Montague Retreat Center
Legacy. Community. Culture.
From its settlement in 1798 as a rugged New England farm, to the illustrious Montague Farm commune (1968-2002), to Zen Peacemakers (2002-2011), 177 Ripley Road seems to inspire magic. Its legacy is multifaceted: community building, spirituality, art, environmentalism, and activism. Montague Retreat Center's mission is to extend that legacy by making this unique place available to the public for private functions, workshops, cultural events, and overnight retreats. The Great Hall, our stunning, geothermal assembly space, is currently available for day or evening use and our tented stone patio is perfect for large functions. We also offer on-site accommodations to our Retreat Center guests.
Let our rich history of simplicity, courage, vision and beauty inspire your big day. Our lush Ceremony Circle, nestled up to the apple orchard, sits beneath one of the oldest maple groves in Massachusetts, with a stunning view across the valley. Our gorgeous Stone Patio features a permanent 40’ x 50’ reception tent and a 75’ long stone bench retaining wall. Our elegant, yet rustic, Great Hall Barn features chestnut beams, bamboo floors, lots of glass and geothermal cooling. Our VIP suite, in a wing of our Great Hall Barn, offers a place for you and your wedding party to get ready and relax.
Weddings at MRC
Testimonials
“We cannot overstate how amazing the staff at MRC were in helping us plan our wedding and making the day of go so seamlessly! They were so communicative and accommodating. And the venue is breathtakingly gorgeous! Highly recommended!”
— Nicole L the knotpro.com
“We had our wedding at the MRC in June 2022. It is a stunning venue with professional staff who are passionate about what they do! Jackie and Kellsey were wonderful coordinators to work with. Their communication and planning before the event made us feel like everything was taken care of, and they ran the wedding flawlessly so that we didn't have to worry about any details day-off. Dale takes great care of the facility and the grounds; his passion is evident. Wheelhouse catering provided the best wedding meal we've ever had. We stayed on site with our wedding party in the gorgeous new cabins, which was such a fun and unique experience. Overall we could not recommend MRC more!!”
— Alex B. weddingwire.com
“I cannot explain how great of a choice MRC was for our wedding. The venue is gorgeous, the amenities were wonderful, but the real selling point were the people. Jackie was a dream to work with and when something went pretty majorly wrong she immediately did everything she could to make it write and fixed the issue beyond our satisfaction. Also, if you're like me and don't like venues saying "you have to use OUR caterer" don't worry. Wheelhouse is the best caterer I have ever interacted with. Kind, professional, and easily at the top of the game. I generally don't give perfect reviews, but our wedding was perfect and MRC was a strong reason why.”
— Zak O. weddingwire.com
“We had a fusion Indian/Haitian wedding at MRC and we honestly could not imagine getting married anywhere else! Although our initial plans were to have an outdoor ceremony in the beautiful ceremony circle - mother nature had other plans (rain!) and with excellent guidance and flexibility from Kellsey and Jackie we moved to our Plan B. Which turned out to be what we expected and so much more! The barn is beautiful and was an equally incredible location to get married in.
Jackie and Kellsey constantly went above and beyond for all of our celebrations (and we had many!) and were genuinely kind and calming to be around all weekend. The other bonus was the venue's collaboration with Wheelhouse catering. They took our very specific ask of creating a fusion Indian and Haitian menu and delivered more than anything we could ever expect!”
— Anuka D. weddingwire.com