Weddings at the Hawthorne Hotel

Hot Dates and Champagne

2012-02-06T08:15:00.000-08:00

Weddings at the Hawthorne Hotel don't have to be expensive. We have packages starting at only $37 per person. Here are the "HOT DATES" that qualify for these very reasonable package prices:

Saturday April 7

Saturday April 28

Friday May 4

Satuday May 5

Friday May 11

Friday May 18,

Saturday May 26

Sunday May 27

Sunday June 3

Friday June 8

Sunday June 10

Friday June 15

Saturday June 16

Sunday June 17

Friday June 29

Saturday June 30

For more information, contact our Catering Sales Office at 978-825-4358. If you tell them that "Juli sent me", I'll buy you a bottle of Dom Perignon -or- Dinner in Nathaniel's when you send back your signed contract for any of these "hot dates."

Then you and your sweetie can have your own "hot date!"

Juli

Wedding Open House Photo Album

2012-01-29T12:46:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to the photos that we took at our wedding open house today:

http://www.hawthornehotelblog.com/2012/01/wedding-open-house-photos.html

I hope you enjoy seeing them all.

Wedding Open House

Juli

Wedding Open House -- You Are Invited!

2012-01-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

Are you planning a wedding, or are you helping someone plan theirs? You should mark your calendar to save the date for Sunday January 29, from 11 am to 2 pm. We are hosting a Wedding Open House that day, and you are invited. T

he Ballroom will be arranged with different set-ups and flowers, so you can see several different things at one time. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served in the Essex Room and "Mezzanine" so you can taste our quality and experience our excellent service.

Our newly renovated guest rooms will be open so you can see them for yourself. It will be everything you might expect from an open house hosted in our beautiful hotel for your special day.

I hope to see you here.

Juli

Wedding Client Offers Thanks to the Hawthorne Hotel Team

2012-01-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

We recently received this lovely note, and thought you might enjoy reading it as well. Don't you just love looking at other people's mail?

I hope to see you here.Juli

Thank You Notes Warm Our Hearts

2011-12-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

Especially when they come on notepaper that has photos of our hotel on it. I hope you enjoy both the pictures and the sentiments. If you want to see these even more clearly, just click on the images.

I hope you enjoy sharing this lovely note with us.

Juli

Hawthorne Catering Handles Your Catering Needs at PEM

2011-12-07T11:01:00.001-08:00

Video of Wedding at the Peabody Essex Museum

This wedding was catered by Hawthorne Catering at the PEM. If you want to know more, give Lindsay Otis, our Off-site Catering Sales Manager, a call at 978-825-4363 or 978-542-1656.

Juli

Classic Look at Wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel

2011-12-02T06:16:00.001-08:00

Yesterday we received these photos from professional photographer David LaChapelle, of Kim and Eric's November 6, 2011 wedding here at the Hawthorne Hotel, along with permission to blog them. I think they are very representative of what a wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel is like, so it is wonderful that we are able to share them with you, our fair blog readers.

I hope you enjoy seeing these.Juli

Special Touches Add to a Beautiful Ballroom Wedding

2011-11-24T06:54:00.000-08:00

Lace overlays for the tables.

Lace doily enclosures tied with narrow ribbon for the menu cards.

A different look for the cake topper -- silhouettes of the couple.

Gold Chivari chairs really set off the gold tones of our Grand Ballroom.

Cute!

Baby's Breath in antique vases set off the place card table.

Instead of a guest book, a Wedding Tree, to be covered with fingerprints as leaves. The table was complete with different fall colors for the fingerprints, and wipes to clean up the fingers.

Such cute attendants, waiting for the festivities to begin, looking into the Grand Ballroom from the Grandmother windows.

Bridal Showers Are Beautiful Too!

2011-11-23T17:24:00.001-08:00

And if you book your wedding with us, we will give you 10% off any related functions you book with us for the same event -- bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, or get-acquainted functions -- if you can dream it, we can provide it.

I hope to see you here.

Juli

Nathaniel's and Sophia's Set For a Beautiful Wedding

2011-11-14T09:36:00.000-08:00

Nathaniel's has lots of windows overlooking historic Salem.

Placecard table.

Looking at Nathaniel's from the entrance to the room from the Lobby.

You can just see Sophia's in the background of this photo through both French doors in the rear.

Chargers and printed menus are lovely touches, as were the special table number signs provided by the wedding party.

Individual salt and pepper shakers were also provided by the wedding party.

I hope you enjoy seeing yet another way we can set-up our function space for a wedding.

Juli

Winter Wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel, January 2011

2011-11-11T17:26:00.001-08:00

Outside the hotel, wreaths and lights and bows made the scene festive.

This is a pretty self-explanatory thank you email and set of photos. If you have ever considered a winter wedding, this information might be helpful to you.

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From: Elizabeth G
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 12:41 PM
To: Laura Abraham
Subject: Belated Wedding Thank You and Photos

Hi Laura,

I know it's been a long time since our wedding on January 9th, but I just wanted to thank you guys for making our wedding so simple and easy to put together. You and Liz were a great help and everything came together perfectly. We all had so much fun and the room looked beautiful. We were grateful that the hotel offered special winter discounts, as they afforded us to have the wedding of our dreams even within a tight budget.

I wanted to send you guys some photos from our wedding that really show off how great the place (and Salem) looked during the winter. The twinkle lights and wreaths really made the room feel romantic. The lights, plus your fabulous new chandeliers, really made the place sparkle. I've attached a few photos that capture your decorations. Also, there are a few photos taken outside in the park in the snow, which shows that one can get great outdoor photos even in winter. It seemed odd to send these photos during the summer, but now that winter is on its way again it seems more appropriate! Our photographer was Rachel Bell.
Again, thank you so much for making our day perfect,

On Salem Common

Sweetheart Table

Such a beautiful couple!

The couple was so impressed with the ice cream bon bons that we served with their cake, that they sent us this photo. They said it really made their cake special.

Cutting the cake, from Montilio's.

I hope to see you here.

Juli

Hurricane Irene Did Not Disturb This Wedding

2011-11-11T11:27:00.001-08:00

We just received this lovely thank you note about a wedding that took place the weekend of Hurricane Irene. It was so nice to see that we were able to keep things calm here at the Hawthorne Hotel for this lovely couple.

I hope we can see you through anything that might come your way, by helping you host your wedding here at the historic Hawthorne Hotel.

Juli

Montilio's Takes the Cake

2011-10-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

This recent wedding which we catered at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) chose an awesome cake, of seven layers, and decorated in a very classical style.

We thought it looked both scrumptious and beautiful, and we get to see a LOT of cakes. This one was really spectacular.

(All photos courtesy of Louise Michaud)

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as we did.

Juli

Another Beautiful Ballroom Wedding

2011-10-17T09:44:00.000-07:00

Every couple has their style, and this wedding was no exception -- the style was simply classic and beautiful. I loved the use of subtle gold tones everywhere, from the wedding cake to the favors, and everything in between.

I hope you enjoy taking a look at yet another beautiful Ballroom wedding here at the historic Hawthorne Hotel in #SalemMA.Juli

Another Heartfelt Thank You Note

2011-10-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

We recently received this lovely thank you note from a very satisfied client who hosted a wedding utilizing our offsite catering division, Hawthorne Catering, at the Peabody Essex Museum.

I thought you might enjoy reading it.Juli

Purple and Green in Our Hawthorne Hotel Grand Ballroom

2011-10-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

I had to share this beautiful color combination with you, for a wedding that took place in our Grand Ballroom this fall.

I hope you enjoy these snapshots.

