Pond House Café Weddings
Sitting right on the Hartford – West Hartford line is the popular Elizabeth Park. Famous for its beautiful Rose Garden and gazebo, the park also holds one of Connecticut’s great garden venues venues. Due in part to Elizabeth Park, Pond House Café weddings are truly special.
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Vibe and Features |
Indoor/outdoor ceremonies, flower garden, pond, banquet hall |
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Guest Capacity |
165 |
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Location |
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Similar Venues |
Cascade, Eolia Mansion at Harkness Memorial State Park, Aria, Roger Williams Park Botanical Center |
Who It’s For
A Pond House Café may be perfect for you if any of the following sounds good:
History of Pond House Café and Elizabeth Park
Covering 102 acres of land in Hartford and West Hartford, Elizabeth Park was gifted to the City of Hartford by a wealthy banker in 1894.
Its famous Rose Garden (which is one of about a dozen in the park) opened 10 years later in 1904. This 2.5-acre oasis is actually the oldest city-owned rose garden in the country.
Remember the banker who used to own Elizabeth Park? Well, his last name was Pond and his wife’s name was Elizabeth. The park is named after her.
Also, theirs is also the namesake of this restaurant and event venue, which is privately operated with the building being leased from the City of Hartford.
Pond House Café Venue Vibe
Inside, Pond House Café is sort of a banquet hall-style wedding venue. The facility has a restaurant on site (by the same name) and is located in Elizabeth Park. The north entrance of the park, on Asylum Street, is closest to the venue.
Ceremonies at this venue can take place outside on the patio between the pond and the venue building. These can be in the open air or under a tent. Receptions take place in the venue’s single banquet room, which features high ceilings, huge windows letting in lots of light, and a beautiful fireplace.
In colder months, wedding ceremonies are hosted inside, in front of the fireplace. Pond House Café will set up about 30 chairs up front with this setup.
Elizabeth Park for Weddings
Getting married at Pond House Café is like winning two prizes because you’ll partly have a wedding in Elizabeth Park. Due to the venue’s central location within the park, walking around for portraits is really easy. Like Boston Public Garden, Elizabeth Park is open to the public, even during a wedding.
Another thing to note is that it’s possible to have a wedding in Elizabeth Park without booking the Café. Couple who are eloping in Connecticut can have their ceremony in the park. They’ll just need to inquire with the City of Hartford about obtaining a photography permit.
Let’s talk about your wedding at Pond House Café
I’m Terrence and I’m a wedding photographer. Having worked at Pond House Café, I can definitely help you attain your vision for perfect, unique wedding photos. Just click the button to visit my contact page and we can discuss your plans.
Pond House Café Wedding Costs
This garden wedding venue is one of the more affordable ones in Connecticut. Here are some pricing details and considerations:
- The off-peak wedding season for this venue, where prices are at their lowest, is January through March.
- In 2022, the ceremony fee was $1500 for Saturday events. This has likely increased for 2023 and beyond.
- When you inquire with the venue, they’ll talk to you about the minimum Pond House Café wedding cost based on food and beverage. In other words, there is no minimum guest count, but a minimum spend on in-house catering (the venue is a restaurant, after all). A service charge of around 20% is also applied.
- Night weddings run from 6:30 PM to 11:30 PM. A daytime wedding at Pond House Café is either from 11:30 AM to 4:30 PM or 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
- Regarding food and catering, the venue has lots of seasonal options. The venue offers buffet service and plated meal options. The entrée route is more expensive than the buffet, ranging from about $85/person up to $180/person. They can even include your wedding cake.
- Conveniently, your booking includes pretty much everything for the reception, from furniture to linens to a mac and cheese bar after dinner.
Hotels Near Pond House Café
As purely a ceremony and reception wedding location, Pond House Café doesn’t have any facilities for getting ready. Naturally then, you may want to look into accommodations nearby for the two of your and all of your guests. Here are some hotels near Pond House Café and Elizabeth Park:
Pond House Café Wedding Photos
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