Boston Wedding & Portrait Photographer

Stephanie Dozois

wedding rings on a box

The Connors Center Wedding Venue for Garden Luxury

If your wedding vibes are all about outdoor garden vibes, beautiful stone terraces, and warm, cozy fireplaces, then The Connors Center wedding venue may be the right spot for you! Check out some of the details about their wedding offerings below. 

About The Connors Center Wedding Venue

The property itself is 120 years old, dating back to 1902! Olmstead and Vaux, the famous designers of THE Central Park in New York City, designed the expansive gardens and fieldstone paths. 

In 1949, the Dominican Order purchased the estate, renamed it St. Stephen’s Priory, and then built a 70-room addition. Then, in 2004, Boston College acquired the property, and alumni Jack and Eileen Connors donated $10 million to establish the Connors Family Retreat and Conference Center. 

Details of the Grounds

Whether you envision your wedding taking place indoors or outdoors,The Connors Center has plenty of spaces to make your wedding vision come to life. If you are looking for an indoor setting, mahogany paneling adorns the Main and Dover parlors, each with working fireplaces for extra cozy charm. 

The parlors, perfect for smaller ceremonies or receptions, also have French doors leading out to terraces with sunset views, perfect for hosting a cocktail hour. If your aesthetic is a bit brighter, the Estate Room seats up to 150 guests. Natural light from its floor-to-ceiling windows floods the room, offering views of the surrounding lush woodlands. 

St. Cecilia’s garden is the perfect spot for an elegant outdoor reception. It provides a beautiful backdrop with expertly designed gardens, fragrant flower beds, and a birch tree grove. The garden can accommodate up to 200 guests. 

Lastly, their Lower Garden can accommodate tented events for up to 200 guests and is the perfect backdrop for a rustic event with quaint stone arches adorned with cascading ivy.

groom and bride leaning against a stone wall at the conner center wedding

Accommodations 

The Connors Center also offers private rooms for the bridal party to get ready. The Sun Parlor, overlooking the terraces, has an ensuite bathroom, a full-length mirror, and comfortable seating with a large bay window to flood the room in natural light. It’s a perfect spot for doing hair and makeup and taking photos. 

Close by is the Hospitality Suite, which is perfect for grooms and groomsmen to prepare for the day. It is a fully furnished suite with a private balcony.

There is plenty of room for your guests to stay the weekend, too! There are 27 ensuite bedrooms (6 in the original main house) with additional suites and guest rooms for up to 90 guests in an adjacent wing.

Furthermore, there are:

  • an additional six guest suites with a queen bed and private bathroom,
  • 21 guest wing suites with either a king, queen, or full bed and private bath, and
  • 36 guest bedrooms with shared bathrooms.

Photography Opportunities

There are plenty of places to get the perfect pictures on your wedding day. Their gardens, with lush, colorful flowers, rustic stonework, and beautifully maintained pathways, are ideal for couples who want a taste of the outdoors in their wedding shots. 

For those looking to stay indoors, their mahogany paneled walls and cozy fireplaces provide many opportunities for the ideal photos.

rings on the hands of a new bride and groom the conner center wedding

Wedding Details

In addition to the big day itself, The Connors Center often hosts pre-wedding activities like rehearsals and rehearsal dinners. They work with preselected vendors for catering, cakes, entertainment, planners, and lighting. And – bonus – each wedding includes a newlywed suite for the night or weekend of the wedding!

The Connors Center Wedding

If you think The Connors Center wedding venue is the right fit for your nuptials, head over to their website to request more info! For more wedding content, click on the blog links below. While you’re here, view more of my wedding portfolio, and let’s chat about your day!