We’ve shared our favorite venues for Spring, Summer, and Fall weddings but now it’s time to celebrate those winter wedding venues! Winter in Connecticut is as cold as it is beautiful! A quintessential winter wedding is cozy, warm (on the inside), and hopefully embraced by an enjoyable amount of snow. While winter weddings may not be the most popular inspiration you’re used to, there is so much to love about this time of year. Plus, there are plenty of venues throughout Connecticut to host your day!

Winter Wedding Venue Must-Haves and Considerations

• Indoor Options for All Wedding Moments: With the warmer weather, there’s more flexibility to host your ceremony, cocktail hour, or reception entirely outdoors. Winter in Connecticut encourages those moments to happen exclusively inside, so make sure your venue has a layout to create a distinctive area for all you’ll be including onsite.
• Guest Capacity: With having your event indoors, be sure that you’re assembling your guest list accordingly. Even if your venue says it can easily accommodate 200 guests, you may want to consider less if you’re hosting your ceremony and reception onsite!
• Ease of Guest Travel: As much as we hope and wish for snowfall to create the perfect setting for your winter wedding, it can easily damper travel plans. Consider nearby hotel accommodations or rooms onsite to ensure everyone can safely celebrate your nuptials!
• Off-Season Dates: Though most winter wedding venues offer dates all year round, some offer off-season pricing during the winter months.

Get cozy and read on to some of Connecticut’s greatest Winter wedding venues!

 

Jubilee’s Top 10 Winter Wedding Venues in Connecticut!

 

Branford House

One of our favorite Connecticut wedding venues is the Branford House in Groton. Though easily associated with the perfect summer wedding location, the inside of this mansion with its warm wooden walls is the perfect location to host a more intimate number of guests. The inside boasts three separate yet all ornately elegant rooms, so it’s easy to host your ceremony and reception with a more intimate guest count. Should you opt to celebrate with a few more loved ones (around 100), then one room is perfect for cocktail hour and dancing while the other two comfortably seat your guest tables!

If your budget allows, looking into a custom frame tent that will warm guests for dancing and cocktail hour. Imagine the sprawling lawn settled with snow around you!

photo: Alicia Ann Photographers // beauty: Larissa Lake and Co. // floral: Flowers by Justine // bride + confections: Sugar Therapy

The Goodwin Hotel

My favorite modern wedding venue, located right in the heart of downtown Hartford! This boutique hotel is equipped with a healthy list of hotel rooms ranging in all sizes and styles. It’s easy to want to stay cozy in any of these rooms, especially once you see the bathtubs some of them boast.

With its notable onsite restaurant and café, the hotel is known for its culinary team and head chef, so the food and beverage portion of your evening will be something everyone will rave about! Equipped to host up to 200 guests, there are separate spaces for your cocktail hour and reception with plenty of churches or unique venues (check out the Old State House here) to host your ceremony!

photo: Carla Ten Eyck Photography // Fashion: The White Dress by the Shore + Valentino Tailors // Beauty: Catie Bane

Eolia Mansion

This Waterford shoreline mansion embodies an old-world charm with multiple rooms to host your guests. This venue has four rooms within the mansion, suitable for hosting 85- 100 guests if you were to have your cocktail hour in the grand foyer. Though there are ceremony options outdoors, in the event of a normally brisk day, you’ll want something to warm your bones.

The inside walls are adorned in white with touches of gold for added elegance. These are two shades I find best to inspire a winter wedding design, but I say do what you love!

 

Gray Barns

The Gray Barns on the Silvermine River is a haven set in Fairfield County. Tucked back in the woods a bit, this venue sits beside – you guessed it – the Silvermine River, offering a tranquil escape from your day-to-day. There are multiple locations on the property to host your event, including the Inn, Tavern, and Barn, allowing your guests to immerse themselves in the experience you’ve created! This venue is especially perfect for the more intimate guest counts, ranging from 25 – 75, which we’ve all come to love this past year!

The Gray Barns is just as much known for their culinary components as they are for the thoughtfully curated accommodations they offer. Imagine getting ready for your wedding beside the fireplace while the snow falls down around you outside. *Chef’s kiss*

 

Lord Thompson Manor

If you haven’t gauged through this list by now, Connecticut offers some of the best estates and manors for your winter wedding venues! Lord Thompson Manor is no exception as it provides its couples with multiple locations for your ceremony, cocktail hour, and dancing as the evening wears on. It’s set in the northwest corner of the state, quiet and serene and so well manicured you will wish you actually lived here. Enjoy an intimate number of guests or up to 150+ for your celebration.

The elegant manor offers plenty of room for you and some of your loved ones to stay, directly at the manor and in their Cottage House, set back in its own world so this becomes your home away from home for your full wedding weekend!

The Loading Dock

One of the best industrial venues I’ve come across and it’s right here in our own state! The Loading Dock, with catering by the esteemed Abigail Kirsch, is the perfect setup for your modern winter wedding! There are several rooms including the Gallery, Ballroom, Sanctuary, and arcade, all with their own aesthetic to offer guests a distinctive, yet cohesive experience throughout your event.

This venue is located right downtown in Stamford, exceptionally close to hotels and other festivities to enjoy!

 

Jonathan Edwards Winery

Jonathan Edwards is best known for its lush vineyard overlooking the idyllic Sperry Tent. Did you know they also have a Barrel Room set in the lower level of the tasting room?

