The Barn at Montague Retreat Center

e us feel like everything was taken care of, and they ran the wedding flawlessly so that we didn't have to worry about any details day-of. Dale takes great care of the facility and the grounds; his passion is evident. Wheelhouse catering provided the best wedding meal we've ever had. We stayed on site with our wedding party in the gorgeous new cabins, which was such a fun and unique experience. Overall we could not recommend MRC more!!

re very outdoorsy and were looking for a venue we could really call our own for the weekend. MRC was the place! The owners Bill and Beth and caretaker John were so welcoming and organized, there to make sure the weekend was everything I hoped for. I used the bridal suite the entire weekend and was very helpful for our friends to crash in the suite with us after the wedding. We had so much flexibility to make this our own and spent lots of time by the roaring fire pit. The turning foliage made this place magical for our wedding and can't wait to see all of the photos taken in so many spots on this special venue!

ere helpful, accomodating, and made sure we had anything we could need. It was all very well thought out and they made it easy to plan our big day. I'm so grateful we got married at this beautiful place and have wonderful memories of the days we spent there.

t. We weren’t sure we’d find someplace that checked all those boxes; then we found the Montague Retreat Center. It was everything we were looking for and more. We loved that we had the whole weekend to see our guests and that they got to know the place, too. The Center already has a tent set up for the reception, and the venue was so well set up with its own furniture and catering-ready kitchen, that other vendors kept telling us how delighted they were to be going back there. We had around 100 guests, about 25 of which camped at the Center. The camp site is in a pine forest on the property, and our camping guests were all very happy with their stay and with the facilities. A lot happens in a wedding weekend, but the staff is prepared for anything and everything. The caretaker, John, was particularly notable in how quickly and quietly he took care of the facilities while we were there. We’d turn around and he’d have taken care of the trash or put another few logs on the fire. It was easy and wonderful. It was wonderful to have things like lights already set up, and a room of wedding decorations others have left to reuse or leave instead of stress about bringing everything and cleaning it all up. We were glad they compost everything and the facility even runs on geo-thermal heating/cooling. We took the Retreat Center’s recommendations for almost all of our vendors, and they were all wonderful (especially Wheelhouse Catering for our reception and Jackie M coordinating all of our vendors and the day of the wedding). We got flowers from Red Fire Farm, and sent our guests to check out the Montague Book Mill (and took photos there ourselves!). We are so glad we found the Montague Retreat Center and through them got to know the Pioneer Valley better!

ion and great area under the willow tree for cocktail hour! Plus you have plenty of great places to take photos. We couldn't have imagined a better wedding venue!

ith. It’s a hidden gem where you can have access to the venue for many days (and you are the only wedding for the weekend) so you can prepare the venue however you choose with little stress. You also bring in all your own vendors which allows you to truly make it your own wedding. We loved every minute of our time there. One tip - hire at least a day-of coordinator to help manage all the vendors so that you can fully enjoy your big day :)

riously dreamy week, however; it came with a few surprises that I will share here in case you are considering the space as your venue. The Good: From the time we booked the venue, Beth and Bill were very flexible and allowed us to visit multiple times over the winter. They provided lots of information via e-mail that greatly helped us plan our day. As for the wedding week, the place is remarkably beautiful. It felt like we were on another planet all week. The space itself is serene and minimalist which really highlights the natural beauty of the surrounding hills. Because of this, lots of decorations are not a necessity (though if you want more decor last minute, they have a decorations storeroom with just about everything). Beth, Bill, John and Kate kept the place clean and were super professional on the wedding day. They were reasonably flexible about anything we needed during the week. The Less Than Good: As I mentioned, my family rented the rooms at MRC beginning Tuesday 7/3. MRC became our family's "hub" as people got into town leading up to the wedding. During the week, we were really surprised with how poorly we were treated. During our time, multiple tours were given of the property and our private accommodations with no notice. Our napping guests were pretty weirded out when they woke up to a group of strangers being paraded through their bedroom. I understand that this is a business, but a simple call or text to let us know there would be a tour would have gone a long way. Additionally, there is a summer camp that uses the woods surrounding MRC (which we were told with plenty of time) but what we were not told was if the summer camp gets rained on, they will take over the stone patio and basement area. If it rains all day, they will be there all day. It was really a shame we were not told this for a couple reasons. One, we were storing all our decorations in the basement (per instructions) and some of them became games for the kids. Two, it rained all day on Friday, and we had a DIY rehearsal lunch planned for the stone patio. When we brought this up to the camp counselors, we were told they would not be able to leave. When we brought it up to Beth and Bill, they told us that they really needed to put the possibility that this would happen in the contract (I truly hope they do!). Luckily, we were able to work around the kids, but it was a stressful time. All in all, MRC provided us with a beautiful wedding. At this point, I could not recommend staying there all week unless you have a pretty tame group that only wants to use the sleeping quarters as a makeshift hotel. On the other hand, I can 100% recommend MRC for your wedding day. It is a beautiful blank slate and the MRC crew really knows what they are doing when it comes to the day-of. Everything went off as we envisioned and we could not have been happier. I simply hope they can figure out the week-of accommodations because the place really is something special.

