The Barn at Montague Retreat Center Reviews
Reviews
4.8 out of 5 rating
4.8 out of 5 rating
26 Reviews
95% recommend it
Awards
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![Kaitlin]()
Kaitlin R. Sent on 05/10/2024The Perfect Day
My husband & I got married at the Montague Retreat Center last October (2023) and it was truly the best day of our lives. Not only is the venue itself absolutely beautiful, but the staff that works there are so extremely helpful & professional. Leading up to the wedding, I called Jason constantly and was able to discuss everything from the rehearsal to the big day. I never once felt like I was a bother & continually felt supported throughout the whole experience. I could not recommend this place (or the amazing staff) enough. We are so very grateful for them!The Barn at Montague Retreat Center's reply:
Thank you so much for you kind words Kaitlin. It was a great pleasure being in service to you and Milton on your big day.
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![Alex]()
Alex B. Sent on 07/04/2022Perfect Wedding at MRC
We had our wedding at the MRC in June 2022. It is a stunning venue with professional staff who are passionate about what they do! Jackie and Kellsey were wonderful coordinators to work with. Their communication and planning before the event made us feel like everything was taken care of, and they ran the wedding flawlessly so that we didn't have to worry about any details day-of. Dale takes great care of the facility and the grounds; his passion is evident. Wheelhouse catering provided the best wedding meal we've ever had. We stayed on site with our wedding party in the gorgeous new cabins, which was such a fun and unique experience. Overall we could not recommend MRC more!!The Barn at Montague Retreat Center's reply:
Alex & Lauren,
It was our absolute pleasure to host your wedding at our venue! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this lovely review, and for all the kind words. We are so proud of the team we have and are thrilled that we got to share in such a beautiful weekend with you and your friends and family. We wish you a lifetime of happiness together! -
![Anuka]()
Anuka D. Sent on 06/14/2022Could not imagine getting married anywhere else!
We had a fusion Indian/Haitian wedding at MRC and we honestly could not imagine getting married anywhere else! Although our initial plans were to have an outdoor ceremony in the beautiful ceremony circle - mother nature had other plans (rain!) and with excellent guidance and flexibility from Kellsey and Jackie we moved to our Plan B. Which turned out to be what we expected and so much more! The barn is beautiful and was an equally incredible location to get married in.
Jackie and Kellsey constantly went above and beyond for all of our celebrations (and we had many!) and were genuinely kind and calming to be around all weekend. The other bonus was the venue's collaboration with Wheelhouse catering. They took our very specific ask of creating a fusion Indian and Haitian menu and delivered more than anything we could ever expect!The Barn at Montague Retreat Center's reply:
Thank you for such a kind and lovely review! We loved hosting your wedding and will be talking about all of the beautiful pieces of it for a very long time! Wishing you both every happiness!
-The Team at MRC -
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Karti Sent on 10/29/2017We got married at the Montague Retreat Center two weeks ago. We could not have imagined a better venue for the wedding weekend that we'd envisioned, nor a more helpful, kind, and accommodating group than Bill, Beth, and John. We would *highly* recommend this venue to others.
It's hard to know where to start. To begin with, it's just such a beautiful venue surrounded by beautiful scenery and even some hiking paths that leave from the back gate. And the barn is just magical--especially lit up at night.
We loved the feel of the venue, which we took to be "warm," "laid back," and "communal." That's what we were going for with our wedding, so it was a perfect fit. It was great to be able to show up early in the week to start setting things up and to not feel pressured to leave early on Sunday morning. We loved the decorations closet, which is yours to raid to re-use anything that others have left behind that you like. We rented the rooms that are part of the venue, which made the whole space feel more like "home" for the week than just a venue. They've done an incredible job of turning this space into a wedding venue, and there all kinds of little nooks, crannies, and quirks that make it come alive.
Bill, Beth, and John are also just really easy to work with. They were super responsive, friendly, and kind throughout, and go out of their way to accommodate any one-off requests. The venue comes with nearly everything already--tent, chairs, audio equipment, etc.--and their team does almost all of the setup and cleanup work, too. You rest easy knowing that there's a team taking care of so much.
