Boston Venue Help!

HeyKK

Hello! Need a little advice on finding our venue...

 

Background: fiance and I grew up in the Boston area but now live in TX, originally wanted a laidback beachy destination wedding (think turks and caicos) but my family is Indian and I'm an only daughter so Boston it is (Dadzilla is in full effect ). Was thinking a cape cod resort or even southern Maine might be a nice compromise but the logistics are a bit much so we're focusing on the Boston/Cambridge area.

 

Timeline: summer 2012 is the plan, probably late-July/early-August

We'll be visiting venues over a couple of days in December and then hopefully make a swift decision over christmas so we can sign contracts and move forward before heading back to TX.

 

Capacity: 150 (this is what I've negotiated it *down* to...)

Budget: for the purposes of brainstorming potential venues let's call it "unlimited" [realistically, I think State Room and Boston Public Library are a bit much, and personally I'd LOVE to the keep the reception part (site fees, food, open bar, all those misc. fees/tax on top) under $25k if possible and wouldn't be surprised if someone comes up with a brilliant suggestion for way less, I really really LOVE a "bargain" ;-) ]

Don't like: stuffy ballrooms (e.g. no windows), golf courses, country clubs

Do like: unique spaces, outdoor areas (especially patios), amazing city and/or water views, a little boston character, beach!

 

Definitely Visiting:

Museum of Science (primarily Washburn Pavilion)

Hotel Marlowe

 

Thinking about but a little hesitant about location with so many OOT guests... probably worth visiting:

Hyatt Harborside (near the airport)

Hyatt Regency Cambridge (Memorial Drive)

Seaport

Venezia

 

Not sure about:

Marriott Long Wharf - was interested in the new Haborview Ballroom but the capacity is 140...

Liberty Hotel - love it but not sure we really need to have our wedding there... if we went with MoS maybe we could stay here? how's the outside space? view from the ballroom?

Royal Sonesta - is it worth visiting?

Le Meriden - looks like a college campus center from the pictures, don't think it's worth the trip

Boston Park Plaza?

Omni Parker House - not sure this is our style and really not thrilled about the size of guest room bathrooms

Renaissance Waterfront

Mandarin Oriental

Intercontinental

Millennium - love the location but pretty sure it's too small

Colonnade - don't think the ballroom would be our style but love the rooftop pool part 

 

Also, we're focusing on the city but still open to any really amazing/unique venues outside (really liked Willowdale but they don't have Saturdays available next summer) and not to make it more confusing but if a private mansion on the water exists  within an hour of Boston I would be very interested in getting more info on that!! Especially if the wedding party could stay overnight!

 

So... what do you think? Keeping the long-distance/limited time we're working with... Which ones do we absolutely need to visit? What hidden gems have I totally overlooked?

 

Sorry for the crazy long post, I figured the more details I give the more likely you guys will come up with the answer to all my headaches :-)

 

Thank you!!!

KDough

Have you thought about looking at the Boston Harbor Hotel? The Wharf room is right on the water, with large floor to ceiling windows, the views are amazing, and so is the hotel. They have another room too that may be able to fit your 150 size, that also has great water views. The wharf room fits 250. 

Maybe check out the Aquarium too, right by the Marriott Long Wharf, they recently re did the outdoor patio area, and that is right on the water, and its beautiful. I believe you can have a tent set up, or just have it outside without a tent - i would make sure to look their too!

We looked at the Omni Parker Hosue or our June 2012 wedding, and i personally think the ball room is just too old and run down, but it may be still worth checking out.

HeyKK

Thanks KDough! BHH is a good suggestion... I'm trying to remember why I would've overlooked it, I think I had read that it's very pricey and since it looks a bit more "formal" in style I didn't think it would make sense for us but I might need to give it another look. Anyone know if it's decidedly pricier than the other?

The Aquarium is an awesome one, I crossed it off the list for kind of dumb personal reason (although it was probably more than 10 yrs ago, I think I had a high school event out in the tent and for some reason want to avoid that association in my mind)... was also concerned with it smelling fishy 

I think I agree with you on Omni Parker House. Hadn't even considered it until I looked at some pictures yesterday and thought it would nice to have a place with a little bit of historic feel instead of dragging people from all over the world to stay at a cookie cutter Marriott ;-) but really don't think the ballroom would be our style... i think it's the drapes...

JBs_Bride

Mandarin Oriental probably won't fit your budget, but you should definitely check out Taj, Sheraton Boston (on Dalton Street), and Seaport Hotels. DH and I didn't like Colonnade since the ballroom has no windows. We loved Liberty Hotel itself, but the view from the ballroom is a little meh. It was set up for a wedding when we visited and it seemed really small. The dance floor felt tiny and the tables, in our opinions, were too close together. Ditto KDough on the Omni Parker. My old company had large meetings in their ballroom and it was super dark even in the daytime.

