Friendly Crossways
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About
Friendly Crossways is a rustic chic wedding getaway located near the quiet town of Harvard, Massachusetts, only 30 miles from Boston. Relax by their magical fire circle, secure in the happy knowledge that you and your spouse have successfully carried out a special weekend celebration full of memories to last a lifetime. Pricing includes lodging for 25 guests, spacious getting-ready suite, outdoor ceremony, and full use of the property for the weekend (host all pre/post events with us for no additional cost). Bring your community of intermingled friends and families who will enjoy your unique wedding vision throughout the weekend!
Please note: We are FULLY BOOKED for the 2022 wedding season (mid-May through October). Please check back in July for 2023 bookings.
Facilities and Capacity
You can choose from among Friendly Crossways’ many romantic outdoor wedding ceremony sites. Intimate receptions (up to 25 guests) can be held outdoors or indoors. Large parties, up to 120 guests, require a tent which you can customize from a wide array of tents, sides, tables, chairs, lighting and dance floors. On-site lodging for 25 people for both nights are included in the wedding package, and another 25 people can be accommodated if desired. Maximum indoor and outdoor numbers are, of course, subject to Massachusetts and CDC guidelines in place at the time of the event.
Services Offered
With a photogenic getting-ready suite, lodging in cozy rooms with handmade quilts, ability to hold your rehearsal dinner on-site and an attentive planning staff, Friendly Crossways is as one-of-a-kind as their perennial gardens, expansive lawns, “cathedral in the pines” wedding glade, and renovated New England post and beam barn. Offering many services for couples and guests is a testament to their country-style hospitality. Services include:
- Lodging on-site
- Fire circle
- Parking attendant
- In-house bar
- Outside vendors (restrictions & fees apply)
- In-house catering of your custom designed menu
- Wireless internet
- Wheelchair accessibility
- On-site staff 24/7
- Tent available for additional cost
Cuisine
Relax and enjoy the laid-back atmosphere as Friendly Crossways, or one of its preferred catering partners, takes care of your delicious, beautifully presented meal. Do think about ordering fruit pies (with organic fruit from their farm ) from chef-owner Mary Helan ! They offer the following serving styles:
- Buffet
- Dessert
- Hors d’oeuvres
- Plated
- Cocktail reception
- Family style
- Stations
- Outside cake
- Server(s)
Our venue rental packages start at $1,000 for elopements and range up to $6,350 for Full Wedding Weekends. A typical venue rental is $6,350 with additional costs for catering, tent, beverages, and bar services. Please note: We are FULLY BOOKED for the 2022 wedding season (mid-May through October). Please check back in July for 2023 bookings.
- Woman-owned
Frequently Asked Questions
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Message vendor81 Reviews
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![Ali]()
Ali S. Married on 10/10/2021Perfect All In One Venue
We had our wedding here this past weekend (Oct 2021). We had 30 people and was everything we could have asked for. The micro wedding package fit our needs perfectly. The ceremony space is gorgeous, with so many beautiful spots for pictures. Dinner under the tent was delicious, Mary Helan the chef-owner made an incredible meal, much of it sourced from her garden and orchard. We loved Friendly Crossways especially for the retreat center which enabled us to host all of our guests who chose to spend the night with us, we moved to the fire pit after our reception and got to put off clean up until the morning. We got to be present with our guests and we had an absolutely perfect night. I can’t thank Mary Helan and her team enough. They were very responsive via email and answered all my questions, making suggestions and offering insight that helped us plan our day. I would recommend Friendly Crossways to anyone, planning big or small.Friendly Crossways's reply:
Thank you, Ali. Your and your beloved's celebration was a very special event on which to end our wedding season. Thank you for your kind words which I will pass on to our staff. We are honored to have been there for you.
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Real Weddings
Team
Mary Helan Vesenka, who grew up at Friendly Crossways, and her husband Keith Turner, left Hawaii in 1996 with their three children to take over this central Massachusetts retreat center upon the retirement of Mary Helan’s parents.
Mary Helan and her husband have cheerfully hosted weddings of all sizes and styles on their property since 2008. A trained and experienced executive chef herself, she has personally vetted the catering chefs who serve couples at Friendly Crossways and takes pride in the breadth of cuisines and mindful service they offer to couples.
Mary Helan and her team value equality and inclusiveness and believe community is at the heart of their work.
You can often find her in her organic gardens or blueberry orchard, enjoying the flowers and fruits of her labor.
Pronouns: She/Her
Leanne was a Friendly Crossways bride herself and brings a unique approach to couples considering the venue for their special celebration.
She has multiple years experience with event coordination, specifically for weddings and large conferences. Leanne is especially suited to helping couples shape the venue's amenities and special offerings to match their vision.
When Leanne is not planning with couples or showing off the Friendly Crossways property, she's usually outside with her son and their two dogs or enjoying some wine on her porch.
Pronouns: She/Her
Professional Network & Endorsements
9 Endorsements
Friendly Crossways is a unique and amazing place to hold an outdoor wedding in your choice of seasons: spring, summer or fall in New England. This venue is situated on a beautiful farm in Harvard, MA and many of the ingredients used in your meal come straight from their gardens. And couples and their families have exclusive use of the entire venue for a wedding weekend and can sleep up to 35 guests for 2 nights as part of the venue fee. The owners, Mary Helen and Keith, are warm and endearing and go out of their way to make sure your wedding weekend is amazing!
The staff are very professional. The venue is beautiful. They will make sure you have the best day of your life. DJ Photo Booths highly recommends Events at Friendly Crossways. www.facebook.com/djphotobooths
Friendly Crossways is truly a beautiful site for a wedding. Right down to the corn field and foliage, you get a real sense of New England at it's best! Mary Helan and Keith are accommodating, easy to work with, and very quick to respond to your questions and needs. I love to play here and look forward to many more!
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Request a visit10 am - 10 pm
Friendly Crossways frequently asked questions
- Bridal Suite
- Clean Up
- Event Planning
- Parking
- Cake Cutting
- Dessert
- Server(s)
- Bartender(s)
- Barn
- Farm/Ranch
- Garden
- Inn/B&B
- Indoor
- Covered Outdoor
- Uncovered Outdoor
- Ceremony
- Reception
- Elopements
- Rehearsal Dinner
- Accommodations
- Bar Services
- Catering Services
- Clean Up
- Event Planner
- Get Ready Rooms
- Outside Vendors
- Wifi
- Altar/Arch
- Chairs
- Dance Floor
- Lighting
- Tables
- Tents
- Tent Accessories