It’s the perfect location to carry your rustic, organic aesthetic design throughout. As normal you will enjoy cocktail hour in the tasting room, overlooking the dinner scene hugged by actual walls of real wine barrels. There’s nothing better on a cold day than that perfect glass of red wine, and Jonathan Edwards has plenty to boot! Set in North Stonington, it’s a short drive away to all of Mystic’s boutique hotels and Bed and Breakfasts, allowing you to make it a full weekend getaway!

 

Chamard Vineyard

Connecticut is home to a list of notable vineyards, and Chamard in Clinton is one of the best. This space is perfect for an intimate winter wedding celebration, offering space for 30 – 50 guests! Their barn, bistro, wine cellar, Red Barrel Room, Tank Room, and Crush Pad are all cozy locations for your gathering! So, you know the wine will never run out!

photo: Robert Norman Photography // lighting + draping: Ryan Designs

 

The Warehouse at FTC

Another industrial wedding venue favorite! The Warehouse at FTC is particularly hearty in size, granting the opportunity for gatherings large and small. This beauty is located in the heart of downtown Fairfield right across from the train station. We love a venue that’s easy to get to, and travel to and from this one is a cinch!

 

The Hangar at Danbury Airport

One of the coolest venues with the most unique personality by far is this one! On the Marc curates the incredible menu for your guests, whether it be 250 for a sit-down or up to 650 for a casual celebration. The beauty of such a large space, and one so unique, is that you can tailor it to your needs. Get creative with draping and decor to create distinctive spaces for your ceremony, cocktail hour, and the dance floor!

 

Winter may secretly be our favorite season for the perfect venue setting! Truth is, Connecticut has so much to offer in this department, that you can’t go wrong when finding a venue that fits your style and story best!

The Best Connecticut Venues for your Fall Wedding!

Part 1 and Part 2 of this blog series have given you a glance at some of the magic Connecticut offers for your wedding day. Now, it’s time to cozy up to one of the best seasons Connecticut has to offer: Fall! A Fall Wedding in Connecticut is as anticipated as any combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

Despite what those holiday commercials say, Fall is the most wonderful time of the year! From the warm days and cool nights, right down to the foliage. It is, in my opinion, the best time of year to take advantage of the great outdoors.

Fall Wedding Venue Must-Haves and Considerations

• Indoor Options or Tenting Capabilities: You’ll see this noted on every venue list because Mother Nature is a finicky woman! While Fall tends to provide more expected weather circumstances, it’s the one thing none of us can control. If your venue lacks an indoor space (many unique locations do!), be sure there’s room to place a tent on the property. Even if your plan is to go alfresco, a rain plan is always a good idea!
• Exclusivity: Just like summer, this is a coveted time of year! Make sure you understand how many celebrations your venue hosts on any given weekend or per day!
• Noise ordinance: As we’ve said in the Spring and Summer wedding venue list, be sure to take the cutoff time for music into account, especially if your Fall wedding will be taking place outdoors in any capacity!
• Availability: The Fall is the most popular time of year for weddings here in Connecticut. Between the perfect temperatures, relative lack of destructive weather, and the foliage… Those scrumptious colors that dress our trees are quintessential postcard images and highly sought after! If a Fall wedding is what you’re after, the availability of your potential venue is something that can go quickly.
• Ways to keep your guests warm: This time of year is when we begin to see the nights get a little cooler. Infuse ways into your design to keep your guests warm. These things can include a hot cocoa bar, late-night bonfire, or custom blankets for guests to grab-and-go!

Here we have it! Read on to begin falling in love with some of Connecticut’s greatest Fall wedding venues!

 

Smith Farm Gardens

Smith Farm Gardens is one of my favorite locations for a wedding in Connecticut, no less a fall wedding, because it’s comparable to having a home wedding without having to build the venue in your own backyard! Their well-manicured gardens and grounds are noticed the moment you step foot onto the property. It’s idyllic in every sense it can be!

Set on 15 acres, your ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception can host within a list of beautiful corners of this property. The vegetable and flower garden, apple orchard, or the main house with its original posts and beams and massive fireplace inside! You can certainly toast with a large number of guests here as your event takes place 100% outdoors with the capacity for a tent! To top it off, there are stunning onsite accommodations in the house, which is perfect for getting ready and hanging with your favorite people once the last song has been played.

 

Audobon in Greenwich

The Audobon, specifically the Barn at Greenwich Audobon Center is idyllic for the lovers of a rustic aesthetic. This restored 1800s structure with its original exposed beams is perfect for a smaller, yet still lively guest group of 80 – 100 guests. Apple orchards and trails hug the property, offering unique opportunities to take advantage of the layout of your entire event!

For those with a philanthropic heart, the site fee goes to not only maintaining the inherent structure of the barn but also supporting a sanctuary for nature’s smallest creatures throughout the state!

 

Mayflower Inn & Spa

There is something picturesque about saying your vows with the colors in front of a pond filled with the reflection of the Fall foliage. Postcards couldn’t paint a better picture, though I’m sure a live painter could!

