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Michelle Sent on 01/02/2020

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Wedding & team of my dreams

My husband and I got married at the Bradley Estate in June 2019. We knew we wanted an outdoor wedding and tented reception, and had visited a handful of venues in the Boston area, including Moraine Farm, Fruitlands, and the Gardens at Elms Bank. As soon as we stepped onto the Bradley Estate, we knew it was the one -- and keep in mind, we visited during February when it was cold, barren, and snowy! I am picky when it comes to aesthetics, and instantly fell in love with the architecture and grandeur of the building, the interior rooms, and the outdoor gardens.

Since we live on the west coast, we loved that Fireside Catering would take care of the venue, ceremony & reception set-up, food, and day-of logistics. Tim Holmes was an absolute wedding planning all-star. Working with him made planning a x-country wedding so much easier. He's a detailed, professional, no-nonsense kind of guy. He has made a career out of planning and executing high stakes (and highly emotional) days, and has seen and planned for every edge case. Believe me, I had all the "what if's" in my head leading up to the big day, and he and his team locked down every single detail to perfection. Exactly the type of team we wanted on our side.

Fast forward to the day of our wedding: the weather was forecasted to have thunder showers (did I mention I've always wanted an outdoor wedding?) As soon as I arrived at the venue, spirits were high - there was a calm hustle from the team to get everything in place. Tim checked in with us regularly to give us updates on minute-by-minute cloud coverage triaged from his various weather apps (did I mention he's a professional?) Based on his advice, we ended up making the call to delay the start of our ceremony by 15mins and thank goodness for that decision because the clouds cleared & sun rays were beaming as I walked down the aisle. We ended up having the sunny outdoor ceremony & cocktail hour I'd dreamed of, followed by our tented reception. Plus, a fun thunderstorm during dinner (thankfully while everyone was under the tent), that made for the most outrageously gorgeous post-storm sunset photos. I don't know if it was pure luck or if Tim has a direct line to the weather gods (probably), but I couldn't have asked for a better venue and team to trust with our most special day.

Some closing thoughts:

- For some reason, I was hung up early on about the reception tent not having a wooden floor (there is a wooden dance floor but tables & chairs will be on grass). This ended up not being an issue at all. Nobody notices the ground, and you certainly won't on your wedding day. Same goes for tables and chairs.

- I was also concerned about mosquitoes since our wedding was in June. We left bug spray out, but nobody needed to use it.

- I didn't realize there would be so much daylight! The sun set at 8:30pm, so most of our wedding party happened in daylight and felt like a garden party. Which was unexpected but awesome in its own way.

- If you're looking for an amazing photographer, go with Paul Robert Berman who adores shooting at the Bradley Estate. He was the 2nd vendor we booked right after we locked down our date and venue. Best decision we made.

- Cake! Guests still rave about the olive oil cake from Montilio's.

- Food! I'm really glad we upgraded to the sea bass. The day was a blur for me, so I don't remember much of what I ate, but guests loved the food. I do remember the late-night poutine I ate at 9pm, which holds a special place in my heart.

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Barbara W. Sent on 12/02/2019

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The perfect historic property for a wedding

The Bradley Estate is such a perfect place to get married, we can't recommend it enough. Though we were drawn to a wedding on a historic property, the Bradley initially escaped our notice, probably because it hosts relatively few private events each year. The perfectly landscaped walled garden in the back is an unbelievably beautiful location for a wedding ceremony. We were lucky with a perfect fall day, with a pristine house on one side and the first hint of fall color in the woods behind the house on the other side of our ceremony. The ceremony flowed very smoothly to cocktail hour on the patio and at the porch bar, and then out to dinner under the tent. While I was full of nerves that we would be hit with bad weather, the house and tent would have offered plenty of refuge, and having seen the staff in action now, I'm 100% confident that they would have pulled off the logistic hurdles seemlessly. The food was delicious and the service was personal and attentive all night. My parents were so impressed that servers learned their names, checked in regularly, assisted elderly family members, and truly seemed invested in helping us have a perfect day. And we literally cannot say enough about the wonderful Tim Holmes, event manager extraordinaire. He was so responsive to our questions, offered fantastic suggestions, and really "got" the kind of wedding we were aiming for. We are profoundly grateful for his help, and we recommend the Bradley without reservation.

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Lisa Sent on 11/27/2019

5 out of 5 rating

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Highly recommend Bradley Estate- Tim is awesome. Venue is beautiful

My wife & I got married at Bradley Estate in June '19. It was perfect! They take really good care of the grounds (flowers blooming, fountain flowing, etc). Tim, from Fireside Catering, was awesome. The food was amazing. Can't speak highly enough of the Bradley Estate. We got really lucky that we found it!

