300+ guest capacity
This venue can host 300+ guests
About this vendor
Your wedding will be one that your guests will measure all others up against. Thompson Island offers a beautiful setting for your ceremony, wedding reception and rehearsal dinner with 204 acres of beaches, rolling hills, meadows, salt marshes and fields. Located just minutes from downtown Boston.
Facilities and Capacity
Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center can accommodate up to 350 guests. This venue has views of Boston’s skyline while also providing a great backdrop of the seaside. There is the option to have a covered or uncovered outdoor event.
Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center offers the following services and items:
Accommodations
Event planning
Event rentals
Chairs
Lighting
Tables
Linens
History
The Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center has a rich history. In 1626, the island was used to graze sheep. In 1833, the island was purchased by Boston philanthropists to help young boys who were at risk, teaching them farming and gardening. The island is now a beautiful place to live, and the island’s trustees are committed to educating its citizens about the environment.
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
- Second Wedding
Guest Capacity
- 300+
Settings
- Beach
- Waterfront
- Park
- Tented
- Trees
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Destination Weddings
- Food & Catering
- Planning
- Service Staff
- Transportation
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.014 reviews
- Top reviews
- Newest first
- Oldest first
- Highest rated
- Lowest rated
Sort by
My husband and I got married on Thompson Island a few weeks ago, and I cannot explain how wonderful our experience was. It is obvious the venue coordinator, MaryKate, and the staff are experts at what they do. MaryKate was responsive, and knowledgeable and helped us plan our day from beginning to end. The venue site is naturally beautiful, but the staff really brought my dreams to life and set up our ceremony and reception areas exactly how I imagined them. The food was phenomenal and the staff was so attentive, especially to me as the bride, and really made me feel special. Our guests were blown away by the entire experience. A passing thunderstorm hit right when our ceremony was supposed to take place, and MaryKate and the staff knew having an outdoor ceremony was really important to us, so they flipped our wedding around so we had cocktail hour first under the pavilion until the storm passed so we could have our ceremony outside. A situation that could have been very stressful was seamless and smooth, and I was so thankful for their skill and flexibility. Our day was amazing!
Mary Kate is amazing!
As a destination wedding planner I could not have done this without her! She’s easy to work with and such a resource! She truly adapted the motto ; “the answer is yes, what’s the question” and it’s evident she knows what she’s doing. Could not recommend her more!!!
We were blown away by the entire Thompson Island wedding experience, and so were our guests! The location is gorgeous, the food was delicious, the staff was friendly and attentive. We were especially impressed with the venue coordinator, Mary Kate, who made the entire event seem effortless and allowed us to really focus on enjoying our special day. We could not have asked for a better venue.
Thompson Island really is one of Boston's best kept wedding secrets. Our wedding was even better than we could have imagined! The venue is so stunning, unique and memorable. Several of our guests said that taking the ferry over to the Island put them in a totally different headspace for celebrating, which contributed to a really fun and relaxed energy all day. The views of Boston on the ferry ride to and from the Island are beautiful. We also heard so many compliments about how delicious all of the food was (we did the Island Combo). We had many guests who are not from New England, so all the seafood on the menu was a big hit. Even now a few months later, people continue to talk about the food when reminiscing about our wedding. We did a beach bonfire on the Island as our "after party" and our friends stayed overnight on the Island with us, which made for the perfect ending to an all-around amazing day!
Mary Kate and her team did a great job with logistics, both coordinating our vendors getting onto the Island and managing every detail on the day. They handled set-up/breakdown, ferry schedules, getting the vendors situated, guiding guests to the ceremony area including taking our older guests via golf cart, and managing the ceremony/reception timeline. We didn't worry about a single thing all day, and everything was seamless. The Thompson Island team also gave us a list of vendors who had done a great job with weddings on the Island in the past. We picked almost all our vendors from their list, which made that part of planning less stressful. All of their suggested vendors were wonderful. We could not recommend Thompson Island more highly!
We got married at Thompson Island this past summer, and it was an unbelievably wonderful experience! On the planning side, Mary Kate was an absolute pleasure to work with -- upbeat, accommodating, knowledgeable, and ready with a solution to every issue. She made us feel completely welcome as an LGBTQ couple, and she was super responsive to requests like making the restrooms gender-neutral. TI also provided a bunch of important things we would have had to worry about ourselves at another venue, like lawn games, tablecloths, and so on. That all would have added up, financially and mentally! On the practical side, we were super glad to have an outdoor venue with a solid rain option, although we ended up with absurdly perfect weather. After hearing what so many other couples went through with pandemic postponements, I was also grateful that TI was completely transparent and honest at every step, and we were able to essentially drag-and-drop our wedding two years later. It was so worth the wait! Our guests absolutely raved about the island: they loved the natural setting, having the freedom to choose various activities (dancing, waking, beach, lawn games...), the boat ride, the skyline view, the wonderful staff... Mary Kate and her team set everything up beautifully and executed the whole complicated timeline flawlessly. We just had to show up, party, and get driven around in the golf cart like celebrities. I truly can't imagine a more perfect or special venue.
