After The Church And The Steeple, Where Will You Party With All These People?

By Shannon Hicks

Wedding receptions are usually the largest cost of planning and executing a wedding. Depending on the size of your celebration, and all the accoutrements that go in to making your day unique, brides and grooms-to-be had better be prepared for the big price tag that comes with hosting (or co-hosting) one of the biggest parties of their lives.

On a positive side, however, wedding receptions can be as unique as the new couple. Just as a church, temple or meeting house can be decorated in a favorite color, and outfits are purposely selected to follow a special scheme, a reception location can also be imaginative. There is nothing wrong with hosting your reception at the country club you and your parents have been visiting since you were a child. There is also nothing wrong with going into a magnificent ballroom of a major hotel.

On the other hand, choosing a unique or unusual reception location — and we have some wonderfully unique offerings available in this state — makes planning a reception, and anticipating your guests’ reaction, half the fun.

Mingle with your guests while feeding seals? It’s possible in Connecticut. Nibble on paté while you head into a planetarium showing? It’s been done. Decorate a Victorian mansion in your own style and then sip Chardonnay while meandering along a veranda? Read on… it can all be done.

With such a large art-oriented population in this state, it should not be surprising to learn that some of Connecticut’s museums offer their locations for wedding receptions.

“It’s certainly a different environment,” says Anne Murphy, the gallery director for The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Ridgefield. The Main Street museum, a mecca for the most contemporary art that aficionados of this genre can hope to find, was established in 1964. That was the year the museum’s namesake, Larry Aldrich, a discerning and passionate art collector, purchased the 18th Century historic home at 258 Main Street and converted the building into an exhibition venue for contemporary art. The Aldrich eventually became the first museum in the United States to devote itself exclusively to contemporary art.

Receptions are centered around the museum’s first-floor exhibition space, named the Leir Gallery, and the patio immediately adjacent to the gallery. French doors connect the interior gallery space with its exterior counterpart, and the patio leads directly to the museum’s permanent — and growing — sculpture garden.

“The garden access is enjoyable to many,” Ms Murphy said, “because you can have an indoor reception area that kind of spills out into that area.” Guests are generally restricted to the first floor and outdoor areas of the museum, but an additional fee (to cover the cost of additional security guards) will open the entire museum to your party. Food and beverages are never allowed above the first floor, however.

Renting the Leir Gallery and garden area at the Aldrich costs $1,500, which allows for a seated gallery dinner of 70 guests, or a larger gathering if tents are set up outside. If a reception is to be a cocktail reception, without a sit-down dinner, then 125 guests can be accommodated by the building.

“Having your reception here is very appealing to some people because it’s so non-traditional,” Ms Murphy explained. “It’s particularly appealing to people who are involved with or enjoy the arts.”

 “This idea is really taking off,” Ms Murphy said. “We haven’t had a huge number of receptions in the past, but we’re getting more exposure and we’re anticipating more receptions.”

The more lead time couples have, the better, Ms Murphy said. “Certainly a few months should ensure that they’ll get a date that’s to their liking. We’ll try to handle any request, of course.”

The Discovery Museum, at 4450 Park Avenue in Bridgeport, offers couples a choice of using one gallery within the museum, one full floor of the museum, or the entire museum for their reception. Costs depend on how much space is used, with current prices at $750 for a gallery (no more than 75 guests), $1,200 for one floor (100 to 200 people), and $2,000 for the full museum.

Lynne Hamilton, who handles reception and booking duties for the Discovery, points out that as your guest list approaches 200 people, it’s best to really consider using the full museum.

Of course, there are benefits to having the full museum at your command. Discovery Museum receptions can include planetarium shows, science shows, the museum’s hands-on exhibits, and virtual basketball games. That’s all in addition to the temporary exhibits that are on view when your reception takes place.

Use of the amenities will add to the cost of renting the museum or even part of the building, points out Ms Hamilton. When parties rent the museum, there are also staff fees.

“A museum is so much better than a restaurant or a hotel,” Ms Hamilton said. “We have art, and our hands-on exhibits. We have the additional shows. It’s just a different, unique space. We’ve really seen an increase in interest and use over the last few years.

Ms Hamilton can be reached by calling the Discovery Museum at 203/372-3521, extension 143.

