Wedding Locations Reviews

Boston Harbor Hotel - Wharf Room - unique venue for weddings & functions

The Wharf Room at the Boston Harbor Hotel is my absolute favorite room for weddings or any function in Boston. Just look at the photo and you'll see why. The Wharf Room is a separate building next to the hotel through the archway. Both the Boston Harbor Hotel and the Wharf Room are on the Boston Harbor. The Wharf Room extends out into the harbor. The room is surrounded by windows on three sides over one story high. the room has very high ceilings. You feel like you are on a boat right in the harbor in this room. Notice the canvas draped from the ceiling like sails on a boat. Often, the Spirit of Boston cruise ship is docked next to the room or some other beautiful boat like it. I've seen some florists and decorators take this room to an even higher level of opulence with flowers, candles on the high ledges, and soft colored floor lights that make subtle color transitions.

The food is excellent and the staff pays close attention to every detail. I've always found the staff easy to work with and extremely professional and experienced as you would expect.

Musicians or DJs can load equipment through the parking garage and use the elevator. This makes the load in and out very easy.

Faneuil Hall, Haymarket, famous Boston Irish pubs, the Old State House, the North End, and the New England Aqaurium are only steps away from this magnificent Boston hotel.

Oceancliff Mansion - Newport, RI - wedding venue review

Oceancliff is on Ocean Drive in Newport, Rhode Island, a few miles from the Avenue of the Americas where all the other famous Newport Mansions are located. Oceancliff is one of my favorite wedding venues in all of New England. (As a singer in a wedding band for over 20 years, I've sung at most popular wedding venues.) The ballroom has a western exposure. The bridal party table is set up against a long rounded wall of windows so all guests can enjoy the sunset.  The ballroom is eloquently decorated with lines, tableware, and flowers against the beautiful hardwood floors. I've always found the staff to be experienced and attentive to the reception details and very easy to work with.

The back lawn slopes gradually towards the cliff and the waters edge below. This is a memorable location for your wedding ceremony.  Boats of all types pass by frequently. After your ceremony, cocktails and hors d'oevres are served between the ceremony location on the lawn and the ballroom entrance outside on the patio.

Musicians or a DJ can easily load their equipment from a side door into the ballroom right where they need to setup.  The band is near the dance floor about five feet away.  We somewhat feel disconnected from the dancing guests, but it still works. There's really nowhere else to locate the band.

Oceancliff has a separate building for resort condos. Guests can stay here. There is also a restaurant serving the public lunch and dinner, inside or on the deck overlooking the cliffs and waterfront. Even if you don't have your wedding here, you must stop by for lunch or dinner during a visit to Newport, Rhode Island.

Astor's Beechwood Mansion - Newport, RI - wedding venue review

I've sung at wedding receptions at Astor's Beechwood a half dozen times over the past several years. Astor's is relatively small compared to the other Newport mansions making it more romantic and intimate. There's room for a little over 100 guests in the main ballroom comfortably seated. I've performed at larger weddings at this venue where additional guests were seated in an adjacent room. I imagine they felt a little disconnected from the guests in the main ballroom.  Other smaller weddings where all guests were in the main ballroom had coffee and buffets desserts served in the second room, including a chocolate fountain and cappuccino. I've always worked with the same function coordinator, so she's very experienced and dedicated to managing all of the details of your wedding reception.

Guests have a view through the windows onto the garden and out to the ocean facing East. Cocktail hour is in the garden just outside the ballroom. Often, jazz or classical musicians are hired to perform during the cocktail hour in addition to our wedding band, Tuxedo Junction, that performs for the wedding reception. I highly recommend Astor's Beechwood for a more romantic and intimate wedding reception at a Newport mansion.

Marriott Longwharf for weddings - Boston, Massachusetts

I've sung in a wedding band for over 20 years and the Marriott Longwharf is one my favorite Boston hotels for weddings.  The hotel is located at Longwharf next to the New England Aquarium and a block away from Faneuil Hall. The Boston Harbor island ferry boats dock at Longwharf.

The staff is very attentive and friendly. The function coordinators are very experienced. As a wedding band MC and singer, I often have to take over this role at smaller hotels or wedding halls when the waitstaff is left with this responsibility.  You won't have to worry about a thing at this hotel.

The reception room is very large. Unlike the Boston Harbor Hotel a block away, there are no windows to the outside. My experience is that bride's dress up the room with table linens and flowers.

There's plenty of room for a large wedding band.  Loading in music equipment is convenient as the outside door is located adjacent to the reception room. Band members can pull up their cars right outside this door. All guests park at the Aquarium Parking Garage right across the street. Hotel has valet parking.

The Presidential Suite
I got married on the Edward Rowe Snow, one of the Boston Harbor Cruise ferry boats. We cruised the harbor for three hours. Then, I extended my wedding reception at the Presidential Suite at the Marriott Longwharf. I had 105 guests and most of them came up to the suite. It was not overcrowded at all. The room has a large dining room table, a glass fireplace in the middle of the room, a wet bar, and a baby grand piano. The bedroom is separate and there are two full baths. The hotel is shaped like a ship where the balconies on the top floors come to a point like the bow of a ship. The Presidential Suite has four sliding glass doors to the balcony (two on each side that comes to a point). The hotel let my bridal party check in early so we could change before boarding the boat docked in front of the hotel. It was nice to walk a few steps to the hotel after the boat cruise, up to the suite, and relax.  It was convenient to be able to change out of my dress after a few hours and not have to drive anywhere when the reception was over.  We awoke the next morning to an incredible sunrise on the Boston Harbor and enjoyed the views on the balcony.

Boston Harbor Cruises - The Edward Rowe Snow

I got married on the Edward Rowe Snow, one of the Boston Harbor Cruise ferry boats. We cruised the harbor for three hours. Then, I extended my wedding reception at the Presidential Suite at the Marriott Longwharf where the cruise boats dock in front.

I had 105 guests which fit comfortably on the boat for the three-hour cruise.  We stayed at the Presidential Suite a the Marriott Longwharf. The hotel let us check in early so the bridal party could change.  We walked through the hotel to the boat. We stayed on the bottom deck while the guests waited on the top deck as we cruised over to the USS Constitution for the wedding ceremony. I had a five-piece live band. Luckily, it didn't rain.  It was August, but it was somewhat overcast so it wasn't too hot on the top deck.

The cruise company recommended a caterer that is used to catering on their cruise boats. There are no tables and chairs, but I had real silverware and regular plates. We had lasagna and salad which the guests loved. We brought our own champagne on board and paid a corking fee. I was concerned about trying to have the cake on board, so we cut the cake in our Presidential Suite at the extended reception at the hotel.  It was nice to walk only a few steps to the hotel after the boat cruise, up to the suite, and relax.  It was convenient to be able to change out of my dress after a few hours and not have to drive anywhere when the reception was over.

In 1986, the total cost for this wedding was $6000. The Presidential Suite at the time was $750 per night. I can't remember the price of the boat cruise, but I remember it was very reasonable and affordable.

A four-hour standard reception goes by quickly and then it's time to leave. It's over before you know it. This type of wedding allows the party to linger and continue without any pressure of having to leave at a certain time and go elsewhere.  You're already there!  We awoke the next morning to an incredible sunrise on the Boston Harbor and enjoyed the views on the balcony.