The Commons 1854

I was in a particularly interesting situation — I currently live in Seattle but my fiancé and I grew up north of Boston. With all of our family living there, we decided to do the wedding back east and, rather blindly, chose The Commons as our venue. Based on pictures and feedback from friends who had either had weddings or been to a wedding there, we loved how it didn’t feel like a typical country club or hotel style wedding venue. Let me tell you that the venue itself is GORGEOUS (it underwent a major overhaul in March with new paint, light fixtures, carpeting… its stunning) and the staff was amazing. Johanna, my wedding planner, worked with me any way she could to ensure that I felt rest assured things were going smoothly from 3000 miles away. When my big day finally came, the venue was perfect, the food was phenomenal, Johanna kept us and our guests on schedule to the minute, and the staff was accommodating and pleasant the entire night. Obviously I am biased, but it was the best night of my life. I am still having guests reach out to us about how wonderful the food was and how it was one of the best put together weddings they had ever been to. I would highly recommend them!

The food is excellent and plentiful. Great service by people who have a smile on their face and are interested in ensuring that people have a great time and are well fed. Johanna, the wedding planner/​coordinator was spectacular. She has control of every detail and ensures that the wedding proceeds effortlessly. Great deal to be able to bring in liquor though the bar does close an hour before the wedding ends.

Had my wedding here over ten years ago so things might have changed since. Was totally against this place but was outvoted by my wife and mother-​in-​law. First problem: No handicap access. I had several relatives that had trouble walking and this place had narrow stairs everywhere. It was deemed «Historic» so they were not allowed to put ramps in. They claimed they could help people up stairs but that wasn’t good enough for me. I was told I could hire professionals to help people up the stairs but I would have to pay for it because the owner’s hands were tied due to «insurance reasons».
Second problem: Wedding Planner. Looks like they changed wedding planners since I was there. Which is good because the one I got was really annoying. Felt like she was shoving stuff down my throat and not letting us choose what we wanted. Also kind of treated us like children during and after the ceremony.
Regarding the food. You have to use their caterer and were not allowed to bring one in. Their way or the highway. Did not like being told who I could hire.
In closing I will probably not recommend this place. I suggest you attend the tasting there and check with your relatives especially handicapped ones to see if they can climb 2 or 3 flights of steps before coming here. This is just my opinion. You might have a better experience.

When planning our dream wedding, my husband and I knew we wanted a venue that reflected our classic, elegant style with a New England feel. The Commons 1854 was the first venue we looked at, and we could not get it out of our heads. From the beautiful garden ceremony space, to the elegant ballroom, to the historic barn across the street, this venue fulfilled our rather long wish list!
Johanna is the most amazing, organized and dedicated person I have ever met. I contacted her numerous times throughout our 19 month engagement, and she always responded promptly. She always had time for me, even when she was planning her own wedding! She really listened to our vision, as well as offer up suggestions and alternatives when we needed them. During the week of the wedding, we were able to bring in all our decorations so we would have nothing to worry about the day of.
When my bridal party and I arrived two hours before the ceremony, Johanna was there offering beverages with a smile. My husband and I were adamant about not seeing each other before the ceremony, and Johanna was in constant contact with the groomsmen to make sure we didn’t run into each other. The ceremony in the garden was perfect, and Johanna and the wait staff were there immediately after with beverages and appetizers. Our signature drinks were mixed perfectly, and the appetizers were incredible.
The reception space was unbelievable, and our up lighting was gorgeous. The wait staff were so attentive and efficient; glasses were constantly being filled and the meal ran so smoothly. They even kept our food hot while we were greeting our guests. The food was PERFECT; we had four choices and each one was delicious. Even after the reception ended, they packed up our leftover dessert for us to bring home, and even handed our wine to our parents while we waited for our shuttle.
In short, The Commons 1854 went above and beyond to give us the most perfect wedding day. My husband and I wish we could do it all over again! We were able to sit back, relax, and truly enjoy our wedding, and we will cherish those memories for years to come.