For smaller, more intimate celebrations, the Mayflower offers The Garden Room and The Tap Room which have been recently renovated to create a space you’ll never want to leave. For groups up to about 150, you can host your loved ones in their brand-new custom tent, tucked privately behind the spa alongside the property’s pond. Not only are onsite accommodations available, but this venue is also the perfect location for a full weekend buyout as there are personalized amenities to appeal to any type of adventurer! I love how easily this property lends itself to a destination wedding as the onsite offerings, most notably the spa and surrounding trails allow for enjoyable getaways no matter the interests of your guest group!

photo: Carla Ten Eyck // planning + design: Jubilee Events // floral: Blush Floral Design // tent decor: Drape Art Designs

 

Chatfield Hollow Inn

Also known as the Chatfield Hollow B+B, this natural oasis offers a variety of ceremony locations. Choose between their two ponds, fruit orchard, grassy meadows, or birch grove to start. Imagine being snuggled in among all the colorful foliage, or having a small breeze carry some leaves around you and your guests during your vows. Just like a pretty snowfall without the cold and wet!

Along with the clear top tent on-site for up to 150 guests, the property — including their charming inn — belongs to you the entire weekend. With fully functioning flower and food gardens, you have the opportunity to bring the freshest details to your menu or decor, found right on site. The amenities and care this location provides is unparalleled and ideal for a variety of design approaches for your fall wedding!

photo: Carla Ten Eyck Photography

 

Jonathan Edwards Winery

Located in North Stonington (not to be confused with the beautiful town of Stonington), Jonathan Edwards offers all the lush, rolling greens that a vineyard should. Hugged by trees that provide a colorful splash of Fall foliage vibrantly welcomes guests to the property. The winery includes a tent for dining and dancing all night long for up to 200 of your friends and family. Additionally, their rustic barrel room is perfect for a smaller affair – even that back up rain plan we mentioned! Their tasting room and the wrap-around porch are the best way to take in the views of your entire wedding day in addition to enjoying their wine that is produced during this season.

Entering the Fall season reintroduces you to those sinfully-favorite foods that we all love to indulge in! Surrounding Jonathan Edwards Winery are several local farms that your caterer can partner with to create a one-of-a-kind farm-to-table dining experience for you and your guests!

photo: Robert Norman Photography // planning + design: Jubilee Events // floral: Just For You Floral Design // lighting: Ryan Designs

 

Gallaher Mansion

Having enjoyed the most amazing Fall wedding at the Gallaher Mansion, it’s no wonder why this venue sits comfortably on our list! The Gallaher Mansion provides a timeless setting and romantic views indoors and out. Open to hosting 100 guests inside the gorgeous stone monument or 200+ on their tented terrace, the Gallaher offers some rentals and several other amenities to help make the day your own!

Pro tip: take advantage of the side garden and sprawling lawn for photos or other moments of your wedding day to create a big impact for your guests!

photo: Anaise Prince Photography

South Farms

One of the most iconic farm venues in Connecticut, exclusively reserved for weddings and celebrations taking place onsite! Set a little more inland in Morris, South Farms is one of our favorite family-run farm venues! Once you step foot on the property, you’ll know exactly why! Not only do they offer the parlor, hayloft, bull room, and stone barn, plus their brand new Garage, opening the opportunity to their couples to host just under 50 guests all the way up to 175. Whether rustic, natural, or industrial, this space offers so much to its clients and exceeds your wildest dreams!

 

Graybarns on the Silvermine River

Where luxury meets comfort! The Graybarns is the first venue I think of for the perfect intimate wedding. Able to accommodate up to 75 guests, you and your guests can enjoy a variety of settings throughout the property, including their courtyard, the barn, the tavern, and the porch. I anticipate seeing a surplus of more intimate events with our couples this year and beyond. This venue is the perfect location to make it your own for the weekend!

As if the venue wasn’t enough to love as is, they have the most flavorful and memorable menus to enjoy, something that certainly impacts the overall experience imparted on you and your guests! Their onsite accommodations make getting ready and other weekend events seamless and relaxing.

 

Winvian Farm

This storied estate offers multiple sites and venues on its unique property, prepared to host you and your loved ones with their onsite accommodations. This charming site is 113 acres of rolling lawns, stone walls, wildflower meadows and enchanted woodlands, all of which are in their full, lush, colorful state during the Fall, making an impactful statement for your wedding weekend experience!

With the level of opportunity of Winvian Farm, you can host more intimate celebrations to grander affairs with larger guest counts. I love how easily this property lends itself to a destination wedding as the amenities, most notably the spa and surrounding trails allow for enjoyable getaways no matter the interests of your guest group!

 

Chamard Vineyards

Another popular vineyard, but this time located right in Clinton. Whether you’re hosting an intimate celebration of 30 guests up to a bash of 150 of your loved ones, the vineyard has several outdoor and indoor locations for your ceremony or reception. As an added bonus to the local wine you can enjoy, Chamard is responsible for your fresh culinary experience. While quiet and set back, the vineyard is not far from the center of town, so some noise ordinance rules may apply!

 

I will never forget Morgan and Matt’s summer mansion wedding at the Branford House! First and foremost, the Branford House is one of our all-time fav venues, having hosted some of our most memorable love stories. There’s not one corner of this venue that isn’t magical. Between the confident stone structure that greets you at the top of the hill to the ornate wood and marble details carved into the walls and fireplaces within.

