Approved vendors

The people we trust in our house on your most important day.

Every vendor on this list has worked at least three weddings at the Crane & Lantern House. They know where the service door is, which stair is too narrow for a cello case, that the Great Hall's east windows throw glare at 4:30 in September, and that the widow's walk is not the place for a tripod in a breeze. They also know Wren, which counts for more than you might think.

Catering and bar service are provided exclusively by the inn's own kitchen and staff, under Chef Dee Okafor and Theo Alcott. For every other category, you are welcome to choose from this list or to bring a professional of your own, subject to the outside vendor rules at the bottom of this page. We do not take commissions or referral fees from anyone listed here. We list them because they are good.

This list was last reviewed in January. Vendors set their own prices and availability; please contact them directly.

Photography & video

Quillfeather & Gray Photography

Documentary-style photography by a husband-and-wife team. They take the house photographer role for our Elopement at Dusk package and have shot more stair portraits than anyone alive. (978) 555-0191 · quillfeather@photo.example

Saltglass Studio

Film and digital, with a soft, slightly faded palette that suits the old rooms beautifully. Excellent with candlelight. (978) 555-0226

Merrow Lane Films

Wedding films from three-minute highlight reels to full ceremony edits. Unobtrusive; uses no lighting stands in the Great Hall. (617) 555-0174

Gimlet & Gable Photo

Bright, joyful, posed-when-it-matters portraits. Popular for large Grand Crane weddings; works with a second shooter as standard. (978) 555-0109

Florists

Brine & Bramble Florals

Our elopement florist. Loose, garden-gathered arrangements with lots of local stems; happy to work sprigs from Dr. Pell's herb beds into bouquets. (978) 555-0133

Wickwillow Flower Company

Full-service design for larger weddings: arbors, tent installations, hanging greenery. Knows exactly where the Great Hall's ceiling hooks are (and are not). (978) 555-0157

The Thimble Rose

A one-woman studio specializing in dried and preserved flowers, ideal for October and winter weddings and for couples who want to keep everything. (781) 555-0148

Officiants

Massachusetts allows a friend or family member to officiate with a one-day designation from the Governor's office, applied for in advance. Many of our couples do this, and Wren has a one-page guide to the process. If you would like a professional, these officiants know the house:

Rev. Hollis Marchbank (nondenominational)

Warm, brief, a little funny. Officiates most of our widow's walk elopements. (978) 555-0162

Ceremonies by Ottilie

Secular and interfaith ceremonies, bilingual in English and Portuguese, writes every ceremony from scratch after two meetings. (978) 555-0118

Justice of the Peace Warrender Pike

Classic, dignified, and punctual to the minute. Available weekdays for very small ceremonies on short notice. (978) 555-0170

Music

The Halyard String Quartet

Strings for ceremonies and cocktail hour. Will learn one pop song for your recessional with six weeks' notice. (617) 555-0129

Lamplighter Jazz Trio

Piano, upright bass and drums, sized for the Great Hall; they bring their own soft amplification and know the house piano's quirks. (978) 555-0185

Foghorn & Fiddle

A six-piece dance band for tented receptions: swing, Motown, a contra dance if you ask nicely. (978) 555-0144

DJ Marigold Vance

Reads a room beautifully, keeps the volume within the inn's limits without anyone noticing, and ends on time. (781) 555-0197

Solo harp: Wynne Ashgrove

The only harpist we know who has carried her instrument up to the widow's walk. (She does not recommend it, but it was lovely.) (978) 555-0112

Cakes & desserts

Our own pastry kitchen makes wedding cakes, dessert tables and Dee's "Last Rites" chocolate pots de crème, and most couples simply let us. If you would like a cake from elsewhere, licensed bakers are welcome; a cake-cutting and plating fee of $3 per guest applies.

Gingerwick Cake Atelier

Tall, architectural buttercream cakes with sugar flowers; has made several cakes topped with tiny brass lanterns. (978) 555-0139

Hob & Nob Bakehouse

Pies, cupcakes and small-batch donut walls for couples who aren't cake people. (978) 555-0165

Planners, rentals & transportation

Our events team coordinates every wedding at the house, but a full-service planner can be a wonderful addition, especially for Grand Crane weekends or couples planning from far away.

Teacup & Tidewater Events

Full-service and month-of planning; has planned more weddings here than anyone outside our own staff. (617) 555-0121

Lanternfly Rentals

Our tent partner for the Grand Crane, plus specialty chairs, lounge furniture, heaters and draping. (978) 555-0177

Wharfside Linen & Loom

Colored and patterned linens beyond our house ivory and slate. (978) 555-0102

Old Coach Road Livery

A vintage car and a small trolley for moving guests between hotels and the inn; knows how to approach Mercy Lane in October traffic. (978) 555-0193

Inkhorn Paper Co.

Invitations, menus, place cards and calligraphy, including a lovely engraved crane-and-lantern motif. (978) 555-0115

Rules for outside vendors

You are welcome to bring professionals who are not on this list. We ask only that they follow the same rules our approved vendors do. Please share these with anyone you hire, and send us their contact details no later than 30 days before your wedding.

• No outside catering or alcohol. All food and beverage is provided by the inn, with the exception of wedding cakes and desserts from licensed bakeries (cake-cutting fee $3 per guest). Massachusetts law requires that our staff serve all alcohol on the premises.
• Insurance. Every outside vendor must provide a certificate of general liability insurance of at least $1,000,000, naming The Crane & Lantern House as additionally insured, at least 14 days before the event.
• Load-in and load-out. Vendors may arrive no earlier than three hours before the ceremony (five hours for tent décor and bands with the Grand Crane) and must be fully loaded out within one hour of the end of the event. Unload at the carriage house gate, not on Mercy Lane, and park in the overflow lot we will direct you to; the inn's ten spaces are for overnight guests.
• Flame and décor. Candles must be enclosed in glass or a lantern, with the flame below the rim. No sparklers indoors, no confetti, glitter, rice, birdseed or loose petals outdoors (dried lavender is permitted in the garden). Nothing may be nailed, taped or pinned to the walls, paneling or beams; the house is older than the country and we would like it to stay that way.
• Sound. Amplified music outdoors ends at 10:00 pm, without exception, under the city's rules. Indoors, music ends at 11:00 pm. Bands and DJs must keep levels within our limits, which our coordinator will check during the first dance set.
• Stairs and old floors. No equipment on wheels on the front stair. Heavy items (pianos, staging, photo booths) need approval in advance. Nothing goes up to the widow's walk except people, flowers and a camera.
• Drones. Drone photography is permitted in the garden with a licensed operator and our approval, never during the ceremony itself, and never over the neighbors' yards.
• Vendor meals. We provide a hot meal for vendors working through dinner at $40 each, served in the Lantern Room. Please include them in your final count.
• The house's other guests. Unless you have the Grand Crane buyout, there may be overnight guests in the house. Vendors should be quiet in the halls and stay out of guest rooms other than the designated getting-ready rooms.

We reserve the right to stop any vendor whose work damages the house or endangers guests. We have needed to do this exactly twice, and both times everyone was very gracious about it afterward.

Read the wedding FAQ Contact our events team