The Atlantic Ocean Room at The Elks Bass Rocks

I just had a post-elopement reception at the elks on 6/16/23. Kimberley and Patty were both were professional, enthusiastic, and extremely helpful. I would absolutely recommend this venue for an event!

My husband and I loved the Elks at Bass Rocks! The venue is gorgeous inside and out with stunning views of the water. Our guests just loved the views from the outside ceremony and inside while eating and dancing the night away! We also had the fabulous Kimberly Banks as our coordinator and she made sure everything went nice and smoothly and it made us and our guests feel at ease. I highly recommend the Elks, you wont regret it!

Come for the Views, Stay for the Service We picked the Elks based off of the location - the views alone sell the venue. But what we got was so much more. Kimberley is referred to as Kimberley the Great in our family now, as she thought of literally everything and any request we had she was sure to make sure it was taken care of. During the wedding, my husband spilled coffee and champagne - a terrible combo to get on a white dress, but Kimberley fixed it as if it never happened. She made sure all of my needs were met and all of my dreams were fulfilled. My day felt truly perfect, and Kimberly is a huge credit to that dream come true.

So many of my guests were shocked by the breathtaking views and how beautiful the room at the Elks was. My husband and I started working with Kimberley last year when I chose this venue just from having attended weddings there previously and loving the view. Kimberley has always been professional, personable and quick with all communication. She answered any questions I had. The day of, her and her team took care of me like I’ve never seen a venue do. They brought us drinks, always asked if we needed something or anything, ensured we were having fun. Kimberley was with me the moment I stepped off the trolley to the end of the night packing the car. She treated me like a family member throughout the entire process, not just another bride. I would strongly recommend this venue. Between the amazing support I received and how beautiful it was, you can’t go wrong.

We had our wedding on 10/15/2022, From the first tour of the venue we knew this was the place. Kimberley was so easy to work with and so quick to respond to any question we had. She was so personable and professional. She was always there to make me feel better about anything during the planning process. She knows what shes doing and is AMAZING at her job. She truly made my dreams come true on my wedding day. She was there from the arrival to the bridal suite to the end of the night loading up the cars. Anytime I needed her she was attentive and helped with every bit of the process. I can't thank her enough. The Elks is the most beautiful place for a wedding. I would highly recommend her and the Elks for your wedding day!

We choose this as our wedding venue back in 2020 for our wedding in Sept of 2022. We started working with Kimberly in 2021 once the other coordinator left the venue. Kimberly was absolutely amazing. She knows exactly what she is doing and how to make a wedding go off without any issues. She is 100% there for the bride and groom and made sure we were always happy. I was nervous about a lot on my wedding day but Kimberly was always there to make me feel better. The venue is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It is located directly across from the ocean and has the best view. I would recommend this venue to everyone. It was affordable and absolutely made our wedding the best it could have been.

We had our wedding at the Atlantic Ocean Room on 9/9/2022. Everything was so perfect and Kimberly the Events Director and Patty our Day of Coordinator made everything so easy for us !! It is so clear they are professionals and know what they are doing. The venue is so beautiful and we had the best day of our lives. Our guests also could not believe the incredible stunning views!

We held our wedding this weekend at the Elks at Bass Rocks in Gloucester, MA. It was a perfect venue for a wedding! This is not your typical Elks. It is rated number one in the country in terms of beauty. There were gorgeous views from the Atlantic Ocean Room and our ceremony was held on the front lawn with the open ocean as the backdrop. I can’t say enough about the Director of Events and Wedding Coordinator at the Elks, Kimberly Banks and Kelly Smith. They made sure every detail was perfect and that everyone was in the right spot at the right time. I thought we would be setting up our own signage and other items in the hall. They took care of all of it so I could just enjoy the day. The Elks has two really nice hotels next door to the venue and there are plenty of other places to stay in the area, both hotels and Airbnbs. Our guests from out of town enjoyed spending time in Gloucester and Rockport and all commented on the beauty of the area. A nice feature of the Elks was the bridal suite, which we had access to from 9am that day for hair and make up. It was the perfect room for my bridesmaids and I to get ready in, equipped with a small refrigerator and private bathroom. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better venue or day. I have to also mention the vendors I used, all of which were phenomenal. Vinwood Catering out of Ipswich, MA provided food. I was told it was the best wedding food people had ever had. I used Audrey’s Flower Shop in Gloucester for our flowers and they were gorgeous and reasonably priced. Our DJ and Photography team, Curtis Knight Entertainment did an amazing job serving as both our DJ, MC and photographer. He had a slideshow running in real time as photos were captured from the day. Topsfield Bake Shop provided our cutting cake and cupcake tree and both were great. All in all it was the perfect day - better than I ever could have imagined! :)

