New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill

atmosphere were perfect for the occasion, and the setting itself left a lasting impression on our guests. However, there were several aspects of the experience that fell short of expectations. While the venue was gorgeous, hosting an event in the Orangerie at the end of June proved challenging due to the heat. Even with fans and the windows opened, it was uncomfortably warm, which detracted from the overall enjoyment. The in-house catering was good, but we encountered communication issues with the staff on the day of the event. Unfortunately, they were quite rude to my mom, which was upsetting, and they threw away all of the leftover food instead of refrigerating and packing it up as had been agreed upon beforehand. The venue coordinator, Rose, was kind and helpful in some respects, but during the planning process, she repeatedly tried to push us toward holiday dates like Memorial Day or Father’s Day without clearly reminding us of the significance of those dates. It felt as though she was trying to fill less desirable slots, which was frustrating and made us feel a bit misled. Additionally, while the venue is breathtaking, the rules for what you can bring inside, how you can decorate, and what you’re allowed to do are extremely restrictive. This made it difficult to personalize the event and added unnecessary stress to the planning process. Overall, while the New England Botanical Garden at Tower Hill is a beautiful location, the experience was marred by poor communication, overly rigid policies, and a lack of consideration from some staff members. It’s a lovely venue, but I would recommend carefully weighing the pros and cons before booking an event here.

the venue last fall, we had the pleasure of working with Wedding Specialist Amelia Burton, who played an absolutely essential role in making everything run smoothly from start to finish. She helped us think through and organize countless details we would have overlooked on our own. Her patience, flexibility, and kindness made us feel so supported throughout the process—and when we weren’t sure which direction to take, her decisiveness and expertise helped guide us with confidence. Amelia, thank you so much for helping make our wedding day even more perfect than we could have imagined. We are so deeply grateful for you! As for the venue itself—NEBG at Tower Hill is breathtaking. We fell in love with it when we first visited, but we had no idea just how stunning it would be on our actual wedding day. The team at NEBG and Peppers Artful Events exceeded every single expectation we had. We had 75 guests, and we lost count of how many told us it was the most beautiful wedding they had ever attended. The gardens were in full bloom, and guests loved how the evening flowed naturally from space to space, with each part of the celebration offering a change of scenery—without ever having to leave the venue. It’s been over two weeks since the wedding, and we’re still getting messages from guests raving about how gorgeous everything was. We truly cannot recommend it enough. One of the things we especially appreciated about NEBG was that it partners with Peppers Artful Events for catering and bar services. I’ve been vegan for over 13 years and really wanted to have an all-vegan wedding. From the start, Peppers' sales manager, Carolyn Sweeny, responded to that request with genuine excitement. She let us know they had done a vegan wedding at NEBG before, and she and the Peppers team worked closely with us to design a creative and crowd-pleasing menu—from passed appetizers and vibrant salads to plated entrees, a stunning cake, mini desserts, and custom signature drinks. Speaking of drinks, I have to rave about Peppers’ mixologist (I’m sorry I don’t know their name!!). I had a loose vision of something tropical, tart, and not too sweet, maybe with passionfruit or lychee, and I asked the Peppers mixologist if a bright pink cocktail might be possible. What they created absolutely blew me away. The signature drink they created was a spectacular fuchsia cocktail made with pink botanical gin, pineapple, passionfruit, lime, dragon fruit purée, a botanical flower rim, pineapple leaf garnish, and a dehydrated dragon fruit slice. It was as delicious as it was beautiful, and it totally captured the playful, vibrant spirit we wanted to bring to the evening. Beyond food and beverage, Carolyn and the Peppers team also supported us with design and styling. We shared inspiration photos with a Palm Springs-inspired aesthetic, and Carolyn/Peppers completely understood the assignment. She sourced the most perfect chartreuse velvet linens to pair with dusty rose napkins, which ended up looking so incredibly stunning with all of the plants and architecture in the Orangerie. They executed our vision perfectly, even bringing in their own decor to add to the aesthetic. Our hearts are so full after working with everyone from NEBG and Peppers. Thank you all, from the bottom of our hearts, for bringing our vision to life and making our wedding so unforgettable. ❤️

or photos and a romantic atmosphere for guests. Every part of the venue felt intimate yet grand, from the ceremony spaces to the reception areas. A huge part of what made our day run so smoothly was Amelia, the wedding coordinator. From the moment we first met her, she was professional, and organized. She guided us through the planning process with ease, answered every question, and had a calm, reassuring presence on the wedding day itself. Amelia anticipated our needs before we even voiced them, coordinated seamlessly with vendors, and ensured every detail was perfect — so we could truly relax and enjoy the day. Our guests couldn’t stop raving about the beauty of the venue and how flawlessly everything flowed. If you’re looking for a wedding location that combines natural beauty with top-tier service, Tower Hill Botanical Garden — and especially Amelia — should be at the top of your list.