Juli

Beautiful Peacock "Feathers" Set the Mood

2011-10-08T15:04:00.000-07:00

When I first looked at this cake, I thought they had placed real peacock feathers directly on the cake. Then I took a really close look, and saw that it was a remarkable decorating job, painstakingly applied to replicate the exact detail of a beautiful peacock feather.

The colors in the ballroom echoed the beautiful purple in the feathers, and the flowers, by Flowers by Darlene, were perfect as well.

I hope you enjoy this look at some of the details of this week's Saturday night wedding in our Grand Ballroom at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Best wishes to Scott and Kimberley.

Juli

Another Thank You Note With Cute Photos

2011-10-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

I hope you enjoy reading this as much as we enjoyed receiving it.

Juli

Two Guys From Ohio

2011-09-28T18:38:00.000-07:00

It makes us happy to be able to make people happy. That is at the heart of what we do. So when these two nice gentlemen from Ohio found us online, and decided to come to Massachusetts so they could be married, we set about making sure that their wedding was as special as we could help make it. Our Catering Manager, Laura Abraham, helped Mr. Howe and Mr. Whitaker create a loving and joyful event to celebrate the legalization of their relationship. She established a wonderful rapport with them, working almost primarily on-line since they were setting this all up from several states away.

When we asked them if we could share these photos on our wedding blog, we were instantly given the thumbs up, so here they are. I hope you enjoy seeing another view of a wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel.And I hope you can make your special day very special as well.

Juli

A Wedding Photographer's Blog Post of a Hawthorne Hotel Wedding

2011-08-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.alannascullyblog.com/kristy-and-adam-hawthorne-hotel-wedding-4168.html

This blog post features a lovely collection of photos of a wedding here at the Hawthorne Hotel this summer. I loved seeing all of these great photos. I hope you do too.

Juli

Yet Another Nice Testimony to Hawthorne Catering

2011-08-23T14:23:00.001-07:00

This is really very self-explanatory. If you need to see it more clearly, click on it to enlarge the image.

I hope you enjoy seeing these first-hand accounts of our services.

Juli

In the (Hot) Pink at a Hawthorne Hotel Wedding

2011-08-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

The following photos were of a wedding set-up in our Ballroom on the weekend of August13. I loved the colors this couple chose, and had to show the end result off to you. I hope you enjoy seeing this special wedding.

Have you noticed that the Grand Ballroom at the Hawthorne Hotel has a very lovely, but neutral palette of colors? We want your colors to be the focal point, which is why the room is decorated this way. Understated and elegant, this classic room can adapt to whatever you want to do for your special day.

I hope to see you here.

Juli

Beautiful and Unique Wedding at PEM

2011-08-22T08:11:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday we provided service for unique wedding at the Peabody Essex Museum. Here are some photos of the set-up in the Atrium, for your enjoyment:

The flowers were by Flowers by Darlene here in Salem.

The couple, Agnes and Vishal, penned their initials and their wedding date on the souvenir placecard holders. Too sweet!

On one side of the card were locations in New York City that are important to this delightful couple. Taxis are also significant to them. Wonder if that was the site of a first kiss?

And on the other side was the guest's name.

Each place setting had a lovely bloom to add a spot of color to the table.

There was a table of Mango Lassi drinks for the guests at this wedding featuring an Indian menu.

I hope you enjoy this peek at an event that you would otherwise not be able to see.

Juli

What a Wonderful Video of a Hawthorne Catering Wedding

2011-08-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

Today we received this email and link to a wonderful video of a wedding that we catered at the Peabody Essex Museum. It is such an upbeat and fun video that we had to ask for permission to share it with you, fair blog reader. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

To: Lindsay Otis; Natalia Laskaris
Subject: Burke wedding

Hi ladies,

Our videographer, Whit Wales, has provided us with a preview of our wedding video and I wanted to share it with you. Whit was absolutely amazing to work with and I would recommend him to any bride looking to capture their special day in a modern and unique way. The preview is pretty short, but it captures the Peabody Essex Museum beautifully!

Tim and I want to thank you both again for all of your help in planning and executing such a perfect wedding reception! Our guests are still raving about it!

Thanks!

Jeanne

http://www.vimeo.com/26725587

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I hope we can help you plan a perfect wedding, too!

Juli (and the team of Hawthorne Catering)

Nice Thank You for a PEM Wedding

2011-08-03T06:35:00.000-07:00

We recently received this heartfelt thank you note from a bride and groom who had their wedding reception at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) and thought you might enjoy seeing it.

Kudos to Lindsay Otis, their Catering Sales Manager, and our team.

Juli

Life is Good, Hawthorne Hotel Wedding-Style

2011-08-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

We thought you might enjoy seeing this sweet thank you card that our Sales Manager, Laura, received from a couple who had their wedding here this year.

Life is Good!!

Juli

Another Unique Groom's Cake

2011-07-23T15:18:00.000-07:00

Last night's wedding featured this groom's cake done to represent the Stanley Cup. Obviously some big Bruins fans in this wedding.
What I really loved was that as SOON as the cake was displayed, these three men (two videographers and a member of the wedding party with a cellphone) converged on the cake and began filming and snapping away. I couldn't resist taking THEIR picture, because they only had eyes for the groom's cake.

I hope you enjoy another look at a fabulous Hawthorne Hotel wedding.

Juli

Video Vignettes of the Tuttle-Brennan Wedding

2011-07-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

Last night's wedding featured two of the most darling flower girls ever, as well as a extraordinarily beautiful bride. I couldn't resist shooting these brief video vignettes with my iPhone, and was given permission to post them for you to see right here.

Since we get to see so many beautiful weddings, I thought I would share with you, fair blog reader, in this way:

When you click on each video, please be patient as it will take a minute or two before it starts to run.

Juli

Wedding with Black and Red Accents

2011-07-07T06:22:00.000-07:00

Check out her shoes!

Cute table numbers.

Beautiful centerpieces.

The Ballroom with silver Chivari chairs.

Even the cake carried through the color theme.

Photo shoot on the Common right next to the Hawthorne Hotel.

And a lovely thank you:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Karen, Christine & Liz,

I’ve been meaning to send you this email since our wedding. I just wanted to wait until I had some of the professional pictures to send to you.

I want to thank you, and the entire staff of the Hawthorne Hotel, for our wonderful wedding reception. You were all so helpful with answering all of my questions promptly and ensuring that no detail was overlooked (even stuff that I forgot about!).

Liz was so helpful and accommodating (and patient J) on the day of the wedding. Everything was handled perfectly and I knew I had nothing to worry about. The food was absolutely amazing and the ballroom was decorated beautifully. I’m still getting compliments on the food, decor and the professionalism of the wait staff. I could not have asked for a better day! Thank you so much for making our dream wedding come true!!

A few of my favorite shots of the reception are attached. Feel free to use any that you like.

Sincerely,
Trish & George

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Indian Wedding in the Ballroom

2011-06-30T10:19:00.001-07:00

The historic Hawthorne Hotel offers an elegant yet neutral backdrop suitable for any kind of wedding.

This past weekend we were pleased to be able to host a traditional Hindi wedding in our Grand Ballroom. The room was decorated appropriately, and both the couple and the event were delightful. I hope you enjoy seeing our snapshots. We are anticipating that the couple will share professional photographs with us when they are ready, in which case we will share those with you, right here.

Juli

Karen Bonds with Her Bride

2011-06-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

In May our beautiful bride, Lisa, who booked her wedding with little lead time, really showed Karen Cotton (our Director of Catering) how much she appreciated all of Karen's help and guidance.

The photos show quite clearly how much mutual appreciate there was for each other.

Nice to see. (Photos courtesy of David LaChapelle, Professional Photographer.)

