Venues & Event Spaces near Derry, NH

“Before I even begin to talk about the venue itself, I need to highlight something that truly sets Birchwood apart: the people. A company is only as strong as the staff behind it, and Birchwood’s team is exceptional.
A huge thank-you to Lexi and Avery, who we worked with most often throughout the planning process, and an additional shout-out to Melissa and Kasia. Avery, our coordinator, was nothing short of a superstar — she handled every piece of chaos with calm professionalism and a genuine smile. She was steady, reassuring, organized, and just an absolute joy to work with. And a special shout-out to Autumn, our “personal” server that evening, who was warm, attentive, and wonderful, even though we barely had time to properly thank her because we were being pulled in every direction.
The food deserves its own standing ovation. We had guests who were vegetarian, vegan, and even vegetarian celiacs, and everyone was blown away by the quality and variety. My two brothers were in the wedding party and both have celiac disease — I was incredibly impressed by Birchwood’s care, their meticulous labeling, and the sheer number of gluten-free and allergy-friendly options. They even created an adult-sized chicken tender plate for an autistic guest with very specific sensory preferences. That level of compassion, flexibility, and service is rare, and we appreciated it more than words can say.
The natural beauty of the venue is stunning. You genuinely don’t have to do much in terms of décor — Birchwood’s elegant, warm aesthetic does the heavy lifting for you. One of the best features for us was the separate cocktail-hour space and main venue room, which was a huge stress reliever. We ended up needing to move our ceremony indoors due to weather, and it was seamless because of how well Birchwood is designed.
Pricing was transparent, fair, and comprehensive for what’s included. We asked so many questions throughout the planning process, and the staff was always responsive, patient, and helpful via email. We never felt like a burden — just supported.
A fun bonus: We had a choreographed first dance, and Birchwood allowed us to use their space for short practice sessions, which we easily booked through their online system. Small gesture, big impact.
This was truly the best day of our lives, and Birchwood and their incredible staff played a huge role in making that happen. If you’re considering this venue — do it. The service, the beauty, the organization, the heart… everything was exceptional.
We are endlessly grateful.”

“The staff and experience was amazing. Our wedding day was perfect! Stephanie & Alex and our coordinator was amazing!!! They literally are the best in the world at what we do. However, after our wedding we heard a lot of our guests state that they weren’t fond of our bartender that night. One of my guests overheard her saying that she was upset that no one was ordering hard liquor and just canned beverages. Also, they took away our wedding cake pretty quickly that not a lot of guests had it.”

“Oh, the kids love this place. It's nice and spacious, they have food and drinks, it seems to be clean and its in a good location. Maybe they can add an arcade for the parents... just saying....”

“WOW This Searles Castle is a wedding photographers dream. From the amazing castle to the wooded grounds around that incase a reflecting pool all are a great spots for creating bridal portraits with the wedding couple/ The staff was great and truly had no issues with any part of the well planned day. Hope to get to do some more wedding photography here again soon.”

“I went in here last month and was very satisfied. Mine and my partners anniversary was coming soon she enjoys wine. I on the other hand no nothing about it. When I went in I was greeted by 2 women and a gentleman. We all said hello and such and I explained to them that I know nothing about wine but that my girlfriend enjoys it and I know she likes red sweet wine. 1 of the gouache helped me choose a nice one and to top it off the prices are reasonable. Great experience.”

“Attended a graduation party yesterday at the Bedford Event Center and it's quite an Elegant Venue!!

It's beautiful, well-run venue, professional staff, plenty of parking space and modern look, so we had very nice experience!”

“Hosted a family event here at the conference center. I can't speak on thin walls and hearing other parties because we were the only ones. But I can speak to the food and service and atmosphere. We had an absolute blast. Loud music, friends, family, drinks, and food. Everything went better than expected. I personally loved the food, and I am hard to please. I've always loved the Puritans food in general hence why I booked here. Our female server was amazing and attentive, I wish I could remember her name to shout her out. Thanks again to the puritan!”

“The Icecenter in Salem NH is a hockey rink. This rink has two rinks. One with stadium seating and the other has 3 rows of bleachers the length of the rink. The benches are beside each other and the penalty box and time keeper are across from the benches. They have a small but nice proshop that sharpens skates and sells the necessities. The food is good. They have nice couches and a big scream tv in the snack bar. The bathrooms are clean.”