I cannot give this venue enough praise, more specifically our coordinator at the Elks, Kimberly. From the first meeting with her through our wedding day, she listened to our ideas and vision, was professional and receptive. She took my vision and EXCEEDED all of my expectations. I was in awe when I saw the room and how she was able to create exactly what I had hoped for in my mind. Kim made me feel like my wedding was the only one of the year, when I know that they had many all weekend. The view for our ceremony and reception was unmatched and the convenience of having a beautiful hotel right next door was perfect. I never even considered another venue following our first visit and I am so beyond happy with our choice. I cannot recommend them enough!

My husband and I just had our wedding reception at the Elks at Bass Rocks on 9/10/22. This venue is tops; especially if you love the ocean/ocean views. Both the wedding party and photo/video crew had a lot of fun. We took our wedding party photos on the rocks with the ocean and crashing waves in the background. Our guests loved the venue and we got numerous compliments about how lovely it was; inside and out. Inside the reception hall, there are large windows stretching across the front that give pristine views of the ocean front. Kimberley is the on-site events coordinator and she is absolutely amazing. Kimberley has a lot of experience doing what she does and to have her be part of our team was a great asset. I didn’t have to worry about the reception at all…I knew it would be nothing short of fantastic because Kimberley would have everything taken care of; and she did! She communicates with you and asks follow-up questions to make sure everything is set-up and ready to go before the event. And what’s equally as important is her professionalism, personability, kindness, and great sense of humor. We had so much fun working with Kimberley and she really did make the venue portion of things stress-free, enjoyable, and memorable. When my husband and I arrived in the limo, I was hot and feeling a little nauseated. Kimberley picked up on this immediately and brought me inside to cool off and got me a cold water. She cares about people on a personal level; with great heart. Thank you Kimberley for everything you did to help make wedding day celebration so special! We 100% highly recommend this venue. If we could give more than 5 stars I would.

We were married here this past Sunday, September 18th, and it was nothing short of spectacular. Kimberley was our event organizer and was incredible. She was detail oriented, organized, punctual and a pleasure to work with. She worked extremely well with the vendors too! The venue was perfect with a beautiful ocean view at every angle. The waitstaff and bartender were so friendly and on top of everything. Thank you for making our wedding absolutely perfect! Love, Mr. and Mrs. McCormick.

From the day we toured the venue till her wedding day, we were very pleased with how everything was handled. My daughter was amazed at how attentive to her needs. She is a diabetic and was off the pump for the day so every time we needed her insulin the event coordinator was there to help. I would advise any bride that would like an ocean wedding please book here.

We absolutely loved our wedding at The Atlantic Ocean Room! We got married July 15, 2022 on a perfect summer day. Guests gushed over the beautiful views for the ceremony and reception, and we could not be happier with how it turned out. Kimberley Banks, the on site coordinator, is nothing short of fabulous. She is helpful, incredibly organized, and experienced. Kim went above and beyond to make sure we, along with our families, were happy and taken care of throughout the planning process, but especially during the rehearsal and wedding itself. We highly recommend this venue and Kim!

This was a wonderful place to get married! Kimberley was so helpful throughout our entire process. It was nice to have the ceremony and the reception all in one spot and you really can’t beat that view. So beautiful for our wedding day! I highly recommend this venue!

