Destination Ipswich, MA

Just an hour’s drive from the cobblestone streets of Boston houses - Castle Hill on the Crane Estate. It’s undoubtedly one of the most beautiful wedding sites that I have had the pleasure of working. Perched above the beautiful Crane beach, this site offers a dramatic setting for weddings. Its beautiful gardens, magnificent landscape, grandiose great house, seaside location, and picturesque views along the half mile Grand Allee make it a perfect location for your wedding.

Your guests will be welcomed by the foyer, which leads into the Gallery - a perfect location for a small reception. If you need additional seating, you can add a tent over the side terrace. The rotunda is perfect for the cake cutting, the dining room for an indoor ceremony, and the ballroom for dancing late into the evening. The golden hues, period archways and Grand stair case provide the backdrop for a sophisticated event.

This site also offers it all. Give your wedding party a hardy New England Welcome at Steep Hill Beach, by offering crabs, oysters and lobsters.

Because this site can comfortably accommodate up to 320 with an added tent, this is truly the perfect destination. Your guests will be treated to New England at its finest. Just a short and very beautiful drive from Salem Massachusetts, a mecca of museums and landmarks. A bit beyond- Massachusetts’ capital, Boston, is rich in tradition and is a great place to shop, eat, and tour. Ipswich, the heart of the North Shore, is a meticulously preserved seaport offering a variety of activities including museums, performing arts, whale watching, great shopping and superior dining.

Visit the website - http://castlehillfunctions.thetrustees.org/

About Lisa

I find it very difficult to write about myself because, what do I say? There is not enough time.

It took me 4 years at North (in a science/math magnet program), 4 years at Smith, and 8.5 years at Brown to admit to myself that I’m not any good at science. Hhmmm?

I am thankful for my experiences because they allowed me to realize my dreams and passions in life. Even though I lived a very tortured, heinous and lonely life in graduate school, it gave me the

courage to seek out other things and find the talents that lay deep.

I feel very fortunate and blessed for the life I lead. I have two amazingly beautiful children who I adore more than life itself. I am able to pursue a career that I truly love and believe in – in the deep depths of my heart. I have people in my life, who believe in my passions and help me to grow, not only personally but professionally. I have friends, who I ignore, but continue to contact me periodically. I guess there is always room for self improvement.

So…I guess that’s me. I refuse to give up. I seek to learn and grow from life’s mountains and valleys. I very much look forward to celebrating the achievements of conquering the mountains, and strive to learn from and surpass the valleys.

The down economy should not adversely affect your wedding

I received an email question a few weeks ago that I would like to share with everyone. It was a great question that I think everyone would benefit from. Here is the question…

“Have you encountered brides that needed to reduce their guest list after invitations have been sent out and RSVP’s has been received? If so how do you suggest they handle that? Especially with the current economy status”.

I think everyone knows how bad the economy is – great people are losing their jobs every day. If you, your fiancé, or one of your parents looses their jobs, it’s absolutely devastating on the budget. This also holds true in other situations. In my personal experience, I have seen my couples’ budgets impacted by a variety of crises such as; car and home repair bills.

Unfortunately – sometimes- life does happen – it’s inevitable – and also, in many cases, something that you cannot control. What you can control are your reactions once it happens.

So…you lose your job or your car breaks down and now you do not have enough money for the wedding in your budget, but you still want to have a wedding. It’s perfectly okay to trim the guest list, assuming that you have not already sent out Save the Dates. You can trim and add to the guest list all you want. Once you invite someone to your wedding, you can never rescind an invitation.


What are the solutions? Since the reception site is typically the largest portion, I would start there. Work with the site (or your caterer) to design a menu which will fit into your new budget. This might involve choosing different types of foods (crab cakes are more expensive than salmon), or choosing an alternative food service. If this doesn’t get you where you want to be, start thinking about your priorities. Maybe flowers are not as important, and you can change the type of flowers used, or cut down on the number of arrangements (as long as you are making these changes more than 2-3 weeks prior to the wedding). Maybe you want a videographer for only the ceremony. Go back to your contracts and review the policies on making changes and cancellations.