In addition to our picturesque setting, this day started as bright, warm, and stunning as Morgan and Matt are. Right at the end of their ceremony, a storm rolled in, and everything but the Wicked Witch of the West came pouring out of that sky. I like to think it was Morgan’s dad popping in to say hello! Thankfully, it came as soon as it went, not diminishing the celebration in any way!

Morgan and Matt are easily the two most stylish people I’ve ever met. I swear every time I met with them, I left with notes on how to improve myself. They’re also two of the loveliest souls you’ll ever get a chance to encounter, which was proven by the liveliest, most supportive, and wonderful guest list we’ve ever partied with!

The Design of a Summer Mansion Wedding: Modern Meets Glam

Now having the level of style they possess, our wedding design had to pack the same level of oohs and aahs. Morgan is a glam girl at heart and so many of our decisions were easily made as we took inspiration from our couple. For a Branford House wedding, you need to add some softness or pops of color to balance out the inherent wood of the venue. Our mixture of round and long tables were dressed in gold leather linen. Yes — leather! It was so sophisticated and sexy, I’m still not over it! Each table was then dressed with a tall candelabra statement arrangement of lush white flowers and candles. Pops of gold, acrylic, and white leather laced the rest of our details, from stationery to furniture, all the way to our chandeliers overlooking the dance floor.

Right outside the Branford House mansion was our bar (the most gorgeous bar ever!), and our dance floor. My favorite thing about the mansion is that there are so many ways to customize it and utilize the space. The only thing I could wish for was a bit more room as this group was tearing up the dance floor! Some of my favorite moments can be seen on the dance floor in the photos below.

There is nothing quite like a summer mansion wedding, and I invite you to enjoy the story below! Be sure to enjoy the video at the end from True Color Productions. It’s a tear-jerker, but so worth it!

Morgan and Matt, I wish you two a lifetime of happiness and adventure. I am confident that your date of 8.18.18 holds some type of infinite love and good fortune, and there are no two more deserving people than you!! XO

 

credit reel

Photography: Jennifer Sullivan Photography
Ceremony + Reception Location: The Branford House
Event Planning + Design: Diana of Jubilee Events
Flowers: Victorian Rose Florist
Entertainment: CZone Entertainment
Catering: Gourmet Galley
Stationery: Coral Pheasant Stationery
Beauty: Kiss + Makeup
Lighting + Draping: Drape Art Designs
Rentals: PEAK Event Services, Big Top Rental, *designer8, Nuage Designs
Cinema: True Color Productions

The Best Venue Perfect for Your Connecticut Summer Wedding!

You’ve started to warm up to the ideas open to your location with Part 1 of this blog series, but now it’s time to turn to the summer season for the best Connecticut summer wedding venues! Pun completely intended by the way.

As you curate your list of potential Connecticut wedding venues, keep in mind the different factors this wedding season holds. Summer weddings go hand-in-hand with warmer and brighter days so it’s one of the best times of the year to take advantage of the outdoor setting. With this, consider the higher than normal temps that may exist during the day and early evening. We’ll go into a little more detail about what you want to keep in mind when preparing for your summer wedding!

Summer Wedding Venue Must-Haves and Considerations

• Tenting Capabilities: Who doesn’t love to be outdoors during summer?! While rain is always something to plan for in any venue with outdoor elements, you also want to be sure to protect you and your guests from extreme heat. You’ll be thankful when you can enjoy being dressed up in your finest and dancing the night away without being sidelined by high temps. If you’re looking to host 100% of your event outdoors, be sure the property has room to host this many tents (reception + a rain backup plan), or one area large enough for an extended size that you can creatively split into two spaces.
• Exclusivity: With more couples looking into Summer for their big day, you may find that your venue hosts more than one wedding in a day. If being the only event onsite is important to you, be sure to ask the sales manager what their event schedule is.
• Noise ordinance: Like we mentioned under our list of Spring venues, it’s important to take note of the noise ordinance of your wedding location to coordinate the end time appropriately. You should be dancing to the very last beat as planned!
• Holiday weekends: Many of our favorite holidays fall right within the summer months (Fourth of July, Labor Day, even Memorial Day weekend which is the unofficial kick-off for summer for me!). Understand and budget for some added costs for hosting a holiday weekend event. This can be higher venue fees, rental delivery fees, or accommodations for your vendor team to avoid traveling back and forth long distances during heavy traffic weekends!

Now on to the good stuff! Below is a list of 10 venues fit for your summer wedding, all ranging in styles, settings, guest capacity, and more!

Chatfield Hollow Inn

Words and photos cannot properly do this space and its team justice! We’ll have a special blog post coming up on this newer Killingworth venue next week as it’s the perfect space for guest counts up to 200. Also known as the Chatfield Hollow B+B, this natural oasis offers a variety of ceremony locations. Choose between their two ponds, fruit orchard, grassy meadows, or birch grove to start. Along with the clear top tent onsite, the property — including their charming inn — belongs to you the entire weekend. With fully functioning flower and food gardens, you have the opportunity to bring the freshest details to your menu or decor, found right on site. The amenities and care this location provides is unparalleled and ideal for a variety of design approaches for your summer wedding!

photos: carla ten eyck photography

Stone Acres Farm

Stonington hosts a number of the best destination venues for you and your guests, many of which you’ll see below. Set on 65 acres of family owned property, Stone Acres Farm hugs its guests in the most natural and romantic views. Imagine your ceremony in their historic formal boxed gardens set in front of their farm house, which hosts an intimate group of 30 guests, followed by dinner on the vast lawn perfect for a tented wedding up to 250. You’ll fall in love with the area, but even more the owner as soon as you visit the space!!