We picked this venue because of the beautiful location and space. You can’t beat the ocean view! And you can’t beat the price! Kimberly, the event coordinator, was SPECTACULAR! She is a pro in the wedding industry! She spoke about all the little details and had so many awesome suggestions. During one of our visits with Kimberly, she made us a detailed floor plan and wedding timeline that was so awesome to have! It was so easy and convenient to forward it to all of our other vendors so everyone was on the same page. Aside from her attention to detail, Kimberly made me feel SO COMFORTABLE! She was like a wedding mama you need when you’re feeling nervous! She made sure I was feeling good and comfortable at all times. She helped me with so much and I’m so thankful I had her by my side that day. Vinwood Catering is from one of their preselected lists of caterers to chose from. We absolutely loved working with Gary and his team. Everyone LOVED the food!

I cannot say enough wonderful things about the Elks at Bass Rocks. I had my wedding there last weekend and everything was perfect. The location and venue itself are absolutely gorgeous and made for the perfect backdrop for our outside ceremony. The inside of the venue was so beautiful, and my vision had completely come to life. Kimberly made the entire process so seamless and was always quick to respond to an email no matter the time. On the day of, she executed everything perfectly, ensuring everything went off without a hitch. We couldn't have asked for a better day - from the venue, to the food, and even the beautiful bridal suite we gathered in prior to the ceremony - it was all perfection.

It all started because my now husband and I didn't want a big deal kind of wedding. We got engaged in December of 2019 and looked into low-key venues on a budget for 2021. We came across The Elks at Bass Rocks and booked it as soon as we saw it. Even though it was February and pouring rain, we just knew it was perfect. Then, of course, the world ended for a little bit, and we didn't really worry too much about wedding planning until I realized, OMG I should worry about wedding planning. That's when I met Kim. She responded to my many emails almost immediately and put me at ease while simultaneously letting me know what I had to get done, when, and how.   When we visited the Elks again, just before our wedding, it was another gloomy day but the room and the view was still absolutely gorgeous. We met Kim and got right down to business. She made us feel right at home, answered any and all of our questions and made sure we had dotted every I and crossed every t. I am an incredibly anxious person, never mind planning a wedding and after our very first meeting I just knew I was in good hands for one of the biggest days of our lives.  BOY did she NOT disappoint. Kim was by my side either literally, or via phone nearly all weekend. No matter how silly it seemed, or how many times I asked her if I was a crazy bride, she had the perfect answers to questions I didn't even know I had yet. Throughout the entire wedding process she told me where to be and when and again, as someone who suffers from severe anxiety, I cannot explain how helpful this was and how much it meant to me.  All the while, Kim was actually putting out fires for me left and right that I had NO IDEA about until after the wedding. She absolutely went above and beyond and for this we are so thankful. We had the BEST wedding weekend ever. The weather was beautiful. The venue is so GORGEOUS my guests didn't even notice we didn't have flowers (we are both allergic). One of my guests shared with me that he thought since we were getting married at an Elks it would be like a big old room in a basement. He was floored at just how gorgeous the Elks at Bass Rocks is, and for the price? I'd never go anywhere else. Well, maybe if Kim went somewhere else... aha! Seriously, the BEST! Thank you, thank you thank you!

Absolutely stunning venue, wonderful coordinator, exceptional vendors, a perfect setup for the BEST DAY EVER! Kimberley was the best coordinator for the venue and answered all my questions with ease and kindness. She made my day so special. The venue is so beautiful, affordable, and absolutely wonderful. We loved it and would highly recommend it!

We toured this venue back in September 2019 for our wedding we planned to have in 11.07.20…the venue is beautiful, right on the ocean! We paid our deposit that week and I got to planning the wedding we always wanted! Fast forward to March 2020 and the pandemic made us question if our wedding was even going to happen…I reached out to the event manager and was able to change our wedding date to the following year: fortunately, we were able to keep the same pricing, even though we moved our wedding into “peak season.” It proves how willing this venue is to accommodate their customers and keep the process as smooth as possible! It definitely helped make an extremely stressful situation significantly less stressful for us! Kimberley is the new event director and started a few months before our wedding, but it didn’t seem like that- she was very attentive and knew what she was doing, which we were very grateful for! If you express what you want, she will deliver it and more! The venue is very affordable, which you won’t find anywhere else in Gloucester…especially on the ocean! 10/10 would recommend! Thank you!!

