Where do I start? Everything about our experience hosting our wedding at Bournedale was perfect.
We had the difficult task of planning a wedding from out of state. We had to look at venues online and try to gauge from reviews and pictures what... the experience might be like. A friend from high school had her wedding at Bournedale and highly recommended it, so I had my sister go take a tour and FaceTime us. From that moment on, we felt blessed to have found Bournedale - and that feeling has only grown throughout the planning process and now as we reflect on our amazing wedding.
Every aspect of Bournedale is perfect:
+ The location? GORGEOUS in all seasons. We got married in November and even with bare trees, it felt like a magical location on the lake.
+ The value? Insane. I'm still sort of in shock at the experience we had for what we paid. Bournedale was the most affordable location in the area and it offered a million more things for that price.
+ The coordinator, Darin? Invaluable. He absolutely made the day. I can't say enough about my appreciation and love for Darin. He is MEANT for this kind of work. He has a calm, relaxed demeanor and yet has every little detail 100% covered. He is thoughtful, honest, and kind, and I was so, so grateful to be able to work with him for this wedding.
+ The food? Insanely good. Like, actually. I know people always say how they had people tell them the food was good afterwards, but my friends are RAVING. Everything was perfect and delicious and like a meal you would have at a really nice restaurant. The variety was awesome, and the chef is just the sweetest person. He accommodated not just your regular dietary restrictions but more unique ones with a smile, making every single one of our guests feel welcome. I ate at the wedding (Darin and Robin, another coordinator, made sure we did!!), and I still regret not eating more haha!
+ The experience? Where else can you have a beautiful ceremony on a lake, cocktail hour, an incredible dinner, super fun dancing, a bonfire with marshmallow roasting, an afterparty, AND brunch?! I can't tell you how much fun this was. I've never been to another wedding like it. I was pretty overwhelmed by the prospect of a wedding, and this actually made it so much better - we had so many opportunities to connect with our friends and family in a relaxed way, and there was much less pressure knowing we'd see folks at the afterparty and at brunch. Most of our guests were from out of town, and if this is true for you, you absolutely need to pick Bournedale.
+ The staff? Genuinely kind, wonderful, helpful, loving people - every last one. It truly feels like a family-run establishment. Everyone from Arnie, the owner, to the coordinators, to the kitchen staff, to the great guys who drove us around in golf carts all night long were just the sweetest, loveliest people. I can't express my gratitude to them all enough for making us feel so welcomed and supported.
Truly, there is nowhere else like Bournedale. I can't express how over the moon I am with the experience we had there. It's hard to imagine why anyone in Massachusetts or the surrounding area would ever plan a wedding anywhere else when Bournedale is an option. I am going to cherish my time there forever -- my now husband and I are already planning to send our future kids to camp there and want to rent it out again in the future for an anniversary or family celebration!