You want your smaller wedding to be special: So do the event planners at the picture-perfect Briar Barn Inn. And they can make that happen, starting with gorgeous venue possibilities, from a garden courtyard to a bistro-lit terrace to a sunlit barn restaurant. The country inn, in a lovely historic town, hosts memorable weddings for up to 100 people. Book the wedding studio at the on-site spa for makeup (and massages!), prepare for your big day in the hospitality suite, then relax and enjoy your big day. The inn’s culinary team has options from savory hors d’oeuvres like a tapas trio to fabulous entrees like grilled top sirloin (with added lobster tail if you like). End your evening with snacks and curated cocktail stations.

The charming rooms on The House of the Seven Gables' property that host smaller indoor weddings are not only warm and inviting: They’re also historic. The property’s 1682 Hooper-Hathaway House, for example, which can host a gathering for 25 to 30 people, was restored in Colonial Revival style but retains Jacobean details. The Plumstock-Holyoke Room can host up to 80 guests or be divided into two smaller rooms. Outdoor venues include spectacular gardens with summer and fall blooms, a small side lawn and the Seaside Lawn, with stunning waterfront views. Vendors for catering and other services are recommended, and a dedicated event staff member will guide you every step of the way, to make your smaller wedding as perfect as you imagined.
Hours: Open daily 10am - 6pm from March thru August, and by online reservation in November and December. Advance tickets highly recommended.

The Inn at Hastings Park may be in Lexington, birthplace of American independence, but that doesn’t mean the idea of intimate wedding celebrations is a revolutionary one. In fact, it is a specialty of the elegant, historic inn. Exchange your vows in the lovely side yard, or “park,” or against the wooded backdrop of the back garden (where a tent may also be set up). Receptions for up to 60 people can be held in the inn’s cozy, contemporary dining venue. Served in a warm, inviting atmosphere, meals based on fresh local ingredients can be customized when couples work with the culinary team. Inn staff, and professional wedding planners, stand ready to help with all the details, from flowers to linens.

Couples planning an elopement or small wedding will find the perfect environment for their nuptials at the Harbor Light Inn, a charming, historic hotel in the heart of Marblehead’s beautiful harbor district. A private room for your ceremony and dining afterward can host up to 50 people for cocktail receptions or 25 for dinner receptions. The inn’s concierge will help you arrange for florists, photographers, caterers or off-site ceremony receptions, among other services. Make it a destination weekend, and your guests will fall in love themselves – with their comfortable accommodations, some with fireplaces, four-poster or canopy beds and jetted tubs and all with personalized breakfast trays put together each morning. The inn’s welcoming tavern is a relaxing way to end a busy day of celebrating.