Timeline & Steps
for Booking
1 | Initial inquiry
Reach out to our office by phone at 617-926-7755 or email our Administrative Specialist, Tracey, for information about hosting your event at our venue and ask any initial questions you may have about availability, pricing and policies.
2 | Schedule an appointment for a private tour
Private tours are scheduled on weekdays between 8:30am-2:00pm. Tracey can arrange a tour with either Tammy or Jen. We block off one hour for appointments, but most tours are completed within 30-45 minutes.
3 | Hold a potential date for up to one week (optional)
At any point following your tour, you are welcome to request that a one-week soft hold be placed on your preferred date while you finalize your decision. Feel free to reach out to any member of our team with questions in the meantime.
4 | Request an event proposal
Once you’re ready to book, please reach out to request a digital event proposal to be sent via our event management software, Planning Pod. After reviewing all policies in the rental agreement, you can electronically submit your signature to move forward. An event proposal must be signed and processed by our team in order to initiate an invoice for your 75% deposit to subsequently be sent.
5 | Submit payment for your deposit
You will receive the invoice in a separate email within 2-5 business days of signing your event proposal. Payment is accepted by credit card or check (please made checks payable to City of Watertown/ Commander’s Mansion). The hold on your date will continue for 7 days from the date the invoice is sent. Your date will be secured upon receipt of your deposit The remaining balance is due two weeks prior to your event date.
6 | Catering Contract and Other Vendors
Your preferred caterer must be approved to work on site. We are happy to provide you a list of recommended caterers that meet all of our requirements and have worked on site in recent months (in these cases, acceptances can be instantly issued). Any caterer new to our venue must submit an application and all required documentation. An initial site visit is also required as part of the application process. We will notify the client and caterer of their approval decision within 7 days of receiving the completed application.
Please notify us of your other licensed vendors along with a point of contact and email address for each. We do not permit any “do it yourself” vendor replacements. While there is no formal application process for vendors other than your caterer, all vendors must be insured professionals and able to provide a certificate of insurance upon request. We welcome your vendors to schedule a weekday tour if they would like to see the property in advance. A final walkthrough will be scheduled on site with the client, at least one catering representative, and your planner/coordinator (if applicable) approximately one month prior to your event date.