$8,000 starting price
300+ guest capacity
This venue can host 300+ guests
About this vendor
The Garden at Elm Bank is conveniently located just thirty minutes west of Boston. Our picturesque property along the Charles River includes 36 acres of gardens, open fields, and historic buildings. From elegant and formal, to whimsical and enchanting, your one-of-kind ceremony and cocktail hour are designed in these magnificent outdoor spaces. The historic and charming Hunnewell Building, our restored carriage house, can accommodate up to 230 guests for a seated reception and includes a seasonal tent mid- April through the beginning of November. If you prefer an entirely outdoor reception, our Maple Grove is a spacious field, perfect for designing the tented reception of your dreams! With a custom-crafted Vendor Collection, our caterers and vendors work with you to turn your vision into an amazing reality!
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Liability Insurance
On-Site Accommodations
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Guest Capacity
- 300+
Settings
- Ballroom
- Estate
- Garden
- Historic Venue
- Tented
- Trees
Awards and Affiliations
Reviews
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4.9
out of 5.072 reviews
Review photos
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The Garden at Elm Bank was the wedding venue of our dreams! We got so many compliments on the venue from our guests--people were saying they couldn't believe this secret garden existed in Massachusetts and commented on what a lovely and elegant affair it was; a perfect backdrop to a perfect day.
We had such a great experience working with them from the very beginning up to the wedding day. Special shout out to Chelsey, who was an absolute rockstar throughout it all! She always got back to me so promptly to answer any question or concern that popped up in my mind. Amazing communication and extremely reliable, thoughtful, and reassuring. As an anxious bride, I knew I could always count on her and the venue, which made a world of difference! Elm Bank was truly a magical setting to our special day, and we couldn't ask for a more romantic, gorgeous, perfect venue.
Getting married at the Garden at Elm Bank this September was an incredible experience that we would repeat in a heartbeat. The planning process was incredibly easy with support from Chelsey Munsey and Elizabeth Pruitt - both were easy to reach, professional, and highly knowledgeable, and made our whole experience from planning to execution on the day of the wedding feel seamless.
The Garden at Elm Bank’s vendor recommendations were spot on. It was lovely that Elm Bank offered the option to choose from a diverse list of caterers - it really helped to narrow things down without being overly restrictive, and we loved working with Capers, who they highly recommended.
It was so nice to have the whole venue to ourselves all evening - something that isn’t always the case at other venues. The grounds and gardens were all beautiful and in pristine shape, from the Daylily Garden where we had our Ketubah-signing ceremony, to our main ceremony in the stunning Italianate Garden, to the Belvedere and Wheezy’s gardens where we had our cocktail hour, and the Hunnewell Building and adjoining tent where we had our reception. Every area was so gorgeous, and we received so many compliments from our guests. Importantly, the gardens were all wheel-chair accessible for our relatives and loved ones with mobility concerns - something that can be tricky to find at other outdoor venues. Elm Bank staff worked with us and our planner (Lauren at Starborn Weddings + Events, who we loved and found through their recommended vendors list) to customize all the spaces to match our design vision, and collaborated well with our vendors to ensure everything went smoothly on the day of the wedding.
On the wedding day, every staff person we met was so friendly and attentive - the most helpful was having someone to take us in a golf cart from location to location to minimize walking in our dress clothes. At the end of the night, Elm Bank staff worked to make sure that all of our personal items were carefully collected, neatly labeled, and securely stored until we could pick them up the next day, and then Chelsey was so kind as to help bring everything out to our car.
We could not have asked for a better experience or a more beautiful venue for our wedding, and we are so happy to recommend Elm Bank to anyone who is considering it for their upcoming wedding or celebration.
We knew we wanted to have our wedding at Elm Bank as soon as we toured it! The grounds are absolutely beautiful and we got so many compliments from our guests about the unique venue. The staff were helpful, prompt, and friendly throughout the entire planning process and even recommended some vendors we would not have found otherwise and loved! We had an amazing wedding day and could not have imagined it anywhere else!
It was a beautiful and perfect space for our wedding day! We had a small, bit of rain and even then it was perfect there! The staff there were all so sweet and on top of making sure the day went smoothly. Could not be happier with it!
From the moment we first toured The Garden at Elm Bank, we knew there was nowhere else that we'd want to get married. While the grounds are gorgeous and the obvious selling point, Chelsey and the entire staff stood out to us the most. The level of professionalism, patience, and attention to detail they all showed, both on the day of and all the months leading up to it, are unmatched. Our ceremony was held in the Italianate Garden followed by the reception in the Hunnewell Building, and we worked with Tastings Caterers - who I also can't recommend enough. All of our guests said our wedding felt like a fairytale and we wouldn't have changed a thing!
My wife and I had the most amazing experience hosting our perfect wedding at The Garden at Elm Bank! Not only is the venue beautiful but they have a wonderful team that will help you plan your special day. We had our food catered through Forklift and it couldn't have been better. I can't suggest this venue enough!
Chelsey and the entire Elm Bank team made our day so spectacular! From day 1 in viewing the grounds to the actual wedding day - every thought, concern, or feeling we had was perfectly attended to! They consistently went out of their way to ensure we had a great experience in planning. We even did 3x site visits as we had a very intricate design plan and family members who wanted to see the grounds and they were so accommodating! The day of the wedding was seamless, there really couldn't have been a more perfect day! The gardens were in perfect condition and looked stunning. Chelsey helped with the various crazy things happening that day! Highly recommend!
