fell in love with one too late!)
http://www.thetrustees.org/pages/1820_occasional_private_functions.cfm
You might also look through this website to see if any of these falls are adjacent to campgrounds that you might be able to rent out, or if a town might give you a permit to hold a ceremony: http://www.newenglandwaterfalls.com/
It's not much but I hope it helps!
posted by katze 5 months agoThe Berkshires are lovely - and Cranwell (http://www.cranwell.com/weddings.php) is gorgeous. I'm not sure how far you were looking to travel for the wedding - it's at least 2 1/2 - 3 hour drive from the Boston area in Lenox.
posted by heather13 4 months agoWhen we were still trying to figure out what to do, we looked at Alyson's Orchard in NH. It's right on the Conneticut River so it overlooks VT and NH. You might be able to do rafting there, I don't know. You can fish and row on the pond located at the farm. Keene is the next town over with a decent selection of hotels and shopping centers so you're not far from necessities. The orchard also has some lodging and a beautiful event room. There is also a deck for BBQs if you wanted a casual rehersal dinner on site. You're also guaranteed to be the only event that weekend. We didn't end up going with them though because it's a couple hour drive out there from where we are and they were too expensive for us.
posted by Mandamellow2 4 months agoI am getting married in Western MA, but we are having the ceremony/reception at Mass MoCA (modern art museum). I have had several people mention that they loved Gedney Farm. It is a rural, beautiful locale. Here is the link: http://www.gedneyfarm.com/
posted by MissE 3 months agoI second Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor~ We just shot a wedding up there at the Asticou Inn Northeast Harbor and it was stunning!! Lots of outdoors to do and your guests will enjoy themselves as well!
www.capturedmomentvideo.com
posted by Captured 3 months agoHi!
My husband and I got married at Zukas Farm and it was wonderful! I've also been to Mt. Hood, and Zukas isn't the same vibe as Oregon, but it'll give you that outdoorsy New England feel. Our reception was in the tent out back and it was amazing.
My husband and I are also wedding photographers, so we've had the chance to see many other venues. One of our absolute favorites was at The Inn at Mountain View Farms in Vermont. http://www.innmtnview.com/ The reception was in the converted barn- several tables were in the stalls! The photos on the website don't do it justice, so email me if you want to look at more photos from the wedding we were a part of :)
Heather
www.cirasphotography.com
cirasphotography@yahoo.com
posted by CirasPhotography 3 months agoThanks all so much! I finally got the FI to agree to start looking at sites with me this weekend - I AM SO EXCITED! Keep the fabulous ideas coming, I get the impression we will be visiting a lot of places before we decide. Lucky for us we love travelling all over New England!
posted by finbladez 2 months agoI promise to write back with responses to individual posts as we start looking at them!