Thanh Sent on 09/04/2018

5 out of 5 rating

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We picked the Bradley Estate because of the beautiful garden and exclusive caterer, Fireside Catering. We loved the idea of the Estate being public, so we can visit again for anniversaries and special occasions. The garden is quiet and perfect for an outdoor ceremony,. The property is well manicured and the Trustees update the flowers often during the seasons. All of our guests we spoke to post-wedding commented on how beautiful the garden is.

Tim Holmes of Fireside Catering was knowledgeable and prompt. There were a few requests that we asked a week before the wedding and Tim was able to accommodate our requests. Food was top-notch and sourced from a local farm. The appetizers were amazing and well replenished throughout the cocktail hour. Our guests raved about the food, particularly the appetizers. Service was great throughout the wedding. We had our own waiter that attended to us only, getting us drinks and our own appetizer tray. As we were talking to guests, our food got cold and our waiter quickly got us new hot entrees. Liz, our day of coordinator, was great, managed timing well, and made us feel at ease all day. One caveat is that the Estate does not allow a rehearsal the day before. This was not an issue for us since we had a very small wedding party and Liz was able to instruct us right before the ceremony.

Overall, I would definitely recommend the Bradley Estate and Fireside Catering. If you want a hassle-free and generally a one-stop shop with great service, food and beautiful venue, Bradley Estate is the best choice.

Sarah Sent on 01/25/2017

5 out of 5 rating

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First, it’s no secret that the Bradley Estate is absolutely beautiful. It’s easy to get to from Boston and right off the highway, but it feels very private and tucked away. It’s part of the Trustees of Reservations society, which means they only do a limited number of events per year to keep the venue pristine. After my husband and I had a brief tour of the grounds, we knew we had our place! One of the things we liked most was the feel of the entire space, from the inside of the house to the side porch, to the back lawn and the little farm (where a cute llama and some sheep reside!). It poured rain on our wedding day, but I couldn’t be disappointed for long when I saw what a beautiful job they did with everything. The ceremony and reception were in the tent and cocktail hour was inside the house, and it all felt nice and cozy on a chilly October day! I can’t speak highly enough of the staff. Tim Holmes (of Fireside Catering), Julie, and Courtney, were all so attentive and took great care of us, including running champagne and cheese up to the bridal suite as my girls and I got ready, and making sure everything was running smoothly in general. I could go on, but I’ll wrap it up by saying the Bradley was the perfect venue for our New England wedding, rain and all!

Stephanie Sent on 10/25/2016

4.9 out of 5 rating

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This review is for the Bradley Estate but specifically for Fireside Catering Event Coordinator Tim Holmes. From the first time we saw the Bradley until our wedding was over, Tim was EXACTLY the person we needed to work with. He was professional, accommodating, and organized. He has the ability to take whatever you're worried about and take the stress and solution on himself. Everything on our wedding day was perfect because of Tim and the Bradley. It was certainly a lot of money, but if you're able to swing it the Bradley Estate is a delight to work with from start to finish. The food was delicious, the estate breath taking, and the grounds impeccable.

Amanda Sent on 12/19/2016

4.9 out of 5 rating

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We got married at the Bradley Estate in September, and the entire day was absolutely perfect. We had our ceremony in the formal garden, and a tented reception on the huge lawn. It is such a beautiful venue, you would never guess that it is so close to a main road. The Bradley Estate uses Fireside Catering for catering and event coordination, so we primarily worked with them. They, especially Tim Holmes, were so great and made sure every detail was taken care of. We looked at a bunch of venues from Boston to Newport, RI, some of which were over twice as expensive as the Bradley Estate. We honestly picked the Bradley Estate because we liked it the most, and it was a huge bonus that it was (relatively) more affordable. We were so so happy with our choice, and would not have changed a single thing about our wedding.