We absolutely loved the Hunnewell building for the dinner portion of our reception. Unfortunately, our dream cocktail hour couldn't happen in the Italianate garden due to the weather. We were devastated that the vision of our wedding couldn't come to life because of the rain, but we made the best of it. The attached tent to the Hunnewell building was 1/4 of the size of the garden, so cocktail hour was a bit chaotic. The gardens and venue are spectacular, but I wish we would have planned for everything inside so we weren't as disappointed as we were when it rained. Luckily, our photographer captured the most beautiful moments, and we hope to revisit the gardens for an anniversary and a redo! Our wedding was magical and our guests had an amazing time!
We loved our experience at Elm Bank! The venue was stunning and we received many compliments from wedding guests. Chelsey was wonderful to work with throughout the planning process. She was responsive, supportive, and enthusiastic. On the day of the wedding, Julie and the onsite team were amazing and helped the day run smoothly. We could not have asked for a better wedding at Elm Bank!
We loved working with Elm Bank for our wedding! Their staff made us feel supported and relaxed, and we felt like they understood our vision and could help us see it through. They helped us through every step, guided us to pick an amazing vendor team, and helped our day go as seamlessly as possible. We are so happy with our Elm Bank wedding!
The Garden at Elm Bank was everything we wanted. They worked with us to make sure that everything we had in our heads came true and the florals were stunning. Our guests loved having all of the gardens to explore and take pictures in and I as the bride/planner loved that we didn't need to bring in extra decor to make it stunning, it stands for itself! We got married during Tulip Mania and that was extra magical. The team at Elm Bank blew us away too. Chelsey worked with us specifically and had a bright demeanor making it actually fun to plan and tell her the details we wanted to accomplish.
The location is stunning, and the staff is extremely friendly and helpful. Chelsey was excellent to work with for our wedding and helped relieve any stress associated with planning the event! Highly recommended and the pricing cannot be beat!
We got married on October 13th at the Garden at Elm Bank and we could not have been happier with our experience! The wedding was absolutely beautiful and we were able to utilize so many different parts of the grounds. Our ceremony took place by the water fountain in the Italianate garden, we had our cake cutting in front of the adorable green house, and our reception followed in the beautiful Hunnewell building. I was looking for a venue that could give an ‘enchanted garden’ vibe and this location could not have been any more perfect! We had a fairly short engagement of under a year, and the team at Elm Bank was incredible- we worked with both Kayleigh and Chelsey and they were both amazing- very friendly, responsive, and receptive to all of our ideas. Chelsey met with us one several occasions before our wedding and was there for the walk through with our caterer to help provide her expertise and ensure that everything went smoothly. They helped turn our wedding vision into the wedding of our dreams and we couldn’t be more thankful. We would highly recommend Elm Bank to anyone searching for the perfect wedding venue!
We had the wedding of our dreams in 10/1/23 at Elm Bank! It is a beautiful venue and the gardens are a lot bigger than it seems. Chelsey, Lindsay, and all the staff were wonderful to work with. We had our ceremony at the Italianate Gardens in front of the fountain and reception at the Hunnewell building. Our photos came out amazing! Our wedding day was everything we had hoped for and more.
The Garden at Elm Bank was the perfect place for our early October wedding! The grounds are absolutely gorgeous, and it felt like we were in a dream the whole time. Chelsey, our venue contact, was extremely helpful throughout the planning process. We cannot recommend the Garden at Elm Bank enough!
From the moment we arrived at the Garden at Elm Bank, we knew this would be the perfect wedding venue for us. The grounds are absolutely beautiful with several unique gardens. We connected with Kayleigh who shared all the details with us and quickly helped us secure our wedding date. We ultimately ended up working with Chelsey as our primary contact person. Chelsey is professional and very quick to respond! The rest of the Elm Bank staff (Nora and Asia) were extremely helpful on the day of our wedding. It unfortunately poured during our wedding, but Asia and Nora were quick to direct all of the vendors to set up inside and drove us around in a golf cart so we wouldn't get wet. My husband and I did not have to think about anything during our reception-- all details were taken care of.
I highly recommend Elm Bank to anyone who is seeking out a garden wedding (even if it rains!).
We were so thrilled to have our wedding at the Garden at Elm Bank, and were happy from our first meeting with the team to the final details and day of the wedding. I looked at a lot of different wedding venues and when I stepped on the grounds here, I immediately knew this had to be the place! Besides the fact that the grounds are stunning, options here are so flexible and you can really tailor your vision with the support of the excellent team here. We did most of our work with Chelsey and she was so easy to get in touch with, great with recommendations, and so supportive during the walk-through and leading up to the wedding day. The on-site team day-of was super attentive, making sure everyone got where they needed to be, directing the guests, and offering support to me, my husband, and our families and wedding party. The day was seamless, and wouldn't have been possible without everyone involved at Elm Bank. We are so so thankful we chose them.
Every staff member that we worked with went above and beyond to ensure that we were supported leading up to and on the big day! Lindsay, Chelsey, and Asia were incredible - so responsive and accommodating, including letting my dad and I have access to the venue space a few weeks beforehand to practice our dance. The venue itself is stunning, the gardens are so well maintained and full of life. All of our guests commented on how beautiful the location was. There are so many difference spaces within the venue that you can utilize to create a dream wedding. We did first looks in front of the green house, family photos along the path, wedding party photos in the garden, sunset photos along the meadow, and our ceremony was in the Italianate garden. Every backdrop was more gorgeous than the last.