KDough

yeah the drapes at the Omni parker arent great, and the carpet isnt great either! If they redid that room, it would be so much nicer.

We're actually have our wedding at the BHH, and I'm not sure if its the case with all wedding sizes, but there is a $40,000 food/drink minimum, but that maybe only for the wharf room - im not sure if its the same with the Atlantic room.

Have you been to Aquarium since they redid the back patio area? Its really quite nice! But i understand your reservations, and it is possible that it may smell like fish! 

I agree with JB, andwould look at the seaport too, great views and the room is wonderful!

Im not sure if this is something you would even think about, but some of the Boat houses along the Charles river are beautiful and can be rented out for events. Harvard has a great one! May be worth looking in to!

Danielledom143

There is a unique venue called the Epicenter -Arts for humanity in Boston. It is a huge space that can be rented for weddings. It is a very different venue but very beeautiful. They have a few for renting and then you pick vendors separately. I didn't actually go visit because it was out of my budget. But it seems like it could work for yours. They website makes all the functions look amazing! Www.afhboston.com. Also Belle Mar in Newport RI is also amazing. It is pricey though along the same lines of the State Room P.S. The Millenium hotel would be way to small.

SoftballUmpire

L'Andana in Burlington MA. I just had my wedding there and everyone LOVED it. Very unique. You can book the whole restaurant for the amount of people you are having. We had 45 and just rented the back room.

HeyKK

Thanks ladies! You're really helping me figure out what is I'm looking for... not sure if I'm totally missing the "wedding gene" or it'll kick in once we actually look at some places but I've been having a hard time getting excited about most of the options.

So far I've been really excited about:

1) anything beach-resort esque (maybe we should look at Belle Mar but I'm afraid as soon as we take a step outside Boston I'm going to be dragging everyone out to the Cape and Southern Maine... then again maybe I just need to do some honeymoon planning- need a vacation!!)

2) MoS (hey, we're both engineers and it's on the charles... and I kind of like the tent thing)

3) Hotel Marlowe (can't put my finger on what it it is but I guess if it's hotel, I'd rather it be a boutique hotel)

4) Willowdale (not totally sure why on this one either, kind of like that it's a big tent party out in the woods... just sounds like more fun then a hotel ballroom, any other tent venues I should look at?)

Arts for Humanity would totally be my pick if I had the time to coordinate all the details but unfortunately work has consumed my life so I have to rule it out.

Decided Taj, Colonnade, Omni Parker, etc is just totally not us so that whole "style" is probably out.

Like the Sheraton Boston renovation but I don't think that main ballroom has windows and when I looked at the floorplan it seems pretty likely there would be other "events" going on in close proximity. Unless it's supercheap I don't think we'll look at it? I'm assuming most of the places we're talking about are in the same range- are there any I might be pleasantly surprised at being less (or unplesantly more?)

Still a bit torn on Seaport, so many people rave about it (incl. my parents) but the WTC/convention area has pros and cons. I think we may visit just to confirm or dispel whatever weird feeling I have about it.

Also kind of like the idea of a restaurant, any recommendations that are large enough for everyone to be in the same area, with dancing... preferably in Boston? Not sure how my parents would like this idea but worth considering.

Still mulling over BHH, might depend on the min they'd give us... for $40k+ I think BPL would be a better fit for us. And again, I'd rather keep the reception budget lower since we also have some extra wedding "events"/expenses beyond the usual that I haven't priced out yet. But if it's something we're completely head over heels for it might be "worth" it... 

Thanks!

jerseychic24

My fiance and I booked our wedding with Bourndale Function Faculity.  Its in Plymouth and you can have your ceremeony on the beach of the lake or one the grassy area.  You get the whole place to yourself and can even stay over they have houses and cabins for your guests.  They have a nonfire after the reception for those staying over.  It is defiantely worth taking a peak at.  Darin the manager is great to work with and is very quick about answering any questions.

Bookworm28

You asked about a mansion on the water--have you looked into the Commandants House in Charlestown? It's not a mansion per say, but it's a nice historical house with an outdoor tent option. Also, it would definitely fit your budget. You have to get a caterer and such, but you're required to have a wedding planner, so you wouldn't have to worry about all the details as much.

I know you mentioned you wanted to stay in the Boston area, but if you do end up looking to the Cape, the Ocean Edge Resort in Brewster is gorgeous.