I knew I wanted to get married on Thompson Island before even getting engaged. I had been to a lot of weddings that had started to look and feel the same, and knew I wanted something a little different and wanted a place I felt represented us as a couple/had a good mission but also didn't require travel for my grandparents. I also really liked the idea of having all of our friends stay overnight and enjoying a bonfire afterparty since I knew the day itself would be very scheduled/busy. We worked initially with Mary Kate who answered all of my many questions (note: I'm a bit type A so even little things like salt and pepper shaker placement I had questions on). She not only was great to work with, but I felt like her, and later Denise, cared so much about us and our experience and were so accommodating and just genuinely great people who went above and beyond. We had to postpone a year due to COVID, which meant a LOT of uncertainty even when resuming planning. We kept our original price (I know things have gone up a bit since) and I was able to keep everything in budget, which was very important to me. (Note: I thought they had great price transparency and I saved by forgoing the china rental, no cake/making our own s'more bags, and hosted-bar ended up being cheaper than open bar). Day-of, everything went smoothly and Denise was there from sunrise to the very end making sure it all went to plan. We ended up having (IMO), the best wedding I've been to and for a reasonable wedding price. The forecast ended up cooperating too, and people loved the yard games and fire pit (in addition to the big dance floor!) Only cons: we could not stay overnight due to covid, Exec Suite was extremely hot (no AC) for men getting ready, I felt like we left in a rush and I should have packed up my things/given direction on what not to throw away. I would highly recommend Thompson Island if people want to have an alternative location (right next to a major airport!) and want an outdoor wedding that still works if its rainy. It was so great too that TI took care of most things (food, drink, linens/tables/chairs, ceremony site, etc.) so had less to coordinate.
Thompson Island is such a special and unique place! Our wedding was magical and our guests love how different the venue was from a typical wedding venue. The ferry ride is a really neat experience and the staff on the Island is THE BEST (especially Denise, we love you!). If you are looking for a fun and different place to have your wedding we can't recommend Thompson Island enough.
We could not have found a better place for our August 2021 wedding than Thompson Island. Originally found on a list of "places to feel good about getting married at," we booked in 2019 for an August 2020 wedding that was cancelled because of the pandemic. Both Mary Kate and Denise were incredibly accommodating with moving our event to August 2021. The space itself at the pavilion is breathtaking, and the ceremony space is something our families cannot stop talking about. Knowing that everything from our vows to our Hora was in front of the Boston skyline secured us in our choice. The buffet had a vast variety of foods that accommodated every dietary restriction our guests had. The signature drinks were so popular that two bridesmaids asks bartenders for the recipes for their own weddings. On top of all this, there is nothing that can beat August heat like a calming sea breeze in the Harbor. Thank you Thompson Island for your fantastic customer service, outstanding location, commitment to your mission, and for an unforgettable wedding!
Getting married on Thompson Island was nothing short of perfect! We worked with Denise and Mary Kate, who were so organized, so efficient, so attentive to detail, and so patient. For a bride and groom who didn't want to be too burdened by details, it was really easy, because they organized and communicated everything with us and our vendors. The venue is so naturally beautiful, and our guests loved taking the boat over and staying overnight. The ceremony and reception venues are unmatched, with views of Boson in the background. The food was delicious, and the late-night bonfire was perfect for our afterparty. We seriously wouldn't have changed a single thing! Highly recommend this venue for a couple who doesn't want to be totally traditional and who loves the natural beauty of the great outdoors!
Perfect venue for a beautiful and unique wedding. Mary Kate was our wedding planner and she was incredibly helpful. We had our ceremony and reception on the island, and we had over 100 people stay overnight, it was a great way to continue the celebration. Super fun breakfast the next morning and really giving our guests the feeling of a "destination wedding" right in Boston. Plus, most affordable "hotel" rooms in the city! Views are incredible, photos came out beautiful, food was excellent, staff were friendly and fun, we couldn't have asked for me. Plus, your wedding costs go to a good cause! They are non profit that hosts events for Boston Public Schools and others. Thank you Thompson Island team!
We got married on Thompson Island 06/09/2018.
The location is amazing - combines both worlds - Boston skyline and the feel of being outside out in the nature. Perfect plan B for rain, and even in rain I would prefer to be there ( the weather was just perfect though). Food - amazing, stuff - amazing, everything - amazing.
With our wedding coordinator Denise planning wedding on an island felt easier than planning it on main land!
Denise was the best. We can't even express in words how much she helped us. She is always on top of everything, helped with all the vendors, helped us understand how everything will go. EVERYTHING was perfect. Thompson Island is a great location and Denise makes it also be the easiest. Denise helped us feel happy, calm, organized - I as a bride did not worry about a single thing and just fully trusted her. Denise also is very patient, communicative, fun, friendly .... This was the best choice we've made.
Thompson Island is a gem of a wedding venue! We wanted our wedding to have a destination feel, but love our home of Boston. TI was perfect for us because guests could take a ferry there and sleep over. It felt like a destination, but we had the skyline of Boston as our backdrop.
Guests are still raving about our wedding and how unique it was. It was so fun to spend the weekend on the island with our family and friends. They could hike, play lawn games, hang out by the bonfire and of course enjoy our wedding! The ceremony was outside overlooking the harbor and skyline. The reception was just behind the ceremony site in a wooden pavilion that had the same views and amazing dance floor. Denise, the wedding coordinator for the island, was my saving grace throughout the planning. She was always cool, calm, and collected. She was on top of everything - I felt so confident in her ability whenever she responded to one of my many frantic emails. During our wedding weekend she was everything for me! She took such great care of me and our families. She always made sure I was ok throughout the chaos of the day and handled all the little hiccups without telling me about them. She also made sure my husband and I had a few minutes to eat. : ) I highly recommend Thompson Island. It will always hold a special place in our hearts.
The was the perfect setting for our wedding weekend! The island had it all from dorms for the guest to stay in, lobster bake, & a view like no other.
We were married on Thompson Island this past summer and had an amazing experience. Denise the event coordinator was on top of it at all times. The wait staff was more than helpful and friendly. The food was fantastic, we had a guest tell us he ate four bowls of their chowder because it was that amazing. They were incredibly accommodating and consistently asking what they could do for us.
We wouldn't change a single thing about the day!
Contact
Thompson Island, Boston, MA
Cathleen Stone Island
Cathleen Stone Island's photos