Middletown: The
Little City with Big Selections
As an event planner, I’m always advising my brides to do
something unique at their wedding. Whether it be to use a hot new location, add
a trendy décor element, or personalize the ceremony program to suit the couple’s
quirky character. I’m always saying have your wedding stand out from the rest!
So this blog is a tad unconventional for me. I am going to go outside of my own
box and recommend a not so unique little city like Middletown, Connecticut for
your wedding location.
Middletown, CT is definitely no mega-metropolis like New
York City or Los Angeles. There’s no bright lights or celebrity presence. No
broadway stages. No glitz and glamour. It probably won’t be on anyone’s tourist
map because there are no tourist attractions whatsoever. But what Middletown
does have is home-town appeal, a breath-taking harbor park, and a great
selection of wedding venues. This little city of just under 50,000 residents,
packs a punch when it comes to the variety of places to have your wedding.
If you’ve decided to stay local for your nuptials,
Middletown is the place to be! From a grand scale to an intimate setting, there
are six incredibly beautiful locations to choose from. We love finding the best
choices and best bang for your buck for you! That’s what we do! So we’re
dedicating our October blogs to giving you the scoop on each location in
regards to: Style, Features, Menu Selections,
Cost, and any Negatives that might go along with using that facility.
First up on the venue roster, is the scenic Pavilion on Crystal Lake. One of
three venues owned by the Connecticut Wedding Group, the Pavilion on Crystal
Lake has the more “traditional” style of all of the venues. It features a
lovely outdoor ceremony site with a scenic view of the lake. Your photos will
definitely capture the beauty of any season! Inside, the banquet area is pretty
standard, but includes a huge dance floor and large windows to enhance the view
for your guests. And a gorgeous chandelier adorns the high ceiling. According
to their website, the facility offers a specific menu for each of the four
seasons. So there is plenty of selections to choose from within each menu. Wedding
banquet costs range from $89.95 to $139.95 per person depending upon which menu
you select. A great budget can handle that cost, a more modest budget may make
you cringe at anything above $75.00 per person. Either way, it’s a pretty
standard cost for such a nice venue. The only negatives I can think of are: What
happens when weather prevents an outdoor ceremony? And what if you don’t want
the menu selection that corresponds to the season you’re having your wedding
in? The best feature The Pavilion has is the lake side ceremony site. It does
not have a designated “Plan B” space to accommodate an indoor ceremony. In the
event of bad weather, per their sales staff, the main banquet room would be set
up for the ceremony to take place literally on the dance floor, while your
guests sit at their reception tables. Not sure how I feel about that. Thank
goodness the wedding I decorated and coordinated there back in 2010 had perfect
weather! In terms of the menu selection, say you’re getting married in the
Spring, but you want the Summer menu. Can you choose the Summer menu??? The
website doesn’t suggest you can. I’m hoping the sales staff will work with you
on that. When I did that wedding there, the staff was very helpful and
accommodating to my client’s needs. So it doesn’t hurt to ask! But overall, The
Pavilion is a quaint and lovely location that would appeal to anyone’s tastes.
Great pics, good food, plenty of space for dancing and mingling….definitely a
winner!
Check out these pics of The Pavilion on Crystal Lake:
Next, another venue owned by the Connecticut Wedding Group, The Barnes at Wesleyan Hills. The
Barnes is totally “rustic chic”. It features an authentic barn, outdoor
ceremony sites, and sings of southern charm in New England. The photos on their
website are to die for! OMG, the weeping willow trees, the pond, and white
wooden bridge, are a MUST for photo opportunities! The barn is a haven for
nature enthusiasts and simplistic tastes. Of course being owned by the same
corporation, The Barnes offers a seasonal menu. And banquet costs range from
$109.00 to $129.00 per person. Your budget would have to be $30,000 and above
in order to pay for 120 guests. OUCH! Kind of pricey for the average DIY Bride,
but if you set your wedding date out one year, it’s possible to save up enough
if you keep your guest list to a minimum. But that’s the least of your
concerns! The negatives that I see upfront for the rental of The Barnes, is a $4,000
- $6,000 site rental fee. What this means is, you have to first rent the space
to use The Barnes THEN pay for the meals. That’s a huge expense added to your
budget. So if you’re working with anything below $30,000; The Barnes may not be
the place for you. Another negative is an 11pm curfew as noted on their
website. That means the festivities will have to be over before or by 11pm.
There’s probably a noise ordinance in the area, I’m not too sure. Definitely something
to inquire about if you’re interested. Regardless, as the saying goes, “You ain’t
got to go home...but you have to get the heck outta there!” Something to think
about if your family loves to party. You could always plan an “after party” at
a hotel, a place for the party animals in your family to go to once the clock
strikes 11pm. But that’s an added cost that may not be worth the trouble. All
in all, The Barnes is an amazing venue. Definitely a place you’ll remember for
a lifetime.
Check out The Barns at Wesleyan Hills:
To round out the Connecticut Wedding Group’s holdings, is
the Lyman Orchard Golf Club.
Situated on a serene and well-manicured golf course, this venue is mobile!
Having your wedding at Lyman Orchard means doing a tented reception. Talk about
outdoor ambience and romantic style! A tented reception on the course features
pretty views of the orchards, and amazing landscaping; a buffet of perfect
pictures! Tented events are HOT right now! With the open space and blank canvas
of a tent, you have the opportunity to create a world of your liking underneath
the big top. Although everything has to be brought in…tables, chairs, dance
floor, lighting, heating/air conditioning; all the work is well worth the
effort. The corporation offers the same seasonal menu selections. Lyman Orchard
does have a Plan B room in case of inclement weather, so that’s a plus. But let’s
face it, with a gorgeous setting like that, who wants to be inside? LOL So if
you choose Lyman Orchard, definitely select a Spring or Summer date, and keep
your eyes and toes crossed for no rain. If you love the unique experience of a
tented wedding, this is the place for you. I must admit, your wedding costs accumulate to
a hefty sum when you begin factoring in all the fees. There is a $1,000
ceremony fee, chair rental prices of $3.50 - $6.00 per chair; and your meal
prices begin at $119.95 per person and go up in the Fall months. The only
negatives are again, an 11pm curfew, and of course the costs. As a DIY Bride,
your calculator will get in a full work out when totaling the fees involved
with the rental. You could easily spend $19,000 on meals for the 125 minimum
with tax and tip, and that doesn’t include the ceremony site rental and chairs
for your guests! In the infamous words of Shia Lebouf in the Transformers
movies…”Don’t freak out, don’t freak out!” Lyman Orchard is completely doable!
If a tented wedding at this location is your one true MUST HAVE, then let the
creative spending begin! Your budget
will have to be atleast $40,000 and you’d have to skimp and save on everything
else…your gown, rings, transportation, décor, honeymoon, etc. No pain, no gain,
right? So don’t let the price tag scare you! If you want it, go for it!
Pics of Lyman Orchards:
Stay tuned for more info on the other locations! Just in
time for your 2016/2017 Wedding!