Saltwater Farm Vineyard

Another Stonington favorite, Saltwater Farm is the perfect location for the rustic, but perhaps even the industrial couple! Ceremonies are typically set in the middle of their wide sprawling vines — lush, peaceful, and romantic. Of course, these views don’t get lost should you host your ceremony indoors in front of the floor to ceiling windows in the winery’s hangar. Designed with an upstairs and downstairs location to comfortably accommodate dinner and dancing for up to 200 guests, as well as cocktail hour and the ceremony if needed. Plus, two bars, because a wedding on a vineyard always calls for a glass (or two!) of wine.

photos: tim correira photography

Jonathan Edwards Winery

Located in North Stonington (not to be confused with the beautiful town of Stonington), Jonathan Edwards offers all the lush, rolling greens that a vineyard should. The winery includes an on site tent for dining and dancing all night long for up to 200 of your friends and family or their rustic barrel room for a smaller affair — even that back up rain plan we mentioned! Their tasting room and wrap around porch for cocktail hour is the best way to take in the views of your entire wedding day location and helps to take advantage of the entire space.

photos: robert norman photography

Heritage Homestead

Years ago, we had the pleasure of doing the first wedding set on this family owned property, a fully functioning farm with miles of the BEST views of the Quinnipiac Valley! Located more in the center of the state in the country town of Northford, Heritage Homestead sits on acres that are perfectly set up for a tent for up to 150 guests or an outdoor ceremony. The property also houses a barn pavilion for 120 guests for a sit down meal or as a back up ceremony location, enclosed in the case of inclement weather. Good weather? The walls can come right off, giving you a front row seat to the gorgeous views surrounding you. For your event, you have the entire space for your weekend to ensure a flexible day of timeline and set up schedule for your vendors to bring your vision to life!

photos: carla ten eyck photography

Branford House

A Jubilee Event favorite, the Branford House is a part of the UConn campuses, set on acres of grass that meet the Long Island Sound. This luxuriously built, stone mansion is comprised of three rooms, each with rococo ceilings and an ornate fireplace set against the rich wood walls — the Great Room’s marble fireplace heights itself at two stories tall! Between the rooms, you can sit a total of up to 200 guests, though depending on your floor plan, you might find it a bit more comfortable at 150 – 165. On a perfect summer day, or for guest counts exceeding 200, the lawn is perfectly prepared for that sailcloth tent you’ve been dreaming about!

photos: carla ten eyck photography

Gallaher Mansion

Some of the best summer wedding venues sprawl along the Connecticut shoreline areas. The Gallaher Mansion in Norwalk is no exception as it provides a timeless, elegant setting and romantic settings indoors and out. Open to hosting 100 guests inside the gorgeous stone monument or 200+ on their tented terrace, the Gallaher offers some rentals to help develop your look and several other amenities to make it your own!

Smith Farm Gardens

How could we not mention this idyllic country spot in our summer collection?! If you’re looking for a home wedding without the worry of structuring an entire venue at your own home, then Smith Farm Gardens is the best location to consider. Hugged by lush gardens, there’s a noticeable sense of peace when you step onto the property. When it comes to one of the most important details of your wedding — the food — Smith Farms lets you pluck right from their own garden. It doesn’t get fresher than that! To top it off, there are stunning onsite accommodations in the house, which is perfect for getting ready and hanging with your favorite people once the last song has been played. You can certainly host up to large number of guests here as your event takes place 100% outdoors with the capacity for a tent!

South Farms

Set a little more inland in Morris, South Farms is one of our favorite family-run farm venues! This barn is iconic and once you step foot on the property, you’ll know exactly why! Not only do they offer the parlor, hayloft, bull room, and stone barn, but they are working up their brand new Garage, opening the opportunity to their couples to host just under 50 guests all the way up to 175. Whether rustic, natural, or industrial, this space offers so much to their clients and exceeds your wildest dreams!

Chamard Vineyards

Another popular vineyard, but this time located right in Clinton. Whether you’re hosting an intimate celebration of 30 guests up to a bash of 150 of your loved ones, the vineyard has several locations for your ceremony or reception, both outdoor and in. As an added bonus to the local wine you can enjoy, Chamard is responsible for your freshly prepared culinary experience. While quiet and set back, the vineyard is not far from the center of town, so some noise ordinance rules may apply!

As you follow this list, you may notice many of these summer venues include working farms and wineries that contribute you to your event day menu. One of the best parts of summer is freshly grown food. Developing your menu with local, seasonal fare elevates the experience of one of the most important elements of your day and it has a resounding affect on all of your loved ones!

Let’s face it, there’s just no way to narrow it down to only ten venues. There are a few you will see double dipping across the seasons, but they’re too perfect to leave out. Because Connecticut has a proud list of venues, there are far more outside of this top 10 here that not only offer picturesque views signature to Connecticut, but their outstanding teams are just as excited for your day as you are!

The Best Venues for Your Connecticut Spring Wedding!

