Jenifer Lyn Photography » Wife, Mother, and Wedding Photographer Extraordinaire

If you are looking for an amazingly beautiful wedding venue with gorgeous views, then look no further than The International (golf course and resort) in Bolton, MA. The drive out to the site is a long one, but well worth the time it takes to get there. The surrounding scenery reminds you to slow down and appreciate all the little things in life. Upon arriving, you  immediately see the beautifully manicured grounds amidst the forestry. Every area, green, parking lot, room – you name it – is impeccably well taken care of. I suppose it isn’t surprising, given that the resort was (until recently) open to members only.

I’m certain that any time of year would be perfect for hosting your wedding here, but it is especially beautiful in fall. The colorful trees make for a gorgeous backdrop. One of the options for your ceremony is to have it on the hill overlooking the driving range.

If you choose to have your ceremony on the driving range, the staff coordinates multiple golf carts that take the guests (and then the bridal party, when it’s time) over to the ceremony site and then back to the ballroom for the reception.

The ceremony site is large enough for a super big party. I’m guessing you could easily fit 300 people there (I just don’t know if they have enough chairs!). And because there is no real space constraint, it’s perfect for large bridal parties.

One of the best aspects of the International is their many MANY places you can go to take photographs with the bride and groom. I was fortunate to work with a GREAT couple and we took a golf cart to several different places around the course. There are just way too many to show here, but here are a few:

The ballroom for the reception is just beautiful. It is decorated with nice neutral colors, accented with large golden curtains over the massive windows that overlook the greens. The decor itself is beautiful, but what makes it great is that you can coordinate any color scheme and not worry about clashing with existing decorations.

All in all, The International is seriously one of the nicest locations for a wedding in the area. I would put it in my top 2 for favorite places to photograph a wedding. So if you like outdoor locations and are looking for something out of the ordinary, yet absolutely beautiful, this is the place for you.

I thought I’d stay local to me for the next venue review, since we really had an amazingly great time at the wedding we did there. The Four Points Sheraton in Norwood, MA is such a great place to have a wedding reception. Their ballroom is called the Tiffany Ballroom – seriously, how can you resist a ballroom named after the best jewelry store known to man?! (Ok, so I don’t know if they named it after the jewelry store or not, but I’m gonna stick with that belief!). Taken from their site, since they do an amazing job of describing details I couldn’t possibly know:

With lofty ceilings adorned with alabaster chandeliers, mahogany and granite bars, spacious hardwood dance floors, and French doors leading to a private outdoor garden terrace, the impressive Tiffany Ballroom comfortably seats parties up to 450 with dancing. Stylish lobbies and foyers serve as your private cocktail area, where our professional staff graciously welcomes your guests.

The Tiffany Ballroom is all that they say it is. It is really beautifully decorated to accommodate any color scheme you as a bride could choose. The layout of the room allows for an intimate feel for all guests, even with a wedding of 300+ family and friends in attendance.

I was really impressed with the cocktail hour area outside the ballroom, which allowed guests to mingle with wonderful passed hors d’oeuvres and drinks from the bar. Of course, I only saw that portion in passing as we whisked the bride, groom and wedding party off to take the formal images. Since they were married in a church in Scituate, we had done all of the family formals and many of the bridal party formals at the Scituate Lighthouse (what a great location for that!).  But we wanted a few formals outside at the waterfall out front and a few around the hotel with just the bride and groom. When scouting possible locations, I came across this red sofa that I just LOVED. We did a few fun shots here:

The decor of the hotel and ballroom is just beautiful. And the staff was great to work with when it came time to organize the events of the day. The coordinator of the day communicated well with me and made sure I knew when to be certain places for the events of the reception. The dance floor was a great size for dancing – it was not small at all. In fact, the wedding I shot there was 300+ people and though most of them were dancing for almost the whole night, the floor was never over-packed.