Lauren Sent on 07/22/2018

4.8 out of 5 rating

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We fell in with love with the Bradley Estate for many reasons - ranging from the gorgeous setting of the formal gardens to the old manor house to the rustic farm/gardens, as well as the good reviews for the catering company and the icing on the cake was Tim, the director of catering at Firseside. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Tim - he was so patient and responded promptly to my million emails. On the day of our wedding I was SO impressed with how everything ran effortlessly perfect and this was all thanks to Tim and the crew for taking care of every detail, including making sure we had plenty of drinks and food the entire time. Our guests were wow'ed with the service as well as the food. I cannot speak highly enough of this venue and this team. There are a few minor things that make it more challenging from a logistical side like how you cannot get onto the property before 2:30pm and need to get all of your stuff out by end of the night but I wouldn't change anything and don't think this should deter you for booking there, everything else is well worth it! What a magical place the Bradley Estate is :)

Miriam Sent on 09/04/2017

4.8 out of 5 rating

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The first thing that struck us about the Bradley Estate is its mixture of backgrounds from formal to informal to pastoral. The grounds are meticulously cared for by the Trustees of Reservations and their hard work showed both during the 2016 drought when we selected the site and in picture perfect 2017. The site is laid out so that the day flows seamlessly from ceremony to cocktails to reception and departure. We had ideal weather for an outdoor wedding, but the rain plan was just as good.

Part of the reason everything flows so smoothly is the work done by Tim and the Fireside Catering staff. Fireside is the exclusive caterer for the site and Tim acts as event manager as well. We were not allowed an outside day of coordinator, but we honestly didn’t need one. Tim was with us through the entire process from viewing the site to the reception itself. He was always available for questions, patient in answering them, and settled out nerves with a minute by minute walk through of the day two months out from the wedding. On the wedding day itself, we were able to arrive and be in the moment the entire time without having to worry about any logistics. While our band and photographer got praises from our guests, Tim and his staff are the real heroes that made the day go off without a hitch (except our own!)

Mike Sent on 12/03/2018

4.6 out of 5 rating

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Beautiful venue and excellent catering

My husband and I got married at the Bradley Estate this summer. We wanted an outdoor venue not too far from Boston since we had a lot of guests coming in from out of town. The grounds at Bradley are absolutely gorgeous, and we liked having the inside space for a solid rain or hot weather plan (although happily we managed to get beautiful weather on our day). We were really glad to support the Trustees with our venue fee, too!

Another draw of Bradley for us was the partnership with Fireside Catering, so we got a great venue, catering, and planning support all in one. Tim Holmes and the whole Fireside team are incredible. Tim really helped make the process of planning our wedding easier, helping to keep us organized and always available for questions and advice. On the day of, Fireside staff were attentive and helped to make sure everything progressed flawlessly, and served incredible food. We got so many compliments from our guests during and after the wedding about how good the food was. My wife and I are vegetarian but most of our guests were not, and Fireside was great about accommodating our food preferences, guest allergies, etc. Can't recommend the Bradley Estate and Fireside Catering enough!

Jill Sent on 12/16/2018

4.6 out of 5 rating

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Highly recommend for an estate wedding

The Bradley Estate is a breath taking landscape. The grounds are immaculately kept, and could not be a better backdrop for a wedding ceremony and wedding portraits. Tim and his entire team are extremely helpful and accommodating to make your day truly unique to you. The food from Fireside Catering is beyond delicious! We got so many compliments on our wedding overall, and that is mostly thanks to the Bradley Estate. I wish I could get married here every year! lol

Ana Sent on 11/05/2021

4.4 out of 5 rating

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An outdoor wedding dream

If you want the perfect outdoor setting, you should look at this venue. It is absolutely stunning. There is plenty of space to mingle during cocktail hour. I recommend bubble guns for the kiddos to run around. The string lights were part of the tent set up and really made it quite lovely at night. There really isn't much else to say other than, go to the property on a weekend and walk around or book a formal tour. It is a Trustees of Reservations property so the historical element is also a great feature.

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Erin Sent on 10/26/2015

3.2 out of 5 rating

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The Bradley Estate is a stunning venue. There are plenty of estate reception locations in the area and Bradley seemed to be the best maintained. The house is charming and the grounds are impeccable. Bradley has an exclusive caterer, Fireside Catering. We did not have a good experience with Fireside which is why the rating is so low. If this rating were just about the actual venue itself the rating would be much higher. You will not work with a rep from Bradley - they don't have one. You will only work with Fireside. At one point in the planning, we thought about canceling and losing our deposit so that we could work with another caterer at another venue. It's real shame because Bradley is a lovely location! Our photos are amazing but our memories of working with Fireside are not. If you have the kind of money to have your wedding at Bradley, we would recommend going elsewhere.

The Bradley Estate's reply:

Thank you very much for taking the time to write a review; as hard as it is to read, this feedback is very valuable to us. I am truly sorry that your experience was not up to our usual standards and that I was not aware of your situation earlier. Our goal as a company is to make sure all our clients and their guests are completely satisfied, every time. We are very proud to typically receive excellent reviews so your situation is of particular interest to me. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss your issues with you in more detail. Please contact the office at 781-221-3003 and ask for Bryan.

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