Juli

Lovely Words for Lindsay and the Team

2011-04-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

A very nice thank you note for Lindsay and the team of the Hawthorne Hotel. To read it more clearly, just click on the image:

I hope you enjoy reading our mail.

Juli

Interesting Thank You Note Cards

2011-03-04T11:32:00.000-08:00

We recently received these thank you notes from a very pleased couple. We thought you would like to see them. The large photo was on the cover, and the smaller grouping of photos was on the inside of the cover, leaving a nice amount of space to write out notes.

This note was to Liz Dube, our Banquet Manager and Wedding Coordinator, who handled everything from the rehearsal to all that happened here on the big day.
This note was to Lindsay Otis, our Catering Sales Manager, who handled all of the booking details throughout the time period leading up to the event.

The photo above was the inside cover of their note card.

The bottom photo is actually the cover of their custom notecard.

We love sharing ideas that we get to see with all of you who read our wedding blog.
We thought you might enjoy reading the heartfelt thanks as well.

Juli

Beautiful January Wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel

2011-02-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

We recently received these photos from a couple who were married here in mid-January. They also sent along this note:

Hey Laura,
The wedding was amazing. Liz was extremely helpful. She was on point all night. We have been BUSY BUSY BUSY since returning but we will stop by when things settle down and the weather gets better.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoy seeing these photos and note.

Juli

Amazingly Beautiful Photos of a Wedding at PEM

2011-02-17T09:13:00.000-08:00

Amazingly Beautiful Photos of a Wedding at PEM that we catered on New Year's Eve at PEM.

The Peabody Essex Museum is located just one short block from the Hawthorne Hotel. This wedding took place there, and the overnight guests stayed here at the Hawthorne Hotel with us.

These photos are simply terrific:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=185615883457&aid=262134

I hope you enjoy seeing them.

And, here is a note from the bride, talking about her experience with Hawthorne Catering and the Hawthorne Hotel:

"I absolutely recommend Hawthorne Catering at the PEM. Our wedding was this past New Year's eve. We had a very small amount of planning time (less than three months), but Lindsay Otis of Hawthorne Catering did an amazing job, in conjunction with Natalia from the PEM. She was able to make fantastic recommendations and was unbelievably responsive. She was extremely patient with all of our vendors, very calm, and so capable. We truly felt like we had a knowledgeable and reliable friend helping us to plan, and certainly helping us to celebrate at the actual wedding. We also had a breakfast the next morning at the Hawthorne Hotel. My parents planned the breakfast entirely and also raved about the service they received from Lindsay and the entire crew at Hawthorne. We just cannot say enough good things! "

We don't really need to tell you anything about how good we are -- our customers do it for us!

Smiling broadly,

Juli

Another Wonderful Thank You from a Very Satisfied Wedding Couple

2011-01-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

Our guests say it best -- this was an email from a very happy bride and groom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: Megan B
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2011 1:03 PM
To: Christine Turner
Subject: Thank you

Dear Christine,

This email is very late in coming, I hope you can excuse me. My name is Megan B and my husband David B and I had our wedding reception at the Hawthorne on Friday, November 5th, 2010. David and I want to thank you and your wonderful staff for all you did to make our wedding day as perfect as could be. Everyone warned me, in the weeks prior to the wedding, that "something always goes wrong" at weddings, so I shouldn't plan on it and get my hopes up. But now, when people ask me how it went, the first word that comes to mind is "perfect", because...that's what it was. Looking back, I don't have a single thing I would change about our beautiful wedding reception. Your excellent staff made sure it went off without a hitch. They were accommodating, checked everything with us in advance (briefly, so as not to interrupt our enjoyment of the evening), and just so wonderful! We were able to enjoy our wedding reception without worrying about the little details, or things going wrong. Our parents commented to us that we had made a great choice in having our reception at the Hawthorne Hotel. I can't praise you and your staff enough for all that was done for us, and I will certainly recommend you to any other brides who plan on getting married in the North Shore, MA, area! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Best wishes for a happy New Year 2011!

With thanks,

Megan and David B
--

A Unique Wedding Favor

2011-01-18T07:11:00.000-08:00

At many weddings there are "camps" of guests -- whether families or groups of friends who know each other, and then "everyone else" which constitute the other guests unknown to them.

This favor seeks to help to break that "ice" that can exist between people in situations like that, and we think it is a keen idea.

Months ago there was a wedding here that had a very unique wedding favor for their guests. I had some scans made of this item, and promptly forgot to put them up here on the wedding blog.

While the scans are a bit hard to read, you can see by the introduction and the titles what the purpose and outcome might have been. We enjoyed seeing the guests reading first about themselves, and then learning more about each other.

The scans recently came back to my attention, so I am finally getting them posted for you to see.

I hope you enjoy yet another look at an interesting wedding here at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Juli

How to Plan the Best Wedding

2011-01-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

The following article was posted on our main Hawthorne Hotel blog, but we thought it should be here as well:

http://hawthornehotel.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-make-certain-your-event-wedding.html

Juli

A Modern Family Gets Married at the Hawthorne Hotel

2010-12-23T10:11:00.000-08:00

We recently received this lovely thank you email and photos, and thought you might enjoy sharing with us.

As a point of information, Christine is Christine Turner, who is our Assistant Director of Catering, and is the person that does the planning with the couples who are married here (as do Karen Cotton, our Director of Catering, and Laura Abraham and Lindsay Otis who are Catering Sales Managers) and Britony is Britony Wells who on occasion is a Wedding Coordinator for us.

Every wedding that is booked here at the Hawthorne Hotel is handled in this professional manner -- by a Sales Professional who is skilled in helping our clients make the best choices for their special day and who will make sure every detail is committed to a written record, and by a Wedding Coordinator who is highly talented at managing the actual wedding reception itself.

We believe it takes two differing skill sets to handle these very different jobs -- both are equally important on our team, and both are the best in their particular field.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christine and Britony,

We would like to thank you again for making our special day that much more amazing. Our wedding was everything we dreamed and so much more because you both were a part of it. Everyone we speak to, if they want to get married in Salem, we tell them the Hawthorne Hotel, Christine and Britony. You gals were amazing.

We would love to extend a seasons greetings to you and all of your family. Stay warm and enjoy every moment with the ones you love during these holidays that bring us so close together.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Years!

Warmest Wishes,

Gina and Rebecca C
Niamh and Conor

Wow, a Great Post on Another Blog

2010-12-23T08:56:00.000-08:00

. . . about a winter wedding here at the Hawthorne Hotel. Be sure to play the slide show at the very bottom of this post to see LOTS and LOTS of views of the Hawthorne Hotel.

http://staciekirkwood.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-to-remember-at-hawthorne-hotel.html

Nice work by this photographer, Stacie Kirkwood. Thanks so much!

Juli

Thank You Notes Like This Delight Us

2010-12-23T04:36:00.000-08:00

In order to read this more clearly, just click on the image.

Juli

Candy Station with Cake and Coffee

2010-12-13T08:32:00.000-08:00

Wedding clients vary regarding how they wish to have their wedding cake served to their guests. Some opt for the more formal table service, and some would prefer a self-serve buffet. Often the cake station is combined with a coffee station, and sometimes the coffee station will be upgraded with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, cinnamon sticks and the like to make it just a little bit fancier.

In the case of this guest, they opted for a cake/coffee station coupled with a candy station. I hope you enjoy this peak at a different part of our set up. I know the guests at this wedding really enjoyed it, because I barely had a chance to take photos before they were right there, choosing their favorites with great glee!

