Shining Tides Weddings By the Sea in Mattapoisett, MA

My husband and I got married September 2023 in my hometown at Shining Tides. It was such a full circle moment as I also went to preschool here. From touring the venue in January 2023, Elizabeth was wonderful to communicate with and work with. Questions were answered very quickly. We had a lot of guests from out of town, Kansas and Florida, and they have not stopped talking about how beautiful our wedding was, from the location, to the decor as well as the food. We highly recommend anyone getting married to work with Elizabeth at Shining Tides.

We celebrated our wedding at Shining Tides in July of 2023 and we LOVED it! Working with Elizabeth made our wedding planning process easy and stress free. She was quick to answer questions, offer advice, and she knew how to make our vision come to life. Her experience and knowledge helped us not only with the events at Shining Tides, but also in planning our whole wedding and what else we needed to coordinate in the area. In the planning process, Elizabeth helped us by supplying a list of recommended vendors and places to stay. On the day of, Elizabeth helped bring the wedding of our dreams come to life. She was a pleasure to work with! Shining Tides also partners with Russell Morning Catering and Events. We have had so many guests comment on the beautiful venue and the delicious food! We cannot recommend Shining Tides enough!

If you are looking for a water-side venue where you get the perfect balance of having the freedom to create a wedding in your vision while also resting easy with the knowledge that the venue team will execute your vision to perfection, Shining Tides is the place for you! This place and the people who run are AWESOME! As I am sure many of you reading this have done or are in the process of doing, we searched for a long time looking for the perfect venue for our wedding. When we first visited Shining Tides, it was a snowy winter day, but even through the snow, it was very clear to us what a naturally beautiful location it was. What was also clear to us was that Elizabeth, the sales and event manager for Shining Tides, was extremely friendly, organized, easygoing and experienced. This proved to be absolutely true: Throughout the planning process, Elizabeth was accessible, knowledgeable, easy to work with, and clear with all of her tips and tricks to maximize the use of the venue for us and our guests. She also worked seamlessly with the venue's exclusive catering company, Russell Morin Catering & Events, the DJ, florist, light vendor, transportation, and all of the other vendors we had present with us on the big day. Through our meetings with Elizabeth and the catering team, it was very obvious that they had everything organized and under control. Elizabeth and her team are very thorough and will make sure that both they and the couple have all necessary questions answered before the wedding day so things go off without a hitch. We had a fair amount of items to set up on Saturday and when we say Shining Tides did a truly incredible job setting every single decoration up to perfection, we mean it. We were amazed when we arrived at the venue; everything looked better than we imagined and from there, the day and night were just pure magic. The Shining Tides staff was kind, helpful, and on top of everything throughout the entire day. And then of course the venue itself was and is beautiful and has lovely views of the water; the ceremony and cocktail reception were out on the beautiful front lawn next to the water and the reception was on the open-air covered deck for the rest of the night. Our guests seemed to be as mesmerized with the place as we were. It was truly the best day of our lives and we feel very lucky that we chose Shining Tides as the place to do it. Thank you so much to Elizabeth and the Shining Tides team!!!

My husband and I could not have dreamed of a more perfect wedding day at Shining Tides! All of our guests were blown away by the beauty of the venue. We are incredibly grateful to Elizabeth for all of her help throughout the planning process. Would highly recommend Shining Tides!

12/10 Perfect Wedding!! We just had our wedding at Shining Tides on July 9th, 2022. When I say not a THING went wrong, I'm not exaggerating. The staff at this location was an absolute dream to work with. The caterer that they work with, Russell Morin, was perfect and their on site team too day of the wedding was incredible. They were all so attentive, kind, and helpful. I would recommend this venue to anyone and everyone!! If my friends are seeing this, get married here so I can attend again please!!

