The Glastonbury
Boathouse:
One Blank Canvas,
So Many Possibilities
Simple Elegance was started on the premise that all couples
deserve the wedding of their dreams, even on a small budget. We achieve those
dreams by offering a multitude of affordable services such as Planning,
Decorating, Rentals, Music Entertainment, and Photo Booth Rentals. Each day we
love bringing you inspirational ideas, designer looks for less, cool DIY tips
& crafting advice. We know our audience is a trending breed of DIY Brides
that not only love crafting, but love to save money by crafting!
So in our ongoing pursuit of all things fabulous yet frugal,
we continue our exploration of gorgeous venues around New England. And this
time, we’ve literally stumbled across The Glastonbury Boathouse, a perfect
blank canvas for all your DIY dreams to come true!
Photo by Simple Elegance Event Planning
Photo by Dan Cardon
Last week, I visited the Boathouse, and was given a tour by
Kathryn Kell, Marketing & Communications Specialist for the Town of
Glastonbury. Let me tell you, I was blown away by the building, the grounds,
and the amenities that the venue has to offer. I was like, “Why haven’t I heard
about this place!” And funny thing is, we did a Photo Booth Rental at the Glastonbury
Community Center right next door last year, and I still didn’t know the
Boathouse was there! But better believe, now that I know…so will you!
Let’s talk facts first. I asked Kathryn to tell me how the
Boathouse came into existence. The construction of the Boathouse was partially state
funded and it is owned by the town of Glastonbury. Kathryn explained that “the
state wanted to grant people more access to the river for recreational
activities”, while keeping residents and neighboring town residents in this
part of the state, versus having them travel out of their way to the shore. By
having a location close by, where people can enjoy the outdoors and the
Connecticut River, not only sparks a sense of community pride, but adds
economic benefits to the town. But Kathryn assured me, the town is not in it
for profits! The rental fees are competitively priced and funds are mostly used
to maintain the upkeep of the grounds and building itself. That speaks wonders
to you couples who are trying to maintain your budget! That means you won’t
have to promise your first born to pay for the rental! LOL!
The event space actually sits above an actual boat and kayak
storage facility. Residents can store their water vessels and launch them right
onto the river when they’re ready. The ground floor also houses an exercise
room for the Glastonbury Crewe Team. There are separate entrances for the storage
and training facilities, so you shouldn’t have any unwanted wedding crashers.
The Boathouse has a full time event coordinator, Kristen Michaels, to act as referee
when there’s sporting activities and an event happening on the same day. She
makes sure nothing will interfere with your wedding! Kristen is also your point
person for your event. She manages the production and execution of all the
details that go along with having a wedding at the Boathouse.
Now let’s talk figures. The tour began in the main event
space. The space can hold 75 to 300 guests, depending upon seating arrangements,
for any corporate event or wedding. So it’s functional in that whatever size
wedding you’re having; small and intimate or large and grand scale; the space
will be exactly what you need it to be. Rental prices are dictated by the day of the
week and the length of time you need. Prices range from $675 for a week day
corporate event, to $3,850 for a six hour Saturday wedding. The price
includes the rental of the space, and tables and chairs for up to 150 guests. That's a good deal! Now it could be a hefty problem if you’re working with a very small budget. But they
do offer special pricing for Friday night and Sunday events in the $1,300 to
$2,800 range. So put on your budget savvy cap and bank on getting married on a
Friday or Sunday when it’s affordable.
There is an outdoor space right next to the water where a
beautiful ceremony could take place. You can rent that for an additional $125
an hour. The venue only does one event a day, so you are getting the royal
treatment for that price. As a planner, that’s HUGE when it comes to
coordinating your day’s timeline. You won’t ever be rushed to hurry up and get
in and out of the facility. And that means the world to a couple who might be
running late, but still needs to fit in all the special festivities they’ve
planned for the reception. And it is a big plus for your guests, who have full
access and time to enjoy the picturesque water fountain and grassy landscapes
surrounding the venue. So all of that might be worth the money to you.
Photo by Simple Elegance Event Planning
Photo by Simple Elegance Event Planning
Now on to the amenities of the Boathouse. Let’s tackle the
boring but important amenities. The Boathouse is conveniently located. A quick
trip off 84 and Route 2 for me, Glastonbury is pretty centrally located in the
state, so your guests won’t have an issue traveling to and from the town. The venue
is also very close to a downtown area with hotels, restaurants, and shops. Which
is extremely necessary for out of town guests.
Okay, with the business end done, DIY-ers, the moment you’ve
been waiting for! You’d probably think it’s decorated in a traditional nautical
fashion, being that this is a boat house. WRONG!!! This space is anything but
nautical. Decked out in classic white walls and cool green toned shaker wall
panels, this event space is a decorator’s dream come true!! So many times, I’ll
walk into a venue and cringe at the drabby walls, the carpet from the 1960s,
and the heavy patterned curtains that should never have been made! I usually
have to “work around” the bad decisions that the event space builders made
decades ago. From hiding bad paint jobs, to requesting the removal of hideous
artwork, to having to staple falling wall paper, I’ve had to deal with it all,
just to make a client’s décor look beautiful. The Boathouse has not made any
such mistakes! You literally have a blank canvas in which to construct your
Pinterest masterpiece. Any wedding style: traditional, rustic, shabby chic;
anything works in the space because the space planners did a marvelous job of
leaving out their two cents about what they wanted to see in the room, and left
the décor up to what the consumer wanted! There are so many possibilities with
the décor that can be placed inside of the room. If you create it, it will work!