Juli

A Different View of the Ballroom

2010-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

We received this email recently and thought you might enjoy reading it. I especially enjoyed seeing this fresh view of the Grand Ballroom, which was set with a sweetheart table, and gold ballroom chairs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Christine,

I wanted to thank you again for helping us plan such a beautiful wedding! Everything ran just as smoothly as I was hoping (thank you, Claire!). The ballroom looked gorgeous and I couldn't have been happier. I attached some pictures from the night (the files are large so I need to send in multiple emails) - feel free to use some on the blog! If you do post any, please give credit to our photographer - Black Thumb Studio (Jeff Turner).

Thank you again to everyone at the hotel for making our night so special!!

Courtney and Jeff

Photo courtesy of Black Thumb Studio (Jeff Turner)

Wow! A Beautiful Wedding Photo at the Hawthorne Hotel

2010-12-01T06:01:00.000-08:00

This is one of those photos that says what a thousand words cannot describe. What a handsome couple, too!

I hope you enjoy it.

Juli

A Very Different Wedding

2010-11-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

We just received this photo and email today, and wanted to share it with you, fair blog reader. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Juli

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Hi Laura,

Bob and I wanted to thank you for all your help with the wedding planning. I can't imagine having to do any of that without you. The ceremony and reception was perfect! I can't believe how elegant it all turned out. The food was excellent and everyone loved the Belhaven! Thank you so much! You ROCK!

Jen R

A Lovely Start to Our Week!!

2010-11-08T14:38:00.000-08:00

This email arrived in Kristie Poehler's mailbox this morning. Kristie is our Regional Director of Sales and Marketing. She shared, and I thought you might like to see it too, since it is about a wedding here at the Hawthorne Hotel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: Nancy @hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 10:46 AM
To: Kristie Poehler
Subject: wedding 11/6/2010

Good Morning Kristie!

Well - my daughter and her fiance's wedding on Saturday at the Hawthorne was just superb!!

The professionalism of the staff, absolute attention to detail, delicious meal and hors d'eouvres - what more can a family ask for for their daughter's wedding!
From prior to the ceremony until the very last hour - the staff was available and there to assist us in whatever requets we had, be it simple or not so simple and they did with style!

Again, thanks to the staff at the Hawthorne who were so involved in this glorious day - we commend you all!

Sincerely,

Nancy & Bart (parents of Jessica)

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Nice! Thanks so much for taking the time to write to us.

Juli

Professional Photographer's Photos of Wedding on 10-10-10

2010-11-05T15:13:00.000-07:00

The couple that were married here on 10-10-10 were so gracious. They had their photographer send us some photos from their wedding, so that I could share them with you here. I hope you enjoy these.

Juli

A Great Look at a Hawthorne Hotel Wedding

2010-10-26T04:38:00.000-07:00

Wedding on 10-10-10 at the historic Hawthorne Hotel -- it doesn't get more memorable than that. Here is a complete look at that wedding, courtesy of the wedding photographers:

http://mrdrewphotography.com/blog/2010/10/brittany-lukesalem-ma/

If you love photos of weddings, this is the blog post for you.

Juli

Another lovely "THANK YOU" email

2010-10-12T18:09:00.000-07:00

We just received this very nice email. Of course, we always take full credit for excellent weather! :-)

Juli

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Dear Christine, Liz, etc. -

For once I am at a loss for words, which is a rarity!!

EVERYTHING was beyond perfect!!! I did not hear even a peep of negative from anyone, all I heard was how gorgeous the venue was, the food was superb, the staff was excellent, the weather, etc. (and especially the candy) was the best they have experienced at a wedding!

From the beginning of our planning until the check-out on Sunday morning I could not have asked for more, it was beyond a pleasure working with everyone and could not have pulled of the wedding of the year without you!!! (LOL) I don't know what to do now with all my free time!

THANK YOU soooo much for everything!!!

Susan & Matt

Where were you 57 years ago?

2010-10-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

I love old photos. They tell such terrific stories. Here are two photos of a wedding reception that took place in the Hawthorne Hotel 57 years ago. I got to meet this couple, who are still very much in love, when they came to visit the hotel from California recently.

I took their photo and blogged about them on our regular Hawthorne Hotel blog. But I think their wedding photos, which they were kind enough to share with me, belong on our wedding blog.

I hope you enjoy seeing them, and their note to me. To make any of the images on our blog larger, just click on the image itself.

I hope to see you here.

Juli

Fall-Themed Wedding

2010-10-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had a wedding that certainly got in the spirit of the Fall Season in Salem, Massachusetts. See for yourself.

Juli

2010-10-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

This week we received a lovely thank you email and photo of a recent wedding. I thought you would like to see it as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Laura,

I'm sorry I couldn't send this email to you sooner! I wanted to wait to send my thank you to you once we'd received our wedding photos, so I could send you one of our favorites from the reception! I can't thank you enough for all that you did to make our wedding the beautiful and memorable event that it was. From the planning, to the food, to all the little details, you and the rest of the Hawthorne were wonderful. We've received many compliments about the food and the atmosphere that I wanted to make sure to pass on to you. Everyone raved about both!

From our first meeting with you, you made Jeff and myself feel comfortable and excited about our choice to have our wedding at the Hawthorne. I look forward to coming back in the future for an anniversary visit!

Thanks again!

Becky

The groom's family is from Canada, so we flew the Canadian flag in their honor on their wedding day.

If you have a special request for a flag or flags to be flown, do let us know in advance, as we take these requests in the order we receive them.

I hope you enjoy seeing another Hawthorne Hotel wedding, and sharing in this couple's happiness.

Juli

A (Very) Unique Wedding Cake

2010-09-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

Looking like a birch tree in a forest of ferns, this wedding cake is one of the most unusual ones we have seen lately. The initials "carved" in the "tree trunk" are of obvious significance to this happy couple.

We just love getting to look at so many unique ideas here at the historic Hawthorne Hotel, and we especially enjoy sharing these ideas with you, fair blog reader.

I hope you enjoy getting to see these ideas too!

Juli

Great Photos of Steph & Greg's Wedding

2010-09-02T07:03:00.000-07:00

This post will round out the series of posts we did on Steph and Greg's wedding. If you want to know more, see the prior posts on the subject.

Here is a link to their wedding photos, which are awesome. I really love their photographers' different take on wedding photos, and there are some lovely photos of the Hawthorne Hotel in this album as well.

http://joshuabehanblog.com/?p=1260

I hope you enjoy looking at these as much as we did.

Juli

Wedding in a Week

2010-09-02T06:53:00.000-07:00

Earlier in this blog I noted that a couple had booked their wedding reception just one week before their wedding. Here are some photos from that wedding that took place this past Sunday.

Not every wedding that takes place at the Hawthorne Hotel needs to be a large wedding, as you can see from these photos. Casual, small weddings also take place here, and our experienced staff is so well-versed at what they do, they can handle even something like a "wedding in a week" as we did for this happy couple.

This wedding reception took place in our function room called Sophia's. It is a lovely room with windows on two sides, and a beautiful crystal chandelier. This wedding was for about 50 guests, and there was still room for a dance floor, a bar, the DJ and the cake table.

If you are planning a smaller wedding, and thought that the Hawthorne Hotel was only for larger, "grand ballroom" weddings, you may want to think again!

If you want more information, call our catering staff at 978-825-4358.

I hope to see your wedding reception, here at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Juli

Beautiful "Pink-Inspired" Wedding in Hawthorne Hotel's Grand Ballroom

2010-08-27T14:21:00.001-07:00

The palest shade of pink on the bride's gown carried through the entire color palette for this wedding, as you can see by these photos here.

Meet Susan and Ryan. Such a handsome, beautiful couple! I had a rare opportunity to photograph them at the sweetheart table before the reception actually began.