I got married at Shining Tides in August 2021 and I can not think of a more perfect venue. Shining Tides is a hidden gem right on the water that is secluded away down a beautiful road past a golf course in Mattapoisett. Elizabeth who is the venue coordinator was absolutely fantastic to work with! From the first venue visit in 2019, to postponing in 2020, to finally having our dream wedding last month, she was along for the ride and could not have been more helpful, professional, and thoughtful during the process. The venue itself is stunning, the ceremony and cocktail hour are on a big lawn right in front of the water and the reception with an amazing ocean breeze coming through when dancing. The caterer for the site, Russel Morin was incredible! The best part is that this is a YMCA property (you would never know besides the sign on the main road) and your fee for the venue goes back to the Y! I am so happy that I chose Shining Tides and that we were finally able to celebrate with friends and family at our dream venue. Hurry and book your wedding here ASAP!

Our experience with Elizabeth at Shining Tides was incredible. Throughout all of the changes with postponing, and re-planning our wedding due to COVID, she was responsive, supportive, helpful and kind. Our wedding day was better than we ever could have imagined! The venue is absolutely gorgeous. The perfection combination of classy and coastal, but not stuffy. We love how a portion of the proceeds go towards funding scholarships for the camp that is held at the YMCA. We would give 100 stars if we could!

We are still marveling over our wedding at Shining Tides! The venue was absolutely perfect for a coastal wedding for our 40 guests. The weather held up and we are so happy the venue coordinator recommended heaters for the evening reception as it got chilly (May wedding). The coordinator knows the site very well and the best way to make use of the space. We cannot thank her enough for helping us make our wedding dreams a reality. Our guests loved the location and our photographer was able to capture so many stunning photos. Highly recommend this venue if you are looking for a cozy coastal wedding venue and plenty of space for photos and fun!

Liz from Shining Tides was our wedding coordinator. She was amazing! She hosted both of our families for a visit to check out Shining Tides and answered all of our questions. The vendors (caterers, rentals, staff) that Liz referred to us were all extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and easy to work with! On top of having a great experience with LIz, the venue at Shining Tides is something out of a magazine. We ended up with a beautiful summer day (although they are equipped for rain!), which made for a gorgeous backdrop of the ocean, boats, dock and later on in the evening a beautiful view of the deck all lit up. One of the best parts of having your wedding at Shining Tides is that some of the money you pay towards the venue goes to help children afford summer camp there! What's better than that? We were absolutely thrilled with our experience, we cannot recommend Shining Tides enough.

Everything at shining tides truly exceeded my expectations. I’m a pretty controlling and high maintenance person at times so I was definitely worried about things looks perfect.. I was literally shocked at how perfect everything was .. the lighting came out just as I had hoped, the views were unreal, communication was spot on. The nice thing about shining tides is that it’s really just a beautiful shell and you can do whatever you want with the space! You can do everything on a budget or opt for some classier higher end options.. it’s not a cheesy one size fits all venue. Highly highly recommend! Plus, the catering company they use is soooo good. Definitely on the pricier side but everyone said our food was the best they ever had at a wedding!

Our last review was removed because we used a staff members name. Poor performance by Shining Tides Staff. We clearly go against the grain per the other reviews on here. Perhaps it is good to know that not every hit is a home-run @ Shining Tides. The venue is honestly beautiful. The teams execution and then follow up was where we were disappointed. No reparations were attempted after involved emails were sent to management.

Everything about Shining Tides we perfect. We were looking for a venue with a Cape Cod feel that wasn't over the top. We immediate fell in love with Shining Tides- the beautiful views, being right on the water, the open-air porch, it felt comfortable and was the perfect fit. We also loved that the cost to rent the space was benefiting children. While Shining Tides is a YMCA camp, you don't notice this when the venue is setup for a wedding. Elizabeth, our coordinator, was absolutely wonderful to work with. She was responsive and organized and brought me so much peace of mind. The grounds were in perfect condition and all of our details were perfectly put together. Despite wind and rain throughout the day, she did everything possible to make sure we still had our ceremony and cocktail outside as planned. We are so thankful that Elizabeth made everything so perfect and special. We have received endless compliments about how incredible the day and venue was. We couldn't have asked for more.

Shining Tides was the most magical and beautiful venue for our special day. The weather in late August was gorgeous and Elizabeth made it so easy to plan and make our dreams come true! We appreciate her and the staff for creating the most smoothly transitioned day. I did not have to worry about a THING once I got there after the ceremony. It was a picture perfect day and Elizabeth is WONDERFUL to work with!!

