Peabody Essex Museum

Their staff was professional, knowledgeable, and always willing to lend a helpful hand throughout the entire process. We are very appreciative for all of their help and for making our wedding night, the night of our lives. Our wedding night was exactly what we had dreamt of and looking back there is nowhere better to get married than the Peabody Essex museum. From the uniqueness of the venue to the immersion of art, it was the perfect blend to bring our wedding to life.

The team at Peabody Essex Museum was a dream to work with for our wedding. From our very first interaction with Natalia, her communication was speedy, knowledgeable, and incredibly informative, putting us at ease throughout the planning process. On the day of, the venue was transformed into a magical, one-of-a-kind space that perfectly captured the vibe we were going for. Natalia was especially helpful, guiding us through all the decisions, communicating with our vendors, and making us feel completely prepared. The value she provided was truly exceptional, and we're so grateful to have celebrated our special day in such a beautiful and unforgettable setting.

The Peabody Essex Museum was the perfect nontraditional wedding venue. Its beauty and elegance was only matched by the professionalism and kindness of everyone who worked to make out day so special. Natalia was especially lovely. She helped with every detail big and small, answered countless questions and was incredibly kind and calm each step of the way. Thank you Natalia and everyone at PEM!

Natalia and the entire PEM team were wonderful to work with! From the first tours we had at the museum to picking up our decor and cake the morning after the wedding, we never doubted that we were in good hands. Natalia is an absolute joy to work with: we exchanged so many emails and calls over the course of one year, and she was accommodating and on top of all the little details (like lighting details and where we would do outfit changes between the ceremony and reception). Not only were the logistics a breeze, our guests were so impressed with the PEM as a venue. They were able to visit the famous Yin Yu Tang (Chinese house) during the day, and each of the rooms and atriums that the wedding was held in were beautifully laid out. We are so, so happy that we were able to hold our wedding at the PEM!

Natalia and the whole staff at PEM are excellent! We feel so lucky to have gotten married at the PEM, and Natalia is a huge reason that our day was so wonderful. She is extremely capable, knowledgeable, and responsive, and made the entire planning process far less stressful. We did not hire a wedding planner which we had worried about, but Natalia goes so above and beyond that we knew we were in good hands. We had multiple calls leading up to the wedding and Natalia was always prepared to answer any question we had. The museum itself is beautiful and historic and makes for a perfect, memorable venue. We had the best time, as did our guests. We cannot recommend the PEM enough!

It was wonderful having our wedding at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. Natalia the PEM coordinator is amazing to work with - she is very friendly and accommodating. The museum is beautiful, and we have so many amazing memories and photos from the big day! We also loved the caterer and the different areas for the cocktail hour and the reception. Natalia and the rest of the staff were so organized that we didn't need to hire a separate wedding planner. Overall choosing the PEM for our wedding venue was one of the best decisions we made for our big day.

We came across the PEM as a possibility in one of our final sweeps to find a place, and we are so happy we did! We love Salem, and we remembered that the museum had a lovely space, so we decided to investigate. After visiting the museum with a wedding in mind and speaking with Natalia, the Director of Event Rentals, we knew we had found the right place. We loved that everything was clearly laid out and transparent. Also, since they have an exclusive caterer, they are used to working in tandem, which translated to everything going smoothly on the big day. People always say to expect that something may go not quite as you plan on the wedding day. However, everything went 100% the way it was planned, and we attribute that to the seamless coordination of the vendors that PEM handles. Also, there was so much care in terms of taking care of all our belongings, such as the ketubah, which had to be stored during the reception. We chose the Marine Hall to have the ceremony and the Atrium for the reception, which made the most sense given the size of our wedding party. Since it's in Salem as well, our guests enjoyed taking in all the magic of the Witch City!

Our wedding at the Peabody Essex Museum was an unforgettable experience! The stunning architecture and unique exhibits provided a breathtaking backdrop for our celebration. The team at PEM was professional, accommodating, and made every detail come together seamlessly. Guests were blown away by the setting, and we couldn’t have imagined a more perfect venue for our special day. PEM truly made our wedding a one-of-a-kind event we’ll treasure forever!

