Time for a story, everybody…read more I asked a smart, beautiful, funny Yelper to marry me and she said yes. It was an extremely exciting day, and laughter and tears abounded. That exciting day turned into an exciting week, full of phone calls and picture taking and ring flaunting. After that first week, though, the reality set in that we actually needed to hunker down and plan a wedding. Fairies don't magically appear and plan it for you, and there's a lot of legwork to be done to get a giant party off the ground. The initial step was finding the absolute perfect venue. Chester's at Bell Tower Square was the perfect venue. We knew immediately and cut a check on the spot, and then felt a little bad that we would miss out on the joys and heartache of traveling around New England for two months looking for the perfect venue. Isn't that what wedding planning is all about? Stressing out over where to have it and what money to put down and all that? To find the place we knew we'd be getting married in after the first weekend just shouldn't be. Yet, apparently, it was. How could we go anywhere else? With nearly 5,000 square feet of exposed brick, natural light and hardwood floors, where else could we find that would give us the hip industrial vibe we were looking for? How could we say no to the gorgeous courtyard, or the attached art gallery? I'm not sure I'd have been able to live with myself if I walked away from a venue that I could have access to for the Friday and the Saturday of my weekend weekend. After spending an hour with the event coordinator (Elizabeth), my fiance and I had no choice but to call off our search after a grand total of seven days of searching. If you are getting married and want to have it in a huge, unique, gorgeous, historic space, look at Chester's last. If not, your venue search is going to be very, very fast.

It is surprising to me to see all the positive reviews for this venue and the event coordinator…read more Perhaps we caught them on an "off" two days, but I have never witnessed the lack of professionalism we received as a wedding party-- ever, in my life. From the rehearsal dinner to the event itself, we were treated with such arrogance and hostility that I was livid by the end of the night, and it wasn't even my wedding. From the beginning the whole thing was...wrong. We were not lined up in proper order for the processional, but when we pointed it out it was ignored. We were told it would be corrected by the ceremony, but it wasn't. We went out backwards and were not matched up with our proper partners. The lights were not dimmed for the ceremony. We asked that the lights be dimmed but were told no, because the photographer needed to be able to see us (which of course is not true). They were not dimmed until during the meal, and only because another bridesmaid had to demand it. We were told we had to have the lights on all the way so that the waitstaff could get us our food-- even though it was buffet- styled. The seating was completely ignored-- guests were told to sit where ever they wanted, resulting in completely useless place cards and seating arrangements. Every time someone mentioned anything that was amiss-- from the bartender being completely rude to the timing of the ceremony, which was almost an hour off-- we were spoken down to like children. The night was saved only by the fact that we actually knew what we were doing as a wedding party, dealt with the problems ourselves and waited until the dancing started, which was when any hand the event coordinator had in organizing anything was complete. I feel badly, because my friend was completely stressed during one of the happiest events of her life. I would never book an event with Elizabeth or at Chester's Bell Tower. Of course every ceremony has its flaws, but when no one seems to care, or worse-- can not admit they're wrong and try to fix what isn't working-- it is time to re-evaluate your career choices.

Always the best perfect service and attention…read more Tried the Lobster Risotto and exceeded all expections! Of course, the Clam Chowder was the best NE chowder. The Steak Frites looked so good but will have to wait for next time.

Incredibly Beautiful old, classic facility, very nice service, solid food, great drinks.read more

I called today to see if there was available to reserve a date for my daughters birthday. The…read moreperson that picked up was very rude and just hung. He said "No availability, sorry." This is very unprofessional.

Had my baby shower here and it was lovely! Tall ceilings with beautiful architecture, gorgeous…read morefireplace, and open layout. The cash bar was nice as well. They have a kitchen that can be used in the back if you don't have it catered and it was very affordable. Definitely add it to your list to visit if you're looking for a place to have your function, bridal shower or baby shower.

The venue is beautiful especially the floors. They are stunning. If you're in the Lowell, Dracut or…read moreeven NH area looking for a venue then check out Root of Design Event Space for your next event.

Wonderful event space and owner is fantastic! She really works with you to make your day special. 5…read morestars!!!

This is stunningly beautiful place for a natural setting wedding and it is near a pond too, so you…read morecan have pictures by the water. Heck, maybe you can arrive in style, being rowed in on a boat! For the budget bride who likes something a little different, this place is a find. You can submit a rental inquiry online now (thank goodness), and it includes a set price for the whole/half day, a dining/function hall 1400sq foot, hardwood floors, air conditionining, a fully equipped kitchen (for your caterer of choice), tables and seating (so you don't have to pay more for rental). I confess, I never got to visit this place since I ended up finding my wedding site at First Parish Church United in Westford, MA, but I obsessed about this place for a long time. The outdoor wedding, the wedding pictures on a lighted deck...you should definitely consider this place if you're very strict on budget (at the time it was $500 for the whole day) but still want to have a beautiful wedding for 100 people or less.

