Lovely Wedding Dinner in East India Marine Hall

 
 
These are snapshots of a recent wedding, catered by Hawthorne Catering, at the East India Marine Hall of the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM).

Our off-site catering division handles this venue, as well as providing off-site catering at a number of public and private venues on the North Shore of Boston, including the House of the Seven Gables, Hamilton Hall, Cotting-Smith Assembly House, Hammond Castle, and private homes in Swampscott and Marblehead. May we cater to you?

If you are interested, please contact our offsite catering manager at 978-745-9500, ext. 3156.

Juli 

A Wedding at the Phillips Library of the PEM

 
 
 
 

The Phillips Library building that is part of the Peabody Essex Museum is a lovely site for wedding ceremonies. We thought you would like to see some candid shots of a wedding we did there recently. The bride is Michelle, and the groom is Matthew, both of Salem.

Congratulations!

Juli 

We get the nicest letters. . . . about weddings at the Hawthorne Hotel

Yesterday I received a copy of the following letter. It is self-explanatory. It made our day, made us blush madly, and now will make our Wedding Blog.

I hope you enjoy this slice of life at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Juli

Dear Christine,

I am so sorry it has taken me over four months to write this note to you. But I wanted to take the time to write down all of my thoughts and make it clear, that George and I had an amazing wedding day and it is due to you, Britony, and your entire staff. You made the planning of our wedding painless and fun!!

Our wedding was amazing. As I stated above, it has been over four months and our guests are still talking about how fantastic the reception was. The food and cake were outstanding, the ballroom was absolutely beautiful, the flowers were gorgeous, and the staff went above and beyond in every way.

Christine, you were a dream to work with. The moment we walked into the lobby and met with you, we knew we wanted to have our reception at the Hawthorne Hotel. You talked us through every step of the process. You patiently listened to our concerns, you helped us make educated decisions, and you made sure that all of our needs and requests were met. You made planning our wedding easy for us!!

George and I wanted to have a 10 minute slideshow presentation put to music that would play during dinner. We had a large wedding with a small amount of room left over in the ballroom. But you, Britony, and the staff made it work and those 10 minutes were the highlight of the evening and something that George and I as well as our guests will not soon forget.

Britony was organized and fun. Thanks to her professionalism and expertise the whole night ran smoothly and on time. You were there when we needed you, and you were always one step ahead of us. Thank you.

It was the little things that made our reception so special. An example of this is that I didn’t really get a chance to eat even though we were the first served. When I did get a chance to sit down for a few minutes Britony brought me a fresh warm plate of food. That was so nice and something that I will always remember. It is a small act like that, that sets you apart from other venues.

We have been to several weddings over the last four months and we, as well as some of our guests, agree that our reception at the Hawthorne was the best. We are biased, but our guests are not!! The fact that our guests are still talking about and comparing other weddings to our wedding speaks volumes about the Hawthorne and the entire staff.

Thank you again for making our wedding day so memorable and wonderful. George and I look forward to celebrating many anniversaries at the Hawthorne Hotel in the future.

Warmly,


Mary and George S

"Gucci" is part of the Wedding Party

From time to time we have weddings at the hotel, where a beloved dog is asked to be part of the wedding party. We are always happy to indulge this request, of course, with the understanding that the reception would be off-limits to this special member of the wedding party.

Here you see "Gucci" , a long-haired miniature dachshund, all decked out in his tuxedo, for a wedding this past summer.

As we have four of the same breed dogs in our family, I couldn't resist this special request!

Juli 

Our Pre-Meal Meeting

Here is a photo of our banquet team just prior to tonight's wedding in the Ballroom. This is a very important ritual, one that insures that all of the myriad details are communicated and attended to by the staff who must provide the all-important service.

We consider ourselves a TEAM here at the Hawthorne Hotel, and to have a good TEAM means we need to have good communications. The Pre-Meal is key to that communication, as is the Post-Meal meeting where the events of the night are discussed, and reviewed so we can do even better 'next time'.

We thought you might like to see this semi-behind-the-scenes look at our operation here at the Hawthorne Hotel, wedding-central for the North Shore of Boston, Massachusetts.

Juli 

The "Wow" Effect in our Ballroom

These photos are of the room set up with the gorgeous overlays, tall flowers, and gold-tone ballroom chairs, all upgrades chosen by the couple.

Doesn't the room look beautiful?

