Get to know Friendly Crossways Retreat Center – the perfect intimate wedding venue in Harvard, MA

Your venue is more than just a physical space in which to hold your wedding celebration. It can really shape the overall mood and vibe of your day! Sure, you want a beautiful location that suits your visual style. But more than that, you want to make sure you’re in good hands—that the people behind the venue name are fully focused on meeting your needs. That’s where Friendly Crossways Retreat Center comes in. Mary Helan, the venue’s “owner, registrar, and hand-holder,” and her team have curated a truly relaxed, intimate, fun, stress-free, and one-of-a-kind wedding experience that you’ll instantly fall in love with.

Friendly Crossways Retreat Center is located in Harvard, MA, just 30 miles west of Boston, and lends itself particularly well to weekend weddings. “We only host one wedding per weekend,” Mary explained, which means the staff can focus all of their energy and talent on your celebration. “We have lodging on site for up to 40 people, and 25 are included in the weekend wedding package.” If your ideal wedding is a casual, intimate gathering with your closest loved ones, this is the perfect venue for you.

The typical flow of a wedding weekend at Friendly Crossways looks something like this: “Folks arrive on Friday in time for rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on site, then hang out by the fire circle with their wedding party that evening,” Mary shared. “On Saturday they wake up leisurely and prep in a relaxed manner for their outdoor ceremony and tented reception, after-party/chill by the fire circle until midnight. On Sunday they have a farewell brunch, and take off to bask in their laid-back, beautiful rustic-chic event. Couples particularly love the ability to spend so much time with friends and family.”

If this sounds like the coolest wedding weekend ever…well, that’s exactly the point! That’s the benefit of choosing a venue that prioritizes your experience—as well as your guests’ experience—above all else. 

Friendly Crossways’ Visual Features

But rest assured—Friendly Crossways is equally as beautiful as it is hospitable. There are stunning sunflower fields and hydrangea bushes on-site, which of course make incredible photo backdrops. There’s an elegant white arbor and a rocky forest edge that both make perfect ceremony spots. Don’t be surprised if you end up frolicking around the grounds with your photographer for much longer than you intended to—there’s just so much beauty to take in here!

Your Day, Your Way

And even though there is a typical format that weekend weddings at Friendly Crossways tend to follow, Mary and her team are 100% dedicated to helping you celebrate your day, your way. There are so many choices you get to make—the staff are just here to guide you! 

Whatever your ideal wedding season, aesthetic, or theme may be, Friendly Crossways provides the perfect setting to bring your vision to life. Not to mention the perfect setting to focus on what truly matters—celebrating your love, with the ones who love you most.

Friendly Crossways will begin accepting bookings for the 2023 wedding season this summer! If you think it just might be your dream venue, go ahead and fill out their online inquiry form!

And if you need some inspiration in your early stages of planning, be sure to check out these 5 awesome ways to make your wedding unique!