The short answer: Tupper Manor is a 1901 Georgian mansion on the water in Beverly, Massachusetts, 20 miles north of Boston. Couples say their vows on the oceanside lawn facing the fountain, then move inside to a ballroom, a glass-enclosed oceanfront Conservatory and a string of smaller rooms built for a party. It seats up to 190 for dinner, and the 91-room Wylie Inn next door gives guests somewhere to sleep.
It also has more than a century of practice.
A house built for entertaining
In 1901, Bryce James Allan and his wife, Anna Palfrey, of the Allan Line shipping company, hired Boston society architect Guy Lowell to design a summer home on the coast in Beverly. Lowell was the creative force behind Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, and he gave the Allans a Georgian mansion that faced the Atlantic.
The Allans were known for generous hospitality and lavish entertaining. In other words, the house was built for exactly what happens there now: long dinners, good music and people who don’t want the night to end.
In 1943 the estate passed to Endicott College and was renamed Tupper Hall, after the college’s second president, Dr. Eleanor Tupper. Over the years it has been a residence hall and home to the college’s School of Hospitality Management. Today it is Tupper Manor, one of the most distinctive event venues on Boston’s North Shore.
How a Tupper Manor wedding flows
The ceremony
Many couples choose the Tupper Manor lawn. You face the fountain, with the mansion and the Atlantic Ocean behind you, and your guests get the view you’ve been describing to them for months. Indoor ceremonies are also available, which is good to know in New England.
Cocktail hour
The Ballroom brings old-world charm, with floor-to-ceiling French doors and a glittering chandelier over the dance floor. The Library, just off the Ballroom, makes a natural spot for a beverage bar or a dessert station.
Dinner
The Ballroom’s French doors open onto the glass-enclosed, oceanfront Conservatory, which seats 150 for dinner with the sea as the backdrop. For larger weddings, the Garden Room between the Oval Room and the Conservatory adds seating for 40 more, for up to 190 guests in all.
The late-night snack
The Oval Room, off the Ballroom, is an architectural showpiece and a good home for a second bar or a late-night snack. The mansion also has a billiards room and a hospitality suite.
Formal, casual, or somewhere in between
Tupper Manor doesn’t ask you to pick a personality. It can host a black-tie dinner under the chandelier or a casual clambake or barbecue on the lawn. For a more relaxed outdoor celebration, the grounds can welcome up to 1,000 guests.
The menus are built with the Tupper Manor chefs, who focus on regional cuisine and locally grown ingredients. Packages are fully customizable and include professional planning and catering, so you aren’t stitching together a dozen vendors on your own.
Where everyone sleeps
A waterfront wedding is only half the trip if your guests spend the night on a highway. The Wylie Inn, steps from Tupper Manor on the same 10-acre oceanfront property, has 91 rooms with direct beach access, and the team can set up a wedding room block for your guests. Nobody has to find a ride at midnight, and the morning-after brunch crowd is already on site.
Weddings all year
Tupper Manor hosts weddings year-round. Summer brings the lawn and the sea breeze. Fall brings New England color and cooler evenings. Winter turns the Ballroom and the chandelier into the main event, and spring turns the lawn green again. The house has been throwing parties since 1901. It knows every season.
Quick answers
Where is Tupper Manor?
Tupper Manor is on the Endicott College campus at 295 Hale Street in Beverly, Massachusetts, about 20 miles north of Boston and 20 miles from Logan Airport.
How many guests can Tupper Manor hold?
Up to 190 guests for a seated dinner, with the Conservatory seating 150. A casual outdoor event can welcome up to 1,000.
Can we have the ceremony and reception in the same place?
Yes. Many couples marry on the Tupper Manor lawn and move inside for cocktails and dinner, with indoor ceremonies available too.
Can our guests stay on site?
Yes. The 91-room Wylie Inn offers wedding room blocks on the same oceanfront property.
How do we see it in person?
Call the events team at 978-867-1800 or request information to set up a tour.
Ready to see the lawn for yourself? Explore Tupper Manor weddings or plan a room block for your guests.