Commander's Mansion

The Commander's Mansion was the perfect venue. The staff were amazing and accommodating. Between the lovely grape arbor and the beautiful interior, we were able to make our wedding the best day of our lives.

We stumbled on the Commander's Mansion one day when we lived in Watertown and got lost on the way to Panera. It's a unique, beautiful venue, and everyone told us how much they loved it, and they appreciated being able to wander around inside and out, and not be stuck in one room the whole day. We did not have our ceremony here, but we did utilize the grounds for photos, and we had the reception inside the mansion, which helped force us to keep our guest list small, since the ballrooms only hold 88 people, tops (we had 84 and it was a little tight).Our communication leading up to the event was fabulous, and Rae was so sweet and responsive. She told us about the Watertown resident discount, which saved us 20%, and all we needed was a "sponsor" who lived in Watertown. She was also very quick to respond to emails and help me with layout and logistics ideas. We also met Tammy a couple days before the wedding, and she was equally sweet and helpful.However, on the day of the wedding we had a different staff person working our event, which disappointed me a bit, since we had worked so closely with Rae. This other staff person couldn't figure out the A/C, so I was stuck upstairs in the sweltering heat getting ready. Then at the end of the night, we were the only ones left (my husband, my parents and I) and we were looking for her to thank her for her help, and she was nowhere to be found. When we did find her, I told her that my husband was upstairs looking for her, and she says "yeah, well I was cleaning up vomit in the bathroom, so oh well". Ok, sorry that one of my guests got sick, but, um... really? I'm in my wedding dress, and you're going to complain about vomit? It just seemed like she didn't need to complain to the bride. She also told us we weren't allowed to bring the leftover alcohol with us that night, which was about 6 or 7 half-full bottles, and that we'd have to come back on Tuesday to get it. Well, my husband went to pick it up on Tuesday, and it was all gone. Not that it's a big deal, but it was just the third in a string of behavior that was so different from what my planning process with the mansion had been like.Overall, I would absolutely recommend the mansion, as it is a beautiful spot, and very unique.

This venue is definitely a hidden gem and everyone truly enjoyed the reception. The mansion is run by the city of Watertown and does suffer from a few bureaucratic snags: I found that communication was key! Although you can bring in all your own vendors make sure you ask permission from the Mansion before you book them! Compared to other like venues in Massachusetts, this home is much better preserved and offers a lot more flexibility and is very close to downtown Boston.

AWESOME!! The staff at the mansion is wonderful to work with! The place is stunning. We had our ceremony and reception there. It was perfect. Both my husband and I had our own suites in the mansion where we could get ready with our wedding party. Their philosophy is "your home for day" which it totally was. The place includes a grape arbor which was so cool. And no matter where you are there, its a beautiful spot for a picture. Our guests seemed to truly enjoy our cocktail style wedding, everyone had a good time!

The mansion held the energy and excitement for the bride and groom. Its always a pleasure to record the historic life changing event of a couple in love. The Commander's Mansion was built in 1865 and is lavishly decorated with marble fireplaces, ornately carved moldings, and a magnificent Victorian veranda. Guests are able to step back in time, weaving their way through the grand foyer, elegant, sweeping staircase, and charmingly-restored rooms.

With intricate details throughout, the mansion is a classic example of Italian Victorian architecture. Rich autumn leaves painted the trees and decorated the grounds, perfectly complimenting the bride's traditional Chinese, red wedding dress. The mansion which boasts a rectangular grape arbor, sits adjacent to the Charles River on six richly landscaped acres, providing privacy and natural beauty not commonly found so close to Boston in recent times.

We and all the guests love the place. There are plenty of rooms to use- 2 floors, plus outdoor space. It's very classic and elegant. The staff is very helpful and friendly.

Rae and Tammy were very nice and easy going and helped us figure out how to plan and setup the events of the day. They worked with our financial situation. everyone had a great time and loved the location of the wedding. I would definitely recommend this place.

We had a great time at the Commander's Mansion for our wedding ceremony and reception. The reason why I gave it 3 of 5 stars for professionalism, there was some staff turnover that resulted in a few mishaps here and there, but things worked out for the most part.

Beautiful location offered us a chance to hold both our ceremony and reception outdoors. They allow you to bring your own caterer and we provided our own alcohol which saved us about $4000. The mansion itself is air conditioned and the grounds are beautiful. The staff was exceptionally responsive and helpful.