rning of our wedding, so we used the rain plan for the ceremony and were still able to have cocktail hour outside. Amelia was great to work with! She is very knowledgeable and helpful! Our wedding day went without a hitch thanks to her help! She was very understading with our want to still have cocktail hour outside despite the small chance of rain. Overall, we had such a great experience with NEBG, we would recomened to everyone!

and helped us to plan out our special day. Whenever we had a question, Amelia at NEBG always had the answers. We are very grateful for Amelia and the NEBG team.

emony, cocktail hour, and reception) would be in a different location. What I WASNT notified of however, was that the plants moved from inside the greenhouse to outside in the spring would be covered in a very noticeable white netting. I did not even know this was a thing when booking my date (5/26/24) back in February 2023. I found this out at my rehearsal, the day before my wedding, and was devastated. These plants are covered in white netting in both of the available outdoor ceremony spaces, as well as the cocktail hour space. At rehearsal, when myself and other members of the wedding party made note of the white netting, I was under the assumption that these would be removed for the wedding. When I reached out to my wedding coordinator, she explained they would not be removed, as they are "to help the plants adjust to their new home". When I asked if they could be removed for an hour and a half for my 6pm ceremony and cocktail hour, she told me no, they would not be removing them. When we asked if there could be alternatives (ways to hide them, move the plants, etc), no true alternative was given. You can imagine how I was feeling the night before my wedding being thrown this absolute curve ball. When I confronted my wedding coordinator that this was not in my contract, she told me the previous coordinator (who has just left in March) was very good at explaining this to couples, and attached an email sent March 2024, which explained the "remay" (the white netting). I went through every email, and re-reviewed my contract, and again, there was no mention of the remay until March 2024, when I couldn't have possibly changed my date or venue. I feel the wedding coordinator was uncaring. I want to warn any future brides here of my experience, so that they do not feel the decievement and let down of not being notified of this very large thing. I feel like it is false advertisement by the venue, as they do not advertise a SINGLE photo with the remay (as it completely changes the look of the venue and does not look natural) and no bride would want to get married on the premise with it. When you book a Botanic Garden, you are spending the money for a beautiful, natural, backdrop for your wedding. At the end of the day, the Botanic Garden is a beautiful venue to get married at, however review your contract carefully, inquire about the remay, and carefully consider the wedding coordinator situation.

dens themselves. One thing that we especially liked was that they had a rain plan where there were separate areas we could use for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception (many venues utilize the same space for both the ceremony and reception in the case of rain). After we made the easy decision to book with them, Meagan and her team made the planning process so easy. She was prompt in answering our many questions we sent her and her calm demeanor kept us at ease throughout planning and the day itself. Between NEBG and Peppers, they were a well oiled machine and the day went as smoothly as possible! We unfortunately had to pivot last minute to have an indoor ceremony in the limonaia vs in the secret garden as originally planned. Despite the last minute change, it was still a beautiful setting and day, and the evening went off without a hitch (as far as we know!). So many people came to us and said how beautiful it all was and how the night flowed seamlessly. We definitely made the right decision booking NEBG for our wedding and are so thankful for Meagan and team!

was extremely communicative and helpful throughout the whole process. We are members of the garden so we were familiar with the layout and atmosphere! We had more than enough time after the ceremony to take more photos and enjoy the orchids!

asy. I get stressed easily and she helped ease our worries. Antonia and Charlotte helped with suggestions for photos. 10/10

han I was. It's pure, natural beauty and environmental education alone might sell you before you ever even meet the staff. I had never seen a wedding venue actually excite him. While we were there, Meagan Wyson made us feel comfortable because she was clearly very organized, patient, and accommodating. It was Meagan who ultimately sold me on Tower Hill. I am an extremely organized person myself, but Meagan's wedding spreadsheet that she will send you ~1 month before your wedding will have you thinking about details you never dreamed of. Which is great- because there were absolutely no wrinkles the day of our wedding. I didn't have to think about ANY detail the day of because Meagan and I already had. I truly felt like I was able to let go and enjoy the entire day to its full potential. Not to mention- Meagan and her assistants from Tower Hill were all extremely kind and sweet. Exactly what you want on your big day. If I could go back in time and live my life 1000x over again and money wasn't a factor I would ALWAYS choose this venue to have my wedding. If you see this- thank you again Meagan! You are an amazing and special person!!!