Tables were named for all the streets that the happy couple have had as part of their lives -- between the two of them they have lived on every one of the sixteen streets. What fun!

The beautiful flower arrangements were done by Pepperberry Flowers. The florist is a family friend, and it certainly shows in the absolutely exquisite arrangements that perfectly match the bride's colors.

I hope you enjoy this look at another color scheme in the Grand Ballroom of the Hawthorne Hotel.

Juli

Wedding in a Week!!!!

2010-08-24T14:16:00.001-07:00

Wow, we booked a wedding this Monday (yesterday) that will be taking place this Sunday! Wedding in a Week!! I'm going to take some photos to put right here, to show you that with the help of the excellent Hawthorne Hotel Catering, Banquet and Culinary Team members, your wedding can come true quite easily.

Juli

Chef Steve Recognized for His Efforts

2010-08-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Every wedding has its own story. Every guest has their own reason for choosing our hotel for their event. It is really nice to read a thank you note like this one, recognizing our Executive Chef, Steve Nelson, for his efforts.

It made me smile to read it, and I thought you might enjoy seeing it too.

Thanks, Chef Steve, for all that you do to make our guests happy!

Juli

Another very thoughtful THANK YOU email!

2010-08-15T05:22:00.000-07:00

This email was for Steph and Greg's wedding, which we have profiled from start to finish right here on our blog. It was sent by Steph and Greg to Christine Turner, our Assistant Director of Catering (Christine was their wedding planner)and Liz Dube, our Banquet Manager (Liz ran their wedding)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christine and Liz -

First off- I cannot say enough to either of you about how beautiful our wedding was thanks to your hard work. Everything from start to finish was so wonderfully handled. Thank you for always being so quick to respond to my numerous questions and always being there with great advice. Honestly, we never felt like just another wedding. Your care, attention to detail, and experience made us feel like our wedding was important to you. I spent a lot of time on the details (as you know
:-P ) and your team took what I had imagined and made it a million times more incredible. I haven't stopped hearing from our guests how wonderful everything was- the details, the ballroom, the staff, and the food. Additionally, Robyn and the front desk team did an incredible job. Robyn worked so hard to help us set up our room block and work out easy ways for Greg and I to get ready on the wedding day. This attention to our wants, needs and dreams made the planning so much easier. Thank you for everything.

While I am still awaiting our photos, our full highlight video is up. I sent Juli the short preview a few days ago. I will send along photos when we have them.
http://vimeo.com/14137546

Again- for everything- thank you. We feel blessed to be starting our marriage on such a wonderful note.

I didn't have Liz's email so if you could forward this to her as well, that would be most appreciated!

Greg and Stephanie

Some ideas for Memory Boards Instead of Guest Book

2010-08-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Our Ballroom Without Embellishments

2010-08-13T11:43:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering what our Ballroom looks like when it is set for a wedding that has no "extras" here are a couple of shots that should help you. This is with "our" chairs, regular (not upgraded)linens, no chair covers, no fancy tall flowers, and the dance floor set in the middle, with a DJ for the entertainment (not a band.)

The room is great looking just 'as is' but it certainly does lend itself well to upgrades -- it is really up to you.

I hope this look might be helpful for you.

Juli

Beautiful Colors in Our Ballroom

2010-08-11T11:53:00.000-07:00

Here at the Hawthorne Hotel we do so many weddings that you might think we have seen it all. However, we are often surprised ourselves when someone comes up with a new "look" for our space, whether it is through the colors they choose, or the cake or something else that stands out.

That was the case this past weekend with this event, so we thought we would share some photos with you, fair blog reader.

I hope you enjoy getting to see it as much as we did.

Juli

Video of Steph and Greg's Wedding (Preview)

2010-08-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

Greg + Stephanie's Trailer from Michael and Tricia Films on Vimeo.

Get ready to pull out a tissue or two. . . this is so sweet!

Thanks for sharing!

Juli

A different wedding cake

2010-08-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

Do you like it?

Juli

Cute Idea for Gift Cards

2010-08-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

This wedding had an unusual way to handle gift cards, turning the receptacle into something more than just that -- it became a way for the guests to offer their special thoughts to the bride and groom, for their special day.

We thought you might like to see this idea as well.

Juli

Nathaniel's + Sophia's= Great Venue for Small Wedding Reception

2010-08-08T12:07:00.001-07:00

Here are some photos of a recent wedding reception that took place in the combination of rooms we call Nathaniel's and Sophia's (pronounced so-fye-ahs)

I hope you enjoy seeing a space where we can handle your small wedding -- ideally intimate for 75 to 100 people.

If you want to know more, contact our Catering Office directly at 978-825-4358.

Juli

Indiana Jones Wedding Cake

2010-08-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

If one of you are from Indiana, and the other one sports the name Jones, it might be very likely that Indiana Jones could have played a role in your relationship, right?

That is certainly the case with this couple, who chose this very unique wedding cake topper for their wedding reception at the Hawthorne Hotel last month.

We thought it was so cute, that we had to post it for you to see. I hope you enjoy this somewhat-behind-the-scenes look at our "wedding life" here at the Hawthorne Hotel.

I hope we can help you with your special day,

Juli

Steph & Greg Are Married

2010-07-31T16:27:00.000-07:00

A glorious day for a wedding, and you don't have to be an ex-President's daughter to have a very special wedding. You only need to come to the Hawthorne Hotel, where we treat every couple as "royalty".

If you have been following this wedding blog for the past year, you already know about Steph and Greg. Today was their wedding day, and I took a lot of photos (with their permission) to document the special day on our blog.

Here are a few photos to get you started. I will be posting more over the coming weeks.

Many of our couples choose to have photos taken in the Gazebo located on Salem Common, right next to the Hawthorne Hotel. While the photos are being shot, we send over a server, with hors d'oeuvres and pitchers of water (no alcohol is allowed there) so that the wedding party is well taken care of while they are having their photos (and sometimes video) taken.

That is the case with these photos.

I hope these photos are helpful to you. Stay tuned.

Juli

The Wedding Rehearsal

2010-07-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

As we continue to follow Steph's wedding, we thought you might like to see some shots of the rehearsal. We are always able to find ways to do rehearsals, despite what is going on in the hotel. Tonight there was a wedding reception in the Ballroom, so Liz took the group up to the second floor to rehearse.

Liz is very serious about making sure that weddings go perfectly, so she is all over the rehearsals.

But she is able to make sure everyone has a bit of fun at the same time.

I hope you enjoy this "behind the scenes peek at what we do.

Juli

The ALL-IMPORTANT Detail Meeting

2010-07-29T15:02:00.000-07:00

Here you see Steph meeting with her Wedding Planner, Christine Turner (seated) and her Wedding Coordinator, Liz Dube. The Detail Meeting is a kind of hand-off from the Planner to the Coordinator, and this meeting is probably the most important part of the entire preparatory process of holding a wedding here.

One of the things that our customers tell us over and over again is how smoothly everything runs at a wedding or other event that they might host or attend at the Hawthorne Hotel. We think that the reason for that is the DETAIL meetings that we have with our clients ahead of time.

We adore Steph, who is getting married here this weekend, in part because she is such a sweet, nice person, and also because she is super-organized, which makes the Detail Meeting go very smoothly.

Christine Turner is going through the boxes of things that we are going to handle for Steph this weekend, from favors, to menu cards, to special glasses for their toast, to table numbers and so on.

Since Steph found our hotel an appealing site, in part because of our use of social media, she also agreed to let me document her wedding from start to finish on our blog. Thanks, Steph!

I hope you enjoy learning more about weddings at the historic Hawthorne Hotel, where our building is graciously-old, but our ideas about how to run our business are definitely on the forefront.