We had our wedding at the Atlantic Room at the Elks at Bass Rocks on September 3, 2021. Kimberley and the entire staff there were beyond fantastic. She made sure that everything ran smoothly from the time that we selected that venue. She is extremely hands-on throughout the process and whether it was a last minute lay-out change for the seating or the fact that I called her about two hours before the ceremony to find a makeup artist as mine had to cancel due to an emergency. She and the entire staff are consummate professionals. Everyone raved about the food by Creative Catering which is one of their preferred vendors, and she and Lori worked seamlessly. I simply can not thank everyone enough for an amazing day and would absolutely recommend The Atlantic Room for a wedding or any other type of function.

Our Elks wedding could not have been better. Emily was an amazing coordinator. From our initial meeting a year before our date all the way through the end of our wedding night, she knocked it out of the park and met every single one of our needs. The views, the amazing vendors they work with, it truly doesn’t get any better!

We had an amazing wedding at the Elks! Emily was super helpful throughout the process. The planning form she had us fill out was helpful in seeing what our day would look like and made it easier to communicate with our other vendors regarding the day of timeline. We had some questionable weather leading up to our big day, but Emily assured us it would be beautiful no matter what and that we could make the call shortly before the start of the ceremony. Thankfully the rain stopped and we were able to have it outside and she made sure the seats were dry for our guests. If you book this venue between the views and the help of Emily you won’t be disappointed!

We are sooo happy we decided to book The Elks at Bass Rocks as our wedding venue! You cannot beat this view and this location for the price. I can’t say enough good things about the event coordinator, Emily. She was absolutely amazing and went out of her way for us since the very beginning. She was always so quick to respond to questions and anything we needed. From referring me to the best photographer around, to helping me find a last minute EmCee a week before my wedding, Emily went above and beyond for us so that our day would be perfect! We had a family friend as our DJ who wasn’t as experienced on the wedding side of things, and Emily made sure everything ran smoothly and handled the whole night with so much grace and professionalism that none of our guests realized there was anything going wrong. My husband and I got so many compliments about the Elks and the location and how beautiful it is! Any couple/family looking for an affordable Oceanside venue with a million dollar view, The Elks at Bass Rocks has to be your spot!

This is one of the most beautiful locations on the North Shore to get married, and one of the most reasonable in price! We couldn’t have been happier with our entire experience. Emily was fantastic to work with, and made sure every last detail was perfect for our wedding day. On the day of, Britney and her assistant made sure everything ran smoothly! Thank you to the entire team for making our wedding day one we will never forget!

The Elks at Bass Rocks truly lives up to the hype! My husband and I were married there on 11/2/18 and we were blown away at the value we got for the price. The view alone outside is worth the money, and we didn’t regret getting married in Gloucester off-season. Emily, the wedding coordinator, was a delight to work with throughout the whole process. Since we aren’t locals from Gloucester area, I emailed her so many times with random questions about the area/vendor recommendations, etc. She was so responsive and available. She was an awesome coordinator to worth with and really made our day go by with a breeze. We appreciated her attention to detail! The Elks has made some renovations recently, and the venue truly looked fantastic. I was extremely happy with the bar staff as well. There was plenty of space for a wedding around 115 guests to drink and dance the night away. For what you get for the price, the Elks is absolutely a great choice if you’re going to get married in Gloucester. Our family is still raving about the wedding :)

Our wedding was awesome. The Elks is beautiful and the staff was great!!!

The Elks was one of the best choices we made when planning our wedding! Emily, Rose and the whole team nailed it from start to finish. Our guests were blown away by the view from the rocks, and the wedding party was able to spread out and relax in the bridal lounge upstairs. The reception room itself has little details like chandeliers, hardwood floors, and huge windows that give it a high-end feel. Emily was so patient with our many questions and requests, especially in the chaos of the week leading up to the wedding day. They also accommodated our request for a specific beer and the bartenders made delicious signature cocktails. We also had a nontraditional ceremony, which Rose made happen without missing a beat, plus her calm, positive attitude was much appreciated in moments of stress. We are so lucky to have found this place and couldn't have asked for anything better!

Amazing view, great space, wonderful staff! The Elks is perfect. Emily was awesome, so helpful, friendly, & easy to work with. She did everything! Put our centerpieces together so beautifully, set the tables up perfect, everything was great!

