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The Starting Gate at GreatHorse
4.9 ★★★★★ 90 Google reviews · Barn wedding venue in Hampden, Massachusetts
Mountain-side event space with a 3,000-square-foot covered deck, plus views, food and service that attendees still rave about.
Plan your tour
- Today see hours ·
- Phone (413) 566-5158
- Website thestartinggate.com — most venues book tours right on their site
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
The setting
“The food was amazing and the setting itself from architectural and landscape design perspective is world-class.”
Amenities couples mention
“From the girls that were with us in the bridal suite, to the servers, bartenders, chefs, etc.”
“The deck for cocktail hour was an awesome spot for guests to mingle and enjoy the sunset.”
“From the girls that were with us in the bridal suite, to the servers, bartenders, chefs, etc.”
What couples say again and again
“I also want to touch on the food because it is unbelievable, every one of our guests couldn't get over how delicious it was & also the VIEWS - absolutely stunning.”
“She went ABOVE and BEYOND to make the whole process go so smooth from the very first time meeting her all the way throughout the end of the wedding night.”
“She made it so easy (or as easy as planning a wedding during a pandemic can be ;)) and helped keep everything so organized.”
“She planned out every little detail you can imagine for the day of and as a type A bride, this was INCREDIBLE to have.”
“Every one of our guests are still talking about how amazing the food was and how spectacular the service was.”
From the reviews
Amazing! From the service to the food to the view! 10/10 all around. One of the best steaks I’ve ever had in my life. The entire staff is sooo incredibly nice. You will drink half of your water- and it’s refilled within seconds. The bartenders, Betty and Cheryl are the sweetest.
Absolutely stunning venue. The views are amazing! No matter what time of day you are guaranteed to have an amazing view and incredible areas to have photos. The food is impeccable. Served perfectly and pleasing to the eye. Highly recommend this venue for all event needs.
I don’t even know where to begin! The starting gate from the moment we walked through their doors on our venue tour exceeded our expectations thoroughly. We started out working with Lauren who was amazing and helped us throughout our postponing of our wedding due to COVID and making sure everything we wanted was taken…
Came here for a wedding. Gorgeous. Staff was very friendly, attentive, and professional. Even when the popular passed appetizers were being grabbed by all the other guests, the staff made sure to bring one or two of them right to us when we asked. Definitely a customer-service oriented group here!
Getting married at The Starting Gate at GreatHorse
The Starting Gate at GreatHorse comes up for weddings — confirmed on their own site. Two things make the tour worth the drive. First, see it at the time of day you'd actually get married — a barn that glows at golden hour can feel very different at noon, and you'll want to walk the path your guests take from parking to ceremony to reception. Second, bring your real questions: the rain plan (where does the ceremony move?), the catering and bar policy, the music curfew, and exactly what's included with the rental — tables, chairs, setup, and teardown are where quotes quietly diverge. Popular dates at barn venues book 12–18 months out, so if the tour feels right, ask what's open in your season before you leave.
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