The Best Wedding Venues in Massachusetts
Wedding season!? Yikes! It’s right around the corner! With close to 40 weddings already booked this year, our team has been busy scouting locations to prep for our 2021 Big Days. This week, we hopped in Mike’s Equinox and headed north to scope out a few upcoming locations in Massachusetts. Each destination has its own appeal and charm, but our quick trip resurfaced memories of some of our favorite places to shoot. Here are our top three favorite venues in Massachusetts.
Lakeview Pavilion – Foxboro, MA
After arriving at our first stop: the newly renovated Lakeside venue, we’re treated to not one, but two grand ballrooms. Having been recently rebuilt nearly from the ground up, the team at Lakeview spared no expense when bringing their dream venue to life.
The expansive windows of the Lakeview & Lakeside ballrooms stretch from the ground 20’ up towards the vaulted ceiling, giving the guests a stunning, floor-to-ceiling view of the lake and surrounding woodlands. The dark, hardwoods artistically accent the brilliant white walls and uplighting in the ceiling. Both rooms center around a crescendo of crystals in a pair of jaw-dropping chandeliers.
We step outside to the serene scene of nothing but the quiet forest and lake as a beautiful gazebo sits elegantly at the water’s edge. A perfect place for a first look or even just a photo op, this quaint yet dazzling gazebo is the cherry on top for this perfect location!
Grand View – Mendon, MA
Situated on the scenic shores of Lake Nipmuc in Mendon, MA, Grand View boasts spectacular waterfront views with the privacy and elegance you’d only dream of on your wedding day. The 85-acre lake is dotted by maple and pine trees that reflect in the water creating the most charming New England setting. This single-event venue boasts multiple locations to celebrate on your wedding day.
With panoramic views of the lake, the cocktail room centers around a 35-foot oak table beneath oak shelves and decorative glassware, (and lots of liquor, too).
The lavish crystal chandeliers hang elegantly from the ceiling as you enter the contemporary Grand Ballroom. You can hear the echo as your soles tap across the beautiful hardwood dancefloor graced by the wall-to-wall views of stunning Lake Nipmuc. Oh and the 12-foot long (WOW!) fireplace really accents the room!
Stepping outside, there’s a couple choices for your outdoor ceremony. Walking down the steps from the ballroom, you’ll come across a beautiful stone patio much like one you’d see along the fine Italian shores of Lake Como. Aptly named Bella Vista, this stone patio hugs Lake Nipmuc’s shoreline where words can’t describe the beauty your guests will be subject to at the moment when you say your ‘I do’s’.
The last location at Grand View that we scoped out was the Terraza. This beautiful terrace adorned with Doric columns sits parallel to the lake where guests will be blessed with unrivaled views of the sparking waters. Guests will be graced with the beautiful view of the lake to their left while they watch you tie the knot under a sophisticated pergola.
The Barn at Gibbet Hill – Groton, MA
Continuing north, our next stop was the rustic Barn at Gibbet Hill in Groton, MA. This gorgeous property houses a few different options for wedding settings. First and foremost, there’s the barn, of course! With a 220-person capacity, this immense barn and property is more than suited for any sized gathering. Once you step inside this immense post-and-beam, turn-of-the-century barn your eyes are immediately drawn to the sophisticated chandeliers suspended from the ceiling artfully accented by a backdrop of antique exposed beams. This charming, but immense barn is the heart of the property but there’s much more to gawk at here at Gibbet Hill!
The lawn at Gibbet Hill is a sight to behold. At the height of wedding season, this pristine greenery rolls on for acres, dotted by the black Angus cattle roaming the hills. The blue sky, fresh air, and serene setting build a prime setting for a relaxed and intimate ceremony.
Topping off our list of locations at Gibbet Hill is the Top of the Hill. An exclusive, outdoor tented venue is just a few minutes’ shuttle ride from the Barn. Located at the summit of Gibbet hill sits the ivy-covered ruins of a stone hunting lodge built by General Bancroft in 1906. This unique setting are sure to offer one-of-a-kind experiences and it’s an especially amazing place to shoot!
But wait there’s more!
There’s hundreds of spectacular venues across the state and we couldn’t stop at these three. With just enough gas in the tank for one more stop, our team headed west towards Harrington Farm!
