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It’s the perfect space for an intimate wedding reception, a bridal shower, or even a rehearsal dinner.
Memories on Elm Banquets & More opened at 89 Elm St. in Westfield in January, offering couples and their families another option for hosting their most important events.
Owner Shannon Sutherland said she was looking for just the right place to launch her dream of providing intimate accommodations for life’s most memorable occasions. When she saw the second-floor space in Westfield’s historic Lambson Building, she knew she’d found the perfect home for her business.
Nestled atop the Tribeca Gastro Bar & Grill in Westfield’s Historic District, the banquet space, which can accommodate up to 100 guests, exudes an industrial modern vibe. The floors are rich, historic hardwood, the tongue-and-groove paneled walls are painted a soft shade of cream, and the space is illuminated by a mix of turn-of-the 19th century-style industrial fixtures. Sutherland said she ensures that the room’s centrally located wood-paneled bar is fully stocked with whatever beverage choices her guests need for their occasion.
But the standout feature of the room is the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the gas lighting fixtures on the historic street below. These windows also offer event guests a stunning view of the mountains beyond.
“I love it,” Sutherland said of the beautiful viewing area, “People tend to migrate here.” She installed a footrest under the wooden sill that dissects the glass during renovations, noting that people now “like to come [to the window], put their foot down, put their drink down and converse” while enjoying the view, which is particularly spectacular at sunset.
Located at the corner of Elm and Thomas streets on land originally purchased from one of Westfield’s early landholders and benefactors, Ruben Noble, construction on what is now known as the Lambson Furniture Building began in 1860. Lambson Furniture, which offered its custom desks, parlor sets, baby carriages and bedding in a massive showroom on the first floor, manufactured its products in its workshops on the upper three floors, including the second-floor area where Sutherland’s new Memories on Elm banquet facility is now located. The ornate staircase leading from the first to second floors by the rear entrance is original to the building’s design.
Lambson Furniture opened to the public in 1869. Beyond its namesake products, the building is famous for installing the first hydraulic elevator in Western Massachusetts, manufactured at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in 1896. The building still uses the original elevator location, though the equipment has been upgraded to meet modern safety standards. This feature makes Memories on Elm fully handicapped accessible.
Lambson Furniture closed in 2002, and in 2004, Bently’s Billiards took over the first and second floors of the building, operating in the space until 2007. The building was unoccupied until Gene Borowski purchased it in 2022, undertaking renovations that included insulation sealing of the floor-to-ceiling windows on the second floor, all while retaining the original glass and ornate trim. The popular Tribecca Gastro Bar & Grill opened on the first floor of the building in February of 2023. Memories on Elm has a street-facing entrance adjacent to the Tribecca door, as well as a rear entrance off the parking lot behind the building.
Sutherland said she chose simple but elegant rich wood-toned tables and chairs for Memories on Elm to give her clients the freedom to arrange the space in any configuration they choose. Except for the two permanent booths on the left wall and the bar located against the right wall, all the furnishings can be moved to accommodate a client’s seating plan for their wedding reception or other special event.
And with its neutrally warm color scheme, she added that Memories on Elm offers clients a blank slate when it comes to “dressing” the space to fit their vision for their wedding — or another occasion.
“They can bring their own decorations, plants, I’m very flexible,” Sutherland said.
For entertainment, Sutherland has installed a space-wide sound system that can connect to any device — an iPhone, tablet or laptop — by Bluetooth. She added clients can also choose to bring in their own DJ to provide the music and emcee duties for their wedding.
And Sutherland includes a special feature for clients who choose to host their event with Memories on Elm, something that is usually an add-on rental with other venues.
“A 360-degree camera is included in the price,” she shared, explaining that this camera, “takes a video and [that’s] sent right away to your phone,” and can be shared with multiple phones.
When it comes to planning the food for a client’s event, Sutherland shared that she has a caterer that she uses regularly. Clients are also welcome to contract for their own caterer, or they can “bring in their own food,” she said.
“I’m very big on options,” Sutherland shared. “If people have a family recipe that they like to include on a special occasion, I like to give them that opportunity.”
Her flexibility, she said, comes from being keenly aware of all the moving parts that go into planning any special occasion.
“I think planning a wedding, or planning a party is very stressful,” she said. “So, I try to make [the experience] as smooth as possible.”
Beyond the other planning steps that encompass putting together a memorable event, Sutherland said she’s also willing to be accommodating on time if the occasion arises.
“If the client has rented the space until 10 p.m., but at the end of their event sees the need to add an hour, to 11 p.m., I’m flexible” and “will extend the time with no extra charge,” she said.
With a background in hospitality that included bartending and bar management, Sutherland said making the move to open her own banquet venue was the fulfillment of a long-held dream. She said she’s following in the footsteps of her mom — who was the family party planner “throwing the birthday parties, the holiday parties” that brought- and kept- her family together.
Now she’s looking to provide the same type of experience for others, helping them to make their occasions as special as possible by providing the space, and the tools, to create their perfect wedding or party.
MEMORIES ON ELM BANQUETS & MORE IS LOCATED AT 89 ELM ST. IN WESTFIELD. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT MEMORIESONELM.COM OR CALL 413-485-8888.
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