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As the largest city in New England, Boston has no shortage of incredible wedding venues. It shouldn't come as a surprise that many of them are in historic buildings and feature architectural details like exposed brick, but you'll also find modern venues and unique settings perfect for a destination wedding.
Whether you're looking for an all-inclusive venue, a vibrant outdoor space, or a big hotel ballroom that can hold a crowd, you'll find a place that suits your dreams. We’ve curated the top Boston wedding venues for your big day, categorized by theme.
•Venue Location: Indoor •Free Parking: No •Max Guests: 2,000
Centrally located in Back Bay, Boston Park Plaza stands out for impeccable hospitality and hands-on attention to detail.
One block from Arlington subway station
Valet parking costs $65 per night
Located near the Public Garden in Back Bay, Boston Park Plaza is widely considered the city’s best wedding venue. The largest of the hotel's three ballrooms can host 2,000 guests; smaller ballrooms and boardrooms are well-suited to intimate weddings and pre- or post-wedding events, like brunches. Altogether, Boston Park Plaza has 55,000 square feet of available event space.
Wedding parties receive suites to get ready in, while couples can book the hotel’s private wedding suite and enjoy other perks, like upgrades and preferred rates for wedding guests. The hotel’s wedding packages make planning easy. You can select food and beverage options or schedule a private tasting to finalize the menu. The Park Plaza’s event coordinator gets rave reviews for customizing events and checking in frequently to make sure everyone is satisfied.
•Venue Location: Indoor/outdoor •Free Parking: No •Max guests: 300
Sports fans and Boston die-hards couldn't find a better venue than Major League Baseball’s most historic ballpark.
Custom scoreboard messages celebrating the newlyweds; appearance by Wally or Tessie, the Green Monsters; guided walking tour of the stadium
Committed venue liaison for your wedding day
Private menu tasting and custom event menus
Enhancements to make your day extra special
May need modifications if it rains
Opened in 1912, Fenway Park has bragging rights as MLB’s oldest stadium. Less well known is its reputation as an event space. You can have your wedding on the field while guests watch from the stands, and then host your reception in the Dell Technologies Club, for views of the famous Green Monster; the Vineyard Vines Club, next to the ballpark's urban garden; or one of Fenway’s many other options. With the chance to see World Series trophies and create a personal wedding message on the old-fashioned scoreboard, a Fenway Park wedding is a true one-of-a-kind experience.
While the venue itself is the highlight, don't think the reception will be limited to Fenway franks. The culinary team is adept at preparing everything from cheese and charcuterie boards to surf and turf and barbecue. Produce comes from Fenway Farms, the 5,000-square-foot roof garden. Guests rave about the event planning department's attention to detail and commitment to making the ceremony and reception special.
•Venue Location: Indoor/outdoor •Free Parking: Yes •Max guests: 250
The Estate has a dreamy garden that makes you feel like you’re a world away from the city, even though it’s just 30 minutes from downtown.
Farm-fresh produce used throughout the year; two hospitality suites for the wedding party
Multiple event locations to choose from
Venue fee includes rentals, catering, and more
Events must end by 11 p.m.
Trustees of Reservations Membership ($165) is required
A half hour from Boston, the Estate at Moraine Farm offers lakefront views and stunning grounds designed by famed 19th-century landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Host your ceremony on the Great Lawn, which doubles as the ideal site for cocktail hour lawn games, and wander around the Tea House and the estate house for wedding photos. While the Estate at Moraine Farm is available year-round, it's best from spring to fall when its garden is in bloom. The estate house is also open for smaller events, ceremonies, and cocktail hours.
The venue fee provides exclusive access to the estate and gardens for five hours, on-site parking for guests, and a 97-by-58-foot event tent (heating and lights cost extra). It also covers a wedding coordinator, day-of-event manager, group tasting to choose your menu, and all event staffing. Bar packages cost extra.
Venue Location: Indoor Free Parking: No Max Guests: 500 for seated dinners
The historic Cyclorama at Boston Center for the Arts is a unique venue for couples with a penchant for the theatrical.
Dedicated events team helps plan details; rental fee includes lighting, stage, security, and other perks
All events come with in-house security
Can use the center’s preferred vendors or your own
Located in Boston’s South End, the Cyclorama was built in 1884 to display a panoramic painting of the Battle of Gettysburg. The building is architecturally unique, with exposed brick, industrial windows, a copper dome, and a skylight.
The Cyclorama is a raw space that gives creative couples free rein to design an event that fully expresses themselves. The space is handicap accessible and can be set up for anything from an intimate wedding to a gala affair. Lighting packages, in-house rentals, a 16-by-24-foot stage, use of a scissor lift to hang DIY decor, security, and cleaning services are included. The venue provides a list of preferred vendors who are accustomed to working in the historic building, and their exclusive caterers include several local favorites.