I've included just a few pictures, since we haven't gotten ours back from our photographers yet. Seriously, you want to get married here. -
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User2627369 Sent on 05/30/2016Amazing venue, seriously amazing!! From the very first time we emailed them through the end of our ceremony this weekend, Bill and Beth were professional, responsive, efficient and incredibly thorough. They also made expectations for themselves and for our wedding party very clear, which was awesome. I cannot say enough good things about them. The venue itself is gorgeous, we didn't really have to do a thing to the Great Hall; the beauty of the building was enough. Also, super, super kid friendly. We had about 15 children under the age of 7 at our wedding, and the kids could run all around the Great Hall without a problem; obviously parents were watching them all the time, but b/c we didn't need fancy decorations, there were none for the kids to break. I would strongly recommend this venue to anyone looking for a chill country wedding. -
User2509940 Sent on 01/18/2016We were married at the Montague Retreat Center in August 2015. It is run by lovely, kind, folks in the midst of some of the most beautiful scenery in Western Massachusetts. We picked this location due to the above reasons- and because there was a beautiful space to get married rain or shine, plus we loved the history of the place, plus we loved that we could coordinate or bring our own food/drinks/music/decorations, etc. Everything was as described on their website.
Even though we are generally calm people, our wedding day was hectic as we had so much to do. However, being surrounded by such helpful owners and the tranquil meadows helped make the day a purely wonderful memory. Bill and Beth were there to answer every question, and to offer suggestions about how to make the day run a little smoother. For us, we were lucky and the weather cooperated so we were able to use the meadow, the patio (for dining), and the barn (for dancing). Guests told us they really liked the flow of the evening and having so many distinct places to wander.
This is a great place for people who are interested in taking the reins of their wedding day. Folks who want to organize friends and family to help with decorations and set-up. Folks who can be flexible knowing that it might rain and you'll have to move inside (to a wonderful "barn" with gorgeous woodwork). We were able to select our caterer, our alcohol, our music, our decorations, etc and it made the day fit within our budget and reflect our values. We are so grateful for the Montague Retreat Center, and Bill and Beth, and weather dot com. -
User2149017 Sent on 05/27/2015The Montague Retreat was absolutely wonderful for our wedding. The inside and outside spaces are impressive even before decorating. We added flowers and a few decorations, but this place stands on its own! We worked with Hillside Catering and they took care of many of the tiny details for the day. Bill and Beth were tremendously accommodating and very quick to respond to phone calls or emails. We were so lucky to have our wedding here and found such an amazing place right here in the Valley.
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User2903231 Sent on 12/10/2016The Montague Retreat Center is a superb location for a rustic, outdoorsy, New England wedding. The setting provides a blank canvas upon which to execute your vision. The hill offers a beautiful backdrop for an outdoor ceremony, while the barn offers rustic charm as well. The venue is easily able to accommodate larger weddings. Given that ours was a smaller affair, and the weather was still a bit chilly, we held the reception in the great hall, rather than on the tented patio, which turned out lovely. The owners, Bill and Beth, are fantastic people, great with communication, and very flexible about use of the spaces. -
User1778535 Sent on 08/24/2014How can I even begin to put into words how phenomenal my experience was? Starting with a killer location and venue, the Montague Retreat Center is the venue of any rustic, vintage, or country wedding's dreams. The property is absolutely breathtaking, and coupled with the newly renovated facilities as well as fabulous managers, I would recommend this place to any and everyone.
Do be advised that there is a lot of planning that goes into this space that is the responsibility of the bride/groom or planner. What this venue offers is a gorgeous blank canvas with the opportunity to turn it into whatever you would like. I was the Retreat Center's 7th wedding and I kept hearing from the staff how every single wedding was incredible different. You will have to organize people to park, set etc.
That being said, the owners, Bill and Beth Jacobson were an absolute dream to work with. They have such wonderful vision for the property and were extremely invested with my wedding and making sure all of my needs, desires, and frivolous wishes were met with a smile. I am sure if I asked, they would have given me the shirts off their own backs. They let me cut wildflowers from the property, let me begin setting up almost 6 days in advance, and continued to check in with me about whatever else I wanted.