We looked at venues all around the Northshore area , and nothing came close to comparing to the Elks at Bass Rocks in price or beauty. The Elks at Bass Rocks is spectacular! The venue is extremely lovely, with a killer view of the ocean. The space is large, with all the facilities you could need right there. And the price is unbeatable! The events director, Emily, worked with us to put together our perfect wedding, taking all of my vision (and it's changes) for over a year and making it a reality. Brittany was our coordinator for the day of the wedding and she was attentive and lovely to work with. They are accommodating and are honest about what they provide with no hidden costs or tricks. And they provide a LOT! They set everything up, making sure to take notes on how I wanted everything to look, and took it all down and put it in the Uhaul we rented so we didn't have to at the end of the night. We are so thrilled we worked with the Elks to make our wedding prefect. Thank you Emily and Brittany! You were wonderfully!

Having our wedding at the Elks at Bass Rocks was the best decision we made! Emily was amazing to work with. She was patient, understanding and knowledgeable. Such a fun & beatiful night! Thank you!!

This was the perfect venue for our wedding. The value is unmatched, because the cost is low but the views are breathtaking. An ocean-front wedding at any other venue would have cost thousands of dollars more. On top of that, the inside was beautiful and the staff was phenomenal. I was a little stressed about the logistics of the wedding until we met with Emily and Rose, who are absolute pros. They made the whole process so easy, and helped us pull off a perfect night. They even stepped in to help out when there was some drama with one of the vendors. For a low-budget wedding, my wife and I felt like we were given the VIP treatment. Thanks, Elks crew!

The Elks at Bass Rocks was a wonderful reception venue! My husband and I had our reception there on July 9, 2017. It is absolutely beautiful and a great value. The view of the ocean is unparalleled and the recent updates and renovations to the Atlantic Room and bridal suite are great. So many of our guests raved about how gorgeous the location was and what a wonderful time they had! Our on site wedding coordinator, Emily, was polished, professional, and detail oriented. Everything went off without a hitch and we couldn't have been happier. I will mention that two site coordinators left during our wedding planning process, and we were not told in advance of their departures. It was a bit jarring to email our coordinator and find out that someone else had taken their place, especially one month before the wedding! But the transitions went smoothly and seamlessly, so all worked out ok. I would enthusiastically recommend the Elks at Bass Rocks to anyone looking for a wedding reception site!

I’m so happy that we picked The Elks at Bass Rocks as our wedding venue. Our wedding was perfect! Emily and Brittany were so organized, leaving me with nothing to worry about from the time I arrived to get ready all the way through the end of the night when all of my stuff was packed for me and ready to go. They were always responsive whenever I had a question during the planning process. The beautiful views, the excellent service, and the reasonable price tag make this the perfect spot to get married!

Emily and Taylor were great! The venue was pristine and everything went off without a hitch. Emily was with us all night and not only did she handle a medical emergency without taking away from the rest of the wedding, but she made sure that myself and the groom were always ok! The venue has recently updated the room where the reception is as well as the bridal suite, it was gorgeous. Everything was perfect and the views are breathtaking!

We had the best service from Taylor before and throughout our wedding day!! She was extremely helpful and friendly. I couldn't have asked for better service.

The Elks is such an amazing place to get married! The location, the view, the interior, the value, everything you need to have a perfect Cape Ann wedding. Taylor is a great event coordinator--very organized and friendly. She helped everything go smoothly. Our out of town guests especially were extremely impressed by how beautiful the venue is! We are so happy we chose to have our ceremony and reception at the Elks!

We are so happy we chose to have our wedding reception at the Elks at Bass Rocks. The oceanfront views were incredible and our guests had an amazing time. The venue easily accommodated our 130 guests comfortably with room for both dancing and socializing. Deborah, the event coordinator, made sure everything went smoothly for us on our wedding day. We dropped off all of our decorations and centerpiece materials the day before and she did such a nice job putting it all together so that we didn't have to. She was very attentive throughout the entire planning process and made me feel confident that there would be no unexpected issues to deal with on the day of the wedding. She thought of everything, even things I didn't think of! I cannot stress enough that this place is a hidden gem in a world of expensive wedding venues and you will not be disappointed if you choose to have your wedding here!