Good luck with your search!

bmoruzzi

We had our wedding on Sandy Beach in Cohasset (just 30 min south of Boston).  Then our reception was less than 5 min away at the Atlantica Restaurant.  We couldn't have been happier.  It's a beautiful venue on Cohasset harbor and the room is surrounded by windows looking out onto the water.  It's within your budget too.

lanneyj

You should look at Tuppper Manor in Beverly.  Its a mansion on the water with accomodations on site.  During the summer its a little harder to see the water from the space, because of the trees but still a really beautiful setting, lots of windows, not your typical set up or ballroom.  Also, right down the street is Misslewood at Endicott College - they have a permanent tent overlooking the water.

If you do end up looking down at the Cape, Wychmere Harbor is spectacular.  Right on the water, all of their rooms have huge windows, recently renovated, limited accomodations on site (bridal party).  Ocean Edge is a very nice hotel, but I didn't love the options for wedding space.  Nothing had a view of the water.

Hope this helps!

penny12986

My wedding is at The W Hotel and it is insanely cheap there.

The decor and layout inside is unique and there is a view of the theatre district that is really pretty at night.  It is not far from Boston Common so there are good photo opportunities.

We are getting married in July 2012.  They can accommodate your number of guests and we are paying around $80/pp.

JBs_Bride

If you want BHH, I would definitely check their availability ASAP. I got married in June '10 and when I checked in January '09 all of their Saturday nights for summer 2010 were all completely booked.

kmmalone26

I ended up looking at most of the city locations you mentioned and ended up going with the Hyatt Regency Boston. They just redid their ballroom in the last couple of years, were very flexible with our budget and have a gorgeous patio.

Good luck with your search

denise thompson

Marriott long wharf has been redone recently and the harbor side ballroom has the view and feel you're looking for, and affordable

SloanieBride

Regarding what penny12986 said about the W Hotel, I got married there earlier this year.  Yes, they are negotiable, but you get what you pay for.  I would not recommend them as a venue (haven't had a chance to write a review yet), but they are just way too inexperienced in weddings and have way too much staff turnover for a pleasant planning process.  If I knew what I know now about wedding planning, I would not have chosen them...  

penny12986

SloanieBride, you have a private message from me!

LB&SF

what about the Lakeview Pavilion in Foxboro?  It is gorgeous.  I had my senior prom there and looked there for my wedding.

Justpeachy4397

The BPL is my dream venue!! Unfortunately, when I called last August, every Saturday up through November 2012 was booked!

Have you considered the Decordova Museum? I've also heard the Isabella Gardner Museum can do weddings, though I'm not sure what their capacity is.

The Mandarin has a $40k food & bev minimum, just fyi. For lovely window lines and views I would also recommend the Four Seasons. Their minimum is only $5k more, and you can use the entire 2nd floor. The Governer's Room has a unique shape and tons of windows. Also, I know you said no stuffy ballrooms, but their ballroom has windows.. and the hotel is directly across the street from the Boston Common, which makes for great photos! something to consider

HeyKK

Wow! Lots of great suggestions... I have so many questions and not enough time :-)

So we'll start with just a couple for now...

I first started out with an Indian food requirement so the Marriott Long Wharf was one of the very first venues I was interested in but after they told me the new Harborview Ballroom has a capacity of 140 I started finding things less than ideal about it (which I can no longer really remember) and it pratically fell of the list. Then just today my dad sent me their Indian wedding package (which I failed to get when I had first contact them) and was totally shocked at how affordable it seems! Anyone familiar with the new room know if we would be sardines if I were to ruthlessly enforce a 140 guest count to "fit"? Or is this just a bad idea and reason enough to move on?

Next question- I'm not familiar with the Hyatt Regency Boston, does anyone have good pics of the ballroom and patio? I'm very interested in having an outdoor space attached!

Lots of other questions but they'll have to wait! Thanks again!!!

JBs_Bride

When you're planning you have assume that all of your guests are going to show up because there have definitely been posts on E about how a bride "assumed" people would say no and now she has nowhere to put them...

Unless you can cut the list by 10 people, it's better to not consider places where you can't fit all of your guests. (And btw, congrats on narrowing down your list to 150. That's practically microscopic for an Indian wedding! lol)

lpicken

I work for Hyatt Regency Boston and we have 2 large outdoor terraces that have been used for wedding ceremonies, receptions and more.  Our Grand Ballroom was just renovated last year and has an elegant adjoining oval reception area.

We offer a variety of wedding packages to fit within your budget.  Most packages include Chiavari chairs, the dance floor, the wedding cake, upgraded linens and more!