Our wedding at Elm Bank was a dream! Absolutely perfect venue. It helped that we had perfect weather, but Chelsey and our caterer William walked us through the rain plan, and they were prepared to make it as beautiful as possible. We had our ceremony at the Italianate Garden, cocktail hour through the Bressingham Garden, and our reception in the Hunnewell building and attached tent. Everything was breathtakingly gorgeous. Although Elm Bank doesn’t have a day of coordinator, Chelsey was so helpful during the planning process. She coordinated with our vendors during the weeks leading up to the wedding and answered questions when they came up. I do recommend hiring a day of coordinator to help with the flow of the event day. Elm Bank is a truly unique and perfect venue! We highly recommend it!
Elm Bank was a beautiful venue for our wedding in August. We loved the variety of gardens and the planning flexibility they provide for different parts of the evening. We'd like to give a special shout out to Chelsey for all her help with the event, from drawing up the (thankfully unused) rain plan, coordinating delivery and pickup with our vendors and answering all our questions, she was a pleasure to work with during the whole process. Thank you!
Elm Bank was an absolute no brainer for us. Lindsay, Chelsey, and the rest of the staff at Elm Bank were extremely responsive, flexible, and kind throughout the planning process. A special shoutout to Chelsey, who asked us thoughtful questions during the planning process that helped us stay ahead of the curve, and consider things we wouldn’t even known to think of. The grounds were stunning - I grew up near the venue and have visited many times, but it was somehow even more breathtaking for the wedding, and especially so at sunset and at night. Elm Bank has a variety of beautiful settings to hold a ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception, and provided golf cart shuttling to our family members would needed assistance getting around. They worked extremely smoothly with the caterer, coordinator, and DJ to make everything perfect.
One final note and thank you: one of our guests had a small health incident after the ceremony and the Elm Bank staff was exceptional at helping her. We can’t thank them enough for reacting quickly, accommodating our guests, and going above and beyond to take care of her.
Truly, Elm Bank was everything we wished for and more!!
The Garden at Elm Bank is one of the best places to have your wedding! The venue is absolutely breathtaking. They take such good care of their grounds, and make so much attention to detail. They are also pretty open to any extra vendor you would like to use. We had a private painter, a string quartet, cotton candy vendor, gelato vendor, and photo booth vendor. We also hired a day of coordinator and they worked very smoothly with them. Every time we talk to one of our wedding guests all they can do is rave about the evening and the venue. The days following our wedding we saw so many of our guests post their own little photos shoots they did before the ceremony and during cocktail hour. They loved taking photos in all of the gardens. We don’t blame them! They all looked great! The folks at Elm Bank made us feel like their #1 priority the entire way. They were very thorough with every vendor and every detail. They most certainly did not disappoint. The relationships they have with their preferred vendors are strong, and they work extremely well with each other. It was very impressive. We can’t say more nice things about Elm Bank. If you decide to have your wedding here you will not be disappointed!!
Thank you!
Pam & Brian
We first went to visit Elm Bank in November after reading about it on The Knot. Because it's New England, of course the gardens weren't at their peak. However, Lindsay was great and provided us with pictures of the gardens in July, as well as some key details about how the day would look.
Once we saw the pictures, we were hooked, and it was a great choice. Even through a staff transition when our original Venue Coordinator went on maternity leave, the Event staff at Elm Bank made things smooth and painless.
At our walkthrough, Chelsey made sure we had planned for all the details, explained their beautiful and detailed rain plan, and asked questions about small things we hadn't even thought about. Leading up to the day, she was responsive and helpful when it came to our putting together a seating chart and finalizing other details.
On our wedding day, the entire staff at Elm Bank worked to ensure our day went smoothly and that everyone was where they needed to be and had what they needed at any given time.
We had the most beautiful reception for our wedding at Elm Bank last spring. It really was the ideal venue and met all of our needs- budget, capacity, indoor/outdoor, gorgeous gardens, etc etc. Our guests had a blast, we made everlasting memories, and the team was very supportive. I would seriously recommend this hidden gem to anyone!!!
What an amazing wedding venue. Lindsay kept in touch with us throughout the year and helped make our special day so amazing!!! We got married in October and the pictures were gorgeous. I just love how many different places there are to get married and so many awesome spots for pics! The whole experience was amazing.
We could not have asked for a more beautiful venue than Elm Bank for our July wedding. We had visited the gardens a couple times prior to the wedding — never in the summer — and that day, we were blown away: the grass was perfectly mowed and all the flowers were in bloom in the Italianate Garden and around the property. We had our ceremony in the Italianate Garden, cocktail hour in the Belvedere Garden, and our reception in a tent on the Maple Grove. So many of our guests remarked on how stunning the venue was, and how much they enjoyed walking in and around the grounds. Elm Bank was the first and only venue we toured before putting our deposit down.
We worked with a full-service wedding planner, so my husband and I didn't liaison much with the coordinator staff at Elm Bank, but in what little interaction we had, they seemed very kind. The day of, they were very helpful and even let us pick up some things on Monday morning when they weren't officially open.
Some things that we would've liked to have known while we were considering venues. These weren't deal-breakers, but just FYIs.
- You have to source all your alcohol through a provider called Gordon's. They had good selection, and you're able to return any unopened cases of alcohol (this was great).
- Because it is a nonprofit center, they're not open at all hours of the day, so we had to pay a bit extra for labor costs so install the tent/lighting/catering, etc. in a shorter amount of time.
- For the ceremony, because of the way that gardens are laid out, we had to place the chairs around the flower beds and bushes, and some of them were farther away from the altar. I think it was difficult to see from some of the seats in the back.
I hate to write this review but we had an awful experience with Elm Bank. The management is terrible here. The communication was absolutely atrocious. There were too many times I would have to wait weeks/months for an email back to a simple question. We would call, email, leave voicemails, and nothing for weeks. It wasn’t until I hired my own wedding planner/coordinator that the communication miraculously got better. The grounds are beautiful, but I would not recommend this venue to anyone unless you are ok with being treated like an after thought.