It’s that time of year again… engagement season! Hundreds of thousands of couples are taking that exciting step forward in their story to make their union officially official. After the champagne has been had, the confetti tossed, and the cheeks back to normal after the palpable smiling, you get ready to dive into planning. First up: your Spring wedding venue!

The real first and most important step is mulling over the ideas in your head to determine where exactly you would like to host this monumental day. Once you’ve had the opportunity to explore options granted to you, you will have a better idea of just WHEN you should notify your friends and family to break out their dancing shoes to come to celebrate with you. Connecticut has quite a list of exceptional venues set in a variety of locations to fit your personality and needs. We are here to give you, our faithful readers, a list of the best of the best. Since many of our Spring wedding couples are gearing up for their day, we’ll start there!

Spring Wedding Venue Must-Haves and Considerations

• Tenting Capabilities: Every year, it seems like winter creeps further and further into what should be the warmer months. April showers should bring May flowers, but often times we are still seeing snow showers in April and we haven’t wrapped our minds around it yet. The reality is: a Connecticut wedding can impose unexpected weather! Even with a light drizzle, rain can put a damper on some big plans you’ve made. Make sure your space can accommodate a tent if your guest count is on the larger side and you’re aiming for any aspect of your ceremony or reception to be outdoors. This makes Plan B is just as perfect as Plan A.
• Indoor Rain Plan for Small Guest Counts: If you’re hosting a more intimate celebration, you may feel comfortable shifting part or all of your event indoors in the case of inclement weather. Consider what this plan might look like at your potential venue, and whether or not that’s something you would enjoy or be able to customize with your design team!
• Availability: Many locations have a strict season, particularly May (think Memorial Day Weekend, which is the unofficial start to summer) through November, so be sure to double-check you can host your wedding during the time frame you most desire.
• Noise ordinance: Because a portion, if not all of your event can take place outdoors, it’s important to note the noise ordinance of that town to coordinate the end of the event time appropriately. While getting shut down due to noise is a sign of a great party, we’d rather you be dancing until the very last song!

Top 10 Locations Perfect for Your Connecticut Spring Wedding Venue!

Penfield Pavilion

Located in Fairfield and set right on the beach, this venue features a covered patio overlooking the water, creating the perfect backdrop to your event — I mean PERFECT. It’s even better for those cozy, outdoor dinners with your nearest and dearest. Set for up to 180 or 300 guests depending on event style, the venue offers some rentals and heat or AC depending on the time of year!

The Lace Factory

Centrally located between New York and Boston in the quaint, quiet town of Deep River, the Lace Factory is the most beautiful industrial location in the state. There are a few settings within the venue perfect for every moment of your wedding day, including the courtyard just outside for a ceremony. Guests can even enjoy scenes of the Connecticut River when arriving by the Essex Steam Train (oh yes!!), adding further to the charm of this venue. Ideal for up to 200 guests to celebrate all night long or the opportunity to design distinct spaces in the main space for your ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dance floor for a small guest count!

Mine Hill Distillery

Roxbury is one of those small towns of Connecticut filled with plenty of history and the nicest people! It also has a special venue in the Mine Hill Distillery, a location boasting four different buildings and riverfront scenery ideal for small intimate dinner parties up to large weddings under a tent. Elliott, the man behind this idea will be one of your dearest friends by the end of your time with this venue. An 1872 train station that has been given some love brings the right level of history and design together in one place.

Eolia Mansion

Located right in Waterford, this may be one of our favorite mansions in Connecticut (there are a few to brag about!) because of it’s exquisite drive up. The estate is surrounded by perfectly cared for gardens and shrubbery at every turn, including its two picturesque ceremony settings. Between the venue’s stained glass and floor to ceiling windows are acres of lawn that lead to the Long Island Sound. Perfect for smaller guests, but no more than 150 and offering few tables and chairs and a covered stone patio for even more entertaining opportunities. A few of our favorite Eolia Wedding galleries are located right here, but be sure to check out the blog to see the versatility of this sweet spot!

photos: Katie Slater Photography

Wadsworth Mansion

Built in 1900 as a country summer residence, the historic mansion in Middletown has been sustained for elegant, personalized weddings. Their doors are open to intimate celebrations throughout their multiple rooms or large weddings for up to 200 guests. If all your friends and family will be joining you, their rolling green lawns and the postcard-worthy backdrop of the mansion make for the perfect tent setting. You can check out all the ways we’ve loved on the Wadsworth Mansion here!

photos: Brigham & Co. Photography

Audobon Greenwich

One of the best Fairfield County venues with 360 degrees of immaculate views. Their picturesque barn is perfect for an intimate crowd of up to 90 guests, accompanied by an idyllic lawn perfect for cocktail hour or a ceremony. As if the Audobon Greenwich in’t perfect enough, they are also exclusively catered by On the Marc, a Connecticut and New York staple for creative, flavorful food! Nothing says farm to table quite like this Connecticut wedding venue!

Mayflower Grace Hotel

Perfect for the more intimate event with your nearest and dearest, this Washington space boasts charming settings throughout their hotel. We’re thrilled to revisit this venue, and will surely include it on some lists aside from our Spring wedding selections as they’ve just added a gorgeous custom Sperry Tent to their back lawn overlooking the pond!