Juli

Another Nice Thank You for Another Great Wedding

2010-07-19T07:54:00.000-07:00

From: Kathleen A.

Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 1:12 PM

To: Christine Turner

Subject: [a/v] wedding

Hi Christine,

Thank you so much for all your help with [our families'] wedding and the breakfast that followed. The entire staff of the Hawthorne – at least the ones I had dealings with – were wonderful. Everyone was helpful, friendly and went out of their way to be accommodating. The simplest way to put it is that you all made everything easy for us, and that’s what you hope for with an event.

Please pass along my thanks to all the others who were involved in the event, from Liz to the wait staff and bartenders, the fellow who “ran” the breakfast, the porters, the desk clerks, housekeeping – everyone was just terrific.

And thank you again for all your help. I would certainly recommend the Hawthorne to anyone planning an event.

Kathleen

Value Wedding Price -- New Package!

2010-07-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

If you have ever dreamed about a wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel, but thought you might not be able to afford it, we have a package just for you. It is our new (just being introduced today) Super Value Wedding Package, available on certain Special Opportunity Dates.

This package is such a huge value, these dates should go quickly. Hopefully you can be flexible about the date of your wedding, so you can take full advantage of this pricing.

Elements included in the package are:

Personal Assistance from a Professional Wedding Coordinator
Three-Course Dinner
Candlelight Centerpieces
Place Cards
Wedding Guest Book & Pen
Private Room for Photographs
A Selection of Floor Length Linens
Discount on Overnight Accommodations for Overnight Guests
Discounts on Rehearsal Dinner, Bridal Shower and/or Farewell Brunch at the Hotel

Menu Selection
Field Green Salad with Assorted Dressings
Warm Rolls and Sweet Butter

Entree Selection (Choice Of One)

Chicken Breast Stuffed with Apples and Pecans,
Served with a Maple Dijon Sauce

Roast Pork Loin with Apricot Cornbread Stuffing

Herb-Roasted Cod, Thyme and White Wine Butter Sauce

Seasonal Vegetables
Oven Roasted Potatoes

Ice Cream Bonbon

Freshly Brewed Coffee, Tea & Decaffeinated Coffee

Additional menu items are available upon request.

$35 Per Person Plus Tax and Service Charges

The Current Opportunity Dates are:

2010
Sunday, November 14
Sunday, November 21
Friday, November 26
Sunday, November 28

Sunday, December 5
Sunday, December 12
Sunday, December 19

2011
Sunday, January 9
Sunday, January 23
Friday, January 28
Sunday, January 30

Friday, February 4
Saturday, February 5
Sunday, February 6
Friday, February 11
Saturday, February 12
Sunday, February 13
Friday, February 18
Sunday, February 20
Friday, February 25
Sunday, February 27

Friday, March 4
Sunday, March 6
Friday, March 11
Saturday, March 12
Sunday, March 13
Friday, March 18
Saturday, March 19
Sunday, March 20
Friday, March 25
Saturday, March 26

Sunday, March 27

For more information call: (978) 825-4358

Other dates may also be available later in the year, so check with us by giving us a call on the Catering Department's direct line above.

I hope this new pricing can be helpful to you, in order for you to be able to afford the wedding of your dreams.

Juli

Unusual but Classical Centerpieces

2010-07-09T11:21:00.000-07:00

We see so many different floral centerpieces, due to the fact that we host so many different weddings and other events here. These centerpieces pictured above seemed really special to many of us here at the Hawthorne Hotel, so I thought I would share.

I hope you enjoy seeing them as much as we did.

Juli

Lovely Photographer's Post on a PEM Wedding

2010-07-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

Follow this link to see some great photos of a wedding at the Peabody Essex Museum. The guests stayed here, so some of the photos were shot in our hotel rooms.

http://blog.authenticeye.com/?tag=the-hawthorne-hotel

I hope you enjoy this little peek at a lovely wedding.

Juli

Hawthorne Hotel Blog

2010-06-26T12:35:00.001-07:00

Be sure to look at our "regular" blog posts for last night and today. Here is the link where you can see the anniversary story of a couple who have been married for 75 years -- so sweet! And a post of some centerpieces for a wedding in the Ballroom that were made by the mother of the groom -- another lovely family touch.

www.Hawthornehotel.blogspot.com

If you are reading this on a later date, just do a search for posts on June 25 and 26, 2010.

Juli

Too Funny! iRomance?

2010-06-25T05:01:00.001-07:00

Are you part of the iPhone, iPad, iANYTHING generation? Is this wedding in your future.

Juli

Thank You Email to Liz

2010-06-24T07:09:00.001-07:00

Liz Dube is our awesome banquet manager here at the Hawthorne Hotel. She is the embodiment of the swan that we all try to be, as we do our work in the hotel business -- sailing serenely on the surface and paddling furiously underneath.

Here is a thank you email that she just received that says it better than I can:

From: kate donnelly

Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2010 4:57 PM

To: Liz Dube

Subject:

Dear Liz, Thank-you so much for your calm and professional management of the reception. It was flawless. The meal was hot and delicious. The room was decorated beautifully and we so enjoyed the Hawthorne in all it's splendor. We were hoping you would be assigned to julie's wedding when we met you as you prepped for a wedding last December.

Sincerely thank-you.

Kate

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Such a nice way to start my day!

Juli

A Classic, Beautiful Wedding

2010-06-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

I know the "C" on the top of this cake was representative of the name of the couple getting married, but for me it will stand for "Classic" which was the look this wedding embodied.

Both Liz Dube, our Banquet Manager, and I agreed that this wedding was classically pretty, and so we decided it was worthy of a blog post.

We hope you enjoy seeing these photos, too.

Beautiful flower arrangements, both tall and short, added grace and movement to the look of the tables.

The ballroom with our new crystal chandeliers really had a lovely glow.

The seating was by table assignment through a chart, rather than place card seating.

The couple brought in a number of family wedding photos that we placed all around the seating area during the cocktail hours. Our seating area in the area outside the Essex and Pickman rooms adds a very residential feel to these kinds of events.

I hope you enjoy this look at this classically beautiful wedding.

Juli

A Dog's Life Wedding

2010-06-16T13:57:00.000-07:00

Be sure to check our 'regular' blog for our post on the upcoming dog wedding taking place in Salem on June 25. It will be quite the affair, and the happy couple will be honeymooning at the Hawthorne Hotel.

www.HawthorneHotel.blogspot.com

Juli

Swan Favors and Nice Thank You

2010-06-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

This couple had such special wedding favors for their wedding. You can see a photo of them below.

He does beautiful art glass work (and even accepts commissions) and teaches classes at Diablo Glass Works. He made each and every guest at his wedding a hand-blown swan -- such a lovely and special memento of a beautiful day.

If you wish to contact him, here is the website: www.mckenneyglass.com
-- be sure to tell him you read about his special work right here on the Hawthorne Hotel blog.

I hope to see you here, and if we can help you with your wedding plans, please call us at 978-825-4358. Our catering staff are available Monday through Saturday, and evenings by appointment.

Juli

Another Lovely Ballroom Wedding

2010-05-29T16:46:00.001-07:00

Be sure to scroll all the way through the photos to the one at the very end. We love to have a bit of fun here at the Hawthorne Hotel, even when we are working on a lovely wedding. Then at the very end there is a brief video so you can see the light show on the ceiling, that was part of what the DJ supplied for this wedding.

Flowers by Peter Barter Florist

Cake by Montilio's

Sweetheart table glows with the special lighting for this event.

Britony Wells and Liz Dube, Wedding Coordinators of the Hawthorne Hotel share a light moment just before the guests arrived in the Ballroom.

