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Peabody Essex Museum Reviews

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Reviews

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98 Reviews
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97% Recommended by couples

Awards

98
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2024 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2019 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2016 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2015 Winner
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WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2011 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2010 Winner
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    Diane G. Sent on 12/20/2023
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    Stunning and Unique Venue!

    We chose PEM because it was so different from all the other Wedding Venues that we had ever been to. Natalia is an amazing coordinator that helps bring your wedding vision to life. My husband and I, along with our guests, were blown away when we saw the reception room on our wedding day (the lights, flowers, decor, setup, etc!) - there were a lot of WOWS! There are also so many cool spots for wedding photos. Our guests raved about the food ( short ribs and salmon). We are SO HAPPY we chose PEM as our wedding venue.
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    Ariella H. Sent on 11/16/2023
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    Picture Perfect PEM

    If you are looking for a nontraditional, absolutely stunning wedding venue, please look no further than the PEM. Getting married in an intimate and elegant setting set the tone for our special day. Natalia is the most knowledgeable and easy person to work with. She was always there to answer our questions, hop on a call, or let us tour the venue multiple times. Natalia also has such a calm presence that is so comforting when wedding planning is so stressful. We always felt like everything would be okay after talking to her. The staff and security were also so kind to us and our guests. Everything about this venue was absolutely perfect.
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    Gabbi T. Sent on 12/26/2023
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    Amazing Venue!

    Natalia was fantastic! As a wedding planner planning her own wedding, my fiance and I were looking for a venue that was unique and spoke to us, but also one that had extensive experience with the intricacies of running a wedding.  Natalia and PEM ticked all of these boxes, along with being such an incredibly beautiful building, and an experience that our guests will never forget. Natalia was with us through the whole process, toured us through the space, gave our parents a second tour, and let us come by as much as we needed to plan out our ideas. She was even there overseeing the set up on our day, and made sure to check in with us! Even as a functioning museum having many rules to protect the art, they always worked with us to be as flexible as possible and offered us solutions as needed. We loved our whole experience, and love that we can come back and visit our wedding venue anytime :) Thank you to the whole PEM team, and especially Natalia! 
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  • Natalie
    Natalie C. Sent on 11/19/2023
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    Stunning, Unique, & Stress-Free!

    Choosing the beautiful Peabody Essex Museum was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding! The PEM staff, especially Natalia, were flawlessly organized and professional. No one ever says your wedding will be “stress-free”, but ours was largely because of how incredible the PEM team is. The Garden Atrium, East India Maritime Hall, and Main Atrium are gorgeous, spacious, unique spaces that blew our guests away and looked stunning in photos. The acoustics for the band in the Main Atrium were wonderful! Just outside the museum entrance is picturesque Salem with so many wonderful spots for first-look photos and a charming vibrant locale. We can’t say enough positive things about PEM, and have no regrets in choosing PEM for our “I do”s!
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    Meegan P. Sent on 08/03/2023
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    A perfect venue for those looking for a unique wedding experience

    Our wedding day was perfect and we have Natalia, the PEM staff and everyone at Gourmet Caterers to thank. Our guests enjoyed being able to view artwork as they walked from the ceremony in the main atrium, to cocktails in the garden atrium and the reception in the East India Hall. I can't wait to see our photographs as there were so many areas both inside and outside of the museum to get beautiful shots. I highly recommend having a wedding at his venue.
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    Sage L. Sent on 10/28/2023
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    The Perfect Day

    Our wedding was in May 2023 - the Peabody Essex Museum was the perfect venue and Natalia made sure everything ran smoothly. I couldn't have imagined a better wedding! We had so many guests come up to us about how beautiful the venue was with all the art and the food was incredible! Salem is also a great area for guests to explore before and after the wedding.

    Thank you to Natalia and the PEM team for giving us a day filled with so much love and support - everything was perfect!
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    Melissa Sent on 11/05/2023
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    Fantastic, accommodating, beautiful venue

    Everything about this venue is wonderful. The location is perfect, the staff is accommodating, and the overall vibe of the event spaces are exquisite, high end, beauty. My wedding was here 6 months ago and my guests are still telling me it was the best wedding they've ever been too.
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    Molly Sent on 12/31/2022
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    Fun, Friendly, Flawless!