Harrington Farm - Princeton, MA
Harrington Farm, an expansive New England farm located in Princeton, MA was our last stop on the trip. The venue has a host of marvelous settings - spread across their sixty-acre property – whose antique charm meets modern design through stunning renovations. The farm is home to a beautiful barn (honestly, is it even a farm if there’s no barn??), a charming farmhouse, sprawling meadows, and a peaceful Goshen stone ceremony garden.
Stepping inside the barn at Harrington Hill, we are immediately hypnotized by the intricate woodwork of the hammer-beam trusses holding the massive, lofted roof high above our heads. The engineering that must have gone into the architecture of this venue is astounding. What’s more, a massive fireplace warms the room as its brilliant bluestone chimney clammers its way up the back wall of the barn. This picturesque beauty is sure to be a tough setting to turn away from!
The sixty-acre property has a plethora of stunning scenes that make the property perfect for tying the knot. The farm – which is situated on Wachusett mountain – faces west; gracing its guests to remarkable sunsets that dance across the golden meadows, no matter the time of year. From the outdoor fireplace patio where guests can enjoy a nice drink, to the Goshen Stone Patio garden, and the spanning meadows, Harrington’s outdoor spaces are second-to-none.
With wedding season heating up these are four venues our team at Neilan Media is pleased to recommend! If you are still searching for photography or video for your wedding day, we would love to talk! Fill out a contact form to get in touch :)
3 Apps to Say “I do” to
It goes without saying that Wedding planning would be nothing without the proper resources. With technology experiencing exponential growth seemingly each day, it’s not hard to see we have so many resources right at our fingertips…literally! Each day thousands of apps are downloaded on the app store. The market’s flooded with wedding apps!
Of course, there’s Pinterest and Instagram; the tried and true source for inspiration and aspiration, and sometimes perspiration. These apps are great for open-ended searching, when you’re not really sure what you’re looking for but when you find it “you just know”. Instagram can be great for searching wedding hashtags, looking at vendors work, and much more. These simple, but irreplaceable apps are a perfect start for a bride-to-be, but it doesn’t stop there. Here are a few other options that you hay have overlooked, but are worth checking out!
Mint:
When you can keep track of your money, planning is simpler! (And not to mention, a little less stressful.) Mint is an app provided by Intuit – you know, the tax guys. I think they know a thing or two about keeping track of your cash! Mint allows you to keep your financial life together, so you don’t have a fractured wedding budget. You can categorize your spending to document what you’ve been putting money toward. Check it out!
Mint’s pie chart budget organization tool.
WeddingHappy:
Let WeddingHappy be your digital wedding planner of sorts. The app keeps you on task; giving you an active countdown till your Big Day. It will give you step-by-step suggestions for your “To-Do-Before-I-Do” list. Over 16,000,000 wedding tasks have been completed using WeddingHappy! What’s more, they even have a feature that allows you to track your budget here, inside the app as well! With thousands of glowing reviews, this free app is certainly one you should look into.
Trello:
Out of left field comes a workspace app that many of you in the tech world may recognize; Trello. Trello is your go-to virtual sticky board; letting you stick “Post-its” on your own designated, digital board. Create cards to build out your To-Do list! You can attach files, add “team members” (Bridesmaids or your hubby-to-be), add due dates and set reminders as they approach. This is super helpful to use throughout the planning process as it allows you to create individual checklists inside each card – so you can be sure to stay focused on each task individually.
As I write this, I too am planning my wedding! Let’s get a look inside one of my Trello cards. Here’s what we’ve got for our Ceremony so far. You see, we’re still in the middle of dialing in our date and venue, so most of you will be a bit further along than us! - Max M.
Inside this card I have our checklist that we need to complete in order to have the ceremony all set and taken care of. I’ve also added my fiancée to the card as well so that she can contribute and be notified when there is any action on the card. I can also attach images to reference some of our favorite venues and assign a due date to get an accurate countdown before my card is due.
We know there are tons of apps out there to help you plan your wedding; some specifically design for your Big Day, and some were designed for other reasons but can still be great wedding planning tools! We hope some of these ideas help stay organized as you march down the aisle toward your wedding day!
If you have any questions for us, please submit a form on our contact page! Got an app that you use and want to share? Leave it below in the comments! Hope you’re all doing well and staying safe. <3
