Wedding Venues in Boston
Whether in the Back Bay or the Seaport, couples are bringing a new level of creativity to their city celebrations.
Aloft Boston Seaport. / Courtesy Photo
Every bride and groom hopes for a fairy-tale wedding. Fittingly, the buzzword for this season’s nuptials is “magical,” says planner Amy Kimball, of Amy Kimball Events. “Boston couples want their venue to feel rustic, glamorous, and ethereal, with lots of greens, branches, and twinkling lights,” she says. “People want unique venues that are canvases or flexible hotels where they can create a singular vision. If you work with a good designer, almost any venue can become that.”
To that end, Union Square’s Warehouse XI lets the imagination run wild; in fact, the industrial space embraces DIY weddings. The 1,500-square-foot venue’s white brick walls and concrete floors are ideal building blocks for any aesthetic.
For pure elegance in the heart of the Back Bay, it doesn’t get any better than the Boston Public Library’s understated Boylston Hall, located in the recently renovated Johnson Wing and adjacent to the complex’s lush courtyard. Its floor-to-ceiling windows overlook Boylston Street, while the neutral stone floors, gray slate walls, and waved-wood ceilings work with many styles.
Couples searching for the convenience of a hotel wedding, meanwhile, should consider the Mann Ballroom at the new Aloft Boston Seaport, where oversize windows frame city views. The ballroom’s lighting designs are customizable, and the hotel’s dramatic grand staircase makes for the perfect Cinderella-style photo op—a fairy tale indeed.
Warehouse XI
Head Count Up to 150 seated
Price Starting at $300 per hour
Boylston Hall at Boston Public Library
Head Count Up to 400 seated
Price Starting at $375 per person
Aloft Boston Seaport
Head Count Up to 320 seated
Price Starting at $20,000
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“Couples love finding a ‘blank slate’ type of venue that they can make their own. Every aspect of the day has a sense of meaning and romanticism right now.”
Amy Kimball, AMY KIMBALL EVENTS
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Alice’s Table. / Courtesy Photo
Prewedding Adventure
With Alice’s Table, pals can enjoy a private two-hour flower-arranging class in the comfort of home (or your favorite restaurant). Leave with a handmade bouquet—a pretty precursor to the big day.
The Godfrey. / Courtesy Photo
Guest Digs
With sumptuous Frette linens, Bose Bluetooth speakers, and plush slippers and bathrobes in every room, the Godfrey hotel, in Downtown Crossing, is a luxe home away from home for traveling friends and family.
Porto. / Photograph by Ken Rivard
Rehearsal Dinner
At the airy, spacious Porto, the latest from chef Jody Adams, guests can tuck into Mediterranean-style seafood in a private dining room overlooking a mix of gardens and the Back Bay bustle.
Unique Vendor
Give your guests something more than Instagram memories courtesy of caricature artist Mark Penta. Drawing on archive paper or an iPad, Penta and his team of artists capture up to 150 guests in about four hours, and also offer group caricatures of the wedding party.
Local Favor
Located inside the Boston Public Market, Boston Honey Company’s jars of raw Massachusetts honey are sure to sweeten the evening.
The Mandarin Oriental. / Courtesy Photo
Consider the Mini-Moon
After months of recording guest RSVPs and answering vendor emails, it’s time to unplug. Book the Mandarin Oriental’s Digital Wellness Escape package, designed for those who log too much device time. The best part? A massage focused on the neck and shoulders in one of the spa’s couples’ suites.
Then stroll down the street for a cooking class at the new Eataly food emporium inside the Prudential Center. Mario Batali’s Italian wonderland offers hands-on risotto, pasta, and wine-and-cheese-pairing classes, perfect for couples looking to boost their kitchen chemistry.
End the weekend with a meal at Pabu, San Francisco–based chef Michael Mina’s new izakaya-style spot in the swanky Millennium Tower, where you can toast to the future with robata-grilled meats, sushi, and a lengthy roster of whiskeys.
Pabu. / Courtesy Photo
Getting married? Start and end your wedding planning journey with Boston Weddings' guide to the best wedding vendors in the city.