Wadsworth Atheneum, at 600 Main Street in Hartford, prides itself as the state’s “premiere” art museum. The institution is actually housed in a complex of five buildings, with a Gothic masterpiece at its heart, and is the country’s oldest public art museum.

Among the 45,000 works of art in its permanent collection is the largest collection of Hudson River School landscape paintings in the country. The museum presents at least 15 new exhibitions each year, and its current major offering is a retrospective of Salvador Dali.

The spring and early summer exhibit (April 28-August 6) will focus on Alexander Calder and his revolutionary mobiles, and the atheneum’s fall show (September 8-December 3) will be “Monet, Renoir & Impressionist Views of Argenteuil.” Separate major shows in 2001 will offer works of Picasso and Gaugin.

Like the Discovery Museum, the Wadsworth offers couples a few choices for their celebrations. Avery Court, with a spectacular skylight and a centerpiece by the Flemish artist Pietro Francavilla, can host up to 400 people for a cocktail reception or 200 for a seated dinner. The Hartford Courant Room is for more informal events. It can hold a standing reception with 100 guests, or a seated dinner for 80 guests.

 There is also Gengras Court, an outdoor courtyard that offers a sculpture garden setting for spring, summer and early fall events. Up to 200 guests can be accommodated for a reception, or 270 for a seated lunch or dinner. The Museum Café is another option, with exceptional cuisine served to your guests among displays of fine art. The Café, which can also be used with Gengras Court, can handle 60 for a seated dinner.

Full service event planning is available from the Wadsworth. All catering is handled by Restaurant Associates. For an appointment to visit the atheneum and discuss your reception, call 860/278-2670.

Also available, and you’ll need to call for the specifics for your reception, is The Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury, Keeler Tavern Museum in Ridgefield, and Ridgefield Community Center/The Lounsbury House in Ridgefield.

The Mattatuck, which is opposite Waterbury’s green at 144 West Main Street (telephone 203/753-0381 extension 7), presents receptions in the museum’s terraced courtyard or in its second floor art gallery, where guests are surrounded by 19th and 20th Century paintings from the museum’s permanent collection. Guests can enjoy viewing works that explore the region’s heritage as well as those by the master artists of Connecticut.

Keeler Tavern Museum is at 132 Main Street in Ridgefield (telephone 203/431-0815), just three-quarters of a mile south of Ridgefield’s commercial center. Amy Ziffer, the author of The Connecticut Guide, calls Keeler “among the most engaging historical museums in the state.” The museum’s garden house is a gorgeous reception site.

Imagine offering your guests dinner after there has been time to scope out the original cannonball that remains embedded in a beam on the building’s north wall. The cannonball is a remnant of 1770’s Battle of Ridgefield, which was fought right along Main Street and on the grounds where you and your guests will be celebrating a new beginning. Legend has it the cannonball was shot by the King’s troops, who were aiming for the tavern, a known gathering place for patriots.

Want some more history for dinner conversation? General Benedict Arnold’s horse was shot out from under him during the same battle.

Built in 1720, the tavern (named for early tavernkeeper Timothy Keeler) later became a private home and then a museum. The world-renowned architect Cass Gilbert, who designed the US Supreme Court and the Woolworth Building among other commissions, lived in the house with his family at the beginning of the 20th Century. Keeler Tavern is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ridgefield’s  Community Center, whose proper name is The Lounsbury House, is a Victorian mansion that is also a popular location for couples who would like to put their own spin on their reception. Located at 316 Main Street, the house was built by former Connecticut Governor Phineas T. Lounsbury in 1896. The governor and his wife entertained lavishly while residents of the building, enthralling guests not only with the home’s grand ballroom but also the Crystal Room, so named for a huge crystal chandelier that dominated the room.

Verandas that run the entire length of the mansion afford a commanding view of Ridgefield’s famous, picturesque Main Street from two of the home’s three floors.

Lounsbury House is an exact replica of The Connecticut Building that was at the World’s Colombian Exposition of 1883 (which at the time commemorated the 400th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of America). A few years ago, hundreds of hours of fundraising by Ridgefield Women’s Club helped pay for the complete restoration of the mansion.

