Andrea & Josh's Wedding

Date, Time & Location

Our wedding will take place on May 25th 2024. The ceremony will start at 5pm and the reception will start at 6pm.

Ceremony MIT Chapel Google Maps
Reception MIT Museum Google Maps

RSVP

Please submit this form. Responses are due April 18. The RSVP form is secure, and your personal information will only be shared with Josh and Andrea. The only exception is your list of dietary restrictions, which will be shared with the catering team.

Details

The MIT Chapel is tucked away from the street. The exterior is mostly plain brick and surrounded by trees. It can be hard to find. The links above pinpoint the exact location and include several street view pictures. Please consider leaving yourselves extra time or having someone in your group scope out the chapel in advance.

We will be walking two blocks from the ceremony to the reception as a group. There is an indoor route through MIT available in the event of rain. Please reach out if anyone in your party has mobility issues so that we can arrange a shuttle.

The reception will be hosted amongst the exhibits on the museum’s second floor. There will be an open bar serving wines, beers and non-alcoholic options. Dinner will consist of hor’dourves and several small plates. There will be tables and chairs interspersed amongst the exhibits.

Attire

This will be a semi formal event. We’re asking men to wear suits with ties.

Accommodation

May is a busy time of year in the Cambridge Masachusetts area. Booking early is important. If you plan to drive to Cambridge, please make a plan for parking your car when you arrange your accommodations.

Hotel Room Blocks

We’ve arranged courtesy room blocks at two local hotels. These rooms blocks will be available for booking until April 24.

Hotel Price Booking Portal Booking phone number Distance from reception
Marriot Kendall Square $399 Booking website 800-228-9290 Across the street
Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill $329 Booking website 877-999-3223 One mile

Notes:

  • Both hotel room blocks are listed under the event name “Andrea Lehn & Josh Bradshaw Wedding”.

  • These room blocks are just courtesy holds for your convenience. Setting up these room blocks did not cost us any money, and we don’t gain or lose any money based on your booking choices. Likewise, the pricing will not change based on the number of rooms booked.

  • Any questions about the hotel amenities, hotel policies, or issues with the hotels should be directed to the hotels themselves.

Alternative Accomodations

A general listing of hotels close to MIT is available here. One notable option is the Kendall Square hotel. This boutique hotel is immediately beside our reception venue and directly across from the Marriott. We were unable to negotatiate any special rate with the Kendall Sq Hotel, but they would be one of our top choices if we were able to get a room there at a reasonable price.

For those looking to stay outside of the Kendall Square / MIT area, we suggest staying near the MBTA Red Line Porter Square, Davis Square, or Alewife stations for easy access via public transportation. These are good places to search for Airbnbs, larger hotel rooms and better deals.

Some of our extended family will be staying in their camper vans at a campground at the edge of the city and riding in on the commuter rail.

Transportation

Airport Transportation

We generally recommend taxis for the outbound trip. Catching an Uber or Lyft at Logan airport can be a confusing experience, because you have to meet them in Central Parking. Finding a taxi is much more straightforward and they usually cost about the same for trips from Logan Airport to Cambridge.

Public transportation from Logan Airport to Cambridge is free. To get to Kendall Square get on the MBTA Silver Line at any departure terminal, then take the free transfer to the red line and ride to the Kendall Square stop.

Wedding Day Travel

On the day of the wedding we suggest that guests arrive on foot, by Boston Public Transit (MBTA), or by Taxi / Uber. The reception venue is located directly on top of the Kendall Square MBTA stop.

Driving & Parking

Driving directly to the wedding and reception is not recommended. Finding a place to leave your car for the day and relying on public transit, taxis, the MBTA or the commuter rail will simplify your day, especially if you plan to drink.

With that being said, we’ve included some notes below for anyone who needs to drive:

  • The MIT police will set aside ten small parking spaces at the Chapel for the duration of the ceremony, in the chapel turnaround which branches off from Amherst Avenue. If you park in one of these spaces please pull all the way forward until you’re nearly touching the car ahead of you.

  • There will not be any reserved parking for the reception. There are free parallel parking spaces on Memorial drive, but we cannot guarantee availability.

  • MIT has some public parking options. Hayward Garage is the closest visitor-friendly parking lot to the reception venue. This parking is expensive at $43 / day or $18 / hour until the daily maximum is reached.