There isn’t one area of this entire property that isn’t dripping in natural beauty, especially when it comes to their gardens! The lush Shakespeare Garden is the most perfect ceremony backdrop, but this can be your backdrop should you opt to host a grander wedding with more of your loved ones. Set for a more intimate affair, treat your guests to a scrumptious and memorable menu in their Garden Room, set perfectly for up to 40 guests. For a slightly heartier guest list, their tent is the perfect location, and if I may say so, one of our favorite tents ever. You know how much we love a good tented wedding! You can see it here!

photos: carla ten eyck photography

J House

While Connecticut houses some of the most natural settings perfect for any aesthetic or vision, it also has some modern spaces up its sleeves. The J House in Greenwich is one of the newer, more contemporary locations that offer the coolest settings for your ceremony and reception for up to 150 guests. From open terraces completely untouched by any surrounding buildings or skylines to their open-air patio specked with greenery and soft lighting. With all the outdoor possibilities, J House mirrors the number of opportunities to host your event indoors in one of their upscale restaurants or dining spaces! The beauty here is the flexibility to make it your own. The different moments of your day are 10x more memorable with a venue as unique as this one here!

The Hickories

The Hickories is a gem of a venue and for many reasons one that we like to assimilate ourselves with. As a working farm growing fresh, organic vegetables, fruits, and flowers, The Hickories is dedicated to sustainability, all of which can be used in some capacity for your event. Farm to table was never so literal (or delicious)! Choose from their rustic 1800s barn, the farmhouse lawn, or their one-acre trout pond as the perfect setting for one of your life’s biggest memories!

Florence Griswold Museum

Home to a variety of Impressionist and contemporary artists, this Old Lyme museum offers many perfect choices for your event. You have the option to enjoy the indoor atmosphere surrounded by classic art and well-curated exhibits or the views of the Lieutenant River from the stone patio or Miss Florence’s charming garden — or both! It is a Spring wedding, after all, and Mother Nature can be unruly. One of our favorite weddings was set at the FloGris on Hurricane Irene back in the day. We’d love to tell you about it sometime or you can check it out here! photos: carla ten eyck photography

Though the list stops at 10 there are many, many venues throughout the state that would be perfect for a Spring wedding. You may seem them again in future seasonal posts because they lend the perfect level of personality and unique opportunity for couples to bring their story to life for their wedding day! And don’t think this is where it all ends in our beautiful New England state. Keep reading for more venues based on your season. You never know where you might fall in love!

There is something to love about each season in New England. Even if you hate the cold, you have to admit the magic found in the way the snow falls. It’s so peacefully quiet. And clean!! I don’t enjoy the Summer humidity one bit but being able to enjoy the warm sunlight hitting your skin or dipping your toes in the ocean can’t really be beaten. In the end, though, I am a Fall girl. I cannot get enough of the vibrantly colored leaves or the smell of wood stoves turning on to heat up the house. Needless to say, finding inspiration for Fall is a hobby! Designing Fall wedding color palettes sends our hearts soaring!

Lucky for us, Connecticut boasts a number of gorgeous venues to host your celebration, and, boy, do we adore a good Fall wedding! As we’ve been busy preparing for the rest of our 2020 (and 2021!) weddings, I want to give you all some ideas for building the perfect Fall color palette for your Connecticut wedding!

The Fall is the time for deep, romantic, saturated shades that you’ll find in that favorite sweater or Fall dish you’d prepare. If you would like to prepare the ultimate Fall fete, check out some of our fav autumn dishes here!

Fall Wedding Color Palettes: Earthy and Organic

beige // mustard // sage // evergreen // lipstick // deep plum // bronze

photographer: carla ten eyck // floral: sweet talk floral // beauty: catie bane // fashion: made with love, valentino tailors from the white dress by the shore

Fall Wedding Color Palettes: Wine Tones

taupe // ivory // blush // vintage pink // wine // chestnut

   photographer: robert norman photography // floral: blush floral design // rentals: peak event services

Fall Wedding Color Palettes: Moody and Dramatic

vintage ivory // gold // blush // wine // marsala // forest green

  photography: katie slater photography // floral: jakkelyn iris

 

Fall Wedding Color Palettes: Color Soaked and Whimsical

ivory // gold // vintage pink // magenta // lipstick red // thistle blue // plum

photography: laura dee // floral: just for you floral design // bridesmaids dresses: bella bridesmaids

 

Fall Wedding Color Palettes: Autumn Harvest

ivory // sunshine // peach // pumpkin // serenity // periwinkle // rattan

photography: robert & kathleen photography // floral: blush floral design // rentals: party rental ltd. // linens: la tavola linen

 

When it comes to your color palette and design, don’t hesitate to include the tones that speak to you. You can fit your beloved shades into any season and venue!

 

**all designs created by Jubilee Events

Saira and Kai’s Summer Garden Wedding

We just adore a sweet summer garden wedding and there is truly no place better to set the scene than the Grace Mayflower Inn + Spa. Add the charming Saira and Kai to the mix and we knew it would be nothing short of perfection!

We were granted the very lucky opportunity to collaborate with Saira, one of the sweetest, kindest people I’ve ever had the chance to know. But really, that’s how all of our couples are so we fit well together right away. Over the course of the planning period, Saira and Kai were living and traveling in between New Mexico and Hawaii as Kai is active duty military. Being that these two are worldly travelers and know an amazing place when they visit one, they had their heart set on the Mayflower Inn from the day Kai popped the question!

