Meetings - French-Country Lake-side Home, Mini-Horse Farm, Dock, Boats, Sauna, Firepit & Outbuildings - Offsites, design-thinking, etc.

Welcome LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities! The Shackteau is a 2022 construction which mixes French-Country design with modern technology. The vibe is cozy despite the wide-open floor plan, and luxurious without getting too precious about it. The house was designed for real living and serious entertaining - not as a delicate show-piece. The Shackteau features a beautiful kitchen, commandeered by your hosts, who strive to provide your group with a perfect food day! Like what you see in the photos? Nearly every event is a custom offer, so please don't get too bogged down by "add-on" pricing because you may overcharge yourself. If you message us, we'll get you on the right path quickly and efficiently, including live or digital tours. Looking for a place to stay during your event? You can also stay at The Shackteau, bookable via AirBNB. Overnight lodging automatically includes many of the items listed here as "add-ons". Please inquire. This space works great for: Off-sites & Retreats Design Thinking Small Weddings Elopement Packages Same-sex / LGBTQ unions & gatherings welcome! Receptions Rehearsal dinners Bachelorette weekends Girls Weekends Birthday celebrations Anniversary Family Reunions Milestone events Design Thinking Company off-sites & retreats Retreats Musician gatherings & practice (Yamaha baby grand avail) Cooking classes Photography and artist workshops Family portrait & senior portrait venue w/ pet and child sitting help Board Gaming weekends Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) venue Poker & Chess tournaments Knitting circles Dog training Bonfire evenings We offer a multitude of dining, entertaining and tech Add-ons to support our guests. If you need something, please ask! Meander Enjoy beautiful rooms: The Shackteau Great Room, Green Room, Reception & Balcony Bar Overlook, Music Room & Social Hall. Wander the grounds to discover the Bevvy Garden, Lottie's Lodge, the Glamping Tent, Tiny Pepe the T@B trailer & the Chicken Coop. Create your own unique space by dressing up the front pasture with one or more tents overlooking the lake. Enjoy Nature Take a different kind of bio-break: Swim, kayak, paddleboard. Nibble fresh blueberries from the bushes lining the 100 ft dock in July. Walk right off the dock and hike the lake in snowshoes in February. Snooze in a hammock surrounded by trees, collect eggs, cavort with miniature rescue horses & free range chickens. Family Activities & Self Care Work out in the gym, play lawn games or have an outdoor ping-pong tournament. Gather by the firepit, have a singalong at the baby grand piano or karaoke. Take a sauna. Meditate on the dock or the swim raft. Eat & drink well. Always. The Shackteau features a beautiful french kitchen, commandeered by chef Neil Klein who will work with your tastes, dietary needs and timeline to create your perfect food day including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and reception dishes. (The Shackteau cannot directly sell alcohol, but it can be served as an add-on. Please inquire for details.) Gather for Dinner - The Shackteau Great room features a dining table that seats 14. - The covered front porch can also be used as outdoor dining space accommodating two 8-foot tables as add-ons. - Various other add-ons such as larger tents and tables for large gatherings in the front pasture are available. Après Dinner Take an evening stroll. The entire shackteau grounds are lit by solar pathways, including the stairs down to the dock, the hammock station and the dock itself - creating a peaceful, intimate atmosphere. A word about your hosts: "Mr. and Mrs. B." Mr. B was an IT director in the newspaper industry in Boston for over 20 years. Mrs. B was a customer-experience research director in financial services for over 20 years. After an early retirement from their respective industries, Mrs. B followed her dream by pivoting to apply those same principles to the hospitality sector. We look forward to making sure your meeting, offsite or event is unique and delightful to its attendees and organizers. The measure of The Shackteau's success is the success of your event! Specs INTERIOR 1st LEVEL - Southern facing. Oversized, french paned, crank-case windows - Cathedral ceiling with oversized windows at peak - Interior balcony overlooking living room, cathedral windows, forest, & lake - Rustic Iron chandeliers - French Gourmet Kitchen - Dining Table (Expandable, seating 4 to 14) - Central 360 Fireplace - Leather furniture, hide rugs - Ceiling mounted wi-fi projector with 100" ceiling mounted retractable screen - 2 1st-level baths with interior and exterior access, 1 is wheelchair accessible - Back of house separated from main house by gothic dutch door. This is where hosts support short-term day-rentals with coffee, food prep, laundry, last minute ironing and dishwashing. Includes a commercial dishwasher. INTERIOR 2ND LEVEL Bridal "Ready-Room" suite - Changing room (south & west facing windows, plants, hanging chair & water feature) - Kitchenette - Luxurious marble master-bath w/ fireplace - Balcony bar INTERIOR Lower LEVEL "Dance Hall" - Long hallway that can be outfitted with seating or used for dancing - Disco ball Music room - Baby grand piano (Yamaha) - Karaoke Machine (Singtrix) - Speakeasy Armoire bar EXTERIOR - Sauna (Add-On) - Beer Garden, wine-barrel bar, side pasture & conversation pit (Add-On) - Miniature horses (Add-On for photography) - Fire pit, Hammock station, Dock, 4 kayaks, 2 paddleboards, 1 row boat, swim raft (Add-On) - Cabin w/ dedicated wi-fi (Add-On) - Canvas bell tent outfitted with oriental rugs on the floor. 20'(d), 15' (h) (Add-On) - T@b pull-trailer (Add-On) - 30 Amp hookup (Add-On) Tech - 2 high-speed wi-fi networks - 4 Google homes - 2 Google Max speakers - Ceiling mounted wi-fi enabled projector in great room - 100" pull down screen - 2 other portable projection screens which can be hung almost anywhere. - 3 Bang & Olufsen bluetooth speakers (Add-On) **Hosts can be on-call for technical support if requested.