the ceremony - including a beautiful rain plan - was important to us, and the cocktail hour and reception spaces are so unique and memorable. After meeting Tower Hill coordinator, Meagan, saying "yes" was easy. Meagan was so quick to reply to our questions throughout the planning process and was detail-oriented and professional in working with us on the logistics. This meant we felt 100% confident everything was going to be perfect and made the wedding day stress free! Our guests marveled at the space and how it felt they had been "transported" all while being an easy ride from Boston. We can't recommend it enough. Thank you, Meagan, and Tower Hill team for the best day of our lives!

lly gorgeous indoor spaces. Meagan was so receptive to our surprise wedding idea, and she helped us to create a day-of plan that would keep our secret up until the ceremony. Unfortunately, the weather decided it wanted to rain all day but Meagan was there to make sure that our day looked absolutely perfect and went according to plan. We would absolutely recommend NEBG to anyone looking for a fairy-tale vibe!

the careful planning and open communication of the whole staff. It was so great to have coordinators who understood the flow of the day and who were super familiar with the venue. The venue itself is STUNNING (our guests kept raving about it) and has so many locations for photos and areas for your guests to explore. If I could redo my wedding day, I'd book here again in a heartbeat, and I would recommend any other couple do the same.

cannot recommend them enough! Thank you again Meagan!

d to a tropical oasis" and that really stuck with me. So many guests have commented on how gorgeous the entire place is. Additionally, the staff is fabulous. Meagan Wyson, who is the new head coordinator after being there for two years, is the sweetest, most responsive person and really made the last few months of planning easy. Her staff was also very attentive, in particular Jesse Rives who helped my father and I get set up for our walk (and held all my dad's things since we didn't want full pockets in the photos!) and managed to find my bouquet after a bridesmaid took it confusing it with hers. All wedding venues are expensive, which is why I said "good value" and venues can't really be flexible, especially when they are a public garden (just to explain the two 4 stars). I cannot recommend Tower Hill enough as a venue, so definitely book them and book them soon since they fill up every year (obviously)!

curveball as we had to re-plan many aspects of our wedding day. Tower Hill was accommodating and helpful every step of the way as we planned our intimate ceremony. Yen was very professional as well as kind and sweet. She ensured everything was smooth and perfect. I was really impressed with her. Tower Hill is such a naturally beautiful place – our photographer had a ball, and our guests were really wowed. We got married in the Secret Garden and the blooms were gorgeous and the fall foliage stunning. We also had a wonderful photoshoot throughout the grounds. Yen had a Tower Hill staff member accompany us during our photoshoot to make sure it was a seamless experience, which it was. I grew up visiting Tower Hill regularly with my family and one my first dates with my now husband was at Tower Hill. So many fond memories and now I get to add my wedding to the Tower Hill memory box. Yen and Tower Hill, thank you again for making our wedding day pure perfection!

u are in the industry you know that you won’t truly be able to let go on the day-of unless you have someone you trust in charge. Covid completely changed our plans and I pretty much cancelled my wedding out of frustration with the unknown. I slowly started adding piece by piece back when I realized I needed someone who could pull it all together on the day-of. I trained Yen so she knew how particular I was about the details. I hired a caterer I worked with many times and KNEW they’d deliver, but knew I couldn’t enjoy my day unless giving it to someone I 1000% trusted to be focused on all of the little details that mattered to me. There’s definitely nothing more nerve-wracking than working your manager’s wedding but Yen nailed it. She has a passion for her job. She cares about all of her couples. I see both of these things regularly in the office. I did her job before hiring her, so you could say I know a thing or two about weddings, but I found myself asking her opinion and advice on many aspects of my day. The best decision ever was to have a day-of coordinator so I was able to enjoy my wedding. The day goes by so fast; there was no time to worry about anything myself. You won’t be in better hands than Yen’s or a more beautiful setting than Tower Hill!

made the experience great was the staff. Yen, our coordinator, did a superb job of understanding our vision while continuously providing guidance and flexible options. On the day of our wedding, there was a brief rain shower and the entire staff seamlessly moved the pre-ceremony events inside while continuing to direct guests, dry off chairs, and keep everything on schedule. We were particularly impressed that they set up our ceremony supplies, guest book, and favors beautifully without the need for direction from us, and cleaned/packed everything up for easy pickup the next morning. Our guests loved the venue and we got so many compliments on how beautiful it was. Highly recommend!

wer Hill was seamless, and Yen was meticulous and extremely attentive. Our guests have continued to rave about Tower Hill and its staff for weeks after the wedding - it was an absolutely perfect day, and my husband and I didn't have to worry about a thing. This was a simply stunning venue and, in our minds, cannot be matched. Highly, highly recommend!

that the venue does not allow candles or drapery; however, the place still looked wonderful with other decor and uplighting.

yond anything I ever expected.