Please send me an e-mail bosto.sales@hyatt.com and we will respond to you pictures of the different spaces and any additional information you would like.

Thank you and congratulations!

marshallra

Two other thoughts: The ICA is right on the water and has absolutely gorgeous spaces Thompson's island in Boston Harbor has a huge tent, historic buildings where you can spend the night and a very beachy feel with great views of the city.

JBs_Bride

The ICA is gorgeous! The view of harbor is spectacular! I looked at that space, but my parents said no because of the rental fee. It's $15K to rent out the entire museum (and if you want to have your wedding there, you have to rent out the whole museum). The fee doesn't cover anything beyond the rental, so your other $10K would have to be for food/bev, tables, chairs, linens, decorations etc.

eeyore4771

We had our wedding at the Seaport Hotel and I would highly recommend checking it out, particularly the Lighthouse Room.  It has big tall windows and lots of open space.  You can check out pics in my bio (under Reception) and also in our photographer's slideshow (link in siggy).  It's actually a great place to have OOT guests since it's so close to the airport.  The silver line also runs right there and brings you to south station and the red line.  They gave us a great deal on rates (best of all the hotels we looked at in Boston and Cambridge) and honestly they were fantastic to work with.  I have a full review in my bio if you're interested.  Feel free to email me if you have any questions about them (eeyore4771 at gmail dot com). 

clade

I know you said the Taj didn't really fit your vibe, but did you check out their roof top room? I forget the exact name and capacity, but I want to say at least 150 since that's what we were looking at. Anyway, it looks totally different than the big stuffy ballroom downstairs it has kind of an exposed ceiling, black and white floor tiles and panoramic windows showing the skyline of Boston. Worth looking into.

HeyKK

Thanks so much for all the suggestions!!!

JBs- so true on the guest count! I looked at the latest version my dad sent me and realized that although he had "agreed" to cut his list to 75 a couple months ago, "wave 1" of his list is still ~110. When I talked with him about it he started stressing about how there are a lot of people he "knows" won't be able to come (won't get a visa, poor health, etc.) but has to send an invite anyway... I realized I need room for at least 175 and would prefer 200 just so I don't have to worry about it. So Marriott Long Wharf is definitely out for a reception venue (but still a possibility for lodging and/or sangeet).

I'm trying to schedule visits and my current list is:

Hotel Marlowe

Seaport

Museum of Science

NE Aquarium (thanks again KDough- much different from what I remembered!)

Hyatt Harborside

Hyatt Regency Cambridge

...Not sure about the last two. There are a few others (including Lake View Pavilion) but I think we should be able find one we like out of these 6... is that enough? We're planning on looking at all of them over 2 days and then making a quick decision!

By the way... I think dadzilla is trying to bring the indian food requirement back. Everytime I call him out on changing his mind he blames it on "old age"  

JBs_Bride

Seaport was great about letting us know that we could bring in Indian food. They would have been a contender, but my parents didn't like it. MoS will not let you bring in any kind of outside food. It all has to be catered in house (by Wolfgang Puck, so you know it won't be awful, but you couldn't have Indian food).  I'm not sure about the others since we didn't look at them.

Good luck!!

ericsonfreeman

We have similar requirements (windows, modern, 150-200 capacity) and appreciate all the suggestions in this thread! 

We've yet to visit anywhere, but as of now our top two are the Marlowe and the Hyatt Regency Boston. Another we found is the Renaissance in Cambridge (seats 220); the color scheme looks questionable online but the view from the Atlantic ballroom makes it worth a visit. The Westin Copley Place (200) has a renovated ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows, and the Beehive (180) doesn't have a view that I can tell but the style is more urban and unconventional. We'll probably want to see the Seaport as well, especially the Lighthouse room.

Don't know if HeyKK is still reading, but if yes, let us know what you decided!

HeyKK

Oops, sorry about leaving you in suspense!! 

We ended up narrowing down to seriously consider MoS, Marlowe, Hyatt Harborside, and the Aquarium. Then took out Marlowe because we wanted a more relaxed style (+more "Boston") and Haborside I guess because they only had October dates and there was some reasoning about travel/room rates being higher... (and I felt a little weird about making people pay a toll to get there). 

After agnozing over the Aquarium for a few days, there were a few things that just didn't sit well with us and we realized we were very happy/comfortable with the MoS (Cheryl and Keith are great)... the only real "negative" we could think of was the bathrooms could be nicer but we really don't mind it.

So after all that we signed with the Museum of Science, not sure why it took us about 3 months to decide that... I was initially ready to do that before we came up with any other real options but I guess we just had to go through the "process" to be sure :-)