The Peabody Essex Museum is an absolutely wonderful venue. It's not just the beautiful space that made our wedding so special but also Natalia and her staff; they were professional, kind, and organized through both the planning and the day of. We also appreciated how upfront they were with information as there wasn't any small text you could miss or info you had to chase down. We will never forget our wedding at PEM. Highly recommended! Ashley & Brian

The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM). If you're looking for a space that is luxurious, elegant, and will blow you and your guests away you found the right venue. Natalia, and the rest of her team were flawlessly organized and professional. They truly make your day special and more importantly stress free! The Garden Atrium, East India Maritime Hall, and Main Atrium are large open spaces that look gorgeous in photos. PEM also offers additional spaces available to the couple for photos and one v one time leading up to the reception. More importantly, with all the moving parts of a wedding day, you'll be able to relax knowing that all of your plans/ideas will come together with sophisticated precision. Salem as a whole offers so many options that your guests will appreciate. From multiple lodging locations within walking distance to the venue to historic tours, restaurants, and shops that will keep your guests excited about your special day. All in all, the Peabody Essex Museum is the best decision and the cherry on top, it's a venue you can visit year after year and remember the best night of your life!

Natalia was fantastic! As a wedding planner planning her own wedding, my fiance and I were looking for a venue that was unique and spoke to us, but also one that had extensive experience with the intricacies of running a wedding. Natalia and PEM ticked all of these boxes, along with being such an incredibly beautiful building, and an experience that our guests will never forget. Natalia was with us through the whole process, toured us through the space, gave our parents a second tour, and let us come by as much as we needed to plan out our ideas. She was even there overseeing the set up on our day, and made sure to check in with us! Even as a functioning museum having many rules to protect the art, they always worked with us to be as flexible as possible and offered us solutions as needed. We loved our whole experience, and love that we can come back and visit our wedding venue anytime :) Thank you to the whole PEM team, and especially Natalia!

We chose the PEM because it was so different from all the other wedding venues that we had ever been to. Natalia is an amazing coordinator that helps bring your wedding vision to life. My husband & I, along with all of our guests, were blown away when we saw the reception room on our Wedding Day (the lights, flowers, décor, setup, etc!) – there were a lot of WOWs! We decided to hold our ceremony at the Immaculate Conception Church which allowed us to do a “Second Line” where our band (American Midnight Band – highly recommend!) played a sax/drum while our guests danced through the streets of Salem (behind our horse and carriage!) from the Church to the PEM. Not only does the PEM blow your guests away in the pure beauty of the Museum but holding your Wedding in Salem brings another level of fun and creativity for what you can do. Our guests raved about the food as well (short ribs and salmon!!). We are SO HAPPY we chose PEM as our Wedding reception venue.

If you are looking for a nontraditional, absolutely stunning wedding venue, please look no further than the PEM. Getting married in an intimate and elegant setting set the tone for our special day. Natalia is the most knowledgeable and easy person to work with. She was always there to answer our questions, hop on a call, or let us tour the venue multiple times. Natalia also has such a calm presence that is so comforting when wedding planning is so stressful. We always felt like everything would be okay after talking to her. The staff and security were also so kind to us and our guests. Everything about this venue was absolutely perfect.

Our wedding day was absolutely magical beyond what we could've hoped for, and so much of it is thanks to the support and opportunities offered to use by Natalia and the team at large at the PEM. We had a wedding of 80-90 guests and held our ceremony in the Main Atrium, the cocktail hour by the Garden, and the reception in the East India Marine Hall, with every room more beautiful than the last. Full-support coordination made it so that we didn't even need to hire a wedding planner, the PEM team was so totally on the ball and there for us at every turn. Hiring the PEM as your venue is choosing an incredible venue at a beyond reasonable price, managed by kind, generous, supportive staff. If you are considering the PEM: Pick it. You won't regret it.

