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So you said, “Yes.” Congratulations! Best wishes. Show everyone your ring. “Ooh.” “Aah.” Smile. Cry. Now, let’s get started, because you, my dear, have a lot of planning to do.
First things first: the reception. Where, oh, where is your day of days going to take place? This is the decision all other aspects of the day will revolve around—and it’s a big one. But no worries. That’s where we come in. What follows is detailed info on more than a dozen of the state’s latest and greatest wedding venues. From farmland to coastline, city lights to center stage, each is extraordinary in its own way. Is there one here especially for you? Again, happily, the answer is “Yes.”
Capital ideas
The Society Room of Hartford (860/524-0796 or hartfordsocietyroom.com) is one glorious spot for a wedding. Once upon a time, you see, The Society Room, which began hosting weddings in December 2008, was the circa-1890 Society for Savings Bank—and all its original grandeur remains intact. Towering marble columns, limestone, brass and bronze accents and an ornate ceiling adorn a ballroom that appears straight out of The Great Gatsby—and can seat 250. A 3,000-square-foot mezzanine (cocktails, anyone?) overlooks the ballroom, and a grand staircase (that makes for grand entrances) connects the two. “In this day and age, every bride wants something different, and that’s exactly what we’re able to offer,” says Dana Montanari, wedding and social event coordinator. “There really is nothing else like it.”
Moving from Pratt Street over to Main, Marquee Events & Catering at the Gershon Fox Room (860/278-4466 or marquee-ct.com) debuted in March 2006 and calls itself a touch of “Old Hollywood” in the heart of downtown. The Art Deco-inspired street-side showpiece, located, of course, in the landmark G. Fox building, is indeed dressed to the nines with totally glam crystal chandeliers and dazzling mirrors—it, too, can seat up to 250. A mezzanine with what Marquee’s Jessica Sanzaro calls “a hip, New York lounge kind of feel” can be used for cocktail hour, and The Atrium, with its mile-high ceiling and snazzy retro styling, is the place for dancing the night away.
Coast and country
A World War II-era hangar was about the only thing left on Stonington’s Saltwater Farm Vineyard (800/818-7258 or saltwaterfarmvineyard.com)—an airport in a former life—when Merrily and Michael Connery began planting a vineyard on its 108 acres back in 2003. In the years since, they’ve begun harvesting that crop and have at long last converted that hangar into a winery and event center that’s truly in a class all its own. A floor-to-ceiling interior and exterior makeover has brought the building, which opens onto terraces and can seat 200 guests, to life once again. Inside, original beams, a vaulted ceiling, assorted wine-making paraphernalia and massive picture windows add character; outside, the reclad exterior is sleek and stylish and the lush green vineyard stunningly picturesque, with far-reaching views of tidal marshes, Wequetequock Cove and Long Island Sound.
It’s not unusual to spot a great blue heron or two in the wide open spaces that surround Stonington Meadows (860/572-1111 or stoningtonmeadows.com), a private banquet facility that opened in January 2005 and is operated by celebrated local caterering company Coastal Gourmet. The views from the property, which sits on a natural salt marsh, are panoramic, according to director of operations Eric Perrin. Groups of up to 250 can be accommodated in the elegant ballroom that looks out across the salt marsh. Outdoors, a stone terrace is surrounded by fragrant beach roses and viburnum, while a shell walkway leads to the site for outdoor ceremonies.
Even better news for brides with Mystic on their minds: As of Jan. 1, 2010, Coastal Gourmet will be overseeing all food and beverage operations at Mystic Seaport (800/331-2665 or mysticseaport.org)—that will translate into good eats all around at rental venues like the open-air Boat Shed on Lighthouse Point or the River Room at Seamen’s Inne, with its sweeping views of the Mystic River.
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