Shining Tides was the perfect venue for our wedding. The grounds are gorgeous, the vendor lists are extensive, and the event is well organized. Our guests loved being able to dance, lounge on the deck, walk the beach, or play lawn games. There is something for everyone at Shining Tides!

We had a lobster bake for son and his fiancé’s rehearsal dinner at Shining Tides. We couldn’t have been more pleased. What a spectacular venue. Elizabeth, her recommendations, Russell Morin ( the caterer), and the rental company were all amazing. I would highly recommend them, and I love that the venue rental money goes to the YMCA for such a wonderful cause. Jane D.

Shining Tides is a gorgeous yet laid back venue, which was exactly what my husband and I were looking for. So many of our guests commented on what a beautiful setting it was for both ceremony and reception. Elizabeth is wonderful to work with--extremely responsive, flexible and kind. The added bonus of your payment contributing to the YMCA scholarship fund puts Shining Tides over the top as a choice for a wedding venue!!

We couldn't recommend Shining Tides more for a wedding / reception!! After looking throughout New England for the perfect venue -- we found Shining Tides and immediately fell in love. Once we pulled up to see the venue, it was exactly what we were looking for. Our wedding day in July was more magical and perfect than we could ever imagine. Elizabeth was so kind, relaxed and thorough throughout the process, which made for peace of mind. Everything came together SO perfect!! Not only did WE love it but we got so many compliments from all our wedding guests on how beautiful the location was - between the covered deck, grounds and water being right there for photos. 10/10 for Elizabeth and the venue!!!

I could not of asked for a more perfect wedding day! Elizabeth and the entire Shinning Tides staff were so amazing. Elizabeth was SO helpful during the entire planning process, I cannot give her enough praise! As one can imagine, my mind was all over the place on the wedding day, it was so amazing to show up to the venue and have every detail taken care of... 10/10 would recommend!

My Husband & I just got married in September at Shining Tides. We couldn’t have picked a better venue for our special day! It was everything we ever dreamed of & then some! The food, staff, atmosphere, & overall experience was nothing short of perfect! The beach bonfire at the end of the night was definitely an added plus! It is truly a hidden gem! All of our guests are still talking about what an amazing wedding ours was! It was definitely the most perfect day!

I cannot say enough positive things about Shining Tides. We had our wedding mid September of this year on a 78 degree sunny day. The whole time people kept coming up to us saying how beautiful the venue was, how did we find this gem etc. I stumbled upon Shining Tides when expanded search to "On Water Off Cape" and I am so happy I did. Elizabeth was a pleasure to work with. She helped me get a great discount on linens at my last minute request and coordinated all of our rentals from three different vendors. The day of the wedding I had zero concerns that everything was going smoothly. Bonus - It's a YMCA so your money goes back to the organization!

We loved our wedding at shining tides! Picture perfect views among their beautiful deck. You do have to use their caterer but the food was amazing, can't say enough great things about the catering staff, the set up was perfect and they took time to match our vision perfectly!

Where do we start with Shining Tides?! Being from Massachusetts and visiting the beaches every summer, I always envisioned a coastal wedding. My fiancé and I came across Shining Tides in our research and were struck by the natural beauty, privacy, and personality of the site. We learned quickly that it was a YMCA property – easily the most beautiful YMCA we’ve ever seen! Elizabeth was extremely helpful from the start in setting up conference calls, answering questions, providing vendor info in the area, and inviting us to a great open house event. I’m happy to report that we picked a date and signed the dotted line shortly after the open house – it is such a special place and (obviously) books up fast! In the year leading up to our wedding, Elizabeth kept in touch and assisted us via email and phone calls. We also loved working with Russell Morin Catering, Shining Tides’ exclusive food vendor. Our actual wedding last weekend was magic. The weather was definitely unpredictable until the hour before the reception start, and Elizabeth was amazing about keeping in contact with us about the plan. The rain miraculously held off and we were able to enjoy a gorgeous cocktail hour on the property’s sprawling green lawn. It couldn’t have worked out better. The rustic porch with bistro lighting (Lightworks New Bedford) was exactly what we had envisioned and Elizabeth/Russell Morin’s brought our vision to life. It was incredible to see it all live and soak in all the little details. The open air porch and ocean breeze blowing onto the dance floor was like no other! We received compliments on the venue and setup from our guests all night long. Still basking in the memories from the night a week later! We could not recommend this venue or Elizabeth more. Look no further than Shining Tides!