It’s natural to assume that planning a wedding from such a distance would present its own set of challenges and difficulties, but being able to learn more about who Saira and Kai are, as well as the vision they had in mind only added to how personalized their day was — and how much fun we had building their wedding weekend!

The Sweet Details!

Surrounded by meticulously cared for gardens, the Mayflower Inn set the inspiration for our blush, ivory, and green aesthetic. Perfecting this summer wedding was the floral texture present in our stationery, linens, and, of course, floral decor!

My favorite detail? The escort card display that we created to replicate Saira’s bouquet Just For You Floral Designs hand crafted. Instead of finding a space to preserve her bouquet amidst their packing and travels, we designed this as momentum that will forever remind the of the memories they created on that warm summer day.

Saira and Kai, thank you, thank you, thank you for allowing us to be part of your adventure! We look forward to following your travels and seeing all the excitement life has in store for you! XOXOXO

Chatfield Hollow Inn: A New Connecticut Wedding Venue

Connecticut is home to a variety of unique wedding locations, many of which we’ve been sharing on the blog lately — check a few out here! This state proudly boasts lush vineyards, historic landmarks, and natural barn settings. One of the newest venues is Chatfield Hollow Inn, a one-of-a-kind lodge set on acres of a working farm. Not to be confused with Chatfield Hollow State Park (about 10 minutes away), this charming bed and breakfast is anything but ordinary — lovingly described as “mid century modern meets Daniel Boone” — a very subtle way to say rustic modern eye candy. It’s impossible to take it all in properly during your first visit!

As you pull into this well kept property, you’ll drive through a long, tree-lined driveway, past the fern groves and peony gardens up to the koi pond set right in front of the house. Greenhouses growing assorted veggies and hand built homes to wild birds are just a few of the other things that make this venue stand out. Check out more on their farm here!

The most notable element of Chatfield Hollow Inn is their team. The owner, Ken, is a creative soul whose eye developed the property from the ground up. His team is unlike any other we’ve had the chance to know. Mitch, Tema, and Keith are so inviting and such warm personalities that you’ll find any reason to come spend a weekend at this property!

Chatfield Hollow Inn’s Intro to the Event Industry

Last Spring, we had the opportunity to partner with this venue and fellow vendors to showcase the space to close friends and colleagues, giving a mere taste of what this location is capable of. Set under the clear top tent, we treated ourselves to fresh fare from Riverhouse Catering — much of which was grown on site at the farm. Guests were able to immerse themselves in tours around the inn’s surroundings, some of which include rows of apple trees, rose gardens, and wild mushrooms. Understanding the process of how they grow each is outstanding and they would love to share the story with you at any time!

We start by sharing that evening with you! Our next post provides some inspiration, an introduction of sorts, to what the venue offers its visitors, because there’s no wedding like a Chatfield Hollow Wedding!

VENDOR REEL

Design and Planning: Jubilee Events
Catering: Riverhouse Catering
Tent Decor + Lighting: Drape Art Designs
Furniture: Gather and Lounge
Floral Goodness: Jakkelyn Iris Flowers
Photography: Carla Ten Eyck

As an event planner and designer, you are constantly living in all of the seasons, all of the time. During the chilly winter months, we are looking ahead to the warmer season when most of our events take place, while those warmer months are prime for planning! Though the colder season is not ideal for an outdoor event, there is a beauty that exists for weddings and events and found in a variety of venues. Take Chamard Vineyards for example — a lush, open idyllic space to host your nearest and dearest over an intimate dinner under a big top tent. When the temps are below pleasurable, though, they have a several unique settings for your event.

The Color Story

The magic you’ll see below took place in their barn — a loft like, rustic space set with handmade farm tables and large barn doors that provide a cozy, warm feeling. With deep, moody tones in marsala, gray, and black, a touch of gold, and texture, we highlighted why winter weddings are just as perfect as any other season!

Each event gives us as designers the opportunity to create a personalized celebration around the person or guests of honor. Each element should be infused with an affinity you possess, which ultimately cultivates your unique wedding aesthetic.  Flowers by Justine and I took the idea of a classic table runner and tailored it by creating a runner of colorful tapered candles, mixed among lush, draped greenery. The gold touches on and around the table added the perfect level of romance and elegance to the room and complimented the dreamy gowns hand selected by Beth Chapman at The White Dress by the Shore.

Design Elements: Texture!

Texture was the next big element we had to have! There are many unexpected ways to bring this in and it was planned most prominently in the fashion and the cake (that CAKE!!). You’ll see our bride wearing a gorgeous Robert Bullock gown, one that we wish we could casually wear ourselves! Our sweet confection by our favorite at Sugar Therapy donned details from the gown in addition to some other elements we knew we’d find in our setting.

Design and Scribe provided all signage and calligraphy, the perfect touch to this table. Our girl hand wrote every text in gold on a textured black card, set against the wood grains of the table and painted gold china set for each guest. Even in the coldest of degrees, we had to get outside a bit. That texture was taken right outdoors where Justine created the most beautiful ceremonial backdrop with all of the greenery and moody tones!

We always have the greatest time collaborating with our creative partners and to sweeten the excitement for this shoot, Bliss Celebrations Guide featured this piece on their blog. Thank you to the team for sharing with others the joy we had in creating this!!