Ideas for Boston ceremony or reception site for 100 people

jpweds

Hey All, I just got engaged last month and my fiancé and I are planning for our wedding in January of 2015. I am looking for some ideas/reviews on reception and ceremony venues in, or near to, Boston. We were hoping to plan the entire event with a budget of around $20k for about 100 people. We would like to find a church ceremony site, but not one that is so huge it feels awkwardly empty with our 90-100 guest list (that is if everyone actually comes). As for the reception we are looking for something that feels cozy but elegant. I have only lived in Boston for a few years so I have found some of the places on The Knot's list of Boston venues but wanted to see if there are some "hidden gems" out there that I should really consider.

laurag524

We got married at the Lenox Hotel in October which is perfect for 100 guests!  We ended up with 115 guests and our bill was less than 20K, although I know they did just change their menu around but whatever on their website is all inclusive for cocktail hour, drinks, fees and taxes!  Highly recommend!!!

rmariet

I second the Lenox! I booked there a few months ago, and it was the most reasonable inclusive venue we looked at (and that includes places in NH!). So much is included in the price, right down to things like framed table numbers, a piano player for your cocktail hour, etc. Their coordinators are also laid back and flexible compared to other ones we encountered -- we wanted to write some extra things into our contract and they let us, whereas other venues refused. The space looked perfect for around 100 people, which is also what we're aiming for, and it's definitely both cozy and elegant.

As for a church, what religion are you? If you're Catholic, both St. Cecilia's and Our Lady of Victories are very close by, and they're much more intimate than, say, the Cathedral. We're planning to book one of these. There also seem to be churches for nearly all Protestant denominations in the Back Bay.

@Brownbear2013, I'm so happy to hear that your still highly recommend the Lenox after your wedding last month! 

laurag524

@rmariet - Congrats!!  When are you getting married?  Alison & crew went above and beyond our expectations.  We felt so taken care of, even AFTER the wedding!   If you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask!  

rmariet

Thanks! My wedding's not for a while, sadly -- May 2015. It's so great to hear how exceptional the staff was. I will definitely let you know if you have any questions!

jkepros

We got married in June 2010 in Boston, with around 85 guests (we planned for 100-120).  Our ceremony was at Leslie Lindsay Memorial Chapel (part of Emmanuel Church) on Newbury St, and our reception was at Tapeo (the Spanish tapas restaurant), also on Newbury St.

I think the chapel was around $2000-2500 and it was around $15k(?) to rent out the restaurant from 6-11pm.  

The chapel allows for all types of ceremonies; we were married by a justice of the peace.  It is pretty small, only holds about 100, but is incredibly beautiful.  It was built in the 1920s by a wealthy Boston family (the Lindseys) whose daughter, Leslie, had been married and died on the Lusitania (during her honeymoon), when it was sunk.

The cool thing about Tapeo was that we had passed tapas for cocktail hour (I think 3 different ones), followed by a 12-course tapas menu and 3-tapas dessert menu (we saved money by not having a wedding cake, and just doing the desserts they offered, but they said they would have let us bring in a cake from outside).  Oh, and the restaurant price was all inclusive (that means, we didn't pay any extra for alcohol(!!!!) or for guests who had dietary restrictions and ordered specialty items).  The restaurant is small/cozy and split on 2 floors (we did cocktail hour downstairs and dinner upstairs), and they have the option of also renting their patio space (it cost more, and we decided not too, and it ended up pouring, so we were glad we saved the money).  

Our guests raved about how beautiful the chapel was, and how awesome the food/drinks were (sangria flowed all night!).  

If you want more info, or to see some of our photos, just let me know: jkepros at gmail.

MarcieandNeil2014

Look up The Castle at B.U. we just attended a wedding there this past summer was amazing

kchakoian

Hi! Congrats!

I'm planning a wedding in Boston for December 2014, with a low budget and sizeable guest list (about 200).  It's been tough!

We just made a decision on a reception venue though, and it seems like a real gem if you're up for some DIY!  It's at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts in the south end: http://www.iba-etc.org/rentals.html.  In comparison to ALL other venues we looked at in the city they are super affordable (we're getting the space for $1500).  Alex, the coordinator is incredibly friendly and down-to-earth, I've found him great to work with thus far.  There are very few regulations on what caterers you can bring in, etc, and they even work with the South End Little League to coordinate parking and a shuttle service (unheard of in budget-friendly reception venues right in the city!).

The flipside: They don't do the set-up at all - we have friends who've volunteered to set-up tables before the event, and break-down at the end of the night.  The kitchen is also TINY, but they have a couple of caterers they've worked with in the past who are familiar with the facilities.

My favorite thing about it is that it feels like our money is going back into the community - instead of to some big hotel, and that makes any extra work feel worthwhile.  (I recognize it takes a certain kind of bride to be interested in this stuff at the expense of convenience and/or luxury - but if it's your style this is a great fit!).  Reach out if you're interested in any other info!

mackenzie8701

You should look into the Boston Exchange Center in the Seaport area. Also, I'm not 100% sure if Boston is still having NYE fire works but if they are & you would want a NYE wedding, you can watch the fireworks from your reception.