Amazing venue! It photographed beautifully, fits up to 200 people, and seems like it would be great rain or shine! The only thing to note is that there's only one vendor you can use for food. The food is great, but you're definitely stuck with their price structure.

My husband and I got married at Shining Tides at the beginning of June, and we had an amazing experience! The location is absolutely beautiful for both the reception and ceremony, and you get the Cape Cod vibe without the Cape Cod price tag. Elizabeth was easy to work with, and very responsive. I can't say enough good things about Shining Tides!

I absolutely am obsessed with our wedding venue! Even now, months later friends and family members are telling us how perfect Shining Tides was. Our ceremony was on the lawn by the beach followed by the cocktail hour to the right and reception on the porch. Fortunately, the early fall weather was absolutely perfect with not a cloud in the sky. We had about 160 guests and had a band but still was no problem fitting everyone. Thank you Elizabeth and Jackie to help create the perfect day!

I had a great experience with Shining Tides overall. First of all, it's an absolutely beautiful location, especially if you choose to have the ceremony outside there. It is very rare to find a venue where you get complete privacy and the run of the whole space yourself (ie no other weddings), including access to the waterfront/beach right there! They also have separate private rooms for the groomsmen and bridesmaids to get ready, which is nice for taking photos. They do require that you use their catering service Russell Morin, but they are fantastic so that didn't bother me at all. Extra perks are getting to have lawn games on the grass outside the reception area, and a bonfire/smores on the beach. I wish that the wedding coordinator Elizabeth had made more contact with me/been more hands-on and responded better to my outreach attempts however. I did plan to have bubbles blown by guests upon walking back down the aisle, and the guests were apparently not notified of this so I was a bit disappointed with that. I am wondering if they don't pay as a much attention to smaller weddings. I will say that they don't have a guest minimum, and overall my interactions with other staff at the venue were positive. This venue is great if you want a rustic, natural beauty feel to your wedding...Even though it is technically a YMCA summer camp you would never know it as they really know how to run very professional and classy weddings! Lastly I thought it was awesome that the proceeds for the wedding go to pay for kids in need to attend camp!

My husband and I had both our ceremony and reception at Shining Tides this past July . I always dreamed of a Cape Cod wedding so when we got engaged, that’s where we started our search! After looking at plenty of venues actually ON the Cape, we didn’t really feel drawn to any of them. They were all super expensive and felt like impersonal “wedding factories”. We decided to expand our search and made an appointment to visit Shining Tides-- thank goodness we did! This place is special and we fell in love with it almost immediately. It had everything we were looking for- quaint New England character, beautiful views, reasonable prices, outdoor/indoor ceremony and reception space, casual but elegant ambiance, as well as a meaningful purpose outside of weddings (it’s also a YMCA preschool and summer camp). When we met with Elizabeth, the wedding coordinator for Shining Tides, she made us feel so comfortable and excited to plan our wedding at Shining Tides. From the get go, she was easy to work with and extremely helpful throughout the entire planning process. She answered all of our questions promptly and went out of her way to recommend local businesses for a variety of things we needed during our wedding weekend in Mattapoisett. When the weather forecast for our wedding day was less than ideal, Elizabeth didn’t bat an eye. She did everything should could to keep our wedding vision in-tact and it all turned out beautifully (even with very gusty winds and sub 70 degree weather in late July!). We have received SO many rave reviews from our guests about this venue- from the water views, to the lawn, to the covered porch and deck, to the delicious food (Russell Morin was fantastic to work with!)- you can’t find a better place to get married if you’re looking for a quintessential New England feel. We had the wedding of our dreams and cannot recommend this venue, and Elizabeth, highly enough.

Got married at Shining Tides earlier this month. We had both the ceremony and reception on site. It's an all outdoor venue, so weather can be a factor for the ceremony and cocktail hour. Dinner is held on a large, covered deck so even if it rains you're covered. In the event of rain, everything is held on the deck. The staff is really cognizant of the weather and makes every effort to keep the festivities out on the lawn if at all possible. We ended up with a cool, cloudy day but no rain! I'm glad we decided to get a basket of pashminas for guests - they all went! But Shining Tides was the perfect venue - it's a beautiful setting and the staff is top notch. Everything went off without a hitch!