    Natalia at PEM was flawlessly perfect as our venue coordinator. I had heard so many horror stories about planning weddings from my friends. We had no hiccups, no speedbumps, no derailments - and a large part of that is thanks to Natalia. She was responsive right from day one - she helped us find appropriate vendors - she had amazing ideas but was also totally on board to let us plan our wedding the way we wanted. We met up with her during the rehearsal walkthrough and she told us what most people do ... and then took our unique ideas to heart ... and we came up with a perfect combination of the two. She worked with our vendors and each of them told me what a pleasure she was to talk to. Seriously - if you are in the Salem area and want an amazingly beautiful wedding ... the Peabody Essex Museum is your venue. Take my word for it.
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    Angela C. Sent on 12/29/2022
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    PEM is Unforgettable

    Having our wedding at a museum was such an experience for us and our guests, but especially more so at the PEM. We couldn't get over how beautiful PEM is, and all our guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves, especially in the Chamber of Light and Shadows room. We worked with an amazing team, and Natalia and her team are top tiered - they're all kind, responsive, and are so willing to help make your vision for your dream wedding come true. Definitely recommend them!
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    Lisamarie D. Sent on 12/07/2022
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    PEM & Natalia are the BEST!

    We had the most amazing experience working with Natalia and the rest of the team at PEM. Natalia made planning our wedding an absolutely stress-free and joyful process. Our day came together so perfectly, and it was more than anything we could have imagined. Our guests had the most incredible time, and we would get married there all over again if we could!
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    Chris Sent on 12/31/2022
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    Highly recommend PEM. We could not have asked for a better venue and staff to help deliver the wedding of our dreams.

    When our wedding night finally arrived after two-and-a-half years of planning, there were a lot of emotions -- happy tears from us and the staff who had been on this journey with us through the ups and downs. We were fully taken care of from the moment we stepped inside until the last guest left with Natalia (PEM) and Ann (Gourmet) helping with last-minute to-dos and tweaking the schedule throughout the night to ensure that my husband and I, and all of our guests, had everything we needed to fully enjoy the night without any stress. The venue itself is gorgeous and offers guests an added experience with surprise reveals throughout the space, the food is the highest quality with wide-ranging options, and the staff was both extremely professional and also really fun!

    Here's our quick story about the absolute gem that is PEM: While it was admittedly not what we were initially looking for, we immediately knew it was right on our first visit: a unique blend of modern and quite literally historic, which impresses each time you turn a corner from one space to the next. The staff, Natalia in particular, gave us the no-pressure tour and walked us through the whole experience. When we went back to sign the contract, I decided to flip everything on its head to make sure our white-tie wedding was exactly how I envisioned it. They worked with us on every detail and we were all set for our 2020 winter wedding until Covid shut it all down. Natalia worked with us to rebook for NYE (even more exciting) the following year without any issues. Then another round of Covid restrictions. Natalia and their catering partner Gourmet jumped on dozens of calls helping us workshop logistics and backup plans, and in the end, they made us extremely comfortable with whatever direction we ended up taking. Ultimately we pulled the plug for a second time just a week before and immediately rescheduled to Memorial Day Weekend 2022. We worked with Natalia and Ann (from Gourmet) to redesign the winter wedding of our dreams into a summer version. We tweaked the menu, played with the flow of the space, and in the end, we pulled off the perfect night. We're smiling from ear to ear in every photo, and the PEM staff was a big part of that. The way PEM and Gourmet treated us through really difficult times showed their true character to be genuinely invested in their clients' experience.

    If you're looking for a venue that feels both impressive but intimate, fancy but not overstated, and unique, at least go take a tour. I feel like the options to personalize it are endless and the backdrops for photos throughout the museum are an added bonus.
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    Eric V. Sent on 04/26/2022
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    PEM is the perfect wedding venue!

