Francis Farm

We selected Francis Farm as our wedding venue after touring multiple venues and comparing all visible costs/​benefits of all our options. We worked with the Farm’s event coordinator, Odete Lacourse. We signed a non-​refundable contract with Frances Farm, convinced we had made the right decision. During the entire negotiation process, Odete was very responsive via telephone and email. Odete made promises on what would be available for our use during our wedding and provided us with a price list for certain services.
Being that we were having a rustic wedding, one of the options was a horse and carriage to take the bride, bridesmaids and flower girl to the wedding site. This was requested immediately after the contract was signed and Odete committed to having a horse/​carriage available on the day of the wedding. We were also promised that the gazebo on the water would be available at no extra charge. Neither of these services were provided. We called Odete at least a week before the wedding re: the horse and carriage. She finally got back to us two days before the wedding and said she was trying to find one. Really? Two days before the wedding?
We heard very little from Odete leading up to the wedding, to the point we requested another meeting with Odete, hired on Day of Wedding Coordinator, and requested that the owner contact us. That got her attention! We ended up having another meeting with Odete, at which time she informed us that we did not need a day of wedding coordinator. «That’s what I’m here for». We ended up at that meeting realizing that no beverages (other than coffee and hot tea) were included in our price. We had to pay for everything else. Odete ended up offering iced tea and lemonade when confronted with our dissatisfaction.
This is what happened on the day of the wedding:
1. Odete called on the day of the wedding informing us that there would be no carriage
2, Odete did not decorate our reception area to our specifications because she «ran out of time» even though all decorations were delivered 48 hours prior to the wedding.
3. Odete ordered the incorrect wine that was requested, even after we learned that the corkage fee is not set and subject Francis Farm discretion.
4. Our cookie table was not set up and had to be taken care of by the wedding guests and kitchen staff after the reception started.
Odete was rude to our children during the clean up, which she promised would be handled by her. She told the children that they had to help clean and had to wait to take all the decorations back that night. We ended up not getting everything back had to go back again to retrieve everything else.
We found Odete to be very passive aggressive, making us feel our concerns throughout this process were unwarranted, when in fact we had every reason to be concerned given the service we received
Our advice: pick another venue!

We met some friends there yesterday (Sunday) afternoon for the clamboil. It was delicious and served w plenty of clams. I would only complain that some of the clams were huge. The clamcakes and clams casino also quite good. And reasonably priced. Per couple, it was $ 50, including tip. Owner and staff were friendly and efficient. Good Sunday casual dining!

We scheduled a tour of Francis Farm for 7÷15÷15 at 7:30 pm to discuss potentially having a wedding there. We were, according to e-​mails exchanged with the Farm’s Abbie Woodard, to meet with the Farm’s Event Coordinator, Odete LaCourse.
We drove an hour from Boston to see the venue. We arrived at 7:28 pm and found all the buildings locked, and no one on site.
We knocked on the office doors. I called the number given to me when I scheduled the tour (this was the office line, presumably in the locked building I was standing outside of), and it went to voicemail. I left a message saying that we were outside waiting for a scheduled tour. I sent an e-​mail to Odete at 7:43 pm asking if she was coming.
We walked around the property by ourselves. We waited until 8 pm. We drove the hour home.
We received an e-​mail from Odete the next day, on 7÷16÷2015, at 10:05 am. She wrote she had a family emergency late afternoon on ⁷⁄₁₅ and needed to leave work early. She wrote that in her rush she did not take my contact information with her. She wrote that she was very sorry that she did not notify me of the change, that she hoped that I and my fiancé would give her the opportunity to meet and discuss Francis Farm.
I run a small business. I have to call my clients, potential and otherwise, when I cannot make a scheduled meeting. If I were to leave in the «late afternoon,» or without contact information for the client, I or a member of my staff would figure out how to call the client to tell them of the emergency.
Assuming late afternoon is anytime after 3 pm, Odete and Francis Farm had hours to notify a client scheduled to arrive at 7:30 pm that there would be no meeting. I know they have at least two staff members there (Abbie and Odete), and likely more, given the size of the venue, and no one called or e-​mailed me about this. (PICTURE A WORLD where Odete calls Abbie and says, «Hey, I forgot to grab the number for those people coming at 7:30, can you call them and reschedule?»)
If I missed a meeting by just not showing to one, I also would have been in touch with the client earlier than 10:05 am the next day, 15 hours after I wasted their time and didn’t show up. I also would have called that client, rather than send an e-​mail.
As of now, I have not replied to the Farm again. I have not received a call from the Farm. I have no confidence that if they can’t keep a meeting to show their venue, that they can run a wedding. If they don’t have a system of communication in place, a way of communicating as a team, that reaches clients, that is a red flag. I also have no confidence in an establishment that cannot follow-​up with a shafted client, in a compelling, real and genuine manner (a phone call, for example) that addresses their lost time, energy, and confidence.
WHAT. A disappointment. What an offensive disappointment.

Kinda weird that you have to drive through a neighborhood — but I gave it a try. Simple homestyle meals, perfect for a work summer get together. Open yards ready for horseshoes or volleyball, and a nice large bar. This event space is super casual, but needed for those unstuffy occasions. I bet it would be a blast for a BBQ baby shower, birthday party, or even a super casual rehearsal dinner! Their Mac n’ Cheese was yummy.

I went with a large group, and the price was $ 40/​head.
That is, quite frankly, ABSURD. That doesn’t include any drinks, not even soda — a can of coke is nearly $ 2 at the bar. You don’t get much food, and from what I saw, the folks who got the clambake option mostly got potato. For some strange reason hot dogs, and something that bore close resemblance to breakfast sausage, were mixed in with the fish and potato.
My chicken was so dry I could barely stomach it, and the beans served with it were sickeningly over-​sweetened with molasses. The cheeseburger that was supposed to follow my chicken never materialized.
The only part of the meal that was enjoyable were the ‘hushpuppy’ balls served beforehand, which had a chunk of clam inside them. Those things are DELICIOUS awesomeness.

My husband and I had our wedding here in 2009. Everything was perfect! The prices were great, the food was amazing, the coordination was perfect. I was getting nervous the closer it got to the wedding, but everything was great!
When we had booked our wedding, they had just started getting into weddings, so they didn’t have tastings or anything like that. We had already picked our menu and what not, and then they had a tasting a few months before our wedding. We decided to go, basically to make sure what we had ordered would be good, and there was plenty of time to change things if it wasn’t what we expected. Everything was so delicious. They had a chef on site too, who answered questions and gave us ideas for the vegetarians who would be coming to our wedding.
The day before the wedding, we had the rehersal. It only took a few minutes but we also got to drop off all the decorations and supplies we’d need for the next day. Kathy set everything up exactly how I asked her to, everything was perfect!
The whole day went so smoothly. The pricing, like I said, was great. Everyone enjoyed the food and everyone had a great time. People to this day tell us that our wedding was so much fun and I know Francis Farm was the perfect place for us. It was nothing extrodinary or top of the line, but very cozy and warm, welcoming and reasonable. Overall I was extremely happy with our wedding and I woudln’t have changed a thing!