LOL
Photo by Simple Elegance Event Planning
Photo by Simple Elegance Event Planning
Photo by Dan Cardon
Every inch of the room basks in the natural light that
shines in from the walls of windows and a sky light near the main entrance. The
windows have new age shades for after dark dinner and dancing. So don’t fret if
you’ve paid your DJ for uplighting and you fear all the windows! The uplights
will show up once the shades are down, trust me.
Photo by Dan Cardon
When I asked Kathryn what the best physical attribute of the
event space was, she led me to a door off of the main room, and onto the
balcony. Of course, the best attribute is the Connecticut River. The view from
the balcony was exceptional. Panoramic views of the river, trees and shoreline all
around you, will blow your guests away when they come out to the balcony for the
cocktail hour. On a pristine day, some may not want to come inside for dinner!
It’s that special!
Photo by Simple Elegance Event Planning
Photo by Simple Elegance Event Planning
Photo by Dan Cardon
Kathryn and I then discussed the services that the Boathouse
has to offer. The rental space exclusively uses a list of preferred vendors,
made up of three caterers, two rental companies, and one audio visual company.
So when you rent the space, you are required to use one of their highly
recommended and sought after caterers, like David Alan Hospitality Group,
Gourmet Gallery Catering, and Max Catering and Events. Equipped with a full catering kitchen, these vendors have access to everything they need to prepare and serve you an exquisite meal.
Photo by Simple Elegance Event Planning
Now you might be
thinking, you’d rather bring in your own caterer to save money. Nope, don’t do
it! Kathryn explained to me that these vendors went through a state bidding
process to give them exclusive preference to all Boathouse clients. And if you
want to bring in your own caterer, you’ll have to go through a process of
getting your caterer approved, vetted, insured; then you yourself will have to
pay additional fees. Your best bet is to work with one of the caterers to find
a menu that works well with your taste buds as well as with your wallet!
Also remember, when you decide to use a rental space for
your wedding, and not a full service banquet hall, you usually have to bring in
everything that makes the space functional. That means linens, china, flatware, and glassware must be rented. None of the exclusive caterers offer these
services, so I recommend looking to the two rental companies that are preferred
vendors. I have had a relationship with CT Rental Center for years, and I
highly recommend them. I have just recently used Taylor Rental of West Hartford
and were extremely happy with their service as well. So you definitely can’t go
wrong with these vendors. As far as pooling together all of your rentals, Simple Elegance can coordinate the set up and tear down of the table & chair essentials, as well as any DIY decorations you may have.
Photo by Dan Cardon
As I continued the tour, I inquired about bundled pricing, because I know our audience is constantly on the hunt for
something special yet affordable. Getting more bang for our buck is king! But the Boathouse nor
the caterers offer bundles. It would be cool if in the future, the entities
could come together and create packages that include rental space and full
service food service with tables/chairs/linens/dinnerware. As you guys know, that
would mean so much to couples on a budget. Less vendors to get involved, the less
money out of your pockets. Kathryn completely understands that perspective and
intends to work diligently with their preferred vendors in the future towards
bundled pricing.
I strongly believe The Glastonbury Boathouse is a premier choice for your wedding day. If your budget is $27,000 and up, rental of this space is definitely doable. That budget will allow you $5,000 for space rental cost/ceremony set up/other miscellaneous fees; a menu of $90 per person for 100 guests plus tax/gratuity totaling $10,000; a $2,000 linen/dinnerware allowance, and a $2,000 decorations budget. As always, when every penny counts, I advise you to splurge on your MUST HAVES and skimp on the rest. If you don't have $10,000 for a full sit down or buffet style meal, talk to the caterer about doing appetizer stations and have your guests fill up on salad and pasta. If you don't want to pay the $125 for the ceremony space, inquire with the town about a permit to get married in neighboring Riverfront Park, then head over to the Boathouse. I'm just saying, where there's a will, there's a way. Don't let a small budget stop you from enjoying this venue.
There has been nothing but positive feedback from The
Boathouse since they opened for business in 2015. Check them out at www.glastonbury-ct.gov/boathouse.
The beauty of the CT River is
the super star; while the blank canvas of the event space plays a leading
role. There are always pros and cons for every venue. But The Boathouse
captures what DIY-ers hold most dear, a vehicle that will allow everything they’ve
created for their wedding day to shine, without being hindered by an ugly
duckling carpet, or the white elephant in the room wall paper from the ‘70s. At
this venue, you can truly make it what you’ve always dreamed about. By making
good choices when renting and planning your menu and linens, you can do it on a
modest budget; just be your savvy self and get it done! Use The Glastonbury
Boathouse to create your work of art!
Editor's Note: Updated website link and rental costs 5/25/16