This venue is absolutely stunning. My wedding was here about 6 months ago and my guests still talk about how it was the best wedding they've ever been too. The museum wedding coordinators are also fantastic. 10/10 recommend

What an absolutely wonderful place to host our dream wedding!! The venue is spacious and beautiful (great for larger weddings of 200+), and everything ran so efficiently. One underrated component is how beautiful the lighting is in the evening in the West India Room where our ceremony was held. And Natalia was incredibly helpful in coordinating vendors and everything else.

PEM is such a unique and beautiful venue - we absolutely loved allowing our guests to be able to experience the beauty of the space during our wedding. Natalia was the best to work with - very professional and buttoned up, but also incredibly kind, empathetic, and flexible based on our needs. Overall, we would absolutely recommend PEM as a wedding venue. The only thing that was a bit challenging during our experience was the venue's caterer, which provided very high quality food that everyone loved but was also very expensive. It's a good idea to get a sense of the full scale of the cost of the caterer before committing to PEM.

We had our wedding at the Peabody Essex Museum in May 2023 and I couldn't have imagined a better venue. Working with Natalia was amazing - she was incredibly kind, knowledgeable and responsive and made sure everything was perfect for our day. We were surrounded by so much love and care from the Peabody Essex team! So many guests commented on how beautiful the venue was with all of the art and how delicious the food was. I would recommend the Peabody Essex Museum to anyone looking for a wedding venue in Massachusetts - Salem is such a cute area as well for guests to explore. Thank you so much to Natalia and the Peabody team for making everything run smoothly - it was the perfect day!

We had our wedding here in June 2023 and it was the most amazing time. The venue is so beautiful, we got wonderful first look photos right outside of the museum next to the trees that are painted blue. The ceremony went wonderfully in the East India Marine Hall and the reception in the Atrium was a blast. Natalia was always very communicative and happy to answer any and all of my questions and she made sure that there were enough high chairs for the toddlers who attended and she made sure that there was no problem with using the lighting selection I wanted. We loved this venue and we plan on visiting the museum every so often because it's just so wonderful.

The PEM was a fantastic venue. Natalia helped make our vision a reality and was very easy to work with. The whole team there was wonderful from start to finish!

Our wedding couldn't have been more perfect and we have Natalia and everyone at the PEM as well as Gourmet Caterers to thank. Prior to the wedding, Natalia and Ana were there to answer any and every question we had. We were also able to schedule multiple visits to go over wedding day logistics. We selected to have our ceremony in the main atrium, cocktails in the garden atrium and reception in the East India Hall. Our guests loved that they were able to view artwork as they walked through. They also commented on how wonderful the dinner service and waitstaff was. I wouldn't change one thing about our wedding and highly recommend the PEM as a venue for anyone looking for a unique experience for the wedding party and guests.

We had our wedding at the Peabody Essex Museum in December 2021 (after 2 reschedules during COVID). We chose PEM because it is a unique and beautiful location (not too stereotypically wedding-y) and also offers a pretty turn-key solution for weddings. We used all of the PEM suggested vendors which made planning relatively simple. Echoing many of the reviews here, Natalia is amazing to work with. She is responsive and patient and she is able to pull from years of experience to provide advice and vendor recommendations. She and the rest of the staff made our wedding night so fun and seamless. In the end, our guests all said they had a great time and a regular comment was how incredible the space was. 10/10 experience at PEM and I recommend it completely!