One more feature I really like about the hotel is most likely not included in the wedding package. On site they have a bar/restaurant called Bistro. It is quite possibly the most perfect location to take your party after the official party is over, especially if many of your guests have decided to stay the night in the hotel anyway. The couple I was working with were so fun and wonderful that they invited us to join them for the after party in the bar, so we did! It was truly an amazingly fun time.

So if you are looking for a great, fun, elegant venue in the Norwood, MA area, I would honestly suggest the Four Points Sheraton and their lovely Tiffany Ballroom.

Have I mentioned already how much I love the water, specifically the ocean? SO much! And it’s still winter, so I think I’m craving the days when I can go to the warm beach and enjoy. But until then, I have decided to focus on the water-based venues to review first!

One of the most interesting venues I’ve worked at is the Odyssey luxury yacht, docked in Boston Harbor. When not sailing, the ship is anchored in Rowes Wharf, adjacent to the Boston Harbor Hotel. The yacht sails at regular intervals throughout the year, so you can  enjoy a romantic, fun dinner getaway any time of year. What better way to find out if it’s the right place for your wedding? All in the name of research, I say!

The onboard ceremony is so amazing to witness. Weather permitting (of course – this IS New England!), you can have the ceremony on the upper deck of the yacht while docked in the harbor.

The day we were there was overcast (as I’m sure you can see), but it did not take away from the beauty of witnessing a wedding on the ocean. The couple has their own areas of the empty yacht where they can get ready separate from each other. The staff coordinates the arrival of guests and timing of the bride and groom’s movements to ensure they only see each other when the time is right. And when it’s time for the bride to walk down the aisle, she is escorted from her room to the set of stairs that takes her up to the upper deck. The whole scene is quite beautiful. And with the couple standing at the front of the boat, it gives the impression that they are so close to the water. It truly makes for gorgeous images.

After the ceremony, the guests are led to the second deck, where the cocktail hour takes place. This allows the bridal party to have the upper deck to themselves so we can take the formal photographs. I found it hard to decide whether to use the backdrop of the ocean, or the Boston skyline for the images. Both are equally beautiful, so I did the best I could and did some in both directions.

For the reception, guests are led to a private deck complete with seating, dance floor, bar, and (if chosen) the stationed dinner options. Depending on the menu, they have a chef there carving the meat of choice. The deck I was on was definitely made for a smaller wedding, probably around 100 guests or less. But the layout and seating was really nice and people were not crowded in to the space. There was ample room for the dance floor and DJ:

The last image I wanted to share really has nothing to do with the Odyssey. This was the cake they chose and I just LOVE it! Kinda reminds me of my new blog background:

So, if you are looking for a water-based, truly original wedding option, I would definitely consider having it aboard the Odyssey. Here is a link to the Odyssey boat web site.

I was having a hard time picking which venue to highlight next. I have been to so many great places. How do I decide?! As I went through the list, I realized my next pick was going to be purely selfish. It’s really cold outside today. And I hate cold. But I like (probably love) the ocean. Everything about it – the sound of the waves crashing, the warmth of the sun, the coolness (note, I didn’t say COLD) of the water – makes me happy. So with that in mind, I decided I would transport myself back to a wonderful wedding I was a part of in Kennebunkport, Maine.

The day I was there was a hot August Maine day. There were barely any clouds in the sky. Though it was hot, the breeze off the ocean was cool and comforting. It was an absolutely perfect day as far as I’m concerned. Walking into the Nonantum, I felt like I was transported back in time 100 years. Now don’t take that the wrong way. The resort is very well kept up. But they have stayed true to the original decor of the building that was originally built in 1883. If you enjoy old victorian charm, meets todays technologies – you will absolutely LOVE the Nonantum Resort. And if you are interested in their history, you can read more about it here.