  • Other garages in Kendall Square offer much better deals on the weekend compared to Hayward Garage’s pricing. SpotHero is a good resource.

Stories

Some details about Andrea and Josh’s life together.

Gifts

Joining us on our special day is the most important gift you could give us.

If you wish to give something extra, cash towards our future adventures would be wonderfully appreciated. Think of it as contributing to the “honeymoon and beyond” fund. For those who prefer a digital option, we setup a paypal account. We chose paypal friends & family because there are no transaction fees for either party if you have a bank account linked to your paypal account.

Notes for Out of Town Visitors

We will arrange a casual meet and greet for our out of town guests on the evening of Friday May 24. You will get an email with more details at the address you used in your RSVP.

Places to Eat & Drink

In order of distance from the reception venue and the Marriott.

Flat Top Johnny’s Upscale pool hall on the same block as our reception venue. Across the street from the Marriott (hidden behind CVS). Pool table rentals cost about $20 / hour, prorated to the nearest minute. This place is spacious by Cambridge standards and makes for a nice meetup spot.
Life Alive Kendall Square This cafe caters to vegetarians vegans and people with complex dietary restrictions. The food is light, healthy and expensive. Andrea adores life alive. Josh does not adore life alive.
Tatte A bakery / cafe in our neighborhood. Not quite as good as flour bakery in general, but the shakshuka is outstanding. The shakshuka is a large hearty meal, so we often split it. Half a shakshuka, a pastry and a coffee makes for a nice brunch at a sane price point.
Area 4 Pizza An excellent local pizza place which can host families or large groups. They also have an adjacent cafe with sandwiches for a quick bite and coffee. Some shaded outdoor seating available. The best pizzas are the simpler ones, because pizzas with relatively few toppings crisp up nicely in their wood fired ovens. Classic Margharita and Not Pepperoni are good options.
Miracle of Science MIT’s defacto pub. The staff are friendly to large groups. A great option for a lunchtime meetup spot.
Flour The best bakery / cafe within walking distance. Close to the MIT chapel, so you can scope out the chapel location if you go here for breakfast or lunch.
Blue Owl A fun rooftop cocktail bar within walking distance of MIT. We recommend it because the view is unique and it’s a great place to be outside in May, but the food and service are just OK. We sometimes pop up here in the afternoon for one round of drinks.
Trader Joe’s The nearest reasonably priced grocery store. Excellent selection of snacks.
Microcreamery The best ice cream place in our general area. Directly below Blue Owl.
Oleana The best restaurant in our neighborhood.
The Druid Andrea & Josh’s favorite pub. An Irish place serving outstanding fish & chips and shepherd’s pie. The Druid is small and often fills up. Sometimes they host local acoustic musicians. Not the best option for a large group, unless you’re going at a quieter time of day.

Nearby Places to Visit

Riverbend Park Memorial drive will be closed on the Sunday after our wedding. Walking down the river from MIT to Harvard Square is a beautiful way to spend the morning, with several cafe and snack options along the way. You can easily return on the MBTA red line.
Harvard Natural History Museum See the glass flowers.
Boston Common Easily reachable by public transit. Also walking distance from Newbury Street.
Newbury Street Boston’s premiere shopping district. Home of Trident bookseller’s and cafe, which is Andrea and Josh’s favourite brunch date spot. Sit by the windows on the second floor for optimal peoplewatching.
Harvard Arnold Arboretum One of Boston’s premier parks.
Boston Red Sox There will be a game on Sunday. Fenway park is just across the river.

Options for Extending Your Trip

For guests who have a few days off after our wedding, we offer these recommendations:

Harbor Islands Hopping on a ferry and visiting the Boston Harbor islands is one of the finest ways to spend a warm summer day.
Provincetown Fast Ferry You can hop on a ferry at Boston’s seaport and arrive in Provincetown ninety minutes later.
White Mountains of New Hampshire New England’s finest National Forest.
Acadia National Park Acadia is a spectacular place to visit in May, and a very special place for Josh & Andrea. At four hours away driving there is a major commitment.

Contact

The best way to reach us is to email us at: wedding@andreajosh.wedding

When you use this email address, both Andrea and Josh can see and respond to your message. This is helpful, because Andrea is very busy finishing up her PHD these days.

If you find a broken link or a typo, please report website issues to: website@andreajosh.wedding