Gedney Farm

My husband and I got engaged in February 2023 and were hoping for a fall 2023 wedding, so we had just around 8 months to plan everything. We looked at venues online, narrowed it down by prices, then nixed the ones that weren't available for our desired weekend. We had two serious contenders for a venue, and we scheduled tours at both venues one weekend in March. We live just north of Boston and so Gedney Farm is easily 2.5-3 hours from us. As our GPS took us down these snowy backroads for the last hour or so, we started to doubt how we felt about the venue.... thinking it's too far and not worth the hassle, etc. It was a bit closer to my New York family/friends than Boston but kinda in the middle of nowhere. We essentially had chosen the first Boston venue before even getting to the Gedney parking lot. However, upon walking into the main entrance, we tucked those doubts away and drank in the beautiful rustic details in every part of this barn... the new bar, the fireplace, the sitting area, the large reception space and the loft overlooking everything. Michael answered all of our questions and more, then took us to the lodging barn which *completely* sold us. 16 rooms reserved for our guests in an architecturally interesting space which had a perfect mix of private bedrooms and common hangout space. Our entire bridal party and a few close friends filled up the space, not having to worry about anything, as it was a 5 second walk to the venue. It was so fun and easy getting ready without even having to leave the barn, and there was plenty of space for my girls to get ready in the bridal suite, and my husband and his guys to get ready in a separate space. btw- Most of our guests stayed at one of our two hotel blocks in Great Barrington, and we hired a bus to/from the reception (word of caution: the local police ruthlessly target cars on that road... my MOH got a speeding ticket as she was driving friends back to Gedney from Great Barrington the night before the wedding... hiring a bus is essential) Anyway, I worked with Samantha through most of the planning process, and Patty for the final week and wedding weekend. Samantha was incredibly organized and on top of deadlines... she essentially served as a wedding planner which was helpful since I was doing a lot of DIY decorations and planning an entire wedding in less than 8 months. Patty was on top of everything that was going on for the wedding weekend, helped us feel calm and ready, and made sure everything ran as smoothly and as close to the timeline as possible. Honestly, Gedney was definitely on the pricier side of the venues we researched, and it's even tougher once you add in the cost of vendors, lodging, dress, suit, decorations, add-ons, fees, taxes, tips, etc. On our drive back home from the tour, we really had to consider our budget and how much this venue meant to us for our big day. We had to reallocate some things in our budget and we both took on extra jobs to set aside more wedding savings, but we made it work. Our wedding day was perfect. We had smiles on our faces ALL WEEKEND, everything was perfectly taken care of, the staff was on top of everything, our ceremony was beautiful, our guests were eating, drinking, dancing, and taking photobooth pics all night, and that lodging was the complete icing on the ceremonial wedding cake.

We had a perfect wedding, but my husband and I absolutely hated the idea of wedding planning. All the talk of guest lists, what table numbers to order from Etsy, the debates over a bridesmaid’s dress in dusty rose or rose quartz…truly, bless the people who enjoy this time of their lives, but it was not us. We felt overwhelmed by the idea of putting on an event, what felt like a performance, of our love, and making it authentic for 250 people. We love hosting; we love our families; we love our friends; but this all felt so next level. This task felt so impossible that 10 months before we were set to get married at Gedney Farm, we pulled an audible and gave our immediate families a 3-week notice that we were going to have a small church ceremony at 2pm on a Wednesday in December. Be there or be square, mom. All this to say, we gave the Gedney team a run for their money. We sporadically answered emails from August to December, and then we responded in January and said, “we’re married! But we’re still going to have a wedding with you!” And by God, despite all of our hesitations and fears, did Sam and her team make this process as seamless as it could possibly be. Sam acted in the role of a wedding coordinator, providing us with a list of deadlines we had to meet in order to stay on track with everything in order to meet our September day. She was communicative, kind, and empathetic. Whenever we reached out with questions, she or another member of her team was quick to respond. As a deadline approached, she warmly extended a reminder, and if we missed it, she let us know what we needed to do, with a firm tone that made me feel like I was disappointing an older sister if I didn’t uphold my end of the bargain. She and her team made every accommodation for us, allowing us in the hotel an extra night early, building out a wider aisle for my huge dress, checking in constantly when I had pneumonia the weeks before my wedding to see how they could support me. Sam is one of the most competent people I have ever worked with, and working with her felt like a partnership the whole way through. We had a truly perfect wedding. It wasn’t necessarily traditional – my three brothers officiated the ceremony together; we had no exchanging of rings; I danced with my mom to Carole King; my person of honor sang us a toast, and my beautiful husband cried; we ended the night with karaoke. There are millions of moments from our wedding at Gedney Farm that I will cherish forever, and I don’t take for granted that this was able to happen because of this beautiful space and the incredible staff present. We’re so grateful to Sam, Peter, and the rest of the folks at Gedney for turning something we truly hated (wow so much) into the most joyful, beautiful, loving weekend we could have. Final moments of gratitude for Gedney: -Waking up on Saturday, going to get breakfast, and seeing all my friends and family (and my friend’s 2 dogs) out on the patio at Gedney already eating -Staying on the property with friends and family for the weekend – being able to head back with everyone after Welcome Drinks and the Wedding -Getting ready in the Bridal Suite, and easily walking down to see my wonderful husband and his pals -The wonderful lady who packed up our cake and then kept it safe when I forgot it

Getting married at Gedney Farm was an incredible experience. It was the first and only venue we toured, and we quickly and confidently decided that it had everything we could possibly want and more. The grounds are incredible, with multiple options for ceremony location, as well as on-site lodging for guests and a gorgeous barn for the reception. We took a gamble on the weather (which paid off) and had our ceremony outside atop “the knoll” underneath a beautiful old tree, which made for stunning photos, then headed down the hill for cocktail hour in the courtyard with hors d’oeuvres served from the Argentinian grill. Our reception was in the upstairs area of the barn, with plenty of room for dinner and a bar, a photo booth, and of course, dancing. The staff at Gedney Farm were amazing. From the day we booked the venue, they guided us through choosing every detail, but also had default options for the details that didn’t matter as much to us. Having it be a “one-stop-shop” including all linens, flatware, chairs, tables, etc. as well as food, cake, and lodging made the planning process so easy. The on-site wedding coordinator took care of coordinating with all outside vendors (florist, transportation, photographers, DJ/band, videographers), so the day-of stress was minimal because we knew they had it handled. Looking back, we are so glad we chose to celebrate our wedding at Gedney Farm and could not have asked for a better venue or staff to help us!

Where do we even begin? Gedney Farm was our dream wedding venue. We could not have had a better experience throughout the entire wedding planning process and, of course, at the wedding itself. We hosted three events at Gedney Farm during our wedding weekend: rehearsal dinner, wedding, and brunch. Each was flawlessly executed. There are not many other venues out there that allow for a full wedding weekend with gorgeous onsite accommodations and come with an amazing wedding planner (Sam rocks!!). The food at each event was delicious and alcohol selection/bar was great. The setting is stunning, every detail was exactly in place. Because the barn and outdoor spaces are so beautiful, we definitely were able to save money on flowers and other decor. The vibe is luxurious but rustic, and definitely extremely cozy. The staff are all so knowledgeable and kind, and we felt so well taken care of every step of the way. We know we will be part of the Gedney Farm family for years to come!