Wedding Venue Find! Back Bay for only $1300?

I’ll start with the verdict:

Verdict: If you are looking for a reception site that is elegant but not over the top, have a wedding that is about 90 people, and are willing to provide your own caterer and rentals, the Goethe-Institut in Boston is a real steal at only $1300 to rent.

I have not found an elegant venue in Back Bay to rent for anything close to this price. I was floored when I called up the events coordinator and found out that for a Saturday evening affair we could rent the entire main hall (including kitchen) for $1300. Where is this lovely find? 170 Beacon Street, close to Clarendon Street.

The Goethe Institut of Boston is a German cultural organization with a lovely venue. On the outside it’s an old Back Bay townhouse with pretty steps for your wedding party shots. In fact, that’s how I found it. I was driving by and saw a wedding taking photos on the steps. Inside, there is a room that seats about 90 people comfortably (though I believe they claim to seat up to 100), and it has wonderful tall ceilings and details that are typical of the townhouses nearby – antique lights, beautiful staircase, detailed wall adornments. There are some marks of time – cracks in paint, etc – but I have found such marks in many places, even the luxury hotels.

I was planning to use this venue for my wedding, as it fit the right size crowd for us. Iris, the coordinator, was very helpful. She showed me the full size kitchen that the caterer could use to set up and the side room that can easily be used for buffets or other setups like a bar. They have about 10 tables of 4 which you can use and chairs to go with them, so if you plan to have more than 40 people you will need to rent tables – and everything you use during your reception.

The only reason why I didn’t go with this site was not because of the venue.  It was the cost of additional rentals and catering. I haven’t researched as many caterers as I have hotels, and when I spoke with a caterer on the phone about expenses, the budget went out of control (renting tables, chairs, glasses, plates, silverware, and then staff costs – we didn’t even talk about the food / drinks when I decided this was too much!). I’ll be doing a separate write-up on that experience.

For further information about this venue, please contact Iris Alcorn at:
Tel. +1 (617) 262-6050 ext. 10
info@boston.goethe.org