Don't even bother. I…read moreread Ross's review so I knew I was going to be dealing with slow communication and I was okay with that: I'm planning a wedding for 2018 or 2019 (1-2 years from now). No biggie. Replies were slow, and the person I was in contact with wasn't very open. I first contacted (I'll call him "Kal") at the end of March. He said he could only show the place on Sundays. My fiance works Sundays and can not get that day off... but after a few e-mails we decided that Sunday at 1 would be fine. We now needed to pick a Sunday. We picked one, which turned out to be Easter day (we could make it but Kal couldn't: totally understandable) but we kept going back and forth saying "that Sunday won't work for me" or "I can't do that Sunday", etc... Fine. I get it. People can be busy and we have a lot of time to plan this thing out: no hurry, no worries. Then one day I get an e-mail from Kal: "Unfortunately I am not available any of the dates that you have listed. we have reached our quota of rentals for this year, so rentals are closed for 2017. As a result I am not scheduling special appointments to show the lodge. I know you are looking for next year. We will not be reserving any dates or booking events for next year until January of 2018." Now, I don't know about you guys, but to me, that means "screw you, we already have made enough money with booking so we're not going to put in the effort to even show you the place." My fiance and I just wanted to see the place: that's all. Not have any booking or anything, just SEE IT. I sent an e-mail back (on April 11th) explaining that to Kal, but now it's May 6th and still no reply from Kal. As far as I know, this place just wants your money and that's it. My advise to anyone thinking about going to this place is... just don't bother. It was a waste of my time and it might be a waste of yours. (I am going to link Kal this review: maybe their customer service will be better from here on out) Good luck.

This castle is gorgeous! The spiraling entrance to the castle was great way to build expectations…read morefor guests. Once you get past those gates you really get to take the whole castle in and it's beautiful. This place was such a great backdrop for pictures that the wedding didn't really need much decorating. I also loved that the wedding guests were allowed to roam the castle and take pictures inside. This place really gave that elegant and vintage look that the bride was looking for. The person in charge of the castle was so friendly and kept walking around making sure everyone was comfortable and all their needs were being met. This place is a gem hidden among the trees and is truly a beautiful location for a wedding.

Searles Castle-- WOW. This whole experience was just incredible, and the castle gave us everything…read morewe needed. Shaun made planning so easy! Not only that, but the entire staff was amazing from start to finish. They were all super accommodating and moved with a purpose, they all worked so seamlessly together. I had an accident with my foot right in the middle of cocktail hour, where I was sure I was going to have to go to the hospital, and the party would have to go on without the bride and groom. The entire staff acted immediately with first aid, getting medical attention, and even set up a hidden stool with ice under my table to elevate my foot. They all made sure I was taken care of and went above and beyond our expectations. I can't say enough about the staff and how incredible my experience was with them all. They have an onsite catering company, and the food was so delicious! On top of all that, A BEAUTIFUL venue for a romantic, memorable, fairy tale wedding. The scenery is picture perfect, and our photos turned out phenomenally! A beautiful venue inside and outside, every inch of the castle is breathtaking. My husband and I feel so lucky to have gotten married here. If you are looking for a perfect venue for a wedding your guests will NEVER forget, book your wedding at Searles Castle!

I cannot recommend how amazing this place is to have a wedding at! Lynn, director of sales, was…read moreamazing to work with, made sure we got everything we wanted and Josh, venue coordinator, helped run our day smoothly. And the food was absolutely delicious, everyone was raving about it all night!

If you haven't been to Sky Meadow Country in the last 10 months, you just won't recognize the…read moreplace! They've refurbished the ballroom, added patio bar with live entertainment Friday nights during the summer and a recently opened a steak and sushi restaurant, Prime at sky Meadow. All this on top of an amazing golf course in a beautiful setting. Members continue to rave about all the changes since Rob Parsons and his investor group took over ion May of 2021.

Danversport = rockstar status!…read more We had our wedding at Danversport, Friday August 20, 2021. When we first started looking at venue's in the North Shore area of Boston, we were somewhat disappointed until we visited Danversport! Immediately, we knew we found our venue. As a same sex couple, finding a diverse, all-inclusive group to work with was top on our list. In August 2020, we stopped by Danversport without an appointment; called before going in and Ron was very welcoming. He dropped what he was doing to meet with us and give us a tour, complete with a full packet of information to review. The very next day, we put a deposit on our wedding date for a Gazebo Ceremony and Lighthouse Point room for 54 guests. We were thrilled and could not wait to get the planning going! Throughout the entire process, we were pleased with each interaction. The taste-testing was phenomenal! There were samples of every item on the menu; including wine, and other bar beverages. The food is ridiculously delicious. When the day came for our rehearsal, we were slightly unprepared as we forgot an important folder of information at our hotel. Sean was assigned to be our wedding coordinator. Not only did Sean help to calm me down, she was patient, direct and supportive beyond our imagination. She knew exactly what we needed to prepare for the following day and managed our wedding party through that process with ease and professionalism. The day of our wedding, we were at peace knowing we had the best Event Coordinator at Danversport! Not one detail was missed; everything went off exactly as Sean planned with us during the rehearsal. At one point during the evening, our server, Mark was fanning our Officiant as she was sweating in the heat!! This screamed volumes to us that we were all being pampered to the nines! Our guests are still talking about our wedding and have shared many compliments. Of course nothing is perfect, right?! However, once again Sean ceased to amaze us. My ballgown started to fall apart due to poor seamstress work. After the bustle broke three times, Sean came to the rescue and hooked us up...LITERALLY! Through many laughs we made the best of it. It is without hesitation that we highly recommend Danversport for special events! The team at Danversport are all dedicated people who truly care. Ron was an absolute pleasure to work with. Even to this day when we visit for Party on the Patio, Ron and his team stop to say hello and welcome us. Genuine. Real. Humble. In closing comments, we will share that we were shocked that we could manage to fit Danversport into our budget. The all-inclusive package is what made our dream wedding possible and for that we are thankful to the moon and back. Thank you Sean, Mark, Ron, Nancy, Katelyn, Lauren, Heather and the entire team at Danversport!! Sonia and Lisa Touchette

I wouldn't even give it one star. went there for brunch before tall ship cruise. the food was…read moredisgusting. French toast hard as a brick. chicken piccata was, I believe.leftovers. also hard and inedible. bacon burnt. the potatoes were ok at best. even the coffee was awful. ever will go here again.