FAQs

Question

I can stay overnight on the island?

Answer

Yes! A private school operated on island for over 100 years. Today, Outward Bound operates the island and maintains the dorms. If you need a visual, imagine "freshman year of college." Now imagine an ocean view. Yep, party like you're in college... on an island!

Question

Tell me more about the dorm rooms at Thompson Island

Answer

There are a variety of rooms available, including one, two, three, and four person dorms. All dorm rooms have single beds with sheets, blankets, pillows, towels and a fan in the room. Dorms have common space to hang out and community restrooms. Rooms range in cost from $140-170.

Question

I want to stay overnight on the island! How do I book a dorm room?

Answer

Dorms must be booked directly with Thompson Island by submitting the Overnight Accommodations form found here: https://thompsonisland.org/events/weddings/overnight-accommodations When filling out the online form, here are some helpful hints: - For "Wedding", enter: Emily & Whitney - If you want to share a room with other wedding guests, please coordinate with them and only submit one form (you can choose a one-bed, two-bed, three-bed, or four-bed room by simply entering multiple guest names on the form) - For "Arrival Date", enter: 8/27/2022 - For "Departure Date", enter: 8/28/2022 Please note that Thompson Island processes room requests once a week – so please do not panic if you do not hear back right away. You will receive an email from Thompson Island and are able to pay over email or the phone. We hope many guests will choose to stay overnight on the island! There are more than enough dorm rooms for every guest. Parking for overnight guests – We recommend that if you are staying the night with us on Thompson Island and are driving into Boston you park at the EDIC Dock in South Boston then Uber/Lyft/walk to Long Wharf to catch the charter boat for the wedding. This way your car will be at the boat when we return Sunday! Parking is available in the garage at 12 Drydock Avenue - Marine Industrial Park Central Parking Garage.

Question

If there is an emergency, can I get back to shore quickly

Answer

YES - there is a boat ready to leave at any time should there be an emergency.

Question

Where should I park?

Answer

Parking in Boston can be tricky, so we recommend figuring out where you plan to park before you start driving into the city. Public parking garages with their addresses can be found under the "Travel" page. If you plan on valeting your car at your hotel, you may want to consider finding out the price of valet first as it can be quite expansive.

Question

What COVID precautions will be taken?

Answer

Safety and fun are our top priorities! In order for everyone to have fun we want everyone to feel safe. The wedding and reception are outside and in open-air spaces. As the wedding date gets closer we'll provide further updates here on precautions. At this time we tentatively recommend you plan to take a COVID test prior to the wedding.

Question

What is Outward Bound?

Answer

Outward Bound is a non-profit educational organization that serves people of all ages and backgrounds through challenging learning expeditions that inspire strength of character, leadership and service to others, both in and out of the classroom. By hosting our wedding at Thompson Island, we are supporting outdoor leadership and science education for Boston Public School students. Each year thousands of students board the Thompson Island Outward Bound ferry to discover who they are and all they can become on an island classroom that spans 204 acres of salt marshes, woods, campsites, labs, dormitories and dozens of challenge structures. Education programs are provided at no cost to students, funded by a combination of philanthropy and the island’s events business.