When our wedding night finally arrived after two-and-a-half years of planning, there were a lot of emotions -- happy tears from us and the staff who had been on this journey with us through the ups and downs. We were fully taken care of from the moment we stepped inside until the last guest left with Natalia (PEM) and Ann (Gourmet) helping with last-minute to-dos and tweaking the schedule throughout the night to ensure that my husband and I, and all of our guests, had everything we needed to fully enjoy the night without any stress. The venue itself is gorgeous and offers guests an added experience with surprise reveals throughout the space, the food is the highest quality with wide-ranging options, and the staff was both extremely professional and also really fun! Here's our quick story about the absolute gem that is PEM: While it was admittedly not what we were initially looking for, we immediately knew it was right on our first visit: a unique blend of modern and quite literally historic, which impresses each time you turn a corner from one space to the next. The staff, Natalia in particular, gave us the no-pressure tour and walked us through the whole experience. When we went back to sign the contract, I decided to flip everything on its head to make sure our white-tie wedding was exactly how I envisioned it. They worked with us on every detail and we were all set for our 2020 winter wedding until Covid shut it all down. Natalia worked with us to rebook for NYE (even more exciting) the following year without any issues. Then another round of Covid restrictions. Natalia and their catering partner Gourmet jumped on dozens of calls helping us workshop logistics and backup plans, and in the end, they made us extremely comfortable with whatever direction we ended up taking. Ultimately we pulled the plug for a second time just a week before and immediately rescheduled to Memorial Day Weekend 2022. We worked with Natalia and Ann (from Gourmet) to redesign the winter wedding of our dreams into a summer version. We tweaked the menu, played with the flow of the space, and in the end, we pulled off the perfect night. We're smiling from ear to ear in every photo, and the PEM staff was a big part of that. The way PEM and Gourmet treated us through really difficult times showed their true character to be genuinely invested in their clients' experience. If you're looking for a venue that feels both impressive but intimate, fancy but not overstated, and unique, at least go take a tour. I feel like the options to personalize it are endless and the backdrops for photos throughout the museum are an added bonus.

Having our wedding at a museum was such an experience for us and our guests, but especially more so at the PEM. We couldn't get over how beautiful PEM is, and all our guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves, especially in the Chamber of Light and Shadows room. We worked with an amazing team, and Natalia and her team are top tiered - they're all kind, responsive, and are so willing to help make your vision for your dream wedding come true. Definitely recommend them!

We had the most amazing experience working with Natalia and the rest of the team at PEM. Natalia made planning our wedding an absolutely stress-free and joyful process. Our day came together so perfectly, and it was more than anything we could have imagined. Our guests had the most incredible time, and we would get married there all over again if we could!

After Natalia helped work out availability for an evening proposal to end 2020, we knew we wanted to plan our wedding at the PEM as well. Although the pandemic threw a number of challenges our way, Natalia kept every step of planning stress-free. Our wedding was exactly what we wanted, thanks to Natalia's expertise and her team's professionalism. We are so glad that the Peabody Essex Museum is part of our story!

Not only is the venue a gorgeous and romantic spot for a wedding and reception, it was an absolute pleasure and a joy to work with the Event Director, Natalia Laskaris. We had the misfortune of having to postpone my daughter’s wedding twice because of Covid. Natalia could not have been more kind and accommodating. We had to pivot many times, and the museum made it as stress-free for us as possible. I would enthusiastically recommend the museum for a lovely and memorable event.

The Peabody Essex museum is as close to divinity a wedding can be. You are surrounded by art that is captivating or strikes you with beauty. My wedding photos are truly unique. I am so happy to have gotten married at a museum for many other reasons, like I can go back and visit the rooms I got married in!! The staff was on point and did everything with precision. Natasha, the lady in charge, is so kind and helpful. She made the whole process so smooth! 5 well deserved stars.

Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine planning a wedding would be so stress-free, but Natalia at the Peabody Essex Museum knew exactly what we needed before we did. She was a delight to work with, always available to answer our questions or offer her advice. She is both very professional and organized ... as well as sweet and fun. The venue itself ... I mean what can be said?! It's a beautiful museum and so you are surrounded by art and architecture that is breathtaking. The main atrium is the perfect spot for a reception, the East India Marine Hall is open and bright and makes a perfect ceremony location, and the Garden Atrium lends itself to a perfect relaxed cocktail hour. The photos we got at this venue are spectacular and can't be beat!! Book here if you want a gorgeous and stress-free wedding!!

If you are looking for a beautiful, open concept, unique, easy to work with venue - look no further! From the moment we met Natalia (the event coordinator) we knew Peabody Essex Museum was going to be the right fit for our wedding. Natalia was fun to work with and her knowledge and vendor recommendations helped make the planning process as easy as can be. The wedding weekend itself was made extra special by the tucked away cozy feel of Salem which has plenty to offer guests in the hours leading up to the wedding. We were happy to be able to hold the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception all within different rooms of the Peabody Essex Museum which led to an enchanting and uninterrupted experience for all. This is a magical venue and highly recommended.