My wife Michelle and I recently got married at the Commons. I will keep my review short and to the point:
The Commons was a fantastic wedding venue to deal with in every way, and I can’t recommend them enough. Johanna was amazing to deal with, and is on top of every single issue (even before it becomes an issue). She always took the time to answer our questions throughly, and always had great advice on the logistics of planning a
wedding.
On our wedding day, it was completely flawless, everyone who works at the Commons is top-​notch. We never had to worry about a thing, Johnanna and her staff made sure it was a memorable day for us.
If you’re looking for a great wedding venue with an awesome staff, the Commons is your place, I can’t recommend it enough.

Our phenomenal wedding reception was at the Commons. I would recommend it to anyone.
The caterers are phenomenal, and while they have a very interested menu with lots of choices, we had the freedom to design a menu of our own — we had 2 kinds of sliders, mini pizzas, a few types of mac and cheese, grilled veggies, and corn on the cob. EVERYONE complimented how good the food was. My one regret was somehow failing to have a to-​go container made for my husband and I — we didn’t eat a thing!
The Commons does not allow cash bars, but they DO allow you to supply your own alcohol, a huge money-​saver. The bartenders can make anything you want as long as you provide the ingredients. They have sour mix, olives, juices and sodas, everything necessary for mixed drinks.
The building itself is beautiful. We took advantage of the balcony and had a ‘head section’ rather than a head table, with all of our bridal party and their significant others, as well as close cousins. That worked out very well.
Logistically, Johanna, my on-​site coordinator, was flawless. She corralled the bridal party when it was time for announcements, let me drop off the alcohol and favors a few days prior with instructions of how they should be arranged, and even put my and my bridesmaids’ bouquets in vases to decorate the mantle during the reception. Clean-​up was a breeze with the venue’s help.
I have been to a LOT of weddings growing up, more than many people, and know what works and what does not work. Our wedding was perfect in almost every possible way, in part because of the Commons.

We attended a spectacular wedding here last night and we were very impressed by the whole place. As a guest, it was an excellent place to attend a wedding. Every detail of the wedding seemed perfect thanks to the effort and attention to detail by the staff. The ceremony and reception were in the beautiful indoor area, and in between the two, the guests were sent downstairs to two open bars and a gorgeous outdoor area for the cocktail hour. Both the indoor and outdoor areas were great for pictures. Lovely!
The food was the best wedding food I had ever had. First, let’s give some attention to the passed appetizers at cocktail hour. Holy moly, that meat on a stick was so tender and flavorful — sh*t, it was even better than some main courses I have had at other weddings. I would have been happy eating that entire platter as my entrée. Crab cakes, bacon wrapped scallops, and other scrumptious morsels were brought around by friendly waitstaff while we enjoyed our beverages.
At dinner, the salad was presented like it was styled for a food photoshoot and tasted as good as it looked. I absolutely loved the vinaigrette dressing. I had the chicken dish which was a breast of chicken stuffed with spinach, sun-​dried tomatos and cheese. Slightly salty, but great flavor. Sides were roasted fingerling potatoes and a vegetable medley. So delicious. I had beef envy over my boyfriend’s roasted tenderloin which was oh, so tender, and was super tasty with a drizzle of shiitake merlot sauce.
In lieu of the traditional wedding cake the bride + groom went for a more contemporary and delicious approach to dessert: a dessert buffet. This was a fantastic idea! So much variety! Picture-​perfect mini fruit tarts, cannoli’s, chocolate cakes, macarons in various flavors, brownies, and probably a few other sweets I am forgetting were available alongside a coffee buffet. I tasted four of the desserts and each and every one was excellent. I want to know who this pastry chef is. Again, the detail, the taste, the presentation was exquisite.
My favorite was the mini chocolate cake… or maybe the fruit tart with fresh fruit, pastry cream, and the ideal buttery crust… or the light and airy French macaron. Even though I was drinking, the coffee smelled so good I couldn’t resist pairing it with my sweets (don’t judge). Great coffee.
«Are you ever going to stop eating and start dancing?» — a friend asked at one point in the night
During the last song waiters came out with platters of freshly baked cookies. I grabbed a chocolate chip cookie on my way out and I am not exaggerating when I say it was one of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. Wow.
Yes — I was all about the food but it was the whole experience that really did it for me. Awesome wedding venue. Love!

