Previously I had shared the list of venues that we had rejected. This next set definitely have some possibility. Are you ready? Here we go.
It was actually snowing he day we went out to see the place. We definitely have to use our imagination this time of year. The place was great. The the view of the Boston skyline is breathtaking. The views of the ocean and the Blue Hills are fantastic too. And it's super close to Boston to boot! Unfortunately we didn't think to bring our camera with us to our visit.
The greatest thing about this place is that not only do they have the traditional ballroom, they also have a three season tent. Linda, the event coordinator told us about the option of renting the whole shebang (ballroom and tent) to ensure that we'd be the only wedding that day. While this sounds like a great idea, we're not feeling the idea of a ballroom reception. If we do everything in the tent, we run into problems. Using the same space for both ceremony and reception makes it really hard to flip.
Pros:
Pros:
Beautiful grounds
Fantastic views
Close to Boston
Tent already on site and it's huge!
Chivari chairs!
White dance floor in the tent (we really dislike parquet floors)
Cons:
No bridal suite with the tent
Green space for outdoor cocktail hour is kind of small
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Castle Hill wasn't on our original list from Paula probably because it pushed the limits of our budget. Jake found it when he was poking around the Steep Hill Beach website. We were pretty sure that Granite Links was what we wanted, but decided to check out Crane Estate just for kicks. Jake was in LOVE with the place. The exterior and grounds of the place are gorgeous. There are a ton of nooks and crannies that would make great photo ops. Jake's favorite were the gryphon statues and the ocean view over the long rolling lawn!
From the Estate, there's a window on the second floor that over rolling green lawn where the ceremony would take place and terrace below. All in all, the venue would really be unique and something that we thought everyone at the wedding would enjoy. The biggest problem we had was with the location. Ipswich isn't that far away from Boston, but Crane Estate is a little bit of a drive outside the city. While we were driving out there, I kept saying, "Are we there yet? Man, this place is really out there. Where is it?" And of course the price, which Paula had warned us about prior to our visit. Again, we forgot to bring the camera!
Pros:
Beautiful grounds
Fantastic views
Statues
Manicured landscape (trees and bushes too)
One event at a time
Cons:
Price - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Location
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This venue was originally on our rejects list. But after seeing Granite Links and knowing the price of Crane Estate, we wanted a third option to kick around. Just from the website and pictures, Jake had decided the exterior of the building was too country for his liking. And I really disliked the interior as it looks all renaissance-esque.
We tried to swing by Willowdale on our way back from Crane Estate after the first major rain storm. We got about a mile away before we couldn't get any further. The road was completely submerged! I think the best part was this Jeep that was following us. We thought that they'd turn around like we did, but they tried to keep going! Of course, we sat in the car and watched while saying things like "ohmygod, what are they doing? they are so going to get stuck. HAHA they're going, wait wait, they're stopping."
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We never did try to go back to check out the Willowdale. We visited THE PLACE before we had a chance too. Up next, the Part 3, the conclusion of the series and the winner...
Related posts:
Venues - The Rejects
Platinum Wedding Venues
Related posts:
Venues - The Rejects
Platinum Wedding Venues
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