Like we learned last week…”Estate weddings can be beautiful, unique, and  elegant affairs, and can be a real breath of fresh-air from your more typical ballroom weddings. This is true whether the estate is located oceanside, tucked away in the rolling hills of a ranch, set dramatically amongst a winery. Estate weddings have the potential to be the setting for the wedding of your dreams, and come with a number of advantages.” 

So, Continuing on from last week’s feature on Estate Wedding Venues in the Boston, MA area, here are two more amazing Estate Event Venues!

Hampshire House, on Beacon Hill

The Hampshire House on Beacon Hill, was Commissioned by Bayard and Ruth Thayer. The Brahmin traditional style mansion was completed in 1911 by architect Ogden Codman Jr., who is known for his other designs of several other Newport Mansions, including The Breakers and Land’s End. 

The gorgeous Hampshire House is a five-story Georgian revival  townhouse that is lavishly decorated with Italian marble, ornate carved oak paneling, impressive crystal chandeliers, and grand Palladian windows. The Mansion remained the Thayer Family’s private residence well into the 1930’s, it wasn’t until the late 1940’s that the building was open to the public as a private and opulent, boutique style hotel. The owners then dubbed the mansion The Hampshire House, named after the English county of Hampshire. 

Then in 1969, Thomas A. Kershaw became the owner of The Hampshire House, and  throughout his ownership, opened it to the public as a restaurant and eventually as an exclusive event venue for weddings and other private functions. To this day, the decor captures the aura of those long forgotten days when the Thayers entertained house guests in their magnificent mansion in Beacon Hill.  And, now you, too, can be a part of history at the Hampshire House, by hosting your wedding or celebration within its walls.

The Hampshire House is classic Boston elegance for up to 100 honored guests, and can offer the flexibility of either an intimate cocktail style reception in the Baker Bar or an elaborate celebration hosted in the Library. Or if you’re looking for something even more casual, you could host your celebration in Cheers on Beacon Hill, formerly known as the Bull & Finch Pub. The pub was the original inspiration for the classic Cheers, t.v. show, and features two oak bars, booth seating and is fully decorated with Cheers & Boston Sports memorabilia. The pub is capable of accommodating up to 85 guests for a plated meal or 135 for a cocktail style event.

No matter your choice, this venue comes with incredible views of Boston Public Garden, delicious and decadent, custom catering, classic style and a whole lot of history!

The Bradley Estate

The Bradley Estate is located less than 20 miles from Boston, and is  just minutes off the I-95 in Canton, MA. The Estate has humble origins, and was once a colonial farmstead that was known as Cherry Hill Farm. The Estate underwent transformation in 1902, and started its new life as a classic country estate situated on 90 beautiful acres. For the transformation Dr. Arthur Tracey Cabot hired noted Architect Charles Platt to design the great house, including landscaped grounds, and a large complex of farm and estate buildings. Today the lovely natural setting still boasts manicured lawns, a walled garden, and a brick-edged parterre garden.

The estate stayed relatively the same until 1991, when ownership transferred to the Trustees of Reservations, and today, the Bradley Estate is open to the public and the house and grounds play host to many special occasions for both private and corporate clients. When it comes to events, seating inside the mansion is for up to 80 guests, or you can host a tented reception on the North Lawn for up to 180 guests; however, and your guests may use the terrace and gardens for either your ceremony or cocktail hour and the entire first floor of the mansion for socializing during your celebration. 

Next up, we’d like to take a moment to talk about the Bradley Estate’s wonderful & exclusive, on-site caterer, Fireside Catering. Fireside is committed to creating delicious, elegant and seasonal menus, sourcing the freshest local ingredients possible. In fact, many of the ingredients come from their own farm – Gibbet Hill Farm – as well as several other local farms and suppliers to provide you with the very best local, sustainable, seasonal and delicious cuisine. 

This venue is also a great choice if you’d like to have a great party, but be done a little earlier, as the venue only offers a 5-hour rental period from 5pm to 10pm; however, all events have the option of beginning half an hour earlier,  at 4;30pm, thus extending the rental period to accommodate for an on-site ceremony, but all events must also conclude by 10pm.

As you can see, Boston, MA and the surrounding area is home to a collection of wonderful Estate Wedding Venues! We at Beat Train Productions believe that you can have an absolutely fantastic wedding celebration at any of these magnificent estates we’ve profiled in this Estate Wedding Venue Series!