The Peabody Essex Museum is a HIDDEN GEM tucked within the cobblestone streets of Salem! And, it’s the PERFECT VENUE for a wedding! Not only is it a unique venue, but the staff is incredibly kind and knowledgeable, especially Natalia Laskaris (Director of Events). My husband and I were absolutely blown away by Natalia’s composure, professionalism and talent throughout every step of the planning process. We were most notably grateful for some advice she shared in the home-stretch; it truly helped us enjoy every moment of the wedding we worked so hard to plan. We couldn’t have picked a better venue for such an important occasion — mainly because of Natalia!

Our wedding at PEM was absolutely perfect thanks largely in part to Natalia and the PEM team. Even though we had to reschedule our wedding due to COVID, Natalia helped to make the entire experience completely stress free. We are so thankful to have had such an accommodating and genuine coordinator at such a beautiful and unique venue. The reception went flawlessly, which is a testament to the great leadership and coordination of the PEM staff.

I can't recommend PEM enough! Natalia was amazing to work with from Day 1. We wanted a unique wedding venue and PEM truly offers it all -- a beautiful outdoor garden, a romantic, windowed ballroom for the ceremony, and a spacious atrium that can transformed into almost any theme imaginable. Plus amazing backdrops for your wedding photos! Our original wedding date was Aug. 1 and while we ended up having to reschedule & then ultimately cancel, Natalia was so supportive from start to finish. For those who want a high-quality venue but also a truly empathetic coordinator, look no further than PEM!

We booked with the PEM in the fall of 2019 for a May 2020 wedding date, ultimately we didn't have our wedding here due to COVID-19, but we had such a great experience with PEM & Natalia so we wanted to leave a review. We searched 10+ venues in MA but after touring the PEM, we knew a wedding here would be amazing, pretty much for all the reasons described in the reviews about the space. Natalia was so upfront about everything, she comes up with creative ideas and was not only pleasant to work with on day 1 but all through the planning process, pandemic and multiple reschedules. She was so responsive and was always willing to work through the multiple challenges that stood between us and our perfect day. Part of us feels like we actually had our wedding at PEM because of all the planning and dreaming and we're so happy to say that we still have good memories of this place despite the pandemic. I would highly recommend this venue to a couple or anyone planning a special event!

Natalia and The PEM staff should most definitely be in the running for providing a superior wedding experience! When a family begins the process of planning a wedding, and I'm sure that I can speak for most, It's overwhelming! From day one, Natalia's confidence in the PEM venue, staff , and caterers came through as a reassurance for us that this experience would be all we imagined. They did not disappoint! In fact, it was above and beyond what we had imagined. The recommendations for all services such as flowers, musics, cakes, were spot on with respect to quality, and suited our needs and tastes, as you quickly assessed. In addition, the schedule proposed for us for to help the evening flow, was gently and respectfully prompted by Natalia herself, and the friendly and professional staff on hand that evening. I was grateful and somewhat relieved to have some time to speak with Natalia the day before as the wedding. I was a little nervous in wanting to fulfill my responsibilities as a hostess. Her reassurance that day and during the reception was most helpful in helping me work through my feelings. I had such fun in the end!. We felt so special to be the first wedding to be held after the opening of the new wing, that very day. More credit to Natalia, Gourmet Caterers , and your staff for accommodating the 6000 visitors that day, and then setting up for our magical experience in the new wing and main dining room. I will remember this day as one of the most special of my life!. With Appreciation, June Kazes, MOB

My husband and I held our wedding ceremony in East India Marine Hall and our reception in the Atrium, it was just perfect. We stayed in downtown Salem (such a cute town) and walked to the museum. People cheered as we walked to the museum and we felt like everyone was wishing us well. It felt amazing. Once we got to the museum we didn’t have to worry about a thing, Natalia & her team had it covered. The rooms looked beautiful and everything was as we expected, if not better. We used Gourmet Catering and the food was delicious. My friends and family keep telling me it was the best wedding they’ve been to – that says it all.