I can't recommend this venue enough. It's gorgeous. I went back the morning after to just look around at the empty venue, very teary-eyed, and closed my eyes to picture all the fun that was had there the night before. My husband and I wanted a place on the water, since our lives revolve around being on the water, but we also knew we could not afford the Cape, since we were doing the wedding ourselves. Shining Tides fit the bill. Not only a beautiful venue, but Elizabeth was a HUGE help throughout the entire process. It was cool seeing all the little hand prints in the bridal suite and knowing that the space is used for a summer camp/preschool for kids made it that much more special. As for a wedding space, you had no idea a preschool existed there unless someone told you. The grounds are well kept and manicured. It's picturesque New England. So many opportunities and places for photos. Unfortunately, it rained just enough to not have our ceremony on the lawn, which was the only bummer of the day, but having it up on the deck was quaint and special, still with having the view of the water behind us. The rain quit after the ceremony and we were then able to utilize the outdoor space for photos and guests and could wander around. We plan on coming back to renew out vows, so maybe we can have that on the lawn :)

I can't even begin to say how much we love Shining Tides. It's a perfect venue and Elizabeth is amazing to work with. My husband and I got married at the end of August and had both our ceremony and reception at Shining Tides. It was a typical hot and humid August day and then about an hour before the ceremony was to start, it started down-pouring. It lasted right up until the ceremony start, but Elizabeth held off on moving the ceremony indoors (onto the deck, which is covered) and right at 6pm the skies opened up and the rain stopped and a rainbow appeared. It was breathtaking, and we got to have the ceremony outside after all. Because of Elizabeth's direction and help, everything went smoothly and my husband and I weren't as stressed. Overall, Shining Tides as a venue speaks for itself. The gorgeous view overlooking the water is breathtaking (and beautiful for photos) - the catering co, Russell Morin is outstanding, and the deck where the reception is can hold up to 200 guests. We would highly recommend Shining Tides - best wedding venue in New England!

We absolutely loved our entire wedding experience with Shining Tides. We knew we wanted to get married on the water in New England and when we came across Shining Tides it was an instant match. Elizabeth is amazing! She has years of wedding planning experience and it was reflected in our wedding day. She was very easy to get in touch with during the entire planning process and helped us save money a few weeks before the big day. We had 175 guests at our wedding and it was a perfect amount. I wouldn't suggest having many more people because it will start to get very tight if you plan on having it inside the house. We also had a rain tent that we used for cocktail hour and we rented it from Chase Canopy (another great vendor to use). Russell Morin is a first class caterer. The food on the wedding day was exactly like the tasting. The staff was very friendly, helpful and classy. We provided our own alcohol for the wedding, which is another great perk of using Shining Tides. At the end of the wedding we did a boat exit, which was a great way to end the night. Overall, if you love New England and being on the water- we HIGHLY recommend you use Shining Tides as your wedding venue.

I will never be able to describe in words how perfect our whole experience ( not just the day of our wedding) was here at the Shining Tides. We searched high and low for the absolute perfect venue for our special day and I am forever grateful for finding this venue. Russel Morin catering was incredible ( we are foodies), the view cannot be beat and the property was gorgeous. All the staff we worked with were wonderful and attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. The ONLY thing I would say that was tricky was lodging and this is of course nothing that Shining Tides could help. We ended up renting a large house on homeaway.com and it was even better than getting a hotel. Basically, if you are looking for a Cape Cod feel wedding but have trouble finding one that isn't Yaght club stuffy or too beachy casual this is your venue. I loved that we didn't have to share the property with anyone else other than our guests. As I know many hotel hosted beach weddings will have multiple events in a day. You are your guests will be raving about what an amazing wedding it was for years to come!

