Read details about having an event at The Bradley Estate
in this "Question & Answer" link
and on the "About the Bradley Estate" link.
Q: What are the maximum and minimum capacity numbers?
A: The capacity for events held inside the home is 100. If you have over 100 guests up to 150, you may still have your celebration at The Bradley Estate with the dining and dancing held in a tent. These are the maximum numbers of guests allowed for your rental. There is ample space for dancing within the home or in a tent with these guest counts.
If you have a formal sit-down dinner inside the home, most couples use the adjoining living room and loggia for the dining. The capacity in the living room is 60 (6 tables of 10) and the capacity in the loggia is 40 (4 tables of 10). Two large sets of French doors separate these two rooms. If you wish to have an hors d'oeuvre dinner, tables and chairs can comfortably be arranged throughout the home.
Dancing is held in the foyer. See the Floor Plan on this website for the layout.
There is no minimum.
Q: What is the rental time?
A. The rental time is four hours and additional time for your event can be arranged as well.
As a courtesy, we offer two additional hours prior to your rental time so that you, your attendants and immediate family may use the property. You may, for example, use this time to dress, enjoy beauty appointments and take photographs. Customarily, these two hours prior to your rental are used for your vendor set-ups as well.
Your rental time begins when your guests arrive. If you have your ceremony on-site, your guests begin arriving 1/2 hour before the ceremony start-time. Therefore, if you have your ceremony on-site, your rental time begins 30 minutes before your ceremony.
If you wish, you may extend your rental time. Arrangements must be made in advance.
Weddings held inside the home must end at 11:00pm. Weddings held in a tent must end at 10:00pm.
Q: Are there off-season rates?
A: Yes, November through April is off-season with fees almost half of the full season rate. Also, Mondays-Thursdays are at reduced rates. During this off-season, the grounds can be used for photographs but not for outdoor ceremonies or tent receptions.
Q: What does the rental fee include?
A: The fee includes exclusive use of the first floor of the house, as well as the second floor bridal suite for the wedding couple, and their attendants and parents. If the wedding is May 1 - October 31, the fee includes use of the formal gardens and north lawn.
The fee also includes personnel: The event manager provides assistance during the planning and before the event (answers questions, suggests vendors). The site manager who works during your event (assigned approximately 10 days before the event) directs vendors on set-up and breakdown procedures, works to ensure the safety of the guests, and manages the operations assistant. The operations assistant cares for the condition of the physical property, and directs your guests to and from the parking lot as they arrive and depart. The fee also includes police detail which is required by the Town of Canton. The fee includes the final walk-through caterer's meeting as well.
The rental includes only those items detailed above. The client is responsible for any other costs associated with their event. For example, if a client wishes to have a tent wedding, the client is responsible for all costs associated with the tented event. Or, if the client wishes to use the loggia, the client is responsible for any costs related to the loggia, such as siding and heating.
Q: Can I have my ceremony on site? Can I have my rehearsal on site? Is there a fee for the ceremony or rehearsal?
A. The Bradley Estate is an ideal location to have a ceremony and most couples do have their ceremonies here. There is no additional charge for the ceremony but the time for it is part of your rental time. You may have one hour, free-of-charge, for your rehearsal, if the property is available and you wish to use only the grounds. If you wish to use the house for your rehearsal, there is a $195 charge if it is available.
Q: Do you have a wedding reception package?
A: We do not have a wedding reception package. Most couples order the food & bar and rentals (tables, chairs, linen, glassware, china, flatware) through a caterer. Or, you may use two separate companies: a caterer (for the food and bar) and a rental company.
Q: Can I use a caterer of my choice?
A: Yes, you may select from a list of caterers provided to you by the Bradley Estate. These caterers provide an insurance certificate which contains an additional insured endorsement naming The Trustees, sign the Catering Policy which details the working policies at the property, and pay a caterer’s fee to The Trustees. Caterers meet with the Event Manager in advance to review the policies and procedures of the Bradley Estate.
Q: Who manages the food service and flow of events?
A: The caterer is responsible for the flow of all scheduled events and should insure that the event timeline is followed as closely as possible. The band/D.J. is responsible for making all announcements such as bridal dances, cake cutting, last dance, etc. Q: How long can the band or D.J. play? A: The band/DJ can play until the end of the rental time.
