Three Contemporary New England Venues for Your Ultra-Modern Big Day

Photo by Tarren Bailey

CLEAR CUT

Glass House
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Head count Up to 60 seated or 125 for a standing reception
Price Available upon request

Kendall Square’s Glass House is named not only for the building materials, but also as a nod to the neighborhood’s rich glassmaking history. Flooded with natural light and filled with clean lines and quirky art, the 6,500-square-foot space is equipped with sliding glass doors, so you can customize the restaurant to your needs (and ensure you’re always in view of the dance floor). Walk down the aisle on the outdoor patio overlooking the Charles, then retire inside for a “Bostonian Reception”—one of several optional themed reception packages—complete with mini lobster rolls and their clam chowder, a five-time Boston Harborfest winner. A year later, head back to Glass House to relive your nuptials with a complimentary anniversary dinner for two. Glass is a better first-anniversary gift than paper, anyway.

GUEST DIGS

Just a stroll across the Charles is the Whitney Hotel, named for one-time owner Henry Melville Whitney (we’ve got him to thank for the T). Guests can dine at in-house eatery Peregrine (sister to Somerville’s Juliet)and flash a room key for perks at nearby shops—Beacon Hill Chocolates’ complimentary gelato is a must.

Photo courtesy of Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport

SEAPORT SLEEK

Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport
Boston, Massachusetts
Head count Up to 1,800 seated
Price Starting at $50,000

Give new meaning to your “big” day at Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport, the largest Boston hotel to open in decades. Celebrate with your nearest and dearest (and then some) in an extravagant 25,000-plus-square-foot ballroom, or say “I do” in the aptly named Contemporary Room boasting 10-foot floor-to-ceiling windows and a patio with views of the Seaport skyline. Treat your guests to a block of rooms, but save the top-floor suite (complete with a pool table, a soaking tub, and a private screening room) all for yourself. And once you’re here, why leave? Catch the big game and tuck into orange blossom honey–drizzled wings at the chic don’t-call-it-a-sports-bar Sporting Club, take a dip at the year-round outdoor pool, and sip some French Berry Frosé at the pool bar, or melt away the prewedding jitters with a treatment at the on-site spa.

UNIQUE VENDOR

Light up your celebration by enlisting the pros at Neon Williams, where they’ve been bending glass since the 1930s. Peruse their rental catalog, or have them create a custom piece you take home after tying the knot. You’ll be in good company—the Somerville shop is behind many iconic marquees in Boston, from the Paramount Theater to the Citgo sign.

Photo by George Street Photo & Video

Photo by George Street Photo & Video

PARTY LIKE A ROCK STAR

Studio B
Boston, Massachusetts
Head count Up to 120 seated
Price Starting at $20,000

Music lovers, take heed: Studio B is the place to get the party started. Set next to North Station and connected to the concert venue Big Night Live and Guy Fieri’s Tequila Cocina, this multifunctional space is custom-made for a celebration—it was even where the elite runners had their Boston Marathon after-party this year. You can dance the night away on the oversize hexagonal tile floors beneath exposed rafters and globe lighting. Take a drink break at the expansive marble bar, flanked by record displays from some musical greats, and catch the views of Causeway Street. Brick walls painted with a giant ticket emblazoned with the words “Live Big” should set the tone for the evening.

PREWEDDING ACTIVITY

Guests can explore their artistic sides at MassArt Art Museum, Boston’s newest contemporary-art museum. Located in the former Bakalar and Paine Galleries, the reimagined space—with a new front entrance on Huntington Avenue—was open for just 13 days before the pandemic forced the museum to go virtual, but now it’s back with multimedia installations and community events. Even better: Admission is free for everyone.

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