I hope to see you here,

Juli

Guest "Book" with a Difference -- Fun!!

2010-05-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

There was an artist in this couples group of friends and relatives, and the result were these great images used as "guest book" and on the program for the wedding. Unique touches like this are so much fun for us to see, and to share with you through this blog.

When we think of life 'pre-blog' and how things are now, we realized how much more fun it is to be able to share things with the 'world' through our blog. This has become a kind of magazine for us, and for you, fair blog-reader. We hope you enjoy it!

Juli

Interesting Resource for Wedding Favors

2010-05-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

I recently happened across this website and thought you might be interested in checking it out too.

http://www.thefavourshoppe.com/favour-products

I hope this might be helpful to you.

Juli

Yet ANOTHER Awesome Thank You E-Mail with Photos

2010-05-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

Our brides and grooms say the nicest things about having their wedding receptions at the Hawthorne Hotel. Here is yet another example:

From: L, Lisa
Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 3:17 PM
To: Robyn Sheather; Karen Cotton

Subject: Thank You, March 6th

Dear Hawthorne Hotel Catering/Sales Staff (Karen, Liz, and Robyn)

Jon and I wanted to send you a quick e-mail, to thank you for everything you did to make our wedding the most amazing day of our lives.

I started this journey back when I was going to school at Salem State College. I remember, visiting the Hawthorne and saying this is where I want to get married. I never in a million years dreamed that all my dreams would eventually come true. I have many friends who have attend weddings at the Hawthorne and couldn't stop raving about what an amazing time they had. So when we came for our first meeting with Karen, the deal was pretty much sealed, all I needed was for Jon to say he liked it, well my wish was granted because he LOVED it as much as I did. Thank you Karen for giving him a grand tour of the hotel and Ballroom.

On April 10, 2009, Jon asked me to marry him and less then a year later my wish and dreams did come true with a wedding we could only dream about, thanks to all your hard work and dedication to making every wedding special.

We would like to thank Liz for taking our vision, and theme and bringing it all together to look absolutely spectacular. From, the card trees (that I noticed are on your blog, Yippee!), to the tables in the Ballroom.

Liz, you and your crew turned our dream into a reality, thank you for letting us be the first to view the room and share in a very special moment as husband and wife. We couldn't have asked for a better coordinator to help us finish off the journey of our lives.

Also, I would also like to thank Robyn for all her hard work making sure our room block and guests had everything they needed. She was always so quick in responding to my e-mails, I never had to wait more then 20 mins for a response. This is what you call Awesome Customer Service.

Thank you to all your amazing wait staff for all their hard work getting the food out to our guests at the reception, everyone is still talking about how amazing everything was. I would also like to thank your waiter, I think his name was Mike for taking care of everything Jon and I needed, you were amazing.

. . . . (above) are some of my favorite photos of the Ballroom and a few of Jon and I that I thought you might enjoy.

Thank you again and we can't wait to stay with you on our 1 year anniversary.

Please let me know if you are not able to view the pictures. Again, thank you so much for a weekend to remember.

Sincerely,

Lisa and Jon

Place Card Holder Bushes

2010-04-26T14:22:00.000-07:00

Here was a unique way to display place cards for seating at a wedding here at the Hawthorne Hotel.

We are so fortunate to be able to see so many different ideas, and are happy to share them with you, right here.

Juli

New Crystal Chandeliers Add Elegance to our Grand Ballroom

2010-04-23T14:37:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we installed beautiful crystal chandeliers in our Grand Ballroom here at the Hawthorne Hotel. Today was the first time I could take photos of the room set up for a wedding, showcasing the new lighting.

The room is set for a ceremony right now. Both couples elected to have gold ballroom chairs for their weddings this weekend (we have a wedding tonight, Friday, and another one on Saturday night so they decided to share the use of these special chairs.)

I hope you enjoy seeing these detailed photos.

Juli

Attention to Detail is Important to Us at the Hawthorne Hotel

2010-04-20T07:38:00.000-07:00

Instead of table numbers, this couple chose to use the names of places that were special to them.

These flower arrangements were so beautiful, I had to show them to you.

While I may have caught them all blinking, it only reinforces the fact that the banquet staff at the Hawthorne Hotel are so good at what they do, they can do it with their eyes closed -- here they are folding napkins for this wedding this past weekend.

In this photo you see Bobby making sure each "bird of paradise" napkin is displayed perfectly, to add the finishing touch to the table setting.

I hope you enjoy this latest post on our Hawthorne Hotel Wedding Blog.

Juli

And the answer is. . .

2010-04-02T05:08:00.001-07:00

In response to my post below, some friends of the Hawthorne Hotel set out to translate the website. I just got this email back:

Hey Juli, Here is your answer! Have a good day!~Mary

I too think I am all set with frolicking in the salt water with my wedding dress!-----

Forwarded Message -----From: "Angela "-------@gmail.com>

To: m@comcast.net

Sent: Thursday, April 1, 2010 10:50:38 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific

Subject: Re: Weddings at the Hawthorne Hotel

Those pictures are gorgeous! My photographer also offered a trash the dress session that I could do in place of the engagement session..You can "Trash the dress" after your wedding or purchase another one (like the $$99 samples or a david's brida type deal). I personally would not want to be frolicking in the salt water with my own dress but to each his own :) People take pics in weird places like the dump...a graffitteed alley, etc

I'll give you a call so we can get together!

Angela

Trash the Dress

2010-03-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

A wedding photographer from Brazil started following me on Twitter.
I clicked on his links, and found some awesome wedding photography there, but what piqued my interest was his 'trash the dress' series. Have any of you heard of this practice?

Just curious if I am so much out of the loop, or is this a new trend? The photos are really awesome, but there is no doubt that by the end of a shoot like this, your wedding dress would be trash. Do these brides have two dresses, or do they do this shoot after the actual wedding reception?

Since I can't read Portuguese, I can't see if there is any information on his website or blog.

(here is a link to his website, in case you are curious, too after reading this blogpost -- http://www.jaredwindmuller.com/ )

Fair wedding blog readers, any thoughts?

Curious, I remain,

Juli

A Very Timely and Much Appreciated Email

2010-02-24T12:03:00.000-08:00

We received this lovely email, and photographs, today, and wanted to take the opportunity to share it with those of you who might be considering a wedding a the Hawthorne Hotel. We think seeing things from our guests' perspective is probably the most helpful thing we can do for prospective couples.

Juli

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Laura and the amazing Hawthorne Staff:

Nick and I wanted to send you all a note to THANK YOU for everything you did to make our wedding day the most memorable day of our lives! When we began our wedding planning over a year ago, our minds were made up that our reception would be at the Hawthorne Hotel even before our initial meeting with Christine. Laura, you were such a pleasure to work with throughout our planning over the past year. We can't thank you enough for all of your help, advice and guidance in working with us to ensure that our wedding day would turn out exactly the way we had hoped!

We'd also like to thank Claire and especially Liz, our coordinator on the day of our wedding, for everything you did to make us feel so special that day! Liz, you made sure that everything ran smoothly and we are so impressed and are still in awe of how seamless you and your team made the entire evening flow. Everyone at the Hawthorne Hotel from the hotel staff (especially Robyn Sheather, who helped us multiple times with hotel welcome bags for overnight guests) to the waitstaff (especially Cheryl and Sandy) is so wonderful to work with and each and every one of you did such a great job of making our wedding reception so extremely beautiful!!

We can't thank you all enough for helping to make our wedding day one that we'll cherish and remember forever!

THANK YOU!!

Sincerely,

Aubrey and Nicholas E.

