Branford House - University of Connecticut

se Branford house for our wedding.

from the ocean view to the romantic wood décor, we felt like royalty getting married in such a place. Bethany is the manager, and she was wonderful to us. She cheerfully fielded multiple phone calls and emails about even the tiniest of details, sending us pictures of the beautiful mantlepieces and videos of measurements she took for our floral arrangement planning. She also went above and beyond in coordinating with our caterer the day of our wedding to help set up and take down our ceremony and reception. She helped us fit a relatively large winter wedding indoors without it feeling crowded at all, and we are so grateful for all the care she took with us and our day. I know it’s something she does every weekend, but she truly made us feel like the only wedding of the year and her priority, and it was wonderful to know we were in such caring hands.

ifficult at times, emails took some time to be answered but Bethany was very pleasant and helpful. It is also frustrating that UConn supplies the bar and you are unable to use your own, but it worked out fine.

e fell in love with this venue the second we stepped inside, and we loved how customizable our wedding was. The layout of the space is a little challenging to work with, especially for our chilly wedding day, which kept our 100 guests largely inside. We ended up using the bridal suite for many pictures, which came out so well. They do mandate that you use UConn Catering bar services, which was frustrating at times. Ultimately, the night of, they did a great job and our guests were very happy. Would we have chosen to use them? No. But it worked! The bar is limited by their distributor, and we weren’t able to customize as much as we would have liked (their spirit selection and beer selection were great, but their wine selection sucked). Overall