The staff was condescending and rude. One of the staff members even ripped my moms dress in 3 places, 2 hours before my wedding b/c she didn’t tell her to lift it up before she started driving to the garden area. The woman laughed and told us a story about how another guests dress got ripped in half. She didn’t apologize or offer to help fix it or pay for a new one as compensation.
Spend your hard earned money elsewhere on a venue that treats you like you matter and has more to offer.
Elm Bank was such a beautiful venue!!! They were so helpful throughout the planning process and even provided a packet of recommended/suggested vendors to help us choose our photographer, caterer, florist, month-of coordinator, lighting, etc. but also enabled us to choose whoever we wanted. It was such a relief to know that all of our vendors had done weddings at Elm Bank before and we could truly trust the experts and ENJOY the day! Lindsay helped us throughout the whole process and was always advocating on our behalf. The gardens are just stunning and we had the BEST TIME!!!
The Gardens at Elm Bank was the most perfect venue for our wedding! It was absolutely stunning. Our guests were so impressed with everything! The staff was wonderful to work with as well. Would HIGHLY recommend!
The Gardens at Elm Bank was the perfect venue! With beautiful outdoor and indoor spaces, along with the attached tent on the Hunnewell building you really can't go wrong. We worked very closely with Kayleigh and she was fantastic every step of the way. We'd postponed twice due to covid, and she was so flexible, calm, and accommodating through the whole process. I'd highly recommend getting married here!
The Gardens at Elm bank is an amazing venue. The gardens are absolutely beautiful as is the Hunnewell building. The staff at Elm Bank was so easy to work with and very accommodating when we needed to postpone due to Covid. They are super flexible and allowed us to customize many wedding details! I can't recommend this venue enough.
My now husband, Jon, and I were one of the many couples who were forced to postpone our July 2020 wedding for a year. As our July 2021 date was quickly approaching, the COVID restrictions in the city of Boston were not easing up, and our dream of a city wedding wasn’t looking promising. Jon reached out to multiple venues outside of Boston proper and to our luck, there was a last-minute opening on our date at the Gardens at Elm Bank. I was extremely hesitant to switch venues and re-plan our wedding in only 3 months, however, Jon convinced me to at least tour the Gardens at Elm Bank. Kayleigh and Lindsay were extremely accommodating and arranged for us to tour the property at a time that worked around our schedules. Our first visit to the Gardens at Elm Bank was on a cold, yucky, SNOWY April day. While the weather was terrible, the beauty of the property was still evident. And after meeting Kayleigh and Lindsay, there was no doubt that switching venues was the right decision. Kayleigh and Lindsay were extremely responsive, flexible and helpful. They accommodated our tight timeline and ensured that my parents, who live out of town, were involved with every step of the process. In addition to the impeccable service, is the property itself. It is wonderfully maintained and is absolutely breathtaking! With every visit, I fell more and more in love with the beauty of the gardens and the charm of the Hunnewell building. On the day of our wedding, the venue truly looked like a picture out of a magazine! The best part is, we didn’t have to spend a fortune on décor/add-ons because it is simply stunning as-is! The guests at the wedding could not stop raving about how beautiful the venue was! The space was a perfect mix of everything – from cocktail hour outside at the Italianate Garden, to dinner inside the Hunnewell building, and then dancing in the adjoined tent. Given the current state of the pandemic, our guests felt extremely comfortable because the space is large enough to comfortably spread out both in and outdoors. While we initially thought our dream wedding was in the city, Jon and I are now convinced, more than ever, that this was the luckiest thing that has ever happened to us (aside from meeting each other ) Thank you Kayleigh and Lindsay for giving us the wedding of our dreams! We could not recommend The Gardens at Elm Bank enough!
We were married on October 3rd, 2020 in the midst of the Pandemic. Elm Bank was a venue we chose the year prior (pre-pandemic) because of the beautiful Carriage House and the gorgeous gardens. A tent wasn't in our budget so the ability to have the reception at such a stunning indoor venue while being married in the garden was ideal. We had to reimagine our wedding for 115 people to a wedding of 40 and the staff at Elm Bank and their preferred vendors were amazing at supporting us to downsize. We never did get to use the Carriage House but instead had a cocktail hour in the Belvedere Garden. Our 36 guests loved milling about and our pictures are STUNNING. I can't recommend Elm Bank enough and feel grateful we were able to celebrate despite #2020.
Elm Bank had everything we could have dreamed of for our Aug. 2018 wedding -- beautiful outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour locations in various gardens, so many options for taking amazing photos, air conditioned indoor reception area, and friendly, helpful staff (thanks to Kayleigh and Mary Kate). There are liquor laws and noise requirements in various MA counties, and Elm Bank allowed us the most flexibility so we could have the ceremony at 5pm and dance till 11pm. They book up a year in advance, so we chose a Friday evening, which saved us money over a weekend. They were very informative and flexible to tour from the beginning, and responsiveness picked up as we got closer to the date (I'm a project manager by trade, so I like to do everything early and have lots of questions -- a year out sometimes communication could lag, but a month or two before the event they were super quick to respond and full focus was on us!). They were very flexible whenever we needed to check on things for staging tables/chairs, lighting, music, photos, etc. and recommended vendors as well as coordinated directly with them for several requests; they even put us in touch with the other couples having Saturday and Sunday events to coordinate with their vendors for discounts (so they didn't have to take down/set up different things) -- since they had a relationship with our caterer, Tastings, who also did decor, this was clutch! They were accommodating for special requests and were very visible the day of so we could easily find them if we needed anything. In particular, they helped keep our secret reveal during the reception that I was 10 weeks pregnant! They helped conceal with sparkling cider instead of champagne for me, etc. They didn't rush us out at the end of the evening and conveniently pre-packed up decorations, gifts, etc. so there was minimal work to be done when we finally cut the music. The only snafu we had was the chair arrangement for the ceremony wasn't exactly how we requested it, which the groom noticed and helped rearrange before many guests had arrived (such a small thing though in comparison to all of the amazing things this venue has going for it). I'd definitely recommend and would love to use them again for future events!