    The Peabody Essex Museum is a HIDDEN GEM tucked within the cobblestone streets of Salem! And, it’s the PERFECT VENUE for a wedding! Not only is it a unique venue, but the staff is incredibly kind and knowledgeable, especially Natalia Laskaris (Director of Events). My husband and I were absolutely blown away by Natalia’s composure, professionalism and talent throughout every step of the planning process. We were most notably grateful for some advice she shared in the home-stretch; it truly helped us enjoy every moment of the wedding we worked so hard to plan. We couldn’t have picked a better venue for such an important occasion — mainly because of Natalia!
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    Ali M. Sent on 12/05/2022
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    The Perfect Wedding Venue

    After Natalia helped work out availability for an evening proposal to end 2020, we knew we wanted to plan our wedding at the PEM as well. Although the pandemic threw a number of challenges our way, Natalia kept every step of planning stress-free. Our wedding was exactly what we wanted, thanks to Natalia's expertise and her team's professionalism. We are so glad that the Peabody Essex Museum is part of our story!
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    Beth Sent on 12/01/2022
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    Peabody Essex Museum

    The PEM is a gorgeous setting for a wedding/reception and Natalia Laskaris (Event Director) is a gem to work with! We were in the unfortunate situation of having to postpone a wedding date twice due to Covid. Natalia couldn’t have been more kind and accommodating. When we were finally able to hold the event, the museum staff was absolutely lovely and the rooms we used looked so beautiful. I would highly recommend the museum (and Natalia) for a beautiful and memorable event!
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    Keilani G. Sent on 12/31/2022
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    Unique and turn-key location for a wedding!

    We had our wedding at the Peabody Essex Museum in December 2021 (after 2 reschedules during COVID). We chose PEM because it is a unique and beautiful location (not too stereotypically wedding-y) and also offers a pretty turn-key solution for weddings. We used all of the PEM suggested vendors which made planning relatively simple.

    Echoing many of the reviews here, Natalia is amazing to work with. She is responsive and patient and she is able to pull from years of experience to provide advice and vendor recommendations. She and the rest of the staff made our wedding night so fun and seamless.

    In the end, our guests all said they had a great time and a regular comment was how incredible the space was. 10/10 experience at PEM and I recommend it completely!
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    Tracy Sent on 10/24/2019
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    Beautiful Venue

    Everything was great - food etc! Natalia was so sweet and we love the museum. It felt more comfortable than the other venues we visited which were more like wedding factories and would focus on spending time gushing over ring, engagement etc (so not us!) Natalia kept it real and we felt much more comfortable with her.
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    Elaina K. Sent on 10/29/2019
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    Top Notch!

    We had the most wonderful wedding reception at the PEM. It's a gorgeous space and offered a unique experience for our guests. Natalia Laskaris is incredibly professional and wonderful to work with. She and her team made wedding planning so much easier. We were lucky to have the cocktail hour in the brand new Garden Atrium, which coincidentally had their grand opening the same day as our wedding. PEM pulled off the events seamlessly! I highly recommend this location!
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    Adam C. Sent on 10/29/2019
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    amazing venue and experience

    We had our wedding at the PEM in September and we were BLOWN away with the venue. When we first booked in the winter we could only use our imagination for what the end results would be. The event coordinator Natalia was by far the easiest person to work with. She had genuine interest in our choices and set up leading to the big event. She cares so much for the venue and does her best at guiding you to make the best choices and puts no pressure on anything. Her responsiveness was extremely fast which made planning so easy. I cannot express enough how beautiful the space was and the crew at PEM was extremely professional. All of our friends and family were amazed with how extravagant the ceremony and reception looked. I love PEM!
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    Linda P. Sent on 10/30/2019
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    A great blank canvas to design your dream wedding

    The Space: The Peabody Essex Museum is a wonderful blank canvas that you have unlimited design options to play with. Whatever theme or look you’re going for; the museum will take it to the next level. I had my doubts on how this very white and “clean” space would be able to transform into a magical and romantic space but as soon as the sun starts setting and the way the lights illuminate the high ceilings and sails…it will take your breath away. Words can’t describe what only photos can show! AND it was a cool feeling being able to party surrounded by history and art. You can take really interesting wedding portraits in different areas of the museum as well so if you’re feeling artistic, edgy or classy; there’s a space that will let you express that! Let your imagination run wild and let the museum be your design canvas!