We had our wedding reception here on 10÷22÷10, a Friday evening. There were about 125 people total in attendance, and we went with a buffet of prime rib and Tuscan chicken. The cocktail hour was downstairs, and dinner and dancing was upstairs, with a few cocktail-​height tables on the balcony for people to take it all in.
I wouldn’t change a single thing! Johanna, our coordinator, was fabulous. Frank and Kristi, the owners, are fabulous. The location is gorgeous, right downtown Topsfield, not on top of the fairgrounds.
The food was AMAZING– their in-​house catering team is outstanding. Everyone that was there raved about the food, the experience, and how much fun they had. We were able to bring in our own alcohol, which was a huge money-​saver, and we also got to decide what was there (lots of microbrews!) The DJ sets up perfectly on stage, and I imagine a band would have plenty of space there as well.
For what you get and the ambiance and overall amazingness (really, I can’t think of another word!), The Commons is an absolute bargain, and I would recommend it to anyone getting married on the North Shore. Once you’ve booked The Commons, book all my other vendors too– I loved them all!

Had my wedding ceremony and reception here in 2002. It rained so we had the cocktail hour downstairs. We had 75 guests, sit down meal. Fantastic location. On-​site wedding coordinator was great. Food was delicious. Balcony was great for the photography to take a group picture of everyone who attended. Lots of fun!

I attended a wedding here last night and it was perfect. This place is beautiful. The setting is a charming New England square and the building is elegant inside and out. My friends had the rehearsal dinner at a rustic roomy barn across the street. It was casual and quaint. The overall service here is excellent. i was in the bridal party and they would bring food and water to us as we took pictures outside during the cocktail hour. The ceremony and reception were held in the same room but you would have no idea! Overall the food was great although my entrée was a bit bland. My friend did have a slight issue with her dress. When she dropped it off she asked them to hang it right away and found out that it had been sitting around for a few hours and got wrinkly. Fortunately, they were able to take care of it and everything the day of the wedding was perfect. As I said, overall it was a great experience, excellent staff, excellent atmosphere!

We held our wedding reception here, and it was outstanding, start to finish. The planner’s organization is spot on, and she keeps things going without feeling at all rushed. Everything was exactly as she said it would be, no surprises.
The location was so beautiful on its own that it required almost no additional decoration (we only had centerpieces, and the flowers from the church were brought over). That saved a lot of money and effort. They also have very good relationships with other vendors, and we ended up purchasing our liquor and our flowers through people they recommended.
The location itself also held great appeal. During the cocktail hour, we were taking pictures in the garden right outside. It was so nice to be able to mingle a little and enjoy the weather while still getting the family photos done. Because of the location on the Topsfield Common, people could wander in and out and enjoy a little break from dinner or the music.
I’ve also attended a wedding at this venue. I would say, both as a bride and as a guest, I felt that everything was done very professionally. And frankly, compared to what else is available, the beauty of the venue and the class of the staff make this an absolute bargain.

A pretty old building. Their planner was very thorough and explained pretty much everything to the point that we had no questions to ask at the end. Good for groups under 200. Their max was 190 or 200… and with that number your only option is a sit down dinner. For a buffet you’d need to come in under 150 (I think it was). They only use one caterer (Vinwood) and you can’t have a cash bar.
I was less than thrilled with their outdoor setting for ceremonies. It wasn’t too bad but it was very small. The other option is to have the ceremony inside in the building — in their ballroom. Then guests go downstairs for cocktails while it gets switched over. There is a small balcony in the ballroom that fits about 4 – 5 tables, and depending on your party size you might have to put people up there.