Juli

 

A Referral

If you go to www.HawthorneHotel.blogspot.com, which is our 'regular daily blog' and look at the post on October 21, you will see an lovely recommendation.

Juli

A Cupcake Wedding Cake

Some weddings ago, in October of 2001, Lori and Scott Cormey had their wedding cake be really different. It consisted of tiers of little cakes, all done in Autumn colors.

Lori and Scott recently came back to visit for their fifth wedding anniversary, and we talked about their unique cake. We thought you might enjoy seeing it.

Juli 

One Bride with Two Wedding Dresses

This bride could not make up her mind which dress to buy, so she did what anyone who can't make up their mind does, she bought both of them.

She changed from one dress to the other between the ceremony and the reception, so you can see her two different dresses here.

I thought you might enjoy this slice of life at the Hawthorne Hotel, here on the North Shore of Boston, Masschusetts.

Juli
 

An unusual wedding cake

2003
 

 

The Common is a Favorite Place for Wedding Photos

Since The Salem Common is located right next to the Hawthorne Hotel, it is a very convenient locale for outdoor wedding photos.

When our bridal parties opt for this as a location, we even serve beverages to them there as refreshments between the varied events of the day.

We hope to be able to help you plan your wedding right here at the Hawthorne Hotel.



Juli 

Peter Barter Florist

Last night's wedding in the Ballroom featured these flowers from Peter Barter Florists here in Salem.

We thought you might enjoy seeing them.

Juli 

Wedding Tastings

What does a Wedding Tasting taste like, you might ask, or just what is it?

After a couple books their wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel, about three months before their big event, we invite them to a Wedding Tasting.What is that exactly?

It is a kind of preliminary event, held quarterly in our Ballroom, that enables the couple to taste a multitude of items before they have to make up their minds about what we will serve them and their guests.

We serve everything from appetizers to wedding cake, and every course in between. We set the Ballroom with a number of different table styles, chair styles, flower arrangements, all of the attendant details are in place for them to see exactly what is possible.

Several of our suppliers work with us to make this event successful, including Nina Vickers who plays the harp, Montillio's Cakes in providing the cakes for us all to taste, and Peter Barter Florist for providing the lovely centerpieces.

I have heard from a number of families that have children who have already been married and had their receptions elsewhere, that they are totally impressed with our approach, as they have not experienced it anywhere else.

I have also learned from some couples that they were pleased to be able to actually sit down and enjoy the food served at their weddings, because they knew they would be too nervous, or too busy, to actually enjoy it on the day of their reception.

We hope to see you here.

Juli

This Father of the Bride Got Some Extra Attention

. . . because someone thought enough of him to get him a special hat. Wasn't that a thoughtful thing to do for such a (usually) underappreciated member of the wedding party. That is obviously not the case in this special family.

Juli 

Our Fall Wedding Bride and Groom

This couple got a sneak-preview of their wedding cake, and a surprise horse-and-buggy carriage ride for some 'alone time' during their wedding last weekend, here a the Hawthorne Hotel.

Juli 

Fall Wedding Adds Personal Touches

Recently we were privileged to help host a very unique Fall-themed wedding, and since we got to see the details up close, we thought you might be interested in seeing them as well. Perhaps some of these ideas will help you as you create your dream wedding.

The wedding cake was decorated with fall jewel-toned flowers and fruits.

The favors at the table carried through the theme, including maple syrup in maple leaf-shaped bottles, and leaf-shaped votive candles.












Even the cocktail napkins had fall leaves on them.


Our chefs helped to carry out the theme with handmade crackers in the shape of a fall leaf, embellished with cheese and herbs. Yum!

Do you have a themed wedding in mind? If so, please discuss having the professional staff of the Hawthorne Hotel assist you with making the most of your event.

Juli

Tradition is an Important Part of Running an Historic Hotel

May 31, 2003, Coleen and Shawn Mahoney got married at the Hawthorne Hotel, and Jessica Soep was the coordinator for their wedding reception.

On Saturday April 8, 2006, Coleen and Shawn's friends had a baby shower for them, and Jessica was once again the coordinator for their event.It truly feels like family here at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Now we can look forward to the next 'occasion of grace' for the Mahoney family.

What about your family? Can we begin or continue some traditions for you?

Juli

Mahoney's Have Their Baby Shower, Were Married Here at the Hawthorne Hotel