tent which can be used as dinning room (we had 125 people sitting comfortably). The barn also has a lovely ceremony circle where you can celebrate your wedding ceremony. The owners, Bill and Beth, are extremely organized and they are very helpful in terms of planning and executing all the events related to the weeding. The really make a very stressful event very smooth and easy. Our experience was fantastic and we advise anyone who is thinking of using this venue for their wedding to go and see it and fall in love with it. After talking to Bill and Beth you will know what we mean. Gwen and Luis.

plan. Our wedding ceremony and reception were both beautiful, and we would highly recommend this as a venue to low-key couples hoping to spend time visiting with loved ones surrounded by nature.

flowers and views. It is a unique venue in Western Massachusetts and we are so lucky that we stumbled upon it. Bill and Beth were attentive to our needs, were very flexible, and did their up most best to insure our day was perfect. The event was executed without a hitch and we are so grateful. The venue is not a “one size fits all” place where every aspect of the event is dictated. We really were able to personalize our wedding with unique details that we would not have been able to do in another setting. We were so happy to work with Beth and Bill and look forward to seeing more events booked at the Retreat Center!

d many good things from the community about the group of people running the place. When the time came to find a venue to gather our friends and family in a celebration of our marriage, the Retreat Center was an obvious choice. The site itself is breathtaking. Perched on the hillside overlooking the valley and the hills beyond, we were surrounded by wildflowers and a lush pallet of greenery that required little in the way of "decoration". We held our ceremony up in the meadow, after which family musicians lead the party down through the grassy paths to awaiting drinks and appetizers. We set up the space in a way that allowed some guests to cool off indoors, while others partook in friendly but fierce competition in a variety of yard games set up out in front of the barn. At dinner, the tent comfortably fit our large crowd, and the food prep and serving went off without a hitch in large part due to the kitchen facilities. As the sun went down we moved into the great hall for a lively contra dance followed by a late-night funk party. One of the most rewarding aspects about the Montague Retreat Center was the versatility of the space, and the variation of activities it enabled. At a wedding you bring together a large variety of people with different needs and interests. There was an amazing dance floor for the kooky aunts and wild friends to boogie down while the older crowd looked on and the kids slept on meditation cushions in the corner. At the same time other groups of people, old friends and new acquaintances, watched the moon rise out on the beautiful patio in the quiet summer night. We got an overwhelmingly positive response from all our friends and family about the wedding, and a lot of it had to do with being comfortable and at-ease with the flow of activities and the nature of the space. That quality would have been hard to achieve at any other venue. In addition to the beautiful setting and facilities, the staff were a joy to work with. My husband and I had a particular vision of how we wanted the day to flow, and the staff did an amazing job working with us leading up to the day to get things in place. They were incredibly receptive to our ideas. It felt like a productive collaboration, and a true community event. I would, without any hesitation, highly recommend the Montague Retreat Center for a beautiful rural wedding in Western Massachusetts.

lush mountains. We had our happy our under the big weeping willow tree. The reception was nestled in the large court yard atop of a beautiful goshen stone patio with the sound of the river in the background. Our caterers had full use of the brand new industrial kitchen, and walk in refrigerator. We danced into the night in the stunning refurbished barn equiped with two stories, large windows, bamboo floors, temp control, and an elevator. On top of all of the wonderful amenities the owners were a joy to work with. Always available to answer questions, and address concerns. We are so pleased we chose the Montague retreat center, and would highly recommend it.

aking, and coupled with the newly renovated facilities as well as fabulous managers, I would recommend this place to any and everyone. Do be advised that there is a lot of planning that goes into this space that is the responsibility of the bride/groom or planner. What this venue offers is a gorgeous blank canvas with the opportunity to turn it into whatever you would like. I was the Retreat Center's 7th wedding and I kept hearing from the staff how every single wedding was incredible different. You will have to organize people to park, set etc. That being said, the owners, Bill and Beth Jacobson were an absolute dream to work with. They have such wonderful vision for the property and were extremely invested with my wedding and making sure all of my needs, desires, and frivolous wishes were met with a smile. I am sure if I asked, they would have given me the shirts off their own backs. They let me cut wildflowers from the property, let me begin setting up almost 6 days in advance, and continued to check in with me about whatever else I wanted. Do not think twice about getting married here, and just do it! Wedding: Recently Married Services Used: Flowers, Ceremony & Reception Venue