The Nonantum wedding website says they can accomodate weddings up to 200 guests in the ballroom. I was not in the ballroom on this day, but did walk through it and it is gorgeous. I can only imagine how beautiful it would be all decorated. What I thought was most amazing is their tented reception. They have an expansive lawn on which they put the tent, feet from the Kennebunk River. This was taken as I stood with my feet on the edge of the river:

Part of the wedding package there can include (though I’m not sure on the extra cost) an amazing boat ride. The couple I was with opted to board the boat immediately after we did the formals (on the beach, of course):

They chose to take the ride by themselves. I thought this was great – just a few moments alone amidst the busy day. A time for them to be husband and wife and just take in the beauty of the day. So super romantic. Since photography is very important to them, they asked me to come along for the ride. I was so touched that they felt comfortable enough with me to share this intimate time with them. And I am so glad they did. (And so were they when they viewed the images later).

Here are a few images I was able to get between waves (and almost falling overboard!). If you are getting married or having your reception at the Nonantum, I highly recommend the boat ride.

This last one is their entrance to the reception. As we sailed by to turn around and dock, the entire reception turned and waved. It was really an amazing experience. And as you can see, the reception tent is really close to the river. It’s so beautiful.

The staff at the Nonantum was great. And the food was amazing. As a vendor, I’m typically given whatever meal is leftover after the guests have been served. This day, that was a smoked salmon. Those who know me know I HATE salmon. I’ve tried it several times and just didn’t like it. Not the case here. Each salmon piece was individually smoked on a hickory board, which it was served on, and topped with a cranberry-based sauce. (Not cranberry sauce like you’d buy in a can at the super market. It was an amazingly sweet sauce, almost like a glaze, with cranberries in it.) It was delicious.

So, if you are looking for a truly amazing reception location near the beautiful Atlantic Ocean, I highly recommend the Nonantum in Maine.

As a wedding professional – are other vendors/venues like kids? Am I allowed to say I favor one over the other even if I really like them all? I don’t know if I’m actually “supposed to” have a true favorite, however, if I could, Lake View Pavilion (Foxboro, MA) would be it. This place has everything you could want in a beautiful outdoor or indoor wedding location.

The Lake View Pavilion provides a quaint and beautiful outdoor setting for a ceremony with the lakeside backdrop and cobblestone gazebo that combine for a fairytale-like setting. The outdoor ceremony location is especially beautiful during a fall wedding, due to the heavy lakeside foliage and outdoor wraparound porch that allows a bride and groom a nice temporary escape into the soft fall night.

First on my list for the venue reviews is one of my favorite places to work – Wentworth by the Sea.

Taken from their website “Nestled in the beautiful city of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the Wentworth by the Sea is a 161 room luxury hotel that has elegance and an atmosphere of a bygone era. With its panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and quaint Little Harbor as well as meticulously manicured gardens, and breathtaking sunsets the opportunities for breathtaking pictures was almost endless.”

I honestly couldn’t have put it any better myself. The entire hotel and surrounding grounds are simply beautiful. If I had been allowed to, I could have taken 3 hours of formals around the various gardens, walkways, and even interior hallways.

The Grand Ballroom

The wedding I photographed at the Wentworth took place in the Grand Ballroom. It was their original ballroom dating back to 1874. The ballroom has an attached bridal suite with its own private formal staircase is a perfect setting for up to 144 guests (or so their site says!).

As beautiful as every detail in this historic hotel is, what really impressed me the absolute most about the Wentworth was the way they served dinner to all the guests. The staff came out of the kitchen in a processional, each carrying two plates. They circled the tables and served all the guests at two tables at the exact same time. The planning and preparation that must go into this one detail alone was extremely impressive.

Here are a couple more images of details from around this exquisite hotel. I truly think this is one of the premier wedding locations in New Hampshire.

I’ve decided to include a new feature on my blog where I create posts that I think will be very helpful to all my brides, both present and future. Every venue that I have worked at provides certain features and unique circumstances that prove both beneficial and challenging to my task of shooting the wedding. Because of that, I will be writing reviews of venues with interesting tidbits I found while working at each one.

Depending how the rest of this off-season goes, I would like to extend this to other vendor reviews. I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the greatest vendors in the industry and I’m always being asked for referrals from brides.

Happy Holidays!