Also available — and worth looking in to if it is a historic background you would like for your big day — is Wilton’s Old Town Hall, at 69 Ridgefield Road (call 203/834-193 for information); and Cobb’s Mill Inn, a former grist and lumber mill built in the 1770s, at 12 Old Mill Road in Weston (telephone 203/227-7221). The Colonial structure is highlighted on its rustic interior by ox-yoke and wagon wheel chandeliers. The building rests right on the Saugatuck River. Parties run four and a half hours, with costs running anywhere from $55 to $100 per person. Contact Domenic Cocchia at 203/227-7221.

The Great Hall at Union Station, at One Hartford Place in the state’s capitol city, is also available. The 1889 brownstone was built during the heyday of the Hartford and New Haven Railroad lines, and although the building was renovated in 1987, the structure’s lighting fixtures retain their original brass and the building still holds charm. Call 860/247-5329 for details.

**********

At Tarrywile Mansion in Danbury, wedding parties rent the building and pretty much do what they please.

“We’re different, first of all, in the fact that we don’t have a caterer on the premises,” explained Becky Petro. The building at 170 Southern Boulevard, which is part of a public park owned by the City of Danbury and overseen by a nine-member board, has become a popular location for couples who would like a romantic setting that can be adapted almost wholly to their own tastes.

“We don’t have a restricted list of caterers,” Ms Petro continued, “so couples can bring in almost anyone they want. If a caterer wants to come here, then we’ll welcome them. All we need is a copy of their license.”

Tarrywile is now touted as “Danbury’s finest community center.” The building originally went up in 1897 and was the home of a Dr Wile. The brown-shingled Victorian home is listed on the National Register of Historic Homes. The house was purchased by the city in 1985 and then opened for use in 1989 following four years of renovations.

The mansion is surrounded by large formal gardens, which allows walking space for guests and plenty of picture-taking opportunities. Weddings have been held right on the grounds, said Ms Petro, and numerous couples use the gardens for their formal photo session.

Couples looking into using Tarrywile will need to rent their own china, linens, silverware and glassware. Decorating is also left entirely up to the couple. In the past couples have provided everything from “very extravagant to going with the building as-is,” says Ms Petro.

“We have weddings here ranging from simple to very extravagant,” she continued. “One couple did a lot of the cooking and baking themselves, and then invited about 50 guests for their celebration. Others have come in and spent anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000. You really have your own control over everything you’re going to spend your money on here.”

The maximum number of guests allowed at Tarrywile is 200 people. Couples have the building for nine hours, which includes the set-up, party and breakdown. Tarrywile hosts only one reception per day, which allows the reception to be held at the time of day that is best for the couple.

Guests have use of the entire main floor of the mansion, and there are bride’s and groom’s rooms available on the second floor.

“Sometimes people will get dressed here if their wedding is right here on the grounds,” Ms Petro explained. Dinner is presented in up to four smaller banquet rooms, which come together to form the mansion’s main hall/banquet space. Dancing is in the main ballroom, with the music (either a live band or DJ) also something the couple provides.

Cocktails can be served on the building’s wraparound veranda, or if it is a smaller reception that is being hosted, in any of the smaller banquet rooms.

“There are a lot of ways to use the floor plan of this building,” Ms Petro said, “which is another reason why this building is so popular.” Tarrywile Mansion hosts approximately 60 receptions per year, and a thorough cleaning is done after every party, Ms Petro pointed out. There are still a few Friday and Sunday openings for this year, with events planned at the mansion from May to October.

“For this year, brides will have to be flexible concerning which days they want if they haven’t already contacted us,” Ms Petro said. Of course, there’s plenty of time for to book receptions in 2001 and beyond.

The cost to rent Tarrywile Mansion is $1,750. For additional information, contact Becky Petro in the mansion’s office, 744-3130.

If it’s a comfortable, fairly informal country setting you are looking for, why not try the grounds of an award-winning vineyard? DiGrazia Vineyard in Brookfield (133 Tower Road; call 775-1616) welcomes small groups for receptions — no more than 100 guests, says Barbara DiGrazia — during the summer and early fall months.

Parties are held outdoors, under tents. The vineyard does not have the building space for an indoor party. DiGrazia provides its own in-house caterer, who can come up with almost any kind of food, and the linens for the party are included in the rental fee.