Q: Since this is an historic home, are there policies concerning décor and candles?
A: Yes. We want to ensure that the home and grounds are used properly for you and your guests to enjoy, as well as preserved for future events. For this reason, we ask for your cooperation regarding the following:
The following are not allowed: fireworks/sparklers; tossing rice/confetti/birdseed; ice sculptures. You may not drape materials or nail/fasten anything to the house. You may use real (not silk) flowers outside on the ceremony lawn (but not in other areas of the grounds). You may use the fasteners that are already on the front door and above the mantles to hang wreaths or floral arrangements.
You may only use battery-powered candles. You may place these throughout the house and in your tent. No open flames are allowed.
Q: Can we move furniture, rugs, artwork?
A. Per your request, we will remove most of the furniture and rugs so that the interior of the home matches your style and meets your room design. No artwork may be removed from the walls or material hung in the house or placed on the floors.
Q: Is there a piano that we can use?
A. Yes! A Baby Grand Steinway piano is in the library. This is the original piano that the Bradley family played in this home. There is no fee for your musicians to play it.
Q: Is your site handicap accessible?
A. Yes. There is a ramp entrance to the home on the side of the building. There is a handicap restroom on the first floor. Guests who cannot walk from the parking area to the home may be dropped off at the home's front door.
Q: What hotels are in the area for my out-of-town guests and how can we best transport our guests?
A. The Bradley Estate has made arrangements with three local hotels for you. The hotels will provide you and your guests with discounted block room prices. The hotels give a fee to The Trustees which goes to the preservation of The Bradley Estate home and grounds, a property of The Trustees of Reservations, a non-profit organization. Call Group Sales at the following hotels:
- Holiday Inn Boston-Dedham, 55 Ariadne Rd., Dedham, (781) 407-2272, contact: Phillip Glidden
- Residence Inn by Marriott Boston Dedham, 259 Elm St., Dedham, (781) 407-0999, contact: Kathleen Farrell-Lento
- Hilton Boston/Dedham, 25 Allied Dr., Dedham, (781) 407-1643, contact: Grace Alexander
Q: Do you have any advice concerning guest transportation?
A: You may wish to hire shuttle transportation to bring your guests to and from their hotel and The Bradley Estate. We suggest that you rent 22-passenger shuttle vans rather than 55-passenger buses. The vans will be able to drive directly to the front of the house to drop off and pick up your guests. The larger bus vehicles do not have the space needed on the front drive to travel directly up to the house. The Hilton Boston/Dedham (one of the hotels listed above) is five minutes from The Bradley Estate and you can hire their shuttle to bring guests to and from your reception.
Q: What are your beverage policies?
Q. What are your vendor recommendations? What are your recommendations for the rental of the tent?
We recognize our wedding couples select vendors to reflect their individual style. For that reason, we have a fairly open policy concerning vendors. While we strive to ensure that we know all the vendors who work at our property because we want them to provide you with the highest standards of service and product, we do not want to restrict the list of companies for consideration on your special day.
Since we began hosting weddings in 2000, we've worked hard to establish vendor contacts. We place a high priority on cultivating great vendor relationships so that you'll enjoy a unique experience and receive excellent dollar value. Should you need assistance in selecting vendors, we will gladly introduce you to companies that have consistently earned rave reviews from past clients.
You must select a caterer that is on the Bradley Estate caterers list. These caterers provide an insurance certificate which contains an additional insured endorsement naming The Trustees, sign the Catering Policy which details the working policies at the property, and pay a caterer’s fee to The Trustees. Caterers meet with the Event Manager in advance to review the policies and procedures of the Bradley Estate.
You must select the caterer no later than 90 days prior to your event and notify the Event Manager in writing who you hired as your caterer. The caterer should then provide the insurance certificate, signed catering policy, and caterer’s fee to The Trustees no later than 60 days prior to the event. Items to be used at the event should be delivered and removed on the event day—delivery can be made up to two hours before the rental time begins and pick-up is immediately after the rental time ends.
TENTINGTents must be rented by the rental company listed below.
BC Tent & Awning
25 Bodwell St., Avon, MA 02322
(800) 660-8368, (508) 586-0900
www.bctent.com
READ MORE about having a wedding on the "About the Bradley Estate" link!