We could not imagine a more beautiful venue for our wedding. Kayleigh was a delight to work with. She was responsive, attentive, and worked hard to give us a day we wouldn't forget. The grounds are gorgeous and our guests raved about gardens.
We were looking for a place for a personal and unique ceremony & reception location. We did not want a cookie-cutter experience, and we fell in love with the Gardens at Elm Bank the first time we walked through. You cannot find a better setting. Everyone we worked with was knowledgeable, helpful and had excellent recommendations. If the weather was poor it may have damped our experience, but we ended up getting married on maybe the most beautiful fall day of the year. We wouldn't change a thing and are so happy to have gotten married here!
Washburn
Elm Bank was such a magical place to get married!! From our ceremony in the Italianate Garden, our cocktail hour in the Maple Grove, and our reception in the Carriage House, everything was perfect! Kayleigh was amazing to work with and every.single.guest commented on how beautiful and unique the space was. If you're looking for a one of a kind wedding venue, look no further!!
We LOVED having our wedding at the Gardens at Elm Bank!!! I could write that sentence 10 times and it still wouldn’t capture how true it is.
This venue is not only the most beautiful setting that we could have possibly imagined for our wedding, but it is also run by the greatest events team. Kayleigh and her team were supportive and responsive throughout our entire planning process, and they kept our wedding running smoothly day-of. They also arranged a final walkthrough a couple weeks before our wedding with us and our caterer, and we were able to discuss all the final details in-person to ensure we were on the same page.
The entire grounds were perfect for our wedding with 120 guests. The fact that we had a built-in rain plan with the carriage house and attached tent was hugely important for us when planning, and we were glad to have it when it downpoured 3 hours before our wedding. We ended up being able to be outside in the Italianate garden as planned, but were thankful to not have to stress at the last minute about what we would do if it had kept raining.
Can’t recommend this place and this team enough, thank you Kayleigh and team!
Elm Bank is the one of the most gorgeous and unique wedding venues I have ever been to - and something we heard over and over again from our guests. We were so excited to have our wedding at the Gardens at Elm Bank (August 2019) and our wedding day exceeded all of our expectations. The Italianate Garden where we were married was gorgeous - the flowers perfectly complimented our ceremony and made for the perfect backdrop. Cocktail hour was gorgeous outside and the bistro lighting and drapery in the Hunnewell Building and attached tent continued to provide an amazing ambiance for our wedding. The staff, especially Kayleigh, were so great to work with. Kayleigh went above and beyond in every interaction we had and I was lucky to have her working our wedding - she is amazing and so so sweet! Kayleigh and the Elm Bank staff also have developed great relationships with some of the industry's best vendors - which made asking for suggestions and vendor management that much easier. Elm Bank was the perfect venue and we were so lucky to have gotten married there. We cannot recommend them enough!
After looking at a bunch of wedding venues, we visited Elm Bank and immediately knew it was our venue. It’s one of the most beautiful gardens and settings in New England. The Italianate garden is the perfect, fairytale-level ceremony setting, the children’s garden was fantastic for our guests during cocktail hour, and we not only had a great dinner but turned all the way up for the reception/party in the carriage house/tent! Kayleigh was so responsive in working with us, answering our questions, re-arranging our tables, and working with our vendors. Trish was invaluable on the day of to make sure everything ran smoothly. If you want the best of both indoor and outdoor settings, book Elm Bank!
We just had our wedding at Elm Bank last weekend and everything was amazing! The team was great throughout the process and everything went so smoothly on our wedding day. Christina was our on-site event manager for the wedding day and she was fabulous - she was on top of every detail at the rehearsal and during the wedding. I would definitely recommend this venue to anyone.
Elm bank was absolutely stunning - the gardens gave us so many options for how we wanted to arrange the guest seating, and they were very cooperative with ensuring we knew about rain options, and the different locations we could use for different events the day-of. Highly recommend! In particular, Kayleigh and Mary Kate were a huge help, super communicative and responsive, and provided a day-of coordinator who we met in advance to be on site the whole day with us. They also gave great recommendations for vendors who we ended up using.
Absolute perfection! If you don't want just a wedding but an event look no further. We lucked out with 80 degree weather in October and had the most amazing time at the venue. We loved the Weezys children's garden and the whole team was very accommodating. It's a special place in my heart and our guests loved it as well.
My husband and I had our wedding here on 9/9/18. We had about 150 people there. The ceremony was held in the Italienne garden, the cocktail hour was held in Weezie's garden, and the reception in the carriage house. The venue is gorgeous, the staff is attentive. They answered any questions we had leading up to the big day. The grounds were well kept and our big day went off without a glitch. We recommend this venue for anyone looking to have their big day.
Elm Bank was the dream location for our wedding. We actually booked it without seeing it first, since we live in San Francisco, but have family in Boston. A family member went in the middle of the winter and even said it was beautiful (without flowers, etc). We wanted a place that was outdoors, and beautiful without doing too much to it. The best part of Elm Bank is the ability to use any of the gardens for your wedding, we used the Italiante for the ceremony, and the Weezy’s children’s garden for cocktail hour. Our guests were definitely in awe of the place. We lucked out and had 3 hours of sun on our wedding day, but we were going to still have it outside even if it was light rain, that is how gorgeous it was.
I loved that we were able to do exactly what we wanted at Elm Bank. My Dad made handmade corn hole boards and welcome signs that we had during cocktail hour, we decorated the bars how we wanted, and brought in our own decor for the ceremony. You really can make the perfect wedding at Elm Bank, however you want. We had a black tie optional wedding, but you could also do a rustic wedding and it would go very well, as well as any kind of outdoor/garden/flower theme.
The carriage house was also spectacular, we had a chandelier and bistro lights from the ceiling, which made the whole room sparkle. The space is fantastic, we had ~90 guests which was the perfect size for keeping it all in the carriage house and not using the attached tent.
Kayleigh, the event director at Elm Bank was a complete joy to work with. From the first time I called to ask about the venue (and told her I lived on the West Coast and couldn’t stop by...) to the day of the wedding, she was upbeat, caring, and always had a smile on her face. I never encountered anyone at Elm Bank who wasn’t thrilled to talk to me. Kayleigh went above and beyond and helped my family FaceTime me when they went to the venue while I was on the West Coast, so I could see the space before securing it.
It did book up fast, I got the last Friday of the season and I booked a year ahead, and I get why, it was perfect. A hidden gem in Wellesley.
The Gardens at Elm Bank is an absolute dream venue. We had our wedding on September 7 and the grounds were breathtaking with full blooms and color. We visited in both April and early August leading up to the wedding and for some reason the day of our wedding the blooms were outstanding, truly breathtaking. If you are even considering this venue, you HAVE to! We had our ceremony in The Italianite Garden, Cocktail hour in Weezies and reception in the carriage house. Guests couldn’t stop complimenting on the venue and how it was a “hidden gem” and that they wanted to go back and just walk around. I’m so happy we found this place! We were originally planned to get married at Tower Hill Botanical Garden, but had to back out and I’m sooooo happy we chose Elm Bank instead. It truly brought my garden wedding wishes true!
The one thing I wish I realized was how many vendors it takes to pull off your big day. This venue is basically a blank slate for you to bring your dreams alive. Which is incredible but definitely A LOT of work and careful coordination. With that being said I still wouldn’t have chosen a different location. Just know what you are getting into and prepare to hire a lot of vendors!
Kayleigh and Mary Kate were amazing to work with and always available to answer my questions. I hope that you go check out this venue. It is truly where dreams come true.
My husband and I got married on Sept. 28 at the Gardens at Elm Bank and we could not have had a more perfect day. Mary Kate and her team were absolutely fantastic and made sure that everything went smoothly! The venue is absolutely gorgeous and gives you a completely secluded, private space for your ceremony and/or reception. We had our ceremony and cocktail hour outside in the garden spaces and our reception inside the carriage house. Our guests were so impressed - we received compliments all night and people are still talking about it! It's a hidden gem of the area and truly a memorable place. Thank you SO MUCH to Mary Kate and Elm Bank - we could not be happier with how our big day went :)
The Gardens at Elm Bank is absolute perfection! From our first meeting to the entire process, everything was very smooth. We were initially attracted to this spot because of the gardens and they did not disappoint. Mary Kate and Kaleigh were always quick to answer our questions, even offered suggestions on things to do. It was so great to have the wedding ceremony, reception and photos all in one location! There are so many options when it comes to customize and design your wedding whether it the Carriage House or renting a tent. We knew our guests would love exploring the gardens before the ceremony or during the cocktail hour. The Carriage House is charming for our reception but is such a marvelous place, it could’ve been transformed to whatever we desired, even weather permitting a ceremony spot. Elm Bank’s preferred vendors are certainly the way to go when determining caterers or lighting designs. We did find it beneficial to have a wedding planner or coordinator to help facilitate the moving pieces and vendors. Overall our friends and family are still commenting on how stunning the venue and wedding was. My husband and I could not be happier with how things turned out! I’m so pleased we chose the Elm Bank and would do it all again!
The venue is a beautiful setting with lots of options to accommodate any number of guests and styles of wedding. Mary Kate, Kayleigh, and Trish were incredibly helpful, responsive and invested in all things we asked of them. Outside of their direct responsibilities, they were full of suggestions for ideas for how we could make our dream day come true. Mary Kate even helped set up lawn game activities for our cocktail hour!
We highly recommend having your wedding here. Thank you Elm Bank for hosting us on our best day ever!
The Gardens at Elm Bank was the perfect setting for our June wedding reception. Your reservation includes the carriage house for dinner and 3-season tent for dancing, as well as the full grounds - which gives you a ton of options for cocktail hour and for photos. The gardens were lush and green and packed with beautiful, fragrant flowers and set a beautiful scene. The carriage house is a blank canvas, which is really nice because you can make it all your own. Fortunately we were blessed with a beautiful sunny day, but if there is rain, you have a built-in fall-back plan with the carriage house and tent - which really put my mind at ease during the planning process (you can't control the weather!). Mary Kate and Kayleigh are so friendly and easy to work with - they answer all of your questions quickly and give great tips and recommendations. Mary Kate was on site for our reception and really helped make the day easy for us and our guests. Elm Bank is a really special place, you won't be disappointed!
Kayleigh and her staff at Elm Bank went above and beyond throughout the whole wedding process for us. I can't say enough about how wonderful they were, especially the day of the wedding. They were very accommodating and worked to help us create the best day! I would recommend this venue to everyone!
The Gardens at Elm Bank is an amazing place to get married! My husband and I wanted a place that could fit up to 250 people indoors and still have a gorgeous and peaceful place outdoors to get married. Plus, it was very important to me to be within “reasonable uber” distance from the airport for our out of town guests. This ended up being much more challenging than we thought in the area, especially within our target budget. However, Mary Kate and Kayleigh understood our vision and goals instantly. They discussed multiple ways we could have a wedding at Elm Bank within our budget, and it was their patience and thoughtfulness that allowed us to pick this venue for our eventual big day. The venue itself has so many beautiful places to hold a ceremony that my husband and I actually struggled to pick a garden to get married in. Luckily our guests were able to explore the rest of the gardens during the cocktail hour and they all loved it. However, what truly made this venue the absolute best was how flawless the planning was. Although it can be a challenge to have to bring in all of your own vendors, Mary Kate provided guidance and assistance every step of the way. On the day of, she knew exactly where everyone needed to be and how to make our wedding run without a hitch. I knew that the venue was right for us after our first tour, but it was the constant care, communication and hard work from the team at Elm Bank that made our actual wedding day absolutely perfect. We could not recommend the Gardens at Elm Bank more highly!!!!
We got married at Elm Bank in May 2018. The venue and gardens were beautiful, although unfortunately it rained on the day of our wedding so we weren't able to have our ceremony outdoors in the Italianate garden as we had hoped. The staff were organized and helpful, so even though we had originally planned to have our ceremony and cocktail hour outdoors, everything ran smoothly despite being moved into the Hunnewell House and Carriage tent.
We had about 150 guests, and the Hunnewell House and Carriage tent with a dance floor had plenty of space for everyone. It was small enough that it felt intimate, but wasn't so small that it felt overly crowded.
It was easy coordinating with Kayleigh and Mary K in terms of going on our site visit and our rehearsal the day before. They were also very accommodating and let us store some decorations there the day before and the day after (so we didn't need to fully clean up and take home everything on the night of the wedding). We even forgot a few things in the office and they mailed them back to us, saving us an extra trip out to Wellesley.
Thank you Elm Bank for our wonderful wedding!
This venue is so beautiful and we were very excited to find it open for our wedding date. Unfortunately our wedding coordinator was challenging to communicate with and often was delayed in response time. We often found contract details differed from later arrangements. In the end, an summer intern coordinated our wedding day of events and worked very hard to insure the experience was beautiful for our guest.
This venue... I can't say enough about how wonderful The Gardens at Elm Bank was for our late September wedding! Kayleigh and Mary Kate helped us through every little step and were absolutely wonderful. They always had plenty of suggestions in times of being flustered and worked with such patience in important and indecisive moments! The venue itself is stunning as well. I couldn't have asked for a better wedding!
We could not have asked for a better venue. Elm Bank was the perfect size for our 180 person head count and our guests have not stopped raving about the location. The Italianate garden was such a beautiful and elegant backdrop for our cocktail hour and the carriage house was exactly what we were looking for in our reception location. There's a lot of freedom to customize the space they way you want and we highly recommend this venue for couples who have a strong vision of the way they want their space to look.
Kayleigh was fantastic to work with. Responsive, timely, and great on week-of logistics! We also cannot say how much everyone loved our venue! The gardens were beautiful this time of year and we are so so happy with the carriage house for the reception.
Wonderful location and very great service from vendor coordinators. They were readily available throughout the whole process and helped us organize last minutes items on our wedding day!
The Gardens at Elm Bank could not have been a more picture perfect setting for our wedding 8/12/17. We had our ceremony in the Italiante Garden, our cocktail hour in Weezie's Garden, and the reception in the Carriage House. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous and our guests are still talking about how beautiful it was. Who would have thought there would be this hidden gem behind some soccer fields? Kayleigh was absolutely wonderful to work with, from the she answered every question, call, and email (from myself and my mother haha) and was flexible throughout the whole process. She made everyone feel at ease and we didn't have to worry about a thing. I was so excited to see her the day of the wedding and happy she was the one to help us see our dream wedding come true! Working with her and her team was great from start to finish. You can tell they love what they do. We highly recommend the Gardens at Elm Bank and wish we could replay that day over and over again.
Thank you!!!
Elm Bank is a beautiful venue and everything was perfect from beginning to end. The exceptionally beautiful gardens are truly magical and the staff was outstanding. The weight limit for the bridge was the most challenging part of planning because of transportation, but it worked out that Uber/Lyft were readily accessible for guests and we booked smaller shuttles for family/wedding party.
Kayleigh was helpful with initial planning and vendor suggestions throughout. When we went to drop things off a few days before the wedding, the space we were supposed to use had been taken over by another wedding so they found us safe space in a totally different building! On the day of the event, Kristina and Jeanette were amazingly attentive and anticipated every need throughout the evening. They could not have been better. Thank you to everyone at Elm Bank!
The Gardens at Elm Bank was the perfect venue for our wedding.
Kayleigh and the staff were extremely helpful and such a pleasure to work with during the entire process. We had the wedding ceremony in the Italianate Garden, cocktails and appetizers in Weezie's Garden, dinner in the Carriage House, and dancing, dessert and bar in the tent.
The gardens were in full bloom , we were blessed to have wonderful weather and the moon shone brightly at the end of the evening.
Kayleigh and her team at Elm Bank were great to work with. My husband and I truly felt like we had the entire property available to us as potential ceremony locations on the day of our walk through. Ultimately, we chose the gardens they have advertised for each segment of our special event. The fountain in the Italiante Gardens is a gorgeous location for nuptials. Weezie's Children's Garden has a more playful, relaxed atmosphere, suitable for cocktail hour. Finally, the Carriage House provides a nice balance of laid back yet formal depending on how you've had it set up. If you are looking for a garden wedding with beautiful scenery and helpful staff, this is the place to go.
We just got married in this beautiful venue and I cannot recommend this place enough! Although it is slightly on the pricy side, it is worth every penny if your desire is to be married outdoors. The gardens are truly STUNNING in the summertime. We had an Indian fusion wedding, with the ceremony in the Italianate Garden and the reception inside the carriage house. Our cocktail hour was held in the Children's Garden and we did first look photos in the Bressingham Garden. Each one of these outdoor locations has so much to offer. Our guests could not stop gushing about the beautiful gardens and taking photos of all the horticultural variety.
The carriage house does have an attached tent which can be used for larger guests counts, but it was reserved as our backup plan in case of rain. Fortunately, we didn't have to use it! Renting the venue does not come with anything other than tables and chairs, so you'll have to find your own design/catering/lighting companies etc. That being said, they partner with some great companies that we would recommend. Kayleigh and Mary Kate at Elm Bank are marvelous to work with, and they made the day of the wedding so stress-free. I would highly recommend this place to anyone.
Elm Bank was the backdrop for our most magical wedding this August! My husband and I were looking for a convenient, non-traditional wedding venue that was a bit different from the hotel "cookie cutter" weddings. As foodies, it meant so much to be able to bring in our own caterers and select all aspects of the menu. The gardens were in full bloom for our wedding date and could not have been more beautiful. We were able to rent shuttles to transport our guests from Boston to the venue which worked seamlessly. As the venue is not a traditional wedding space we did have to do a lot on our own including renting a tent, dance floor, tables, table linens and settings, and most definitely could not have done it without the help of our phenomenal wedding planner. If you are looking for a beautiful, non traditional wedding venue and are willing to put in the extra effort to customize your special day, this is the place for you
We had our wedding at Elm Bank in August of 2015. We fell in love with the location when we visited on our own in February. Figured if the location was that beautiful in the middle of winter it would look ten times that in August, and we were right! The gardens, the carriage house and everything in between lived up to all of our expectations and we received so many compliments from wedding guests on the amazing venue. The staff there was extremely helpful and responsive when I needed to discuss picking-up and dropping off of decoration and items. The coordinated and responded promptly to my vendors as well.
We adored having our wedding at the Gardens at Elm Bank! It's such a beautiful space, both the grounds and the Hunnewell Building. I was nervous about a portion of our guests being outside in the attached tent, but it ended up working beautifully; the doors were open the whole time so they could see inside and we made the space outside cozy/fun with a photo booth and a twig chandelier. Kayleigh was helpful and responsive in helping us prepare for the big day, and the price was pretty reasonable for everything we received. I highly recommend getting married here.
The Mass Horticultural Society was the most perfect venue for our wedding. It's a hidden gem in Wellesley, MA, and makes you feel like you are in an oasis far from Boston. The venue is stunning, and has several locations/gardens for different parts of the day. We used the Italianate Garden for our ceremony, the Children's garden and lawn for cocktail hour, and the Hunnewell Building for the reception. There is also a 3-season tent attached to the building, where our band and dancing were, which was perfect. This was open to the dining space the entire night, and the flow worked so well, and helped cut down on noise while people were eating. Our photos were stunning. Kayleigh was our point person- she was very personable and nice- although not always timely in her responses (I have to cut her some slack, as she was new to the position, and took over for someone else part of the way through our planning process). The cost was very reasonable, but keep in mind that everything is a la carte. We coordinated all the vendors and decor. We were thrilled with the location and would go back anytime, even just to picnic. Would recommend to anyone looking for outside venue, with indoor option, in beautiful suburb of Boston!
My daughter’s wedding was at Elm Bank in summer 2014. We were concerned because the event coordinator had quit earlier in the summer. However, the new person, Erin, was the best ever! She was the most responsive person to all of our questions and really worked with us on everything. She and her staff, Steph and Terry, were remarkable. The weather forecast was threatening rain the whole week before and when the DJ and caterer wanted to move it indoors Erin and her staff stayed calm. They kept the weather tracking on the computer and had half the chairs set up in the tent and half outside so we could make a last minute decision. An hour before the ceremony the skies cleared a little and we were able to have it on the porch of the Manor House looking out over the beautiful Italianate garden and fountain. It would not have happened without the calm nature of the EB staff. They were wonderful.
The gardens in early August are spectacular. The carriage house held 180 guests while the tent was a wonderful place for dancing. The downside is that it is sort of an a la carte place where we had to rent the lighting and ceiling decorations otherwise the place is rather drab, dance floor, extra chairs, high top tables etc… Also, the bridge can only carry a 30 passenger bus so we had to have multiple smaller busses, an added expense. And, they have a short list of caterers that you have to use or pay an extra fee to bring in someone else. We were told by a caterer not on the list that this is because the listed caterers pay EB a fee to be on the list. So, in the end, the bill for the venue was rather high(cost shown above is approximately what it all cost for venue, lighting, chairs). However, there are not many outdoor type venues that can hold up to 225 people. So, just know ahead of time what it is going to cost.
working with Jen could not be easier. beautiful place. plan to spend some extra dough on lighting, etc, since the room is bare before you decorate it.
This venue is so pretty! There are so many options and Jen Courtney was so helpful!
I really wanted a space I could customize and they had very few restrictions as to what I could do to the space. All the people we worked with were wonderful and the gardens were absolutely beautiful.
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900 Washington Street, Wellesley, MA
The Garden at Elm Bank
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