Seacoast Science Center

aurora2685

I'm wondering if anyone here has planned or been to a wedding at the Seacoast Science Center at Odiorne Point State Park in Rye. How was it? Would you recommend it as a ceremony/reception venue? Were there any pros or cons to it? Thanks ladies!

DirtyWater

I don't have any feedback for you.  But looking at it makes me want to say the hell will our big wedding in MA that we "have to have"  and take it up there so I can have the ocean wedding I always dreamed of and lose some guests in the process

dhdaydream

FI and I were at Odiorne last week just roaming around and they were setting up for a wedding. They had a big tent set up right on the point and they seemed to be a well-oiled machine as far as getting the tables and things set up.  It looked like it would be a nice venue.

Jillibeans11681

I've never been to a wedding there, but I've been to Odiorne about 100 times and it's absolutely gorgeous. I think there's a lot more that goes into planning, I believe you need to find a caterer, etc., but it's well worth it. Weddings in that area can get super-duper pricey, and you can't beat that view!

aurora2685

Thanks ladies. It does look really beautiful and we definitely want an ocean view for our wedding. Now if I could only get the event coordinator to call me back! She might be on vacation or something this week, the people in the main office just keep telling me she'll be in tomorrow every day. 

Jillibeans11681

That's sooooooo annoying! You'd think she'd want the business! You can also check Rye Harbor State Park, similar idea. Also, Wentworth by the Sea Country Club is AWESOME, but pricey IMO. It depends on what your budget is.

Biotechick620

I agree, you'd think that the site fee they charge ($5500 for Saturday weddings -- which includes just the use of the facility and tent) that they would be chomping at the bit to book brides!

When I tried to contact them I emailed them twice and it took over a week for them (the coordinator's name is Ashley) to respond!  When I had a question, a response usually took 2-3 days.

That's very frustrating! Hang in there ;o)

PS.  I'd post the info. Ashley had sent to me but it's probbably 2 or 3 pages, so I'll try my best to abbreviate.  There's a lot of little details that goes into renting the Seacoast Science Center: You have to rent everything (chairs, tables, dishes, glasses, dancefloor), caterering (there's 4 vendors to chose from. If you have an outside vendor it's a $500 fee), they require you rent a police officer for your entire event ($65/hr), that you take out an umbrella insurance policy ($400), and that you pay a refundable cleaning deposit ($300)

It's a gorgeous place, but just make sure you can or have someone help with all the small details and that it all fits in your budget.  Good luck!

aurora2685

Thanks Biotechik, that's great info! Did you/will you have your wedding there or is it just a place you looked into?

So far I'm not annoyed with the coordinator, the rest of the staff there just doesn't seem to know her schedule. Hopefully I can get in touch with her today.

Hebadeb814

Just a heads up... I'm getting married at Odiorne State Park in two weeks!!!  Not the Science Center, but the actual park rents out a huge area surrounded by stone wall (for privacy, as the park is still open to the public).  It's $1000 for the site, then tent, tables, chairs, linens, caterer, police man (if you want to serve alcohol, which I am), and insurance.  At the science center you have to cover all those costs accept the tent... so it's much less expensive to rent the area in the park.  Trust me, I looked into both. 
The only thing that's better at the science center is that you can stay till 11, vs. 8pm at the park.  We're just having an afterparty at a bar we rented out... but with the money you save it's well worth it.
Hope that helps!

Biotechick620

You're welcome, Aurora!  I am not having my wedding there.  It was a top contender but I just felt that that there were so many minor details that I'd have to hire a day of coordinator to make sure things ran smoothly.  That entire stretch of beachline is gorgeous, though!

Honestly, I'd email them again and again and again until they respond to you.  I'd just make sure that they're more communicative if you book your wedding.  Here's Ashely's email so you can contact her directly: a.stokes@seacentr.org

aurora2685

Thanks Hebadeb and Biotechick that definitely helps a lot. We did check into the state park as well, but since we want to get married in September the park closes at 6 instead of 8, which is a bit too early for us. I do agree that it sounds much less expensive to do it in the park as opposed to at the Science Center. I'll probably try to contact them a few more times just to get the basic info before we decide. Hopefully they'll actually respond eventually. You'd think they would want the revenue! 

SeacoastScienceCenter

Good afternoon Ladies,

I wish I had seen this earlier! I apologize for any delay in getting back to potential brides. I did take a week off last summer, but outside of that, I try to at least get preliminary rates and information out to brides as quickly as possible. We get many requests, so I sometimes get a little behind, but I do my best to keep up with the flow.

Sorry again for any delays, and congratulations to all the blushing brides out there!

Sincerely,
Ashley Stokes
Seacoast Science Center

Jaim1123

My upcoming wedding is taking place at the Seacoast Science Center and I couldn't have found a better place!  Ashley (coordinator at the Seacoast Science Center) is super sweet and really great at her job.  Brides just need to be a little more patient when waiting for a response from her especially if their inquiries are during wedding season.  I am also in the business (event coordinator for a catering company) and sometimes it can take days for me to get back to someone.  With so many requests coming in it is sometimes hard to "stay above water."