Do not think twice about getting married here, and just do it! -
User1840818 Sent on 10/01/2014We were very happy with our over all expereance at the Montague retreat center. They worked with us beautify to help creat a wedding to remember!
Thank you -
User2396498 Sent on 10/28/2015We used the Montague Retreat Center for our ceremony and reception venue and it's a really beautiful as others have written. The barn, stone patio and ceremony space are stunning. We got married on 10/10/15 and although it was 60 degrees during the day, it unfortunately the temperatures dipped into the 40s once the sun went down. Bill, the owner, had us chip in with the other wedding for the next day at an amount of $122 for space heaters for the stone patio where dinner was served. Unfortunately he made the decision to not utilize the 4 walls we were also paying for, because that would block the scenic view. As a result, we, as well as our guests, were freezing cold, and the space heaters were totally useless because any of the warm air we were getting was totally lost. Guests were going to their cars for their coats, some did not even bother staying after dinner and I think the cold air had a lot to do with it. So because we wasted $122 and were freezing for dinner, I can't give this venue a 5 star rating, but it was a perfect wedding other than that!
The Barn at Montague Retreat Center's reply:
The crux of the issue is that we decided early in the season that tent sidewalls and heaters would be treated as “extras” and rented by wedding parties themselves. In retrospect, this was a huge mistake. It’s the reason why your guests were cold during your reception, and I’m very, very sorry. I hope you’ll conclude that it was an honest mistake, and therefore forgivable.
The October 3 and October 4 wedding parties agreed to share the cost of sidewalls and two blower heaters (umbrella style radiant heaters are not allowed under tents). They opted to enclose the two shorter sides of the tent, leaving the side along the barn and the side with the view open. It wasn’t too cold or windy that weekend, and the configuration seemed to take the chill off. Both parties were happy.
When the October 11 wedding party asked about sidewalls and heaters, it occurred to me that I could save my clients money by keeping the equipment on site for several weekends in a row (if the rental company doesn’t have to pick up and deliver equipment, the price falls by 50%). I asked the October 11 party, “Are you sure you don’t want sidewalls for the outer wall?”, and they responded “No, we want to preserve the view.”
Given that the October 10/11 forecast for highs in the mid-50s, that decision was a mistake, and going along with it was incredibly shortsighted on my part. But doing so flowed logically from my stated policy of treating these items as “extras”, and after a long season of weddings, I was tired and not thinking clearly. Perhaps you’ll be more forgiving in light of the above.
The upshot? We're going to buy sidewalls for all four sides of the tent. They'll be installed all season and wedding parties will be able to open them as needed. We’re also going to buy heaters - not two, but three.
We hope Montague Retreat Center will always have a place in your heart. -
![Elizabeth]()
Elizabeth Sent on 08/09/2018My husband and rented the MRC beginning Tuesday 7/3 as many of our friends and family were traveling for our wedding. We have so many fond memories of our time, however; it came with a few surprises that I will share here in case you are considering the space.
The Good: From the time we booked the venue, Beth and Bill were very flexible and allowed us to visit multiple times over the winter. They provided lots of information that greatly helped us plan our day. The place is remarkably beautiful. It felt like we were on another planet all week. The space is serene and minimalist which highlights the natural beauty of the surrounding hills. Beth, Bill, John and Kate kept the place clean and were super professional on the wedding day. They were reasonably flexible about anything we needed during the week.
The Less Than Good: MRC became our "hub" as people got into town. During the week, we were really surprised with how poorly we were treated. During our time, multiple tours were given of the property/private accommodations with no notice (alarming our napping guests). Additionally, there is a summer camp that uses the woods surrounding MRC and if it rains, they take over the stone patio and basement area. This was problematic because we planned a rehearsal lunch on the patio. The camp counselors told us they had no alternative location and Beth and Bill were largely unhelpful in the situation. We were able to work around the kids, but it was not my ideal day.
All in all, MRC provided us with a beautiful week. At this point, I could not recommend staying there all week unless you only want to use the sleeping quarters as a makeshift hotel. I hope they can figure this out for future weddings. On the other hand, I can 100% recommend MRC for your wedding day. It is a beautiful blank slate and the MRC crew knows what they are doing when it comes to the day-of. -
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