We knew we didn't want our wedding in a hotel or typical wedding venue, and the moment we walked into the Peabody Essex Museum, I knew it was the one! The Atrium has a modern elegance about it with sky-high ceilings and is just so magical at night when the sun sets. We had our ceremony in East India Marine Hall, which was perfect for our larger guest count and then our reception in the Atrium. When our guests walked into the Atrium, they were all in awe and I was so proud that we were able to celebrate our wedding here. Natalia was amazing from start to finish and she really is such a calming force. I also loved the fact that our wedding turned into a "destination wedding" as all guests stayed in Salem for the weekend and our guests commented at how great it was to just be able to walk to everything. Perfect perfect perfect from start to finish and I only wish I could relive it over again!

This past Summer I got married, and my wife and I selected the Peabody Essex Museum as or reception space. We honestly never looked at another venue. After visiting the PEM, meeting with Natalia, and Henry, we were sold. Throughout the initial conversation, we could really tell how much Natalia cared about delivering our vision. She was present and focused throughout every conversation we had, and always made herself available for questions. Whether it was our first meeting, planning meetings along the way, final meetings a few weeks before, and the night of the event, Natalia was there every time with a smile on, ready to do everything she could to make our wedding perfect. The space is breathtaking already, but working with Henry to tweak the lighting was fantastic. We really can’t say enough about how perfect our day was, and how working with the PEM and their amazing staff made that possible. Everything was truly flawless thanks in part to Natalia, Henry, and the PEM team.

The Space: The Peabody Essex Museum is a wonderful blank canvas that you have unlimited design options to play with. Whatever theme or look you’re going for; the museum will take it to the next level. I had my doubts on how this very white and “clean” space would be able to transform into a magical and romantic space but as soon as the sun starts setting and the way the lights illuminate the high ceilings and sails…it will take your breath away. Words can’t describe what only photos can show! AND it was a cool feeling being able to party surrounded by history and art. You can take really interesting wedding portraits in different areas of the museum as well so if you’re feeling artistic, edgy or classy; there’s a space that will let you express that! Let your imagination run wild and let the museum be your design canvas! The team: Natalia and her team are the most gracious, accommodating and friendliest people you’ll ever work with! They will literally work their butts off to make your special day a truly unique experience. They were always transparent, honest and great with communication throughout the planning process. On the day of the wedding, Natalia was always around to make sure my husband and I were well hydrated or fed, she made sure my family and guests were all doing okay throughout the night. When we were thirsty, she gave us water and drinks IN PAPER STRAWS. WE LOVE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS ORGANIZATION AND ITS COORDINATOR! It made me love her even more, she is the best! This attention to detail only goes to show how much she cares for you, the place and your event so I highly recommend this as one of the most unique and creative venues you’ll ever look at.

We had our wedding at PEM in late August and could not imagine planning anything better. Salem is the perfect wedding town for guests to visit somewhere unique and fall in love with. Small enough to run into your guests all over town, but large enough to have great restaurants and things to do. The museum is beautiful and we couldn't ask for a better venue for an unforgettable ceremony and party. Natalia allowed us to execute our vision while supplying her expertise to ensure we didn't go wrong in any decision making. Our family and friends have not stopped talking about our wedding and how special it was. Thank you Natalia and PEM!

We had our wedding at the PEM in September and we were BLOWN away with the venue. When we first booked in the winter we could only use our imagination for what the end results would be. The event coordinator Natalia was by far the easiest person to work with. She had genuine interest in our choices and set up leading to the big event. She cares so much for the venue and does her best at guiding you to make the best choices and puts no pressure on anything. Her responsiveness was extremely fast which made planning so easy. I cannot express enough how beautiful the space was and the crew at PEM was extremely professional. All of our friends and family were amazed with how extravagant the ceremony and reception looked. I love PEM!