Depending on the size of the party and what will be included in the reception, receptions can cost anywhere between $500 to $2,000, says Mrs DiGrazia. Couples should make an appointment to visit the vineyard and discuss what they are looking for in order to get their exact cost.

“People are just starting to book now. We already have a few small weddings and rehearsal dinners planned,” Mrs DiGrazia said. For additional information, couples should contact the vineyard’s business manager, Mark Langford.

“I think most of the Connecticut vineyards are really seeing a lot of interest in this idea now,” Mrs DiGrazia encouraged. “If couples were to call around, I think they would find similar positive responses from other vineyards in our state.

“This seems to be a very popular place to have a reception,” she noted. The number of calls to the vineyard from couples planning their nuptials has increased dramatically, Mrs DiGrazia said, over the past three years. “The cost of having a wedding at a hotel or similar site is getting too high. People are looking for something less expensive, and something a little more unique.

“That certainly seems to be the trend we’re seeing here.”

If being close to nature is something you have always hoped for, Catnip Acres Herb Nursery is another option worth looking into. Located at 67 Christian Street in Oxford (telephone 203/888-5649), the nursery is indeed available for smaller-scale weddings and receptions. The nursery’s owner is Ms Gene Banks.

Visit the nursery before midsummer in order to see its demonstration gardens at their best.

**********

Receptions at The Maritime Aquarium in South Norwalk can be out of this world… or under the sea.  Your guests will enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres served by a wait staff, or they can visit a raw bar that has been set up in front of the aquarium’s shark tank.

Guests can meander their way over to the aquarium’s touch tanks, and put their hands right on horseshoe crabs or starfish, among the aquarium’s other residents. They are also free to visit the aquarium’s dolphin exhibits and the temporary exhibits (the current long-term exhibitions include dinosaur and sea creature explorations), and aquarium volunteers are on hand to answer questions.

Groups in the past have been able to arrange seal feedings around the time of their event, and although it hasn’t been done yet, the option is also there for people to have an IMAX movie screened for their guests.

The Maritime Aquarium, at 10 North Water Street, has been named one of the ten great aquariums to visit in the country. It is also home to Connecticut’s only IMAX theatre, which presents its movies on an eight-story wide by six-story high screen.

Julie Fairbanks handles the reservations at The Maritime Aquarium for wedding receptions.

“It’s definitely an unusual setting,” she said recently. “There is dinner and dancing in the Great Hall, which is also known as Falconer Hall, surrounded by the seal tank and four harbor seals, an old steam ship and a Catamaran.”

The aquarium provides tables, chairs, the food and beverages for the receptions. Rates run from about $125 to $195 per person.  Couples arrange for their own music. The Maritime Aquarium can accommodate 75 to 400 people for a sit-down dinner, and only one reception is hosted at a time. Events are held in the evenings only. Approximately 20 receptions are hosted annually, but that number is growing.

“People who come to these are just amazed at how much fun they have, how unique this is,” said Ms Fairbanks. “One father, just this past weekend, came over to me and shook my hand towards the end of the reception. He said, ‘I was a little concerned when my daughter first told us about this idea, but from the moment people first arrived for the cocktail hour people have been continually shaking my hand, telling me how good the food is, how great the exhibits are, and just how much fun they’re having.’

“It’s unique, and the expectation level of people coming in to a public place isn’t always too high,” Ms Fairbanks continued. “But the reaction has been wonderful. People can’t believe how much we do to transform this area into an upscale location, and they just love it. So do the couples who have just been married.

“How many times can you say you’ve been to a reception and you stuck your hand into a seal tank?”

Contact Julie Fairbanks, who coordinates wedding receptions and other parties at The Maritime Aquarium, by calling 203/852-0700 extension 217.

If being near the water — but not necessarily so close to its inhabitants — is your calling, how about a reception onboard the 500-passenger ship called, fittingly, Camelot? Camelot Cruises, the largest cruise operator on the Connecticut River, can handle parties from 50 to 500 people. Couples can reserve a private, decorated dining room, a full deck or an entire ship.

Camelot offers coordination of everything from menu selection to linens, and beverages to bar service, for up to four hours of climate-controlled cruising along the Connecticut River. For information, the Haddam-based business can be contacted by calling 860/345-8591.