Shining Tides is an absolutely beautiful location for a beach/ocean front wedding. From the moment we first toured Shining Tides, we knew that this was the place we wanted to get married. We got married on 9/17/16. The ceremony space on the lawn overlooking the ocean is absolutely breathtaking. The covered porch were the reception took place is truly one of a kind with rustic exposed beams and a panoramic view of the oceanfront. We received lots of compliments about our venue selection from our guests! Elizabeth our onsite-wedding coordinator was BEYOND amazing!! She responded to all of our emails in a timely manner and made sure our wedding day went as smooth as possible! She is very resourceful, personable and professional. She is quick and knows how to handle situations on the spot. We LOVED working with her! We are so grateful and fortunate to have had Elizabeth a part of our special day. I would HIGHLY recommend Shining Tides as your wedding venue!

We had a beautiful wedding at the Shining Tides. Everyone enjoyed the venue and thought it was absolutely breathtaking. We had about 85 people at our reception and it was the perfect amount. I would highly recommend this site to people. Many people that attended the wedding said they wanted to copy us and have their reception at the Shining Tides.

My (now) husband and I searched high and low all over Cape Cod for the perfect wedding venue for us. We wanted the Cape Cod feel without being too stuffy and we definitely wanted to be outside but protected in case of inclement weather. Shining Tides was perfect. We actually ended up seeing it for the first time at night because our car broke down and we couldn't get there in time to meet the amazing coordinator. I knew, even in the middle of the night with no lights on, that it was the spot! We contacted Elizabeth Lynch who ended up working with us every step of the way. Since I was planning the whole wedding from NYC, she was a huge help on recommending and coordinating vendors. She made everything so simple. On the day of our wedding, we could not have asked for more beautiful weather and Shining Tides really showcased all the Cape has to offer. We also felt great that a part of our deposit went to the programs at the YMCA for kids. Thank you Shining Tides and Elizabeth for a perfect day!

I couldn't have asked for a better location for my October wedding than Shining Tides. The space is absolutely beautiful. The beach front property with sweeping lawn scape are perfect for an outdoor wedding ceremony by the ocean without being a bride standing in the sand. The location offers breathtaking views for photos. The exposed beam porch is the perfect blank canvas to make your reception whatever you want it to be. The wedding team at Shining Tides was a dream to work with as well. I will and already have recommended this venue.

Shining Tides is an absolutely beautiful venue right on Mattapoisett Harbor. Elizabeth was very helpful throughout the process and met with me several times at the venue to let me plan things out in my mind. The space is perfect and if you have a smaller wedding as I did, you don't really need to rent a tent as a back up for inclement weather, which I did not want to have to do.

I cannot recommend this venue highly enough. The setting is stunning, the reception area looked amazing on our wedding night, and the lawn was so much fun for our guests for cocktail hour. We continue to hear nothing but rave reviews about our venue selection. Elizabeth was such a pleasure to work with and did such a great job organizing everything. She was always very responsive and gave us some great referrals for our other vendors. I would recommend using Shining Tides without hesitation.

Shining tides was wonderful! We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful place to get married. We had our ceremony on the lawn overlooking the water and the reception on the covered porch and it was just perfect! Elizabeth was great to work with and the caterer Russell Morin's was awesome.

I can't say enough about how wonderful our wedding day was at Shining Tides Weddings by the Sea! The venue was so gorgeous! The grounds were really well maintained, especially the lawn. We had our ceremony on the lawn with the beautiful ocean back drop and then immediately led into our cocktail hour also on the lawn. Our guests were then directed to the covered deck for dinner and dancing. It was wonderful to have the entire wedding at Shining Tides because it gave both me and my husband a chance to truly enjoy the beauty that surrounds Shining Tides as well as our guests. We loved working with Elizabeth at Shining Tides! She was so knowledgeable about different touches that would make our guests more comfortable and would enhance the day. Elizabeth referred us to an excellent electrician that strung white lights and white lanterns that added such a special touch. Our photographer captured beautiful moments on the grounds, beach and beside their well-known “sailboat” on the shed. He also captured the spirit of Shining Tides being a YMCA camp when he took pictures of myself and my mom in front of colorful hand prints on the wall of the bridal suite. Our guests could not speak more highly about the beautiful location where we chose to have our wedding. My husband and I feel extremely lucky and grateful to have our wedding in such a beautiful location!