Better Late Than Never -- A Lovely Thank You and Photos

2010-02-24T11:23:00.000-08:00

We just received these photos and the accompanying note you can read below. We thought you would enjoy learning just how satisfied these guests were with their wedding at the historic Hawthorne Hotel.

Juli
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bridesmaids at the Grandmother window overlooking the Grand Ballroom.

The shadow.

A fitting tribute.

An almost formal photo in our "photo room", the Pickman Room.

Dear Karen, Kelly, Christine, Britony, and the rest of the Hawthorne catering/event department:

This note comes exactly 7 months and 20 days overdue, but none the less, I wanted to thank you for all the work you did helping make our July 3rd wedding a wonderful, memorable day.

Leading up to the wedding, everyone was so helpful in putting together the details so that I didn't have to worry about them-- from arranging a private tasting for me, to helping me pick out hors d'oeuvres long distance over the phone, to walking me through the "homework" I forgot to do-- I always had help, guidance, and personal attention.And the personal care did not fade, even through the wedding day!

My event planner Britony went above-and-beyond the call of duty. Not only did she have the whole day exquisitely planned and have everything executed perfectly, but she actually came to the rescue when disaster struck! A guest spilled red wine on the back of my dress while hugging me in the receiving line, and before I knew it, Britony was crouched down behind me blotting my dress with club soda for what must have been at least 15 or 20 minutes (as if she didn't have a million other things to do). She was a life saver!

I really could not have asked for a better environment or staff for our wedding day.I have attached some pictures that I think accentuate unique parts of the Hawthorne and that I think you'll enjoy seeing.

We had the greatest day of our lives, and we can't wait to come back and celebrate at the Hawthorne again soon!

With our gratitude,

Moriah and David

White Rolls Royce Limousine Sets the Tone For a Beautiful Wedding

2010-01-30T15:47:00.000-08:00

With a beautiful bride leading the way. . .

Lovely embroidered napkins filled with Jordan almonds were the favor, in keeping with a family tradition.

This past Saturday night's wedding here in the Ballroom at the Hawthorne had many lovely touches that all added up to understated elegance. A perfect match for our historic hotel.

Juli

A Different Chair Cover Resource

2010-01-29T13:16:00.000-08:00

For a wedding that will be taking place in the Ballroom tomorrow evening, there is a new resource for chair covers. I love the fact that these chair covers have gathered skirts, because it makes sitting in them more comfortable -- if you want to tuck your feet underneath the chair, you can do so, while with a straight skirt, you cannot easily do that.

These covers look lovely. Another thing that makes them unique is the combination of jacquard and plain weave fabrics, which adds texture to the room. Let us know if you are interested and we can help you obtain this service.

Juli

Another Nice Thank You EMail with Photo Link

2010-01-29T13:01:00.000-08:00

From: Jocelyn F...
Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2010 11:11 AM
To: Karen Cotton; Christine Madigan
Subject: Hello

Hi Karen and Christine,

I'll send you a more formal thank you when things settle somewhat for us but I did want to drop you a quick line now that we are back from our honeymoon thanking you and Liz for everything in the planning of our wedding!! (I don't have Liz's email so please thank her for me, she was so professional and perfect - everything was exactly how it should have been and better!) Everything was wonderful that day!! We had such a great time, it flew by and we already can't wait to see our video so we can recapture and relive the day! The hall looked beautiful, and the wreaths outside looked great too! Our photographer posted a few pictures on facebook from the day, many aren't in the Hawthorne but many are too so we thought you might like to see some of them! Our photographer was amazing as you'll see! They shot in the Hawthorne before but it was a while ago and they said they remembered the room once there and how beautiful it was!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4680486&id=161426317817#/photo.php?pid=10375748&id=31169760460

thank you again!!!

Jocelyn and Kevin F

Something Unique -- A Gobo at a Wedding

2010-01-26T09:05:00.001-08:00

An awesome touch for a wedding. Check out the link in the email below:

-----Original Message-----

From: Stacie Giannetta

Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 10:00 PM

To: Christine Madigan

Subject: Follow Up

Christine,

We had spoken a couple weeks ago regarding the Stanick-Finn wedding that took place at the Hawthorne hotel on 1-9-2010. First off I wanted to say that the Hawthorne Hotel is beautiful! When we went to set up the gobo we were very impressed!

Secondly, I wanted to share the link to the pictures of the gobo at the Hawthorne Hotel from the Stanick-Finn wedding.

http://www.facebook.com/requestingyourpresence?ref=ts#/photo.php?pid=4680486&id=161426317817

If this is something you think other brides and grooms would enjoy for their wedding day please feel free to pass my information along.

Enjoy and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

THANK YOU,

STACIE GIANNETTA

www.requestingyourpresence.com

A Teal Wedding

2010-01-11T14:55:00.000-08:00

In case you are thinking of other colors than those that we usually see used in the Ballroom, here are some photos of the room set up with teal napkins. In addition, this cake is iced in a color called sand. Normally we see ivory used most often for wedding cakes in our Ballroom.

You can certainly choose whatever colors you prefer for your special day. We just thought you might like to be able to see this particular set up, which is different than the usual.

We hope to see you here.

By the way, if you think you cannot afford a wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel, you may not have seen our VALUE wedding packages. Be sure to look at them before you make your decision. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Juli

Another E-Mail Wedding Thank You Note with Photos

2010-01-08T17:15:00.000-08:00

From: Deanna

Sent: Fri 1/8/2010 4:26 PM

To: Karen Cotton

Subject:[our] Wedding

Hi Karen, Happy New Year!

I wanted to send you some photos of our wedding from Saturday, November 28th.
I think the one of us outside the front of the Hawthorne portrays how gorgeous of a hotel it is.

I just want to thank you as well as Kelly and Liz for everything. Kelly and yourself were so helpful during the planning process. Kelly always was so calm and quick to answer all my crazy questions!

I thought planning a wedding in 5 months was going to be very stressful but you guys made it very easy and enjoyable.

Liz was great the night of the wedding and I never once had a worry that something was going to go wrong. She did an excellent job!

The ballroom came out absolutely beautiful and we got so many compliments on how gorgeous it was. Feel free to use the pictures on the website!

It was a pleasure working with you and your team!

Deanna and Robb

A Different Perspective of a Wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel

2010-01-06T18:58:00.000-08:00

I just got done reading an awesome post on someone else's blog! It was so good, I just have to post a link to it here, especially since it says such nice things about so many members of our terrific Hawthorne Hotel TEAM!!!

http://anitapatel.com/?p=275

In addition to great writing, it is filled with photos, as well as a kind of step-by-step, play-by-play narrative of what it is like to have your wedding reception at the Hawthorne Hotel. If you are a couple who is looking for a place to have your wedding, or even if you have already booked your wedding, I think you will want to read this lovely piece.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Juli

New Year's Eve Wedding

2010-01-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

Darling place cards shaped like champagne bottles -- how perfect for a New Year's Eve wedding! Votive holders were shaped like miniature wine buckets, just visible in the background of this photo.

The beautiful bride posed for me in front of the photo of the first bride of the Hawthorne Hotel.

The balloon drop was all set and ready for midnight.

Table numbers were years representative of special times for this couple.

A Wedding Detail Not Always Considered

2010-01-02T06:55:00.000-08:00

It is doubtful that many couples think about celebrating future anniversaries as a criteria for choosing the location of their reception. However, we do think it is something that the couples who choose the Hawthorne Hotel are happy with, at least after the fact, as you can see evidenced in this sweet story that is posted on our regular daily diary blog:

http://hawthornehotel.blogspot.com/2010/01/celebrating-anniversary-and-new-baby-at.html

This is hardly the first time we have posted such a story on our regular blog, but I thought perhaps you might be interested in reading one here.

Happy New Year!

Juli