l but fell short until we discovered Tower Hill and its stunning Orangerie. This place is a gem - the venue is spectacular and so unique and there is such a great team of people working there behind the scenes. We chose to get married in the Secret Garden, but there are a couple of other beautiful options (and the back-up rain location is gorgeous too and its own separate space if needed). Our cocktail hour was in the Great Hall overlooking a stunning landscape (and provided some air conditioning for a July evening!), and the reception in the Orangerie was just picturesque. Brittni, the wedding coordinator at the venue, is my personal hero and is the most organized and kind person I’ve ever met. She’s honestly a lifesaver, the entire process leading up to the day and timeline of events went so smoothly all thanks to her and her team. I can’t tell you how many guests, both during and after the wedding, kept telling us how much they loved this place and asking us how we’d discovered it. Tower Hill Botanic Garden is the perfect outdoor wedding venue.

erie)--and the staff were truly exceptional. Brittni is the most organized person I've ever met. Her and her team executed the event flawlessly and included all of the special touches that we provided. They were responsive and flexible during the entire planning process and went above and beyond. When we arrived at the venue for pictures/cocktail hour, we were greeted by a staff member and they were very accommodating to our mobility-impaired guests, bringing wheelchairs to get them and bring them to the reception hall. They also made an effort to ensure that everyone "signed" our fingerprint tree guest book! Overall, we couldn't be happier with our choice. All of our guests were "wowed" by the beauty and uniqueness of Tower Hill. We would definitely recommend including uplighting in the Orangerie--it's just magical!

h a breathtaking space. We had 125 people, and I was worried about the dance floor not being big enough, but this was not an issue. I would definitely recommend up lighting, as the greenhouse all lit up at night is so pretty and really adds something to the already beautiful space. You can't take a bad picture anywhere at Tower Hill! Brittni, the wedding coordinator, is absolutely fantastic and I was so pleased with every aspect of Tower Hill. The venue is a little pricier than we would have liked, especially since you need to bring just about everything in, but if you are looking for an elegant garden wedding and are able to stretch your budget a little bit, it is definitely worth it!! There are other ways to keep costs down. So so pleased with Tower Hill and Brittni.... thanks for helping to make our wedding day so perfect <3

reception in the Tower Hill Orangerie. We had so many compliments from our guests about the beauty of the outdoor gardens and fountains which they enjoyed during cocktails. My husband and I loved the Orangerie setting for its unique architecture and its beautiful natural lighting. This natural beauty/lighting enabled us to greatly decrease our decorating budget (we didn't use any extra lighting). Additionally the stone floor of the reception area ensured that we did not need to rent a dance floor. The wedding coordinator, Brittni was very helpful throughout the process. Tower Hill was mostly flexible with our requests. I would highly recommend Tower Hill!

overlooking the sunset over the Wachusett Reservoir; our reception was in the Orangerie-- an open-air greenhouse with a gorgeous high glass ceiling. Our guests were blown away by this venue! We got married in August, and it was very warm, but there was a nice breeze in the Orangerie, and we rented extra fans. Even though we got a little rain and cloudy skies, the location is so amazing, no one noticed! Brittni Menard was our wedding coordinator at Tower Hill, and she was fabulous! She is easygoing, flexible, extremely professional and efficient-- since our first meeting, I knew we were in good hands! Brittni is great to work with, and she gets your vision done! Just visit Tower Hill, and you'll fall in love!

down the stairs on one side and our groomsmen down the stairs on the other side. Our cocktail hour was in the Great Hall (which is nice because you have access to the deck area to be outside and see the sunset, as well as inside space that is air conditioned). Our reception was in the Orangeries which is magical! There is no air-conditioning, however, the doors are opened up and a breeze comes through, evening when it is warm outside... like our evening was! We used Peppers as our caterer, and everyone RAVED about the food. It was the most beautiful wedding I could have ever imagined. I can't believe how many compliments we are getting from people a month later, saying that Tower Hill was so beautiful and that it made our wedding the most memorable they had ever been to. The venue is perfect for so many reasons, including that you get the whole grounds to yourselves for the evening. We worked with Brittni, the event coordinator. She is FABULOUS! She is quick to respond to emails and very organized/attentive. We will never forget a moment of this amazing night for us at Tower Hill and can't wait to go back and visit!

a Central MA wedding, I'd highly recommend Tower Hill.

way. The only complaint I have is our wedding coordinator we had been working with all year was not there on the day of the wedding so there was a some mis-communication with the gentlemen that stood in for her. Other than that, it was wonderful!

er hill are incredibly helpful and do everything they can to make your day stress free. The only warning is that the Orangerie does not have air conditioning and the dance floor can get very hot on a warm evening! Everyone was quite sweaty by the end of the reception, but the beauty and service of this place make it well worth it!

Gardens say they are not in the reception business. So there are many rules and they can be difficult to work with. There are also many hidden fees so be careful.