Massachusetts Horticultural Society - The Gardens at Elm Bank

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!

People were very nice; well organized for visitors during COVID. However, the gardens were really not that attractive, probably because it's August and little rain. I just expected more interesting varieties and a bit more imagination, given this is the home of the Mass. Horticultural Society.

Beautiful place! Meditative. During Pandemic.

Thank you for keeping Elm Bank open during this virus! A reminder to any one reading this to keep your adorable dogs leashed and honor 6ft apart. I will be joining $ Mass Horticultural Society to show my gratitude and support your mission

Very Beautiful Place, however it's sad to see such a stately building in disrepair