•Venue Location: Indoor •Free Parking: No •Max Guests: 250 for seated dinners
This art gallery with a social justice mission in Boston’s Innovation District is a stunning backdrop for your big day.
Local art throughout the venue; option to hire venue artists to create custom event banners and other personalized swag
Walkable from the Broadway subway station
Must become a member, which costs $1,000 or more
If you're looking for a venue with style and a social justice mission, check out Artists for Humanity, which provides under-resourced teens with paying jobs in art and design. Their creations decorate the walls of the venue, which is located in the Innovation District, also known as the Seaport.
Artists for Humanity's event space has an industrial feel, with garage doors and railings created from car windshields, but ample lighting and warm white paint soften the look. Renting the space provides access to the 3,200-square-foot mezzanine level AFH Art Gallery and the connecting 5,000-square-foot Lewis Gallery, where a garage door opens onto a courtyard. The venue maintains exclusive vendors for catering, equipment rental, audio/visual, lighting, and more, so this isn't the best pick for those wanting their choice of catering or rental companies.
•Venue Location: Indoor/outdoor •Free Parking: No •Max Guests: 1,399
The New England Aquarium has views, an outdoor terrace, and adorable sea lions to pose with your bridal party.
Bridal suite; on-site event planner and support team; option to add tank talks hosted by aquarium staff
Several hotels within walking distance
Multiple event spaces to choose from
Sustainable options, like environmentally friendly barware
Exclusive caterer isn’t a favorite of recent guests
To protect the animals, some flowers aren’t allowed
It might come as a surprise to learn that the New England Aquarium is a wedding venue, but it's one of Boston’s most popular for waterfront ceremonies. Set on Boston Harbor, it has several indoor and outdoor spaces that accommodate groups of all sizes.
You can host a cocktail hour on the terrace with views of the harbor before moving indoors to dine in sight of the Giant Ocean Tank, the aquarium's hallmark attraction, or near a chorus of cute penguins. The animals make this a favorite of young guests and a fun venue for couples seeking something unique. The on-site wedding planner and events team get rave reviews for helping couples plan and pull off their dream wedding.
City Winery Boston via Facebook
•Venue Location: Indoor •Free Parking: No •Max Guests: 200 seated
Located near the historic North End, City Winery has full-service packages that make wedding planning easy.
Wedding coordinator; custom label wines for wedding favors
Walkable from North Station and Haymarket subway station
Parking at nearby Government Center Garage costs $25
City Winery Boston isn’t just a working winery, with winemaking supplies on hand, but also an event space built for live music and comedy shows, with a state-of-the-art sound system and built-in stage. Though it’s adept at handling large weddings of up to 200 seated guests, it’s also a savvy choice for intimate ceremonies.
As an all-inclusive venue, City Winery makes planning easy, with a trio of packages that cover two-course dinners—including a vegetarian option and dessert buffet—and an open bar featuring the venue’s own wines and craft beers. Two of the packages also include a cocktail hour and artisanal spirits. Both the food and wine get rave reviews from foodie couples. Wedding parties can bring their own decor and personal touches or leave everything up to the venue and relax on their big day.
For many couples, Boston Park Plaza offers the right combination of atmosphere, service excellence, and attention to detail. City Winery Boston is the best pick to stretch your budget, while you should consider the Estate at Moraine Farm if your heart is set on an outdoor wedding. Couples who want a uniquely Bostonian experience should book the New England Aquarium or Fenway Park.
With so many wedding venues, Boston offers couples lots of choices. The city is centrally located within New England, has an international airport, and is well-served by rail and bus, so if you’re gathering a big family from near and far, it’s a convenient location for a wedding. Public transit puts most of the city’s attractions—of which there are many—within easy reach. Out-of-town guests will be spoiled for choice, from art museums and historical sites to cruises in Boston Harbor. As for timing, spring in Boston can be rainy but has beautiful blooms, summer is warm and perfect for hanging out near the harbor, and fall is temperate, with colorful foliage that stands out in wedding photos.
Budget, location, number of guests, and indoors vs. outdoors—these are the four most important factors to consider when planning your Boston wedding. The information presented here should help you understand the options at the best Boston venues, but keep in mind that the wedding date, number of guests, and add-ons can impact package pricing.
Boston magazine estimates the average wedding in the city costs a little over $39,000. More broadly speaking, Massachusetts ranks as one of the most expensive states to get married in.
Summer and fall are the most popular seasons to get married in Boston, given the temperate weather. If you're on a tight budget, you may be able to stretch it by getting married in winter or spring.
Some Boston wedding venues are all-inclusive, but not all of them. All-inclusive wedding packages tend to cover everything you'd need, including rentals, linens, tables and chairs, venue, catering, and decor. There is usually an on-site coordinator or planner to help with all the details, too.
We evaluated more than two dozen Boston wedding venues to determine the best picks for 2022. Location, reputation, amenities, quality of service, customer reviews, and firsthand experience all factored into consideration.
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