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Massachusetts Gay Friendly Wedding sites suggestions wanted

kristen6734kristen6734
First Comment
in Gay Weddings
Hi! My partner and I are engaged!(we've been together over 9 years :)  We are looking to find a ceremony and reception site in Massachusetts for August. We are hoping for some suggestions from other same-sex couples. Any ideas, suggestions, thoughts are welcome. Thank you :)
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Re: Massachusetts Gay Friendly Wedding sites suggestions wanted

  • mrl02mrl02
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    My wife and I married in The State Room in downtown Boston.  They were fabulous to deal with and very gay-friendly.  It's perfect if you want an indoor, urban wedding.   - Maryanne
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  • mrsandmrsbinsmrsandmrsbins
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I got married two weeks ago in Boston, I have reviews up on my bio site if you want to take a peek.I must tell you, I did not have a single non-gay friendly experience in my whole planning process.  I think everyone here is very used to gay marriage by now.  I don't know if you are looking in the Boston area, unfortunately my venue doesn't open till September :-(.  You might find more budget friendly options outside of Boston if you are willing to look a bit farther out.
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  • danielleferraradanielleferrara
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We're getting married in Salem, MA at Hamilton Hall.  It's really pretty.  In the spring/fall they do the ceremonies in a park across the street.  www.hamiltonhall.org  
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  • 2dBride2dBride member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I would concur with mrsandmrsbins--we didn't find any vendors in the Boston area who were not gay-friendly.  When we went to court to get a waiver of the three-day waiting period for a license, the person at the front desk asked to see ID.  When we presented Maryland drivers' licenses, she asked, "I see you're from Maryland.  Do you have family in Massachusetts?"  We explained that we did not, but had to get married in Massachusetts because same-sex marriage still wasn't recognized in Maryland.  She replied, "Oh, that's right!", in a tone that suggested she'd forgotten there were states that still wouldn't allow us to get married.You're welcome to check out my bio.  However, our ceremony venue was a synagogue (obviously not an option unless you are Jewish).  Our reception venue was the private dining room of the Legal Sea Foods in Burlington.  They were absolutely wonderful, but it would work only for a small (under about 25 people) wedding.The place where we stayed, [url=http://www.vrbo.com/139860]the Fitzhugh-Beers House in Acton, MA[/url], can also accommodate an outdoor wedding for up to about 40 people.
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  • TravelingFinTravelingFin
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Congrats! There are so many wonderful options...where to begin?!!! Are you looking for the Boston/metro Boston area --or further west? Also of course depends on your style and budget... Regardless, here are the venues where we've had nothing but wonderful experiences! Hamilton Hall, Salem Hotel Marlowe, Cambridge Exchange Conference Center, Boston Waterfront Gedney Farm, out in the Berkshires Hyatt Regency Boston Smith Barn, Peabody Mission Oak Grill, Newburyport Essex Conference Center, Essex Warren Conference Center & Inn, Ashland Regattabar at the Charles Hotel, Cambridge Oh --and if you are interested in having a seamless & stress-free planning experience, even if just 'day of', I strongly recommend contacting Bernadette at It's About Time Events. http://www.itsabouttimeevents.com/weddings.htm We've worked with her professionally on multiple occasions, and she is also our own wedding planner. Best of luck, and feel free to contact me if you want to chat further :-)
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  • ShellieLynnShellieLynn member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I don't want to start a new thread.. but I need advice as well.
    My fiance and I will be going to Boston in October for the legal ceremony. We are taking one person (the 'best man' as she insists on being called, haha) and are having the 'real' ceremony here. So, my MA wedding will be no muss no fuss simple.
    So... I'm wondering how to go about it. I know here, straight couples can just walk into the courthouse with their license and be married. But can you do that in MA?
    And as someone who is flying in from Texas, does anyone have any ideas on how to find where to get married? Ideally I would like to do it on Saturday or Sunday, but I'm sure courthouses and the like aren't open that day, so.... yeah...

    I dunno. I'm pretty lost. I have one friend who has gotten the chance to legally marry, but she and her wife are pretty busy so I can't get any details other than "don't forget your passport"
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  • 2dBride2dBride member
    5 Love Its First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Sorry, I didn't even see this when you posted it.  If you still need the information, here it is:

    There is, in theory, a three-day waiting period to get married in Massachusetts.  However, that period can be waived if you go to court.  In our experience, the court procedure was really easy.  We went in and told the judge that our ceremony was scheduled for the next day, but that since we were coming from Maryland, we hadn't been able to get there three days early.  That was all it took.  The biggest hassle is that you have to wait your turn to see the judge.  We waited maybe half an hour while he wrapped up other motions in family law matters.  The fee for the waiver was $65 in Probate Court.  It would have been higher if we had gone to a District Court.

    The court procedure is particularly silly because Massachusetts allows you to get the marriage license in any jurisdiction within the state, and does not require that you get it in the jurisdiction in which you are getting married.  Thus, if you didn't like the answer you got from the first court, you could just move on to another one.

    When we finished, we went over to the marriage license office, filled out some forms, and got the license, which was valid immediately.  The cost of the marriage license in Worcester was $40.  However, the cost varies by town.  And again, it doesn't matter what town you get your license in; it is valid in all of them.

    The biggest nuisance is that neither the marriage license nor the courts are open on weekends.  Thus, you pretty much have to be in Massachusetts on a weekday to be married there.

    If you actually wanted to have the ceremony at the courthouse, I am not sure whether you would need to make an appointment or just walk in.  My suggestion would be to look up the Web site of the town you want to get married in, and then give them a call.

    Good luck!
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