    The team: Natalia and her team are the most gracious, accommodating and friendliest people you’ll ever work with! They will literally work their butts off to make your special day a truly unique experience. They were always transparent, honest and great with communication throughout the planning process. On the day of the wedding, Natalia was always around to make sure my husband and I were well hydrated or fed, she made sure my family and guests were all doing okay throughout the night. When we were thirsty, she gave us water and drinks IN PAPER STRAWS. WE LOVE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY COGNIZANT ORGANIZATION AND ITS COORDINATOR! It made me love her even more, she is the best! This attention to detail only goes to show how much she cares for you, the place and your event so I highly recommend this as one of the most unique and creative venues you’ll ever look at.

    Photos by Zev Fisher Photography
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    Elissa S. Sent on 08/07/2019
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    Exceptionally Stunning and Stress Free

    When my husband and I got engaged and began discussing locations for our wedding, the Peabody Essex Museum was top of the list from the start. The transformation of the Atrium from a museum gathering place to cocktail and wedding reception space is like no other. Working with Natalia left us with full assurance that when we and our guests entered the venue everything would be perfect, and it was. Henry was also amazing, taking care of all our lighting requests and even offering his own suggestions, which we loved. From the light projection on the wall and dancefloor, to collaborating with the catering company, greeting us at the front door, and ensuring that we got to take pictures in all the best spots around the museum. We truly could not have asked for a more beautiful location, and an amazing team of staff. It is because of Natalia and her team being so strong, that we were able to simply enjoy the wedding with no worries, and for that we are truly grateful. Our guests were all astounded with the venue, and we knew they would be!
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    D Larsson Sent on 12/30/2018
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    Terrific wedding venue!!

    My daughters wedding was beautiful! Natalia and her staff were so professional and made the whole experience a pleasure!
    She was extremely responsive and offered so much advice and recommendations I didn't even think of. I would absolutely recommend having a wedding there, it was perfect!
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    Christina Sent on 10/28/2018
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    Beyond perfect!

    To say we had the most perfect wedding reception at the Peabody Essex Museum would be an understatement. From the first day that we saw the venue, Natalia was super responsive, accommodating, sweet, and flexible with us and what we envisioned for our wedding day. She eased our minds during every step of the way and not only made the planning process easy but enjoyable. When our wedding day arrived, she took care of everything and we were in awe when we walked into the cocktail hour/reception. Everything looked absolutely beautiful and was laid out exactly how we wanted it to be. They did a phenomenal job transforming the space into a stunning room that all of our guests were extremely impressed by. Even three months after the wedding, we are still receiving compliments about how beautiful the venue was and surpassed everyone’s expectations. We are so thankful for everyone at the PEM and highly recommend it!
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    Karen Sent on 07/13/2018
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    We got married in July 2018, and we couldn't be more thrilled with our PEM wedding! The Atrium itself is absolutely stunning and photographs beautifully. Our guests were all very impressed! More importantly, we had an amazing experience working with Natalia. She is incredibly sweet, responsive, attentive and reassuring - especially towards the end when the stress of wedding planning really kicked in! She truly cared about making our day perfect, and always made us feel like she was as excited as we were for the big day. Our wedding was exactly what we wanted (and more!), and we owe that to Natalia for her attention to detail and for going above and beyond to make the planning process as easy as possible for us. We can't say thank you enough!!!
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    Christina Sent on 06/26/2018
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    I can't say enough about how happy we were to have chosen the Peabody Essex to host our wedding reception. From the start, Natalia was so easy to work with, and put my mind at ease many times throughout the process. Natalia and her team are just amazing. The atrium is just stunning, and we still have guests raving to us about what a fantastic venue it was. If we could do it all over again, we wouldn't change a thing!
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    Andrea Sent on 05/08/2018
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    Our wedding at the PEM in April 2018 exceeded all of our expectations. The venue is spectacular, and Natalia was a true professional in helping us to bring it all together. It was the perfect choice for us. Thank you PEM!
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