I am recently engaged and looking for venues for a December 2010 wedding.  I am trying to find renovated barns or carriage houses in North Shore MA.  Smith Barn does not do functions in December.  Anyone know of any other similar venues?  Guest list is around 100.  Thanks!!

I am unfamiliar with the North Shore of MA area, but if you are willing to look outside of that area you should check the Barn at Gibbet Hill in Westford (I almost booked there) and the Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, NH (this is where my wedding was, they even have the old silo still as part of the outside building which made for a great picture backdrop).

The Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline is a carriage house from the 1800s...not North Shore but they work with other historic groups so maybe they would have a suggestion? The property includes views of Boston but not Boston prices.

In Response to Barn/Carriage House:

Funny you should post this immediately after I posted my gripe about barns. lol. But yes on the northshore there are plenty of these locations, and also cottage locations. Willowdale is wonderful and Glen Magna as well. There is also Brooksby Farm in Peabody or Danvers which I think you can rent their barn for weddings.  And Larz Anderson is tremendous although not on the Northshore. Good luck!!!

Harrington Farm is beautiful as well!

http://www.harringtonfarm.com/

I went to a wedding at Brooksby Farm this past fall and thought they did a very nice job.  I think it is quite affordable too.

Gibbet Hill Farm (actually in Groton) is beautiful for weddings. I went to one there this past fall. Moraine Farm (part of the same restaurant group as Gibbett Hill) in Beverly looks lovely too but I haven't personally been there.

i called brooksby farm on Saturday for my October wedding and the event manager - very nice, btw - told me plainly that they are booked for the rest of 2011. I said excuse me? and she said, yes, every thurs, friday, sat, and sunday thru 2011... except Mother's Day weekend.  This was not good news to hear on the first day of actual venue shopping. I started googling the sh*t out of northshore farms/barns before coming to the realization that 1) barns aren't that great and 2) a real-live, functioning farm would be way way too much work no matter what Real Simple has to say about it. 

But if you are really up for the ACTUALLY rustic rather than the faux, wedding factory version... try Maudslay State Park in Newburyport. They have an arts center built next to a barn where people can get married. The rental fee is the town permit. No hard alcohol, though - only beer and wine on the premises. I called the office, but they didn't call me back.  Probably for the best - I would be way over my heaqd planning a reception there - it's really a blank canvas for the DIY-ers.... 

Oh - Carriage house idea - if you are willing to go as far as Wellesley, Elm Bank has a really cool carriage house space with vaulted ceiling and exposed beams.  it was SUPER pricey.  Not so bad if you are willing to plan a winter wedding, though.

I've expanded my own venue search to the Cape, so I'll be checking out a few places in Dennis this weekend... and probably looking for advice for this forum on Monday....