Great location with awesome views of the ocean at a very reasonable price. We had the place booked a year and half before our wedding date and there were a few changes of staff over the course of that time. I just wish that had been communicated to us rather than reaching out to our contact and then learning that she was no longer there. However, aside from that the communication and service was great. Highly recommend!

Our wedding day went off without any issues and our day of coordinator, Kayla, was on top of everything from start to finish. The only problem that I encountered was during the planning, and it was a major communication issue. After our final meeting, I was told that I would receive an updated itinerary - about a week later, I was sent a very old version with no updated information. After being told many times by Deborah that she would send me the correct one in a few hours, or the next day, I didn't receive it for over a month. While I kept a pretty low stress level throughout the planning, I did become extremely frustrated that I was not receiving the level of service I was paying for. Aside from the frustrating communication about the itinerary, I was surprised to walk into the final meeting and feel that I was much more prepared for it than the Elks. Miscommunication in the meeting also led to a misunderstanding on table numbers, which I was asked to change after I had already finished completing all assignments. With only a month from the wedding, I felt as if I was getting the run-around, and having all of my preparations complete early on was becoming a detriment. Overall, the actual wedding day went very well, but it was frustrating working with the Elks up until that point. A key piece that makes me rate this higher than I initially wanted to is that they do work very well with the other vendors - which again, made the actual day of go perfect. Your guests do not see any of the background prior to the wedding, all they see is that they had a fantastic time at a venue with an AMAZING view.

We just had our wedding at the Elks on July 5th and everything was great. This is a well maintained venue with a breathe taking view -- a true value. Stacey, the events director, was wonderful to work with, providing us support every steps of the way and made sure our night went off with a hitch. Just be sure to book early!

I cannot imagine having our wedding at any other venue after being here at the Elks. Our wedding was October 26, 2012 and from the moment we reserved that date, everything fell into place. Stacey, the event director, is highly organized and will make sure that everything is taken care of. All of the guests even commented on her skill and how present she was throughout the night in case anything was needed. I never felt worried that something was going to go wrong that night. The view here is unbelievable and your night will most definitely be memorable here at the Elks.

Once you get over the thought that you are having your wedding at an Elks Lodge, there isn't a much better place to have a wedding. The location is amazing overlooking the ocean and lighthouses in Gloucester, MA. What really makes this location amazing is wedding coordinator, Stacey, who made the entire process seamless and pain free. She managed all the logistics and made sure the event went off without a hitch.

We had our wedding reception at the Elks at Bass Rocks on Aug 18th of this year and it was absolutely wonderful! Not only was the venue gorgeous, but Stacey Dexter, the coordinator was incredible. Stacey helped us out with all of the details of the reception and much more - including helping us out with a timeline for the day in general, put together center peices, managed the other vendors, and MOST importantly was our own personal security guard during dinner time to make sure we got to eat at least half of our own meals before being bombarded with guests coming to chat :) I cannot imagine how things would have gone without Stacey's help! I would absolutely 100% recommend the Elks at Bass Rocks to anyone!

We booked the Elks at Bass Rocks in August 2010 for our wedding in June 2012 and there were already dates booked! We have had SO many compliments on the location and the view. The room looked fabulous the night of the wedding and we all had a great time!

We were married at The Elks at Bass Rocks this past June and couldn't be happier with our choice. The venue fit 120 guests perfectly. The large wrap-around windows provide guests with a gorgeous ocean view and really opens up the room. The venue was very clean, freshly painted with recently renovated bathrooms. The event director was extremely helpful and attentive to our needs. She had our tables set up with our decorations beautifully and really helped the day to move along smoothly. I didn't feel that I had to stress about anything on my wedding day. I wouldn't have changed a thing!

I had my wedding at the Elks this past summer and I don't think I could have done better with a venue choice. My husband and I had been to a wedding there before and so had my parents. In addition to that I worked right down the street at the Ocean View Inn the previous summer as a wedding coordinator, so I knew this venue well before even speaking to anyone there. The view is amazing (but that's just how it is on the back shore of Gloucester, no matter what venue you are at). It is spacious and I love the windows surrounding the room. At the OVI, their larger function hall is not as big as the Elks, and you don't have to rent a dance floor at the Elks. One thing that I didn't do very well with was the fact that 2 months before my wedding, their coordinator left and no one told me, including the woman herself. She scheduled my final meeting with the venue for a time when she knew she wouldn't be there anymore. So we were dealing with a whole new person (who was not bad) I just felt it was unprofessional. My wedding was on a Sunday and I was not holding the ceremony there but at another outdoor site in the area. Having the ceremony inside the Elks was the back up plan in case of weather. When we arranged this with the original coordinator she did not explain that because the venue might be used for the ceremony that the rental time had to begin whenever the ceremony did at 3:00, regardless of the fact that no one was really going to be there until 4-4:30. Because of this, the reception was scheduled to end at 9 PM since it was a 6 hour rental. The original coordinator said it was fine to add another hour if we wanted to for a small fee. What she didn't say was that we would also be charged by the caterer to have another hour. So it was no small fee, it was $400 for 1 hour. I did not have floral centerpieces, I had hurricane lamps with candles, sand, and shells and some other things. A friend of mine was the one who was setting them up since we wanted it done just right, but we weren't told until the day before that he couldn't start setting them up until after maybe 1 or 2 in the afternoon once the linens had been set down on the tables. As a result of this, my friend missed the ceremony because he was still at the Elks setting up. They had redone the bathrooms, finally and there was now a single sink near the door, with the rest on the opposite wall in the back. This sink by the door had no soap, or towels, I think. That didn't make much sense to me. At the end of the night when the staff started cleaning up, they took all of our stuff and basically threw it in boxes and set them by the door. As a result of this I lost (or someone stole, maybe a staff member or a guest) part of my cake topper and my iPod dock/speaker system which was used in the ceremony. I too didn't like the set up they have with the DJ, I had mine in the back corner and the previous wedding I attended there, it was by the window, but not a very good place I thought either. It sucks for people sitting near it during dinner. The floor plan was actually wrong too so instead of our table being in the middle on one side, the table next to ours was the middle. Overall, I just thought that these were silly things that could have easily been avoided (with the exception of losing my things) had there been better communication on the Elks's part. Don't get me wrong, it is a wonderful and beautiful venue, and I would not go back in time and choose anywhere

The view at The Elks is beautiful (before sunset) and it has wrap around bay windows so you don't get that packed in feeling. The scenery can't be beat & the coordinator was helpful. . . however. . . Some negatives are the layout of the room: it's L-shaped with a second level so half our guests sat with us and the other half were above looking down. The half of the guests near us had to sit right next to the DJ which was LOUD. Because we had 200 guests every seat was used (even though they say you can fit 220) and some people felt left out because of their seat, & others were uncomfortable because of the music as opposed to a hall where everyone can sit in a U-shape around you, and the DJ isn't on top of the guests. Also they doubled booked a super casual bar event upstairs w/o telling me so all of my guests had to park along the street and walk to the hall instead of parking in the lot provided. Rather crummy. Also in and out of the hall were folks in ripped jeans & t-shirts. . . really classy. Wouldn't book this hall again unless I had 100 guests or less. It's just not meant for bigger weddings.

I don't think we could have found a better place to get married! Before having seen it I was a little apprehensive about it being an Elks. Once we visited the Elks, in the dead of winter, we walked into a beautiful wood staircase and a very classy entry way, once into the dining/dance area there was just a breathtaking view of Twin Lights. And with that we were sold! The event planner, Kelly, was fantastic! ANY question we had she was right back to us with an answer, and there were a lot of questions! She was so helpful, always great to work with, and always very reassuring. All of our guests were saying how beautiful the venue was, a few even talked about it being the possible venue for their own kids weddings! I would recommend The Elks to any of my friends or family!

The location!! Gloucester Elks is located on Cape Ann's scenic shore drive offering spectacular views of the Atlantic ocean. The venue is set with walls of large picture windows, featuring panaroamic views of the rocky coastline of Bass Rocks, Good Harbor Beach, and Rockport's Thacher Island.;The wedding packages are limited. The rental fee only covers the use of the ballroom and nothing else. All other vendors are the bride and grooms responsability.

My reception venue was across the street from the ocean. The building has wall to wall windows so there isn't a bad seat in the house.

It had a great ocean view and was very comfortable. The event manager was very helpful. It was very spacious