We went to a wedding at this lovely venue a couple of months ago. We had never been to an event here and were so pleasantly surprised about what a terrific place this is. It's a space with simple elegance and a rustic charm. This is a real boat club with members who join because they love sailing. The annual Head of the Charles and other regattas are big deals here. But it's good news that the space can be rented out for weddings and other events because it's really pretty cool. The bride and groom of the wedding we attended are both avid sailors and so this place has special meaning to them. I love that there is both indoor and outdoor space here so if you luck out and have good weather, your guests can go out to the expansive deck or down to the water's edge. We had a sunny, perfect late afternoon and so guests wandered freely in and out. You can hire whatever caterer and bar service that you would like which I think is a terrific option when hosting any kind of party. It's a great way to control the quality of the food and not be locked into anything you're not 100% sure of. I'm also told you can't charge for alcohol at this site and must have an open bar; to that I say: "Amen". I am not a believer in hosting guests at a wedding where there is a cash bar. You wouldn't charge people for drinks if you invited them to your home so it's never made sense to me to do it a wedding. So for events held here, it's not a debate: it's an open bar although of course you choose what to serve. There was plenty of room for both dining and dancing in two separate but totally adjacent inside areas. One side was the dining area and the other was for the cocktail hour and mingling, later for the live band and dancing. Although the Boat Club can be a bit tricky to find event though it's a Cambridge address, it is well worth considering if you're planning a wedding especially if you want a place that is unique. read more

Cambridge Boat Club - From the web. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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We had our wedding at the Boat Club in May 2022 and absolutely loved it. So much charm and class, it was a beautiful venue for a Spring wedding! A few things to note if you are considering this for your wedding- it is a working boat house, so there will be other people on the grounds and the docks during your event. We were made aware of this ahead of time and okay with this, but were not prepared for the lack of parking due to the rowers being on site. Other than that, the staff was wonderful to work with and Kate was great on the communication front. Highly recommend for any event! read more

I got married at Cambridge Boat Club in June 2018. It was a perfect day. Cambridge Boat Club aka CBC is located at a big bend in the Charles River, and it has the best view of any club on the whole river. It's also fenced off and has a very private and exclusive feel. The Club Manager was easy to work with and the rates were reasonable. It is a "working" boat club, so you have to be comfortable with people coming and going on the dock while you're there launching and landing boats, but that's part of the charm. The building is old but has been well maintained and has had significant improvements in recent years including new floors and paint work both inside and out. The grounds are well-maintained by volunteers and the flower baskets are always lovely. I highly recommend making an inquiry for your next event rental. The Club is very busy for rentals and does book well in advance sometime, but it's worth a shot. read more

The Cambridge Boat Club is a not-for-profit rowing & social club with over 300 members who compete in regattas around the world. This space is also available for rental for special events. I went here last night for Cambridge Art Association's yearly 'Venetian Night' fundraiser. What a cute little building! It's really quaint & cozy inside. On the first floor, there are 2 main areas for drinking/ dining/dancing/live music, as well as a kitchen area for catering. Bathrooms are upstairs. Great place to book for a small party or wedding reception, etc... If you aren't familiar with the area, this place can seem a little difficult to get to, especially at night in the middle of a rainstorm! It is located right on the Charles River just over the Eliot Bridge. Do not rely on Google Map for this location. Google can't figure it out because Gerry's Landing is not actually a street. If you take a wrong turn, just stay near the river, and you'll eventually get there. There is a small parking lot, but if the event is crowded and parking lot is full, you may be able to park at the Nicholas Athletic Center across the big intersection. read more

Great place for events -- A lovely place on the Charles River. Beautiful, simple in a lovely way, and a very well kept building -- with a fabulous view, porches and a fireplace! Great kitchen for caterers or even a pot-luck gathering. You can rent it for various things: parties, birthdays, fundraising events, weddings, receptions, etc. It can hold 180 people standing, fewer for a sit down dinner. They have a rental agent -- but book early, the calendar gets filled quickly. A bit pricey, but what nice event site isn't? And, this is a special place. It's off Memorial Drive, near the Eliot Bridge, across from BB&N School & diag across from Mt Auburn Hosp. (Also wheelchair accessible with accessible 1st fl bathrooms) read more

We had our wedding reception here! I was worried right up until the day itself, but people loved it. It helped that we had possibly the best weather day all year, in September. It's a really lovely space, with an outdoor patio. One thing to know is that it's pretty much a self-service space rental. You book the date, you sign the forms, you send the checks, and there's really no hand-holding other than some recommended vendor lists. Some vital statistics/tips: - You can have whatever caterer you like. You can cook your own food, get pizza delivered, whatever. - You can bring in whatever drinks you like (go with Gordon's). You cannot charge for alcohol. - There is a wet bar setup, and they highly recommend you hire a professional bartender. - They have 60" round tables and white folding garden chairs. We used these, they were great. They also have some rectangular tables. No tablecloths provided. - There is heating, but no air-conditioning. This was a big worry of mine. I think it could have been hot if the weather didn't cooperate; however, it is right on the river, and an old building that was built for maximum air circulation. At least one of their approved rental companies does fans. - There are bathrooms on the ground floor (accessible) and upstairs. The main bathrooms felt a little gym/locker room-like to me, but no one complained. The upstairs ones are nicer. - You have to take all your garbage with you. They are adamant about this. Luckily we didn't have much because we didn't use disposable plates/utensils, but this could be a big deal. Our bartender took all the bottles, and the rest fit in about three black garbage bags, and we trekked that home. - We ended up not doing rentals (dishes, linens, etc), but if you do, it has to be with one of two companies. Both will charge you extra for late night pickup, but if there's no boat club event the following day, they'll let you store it in the main room overnight. - There are some additional fees (not hidden, but just read everything they send you) for a required police detail, and a club monitor to be there during the event. We never saw him except at the very beginning and end; he hangs out upstairs and plays solitaire (or something). - GPS does not work for getting here. If you have people driving, print out the directions on the website and hold it in front of them while they are driving. This includes relatives, guests, and any company you have providing transportation for you. Trust me. I highly recommend if you're doing any setup, to rent more hours of setup time, which is only $50/hour. This was a tip I got from someone else I found who got married there. The one hour they give you free is not enough for an event like a wedding (we did 6!). They also only do one event rental a day, so unless there's a morning rowing event, you won't have any issues with someone else booking the time. For cleanup, one hour was fine. If you want to see the space before your event (like say you're planning additional lighting, or don't know where to put the DJ, or the caterers want to see the kitchen), you can email Carol, the event scheduler. I met once with her on a weekend, and once she told us to go in the evening when another event was setting up, and the monitor would show us around. Except the monitor didn't know we were coming, and the people setting up were stressed and didn't want us around (obviously). So that was awkward. Lastly, they say to book early, and you should, but even if you're not that far out, email about dates anyway. Some dates opened up while we were deciding because other people postponed their event. read more

This venue was a terrific choice for my mother's 90th birthday. a room for cocktails, a room for sit down dinner, all lined with glass doors that open to a beautiful porch looking onto the Charles river and Eliot Street Bridge. So picturesque. Would have given it a 5 except it doesn't have AC so on a mid-July evening it was a little warm. But as promised, there was a nice cross breeze. Also, parking is a bit of a challenge, but with enough advance communication people seemed to make it work. It is as beautiful (maybe more) than the pictures look. Nancy on the Club staff was great to work with read more

We held our May 2014 wedding at the boat club and we couldn't be happier! Carol is the rentals coordinator and she is so great. She met us at the club to show us around and was always able to answer any questions we had via email. Keep in mind, renting the club for an event just gets you use of the space, no catering or set-up/clean-up is included so you do have to set all of that up yourself. The do have lots of tables and chairs though, so you likely wouldn't have to rent those. This works out great if you are on a stricter budget though, since most event spaces have dedicated caterers that are a bit, shall I say, pricey. They do give you a list of suggestions for vendors (caterers, linens, and entertainment I think) which is a helpful starting point. If you are a do-it-yourself kind of couple, this is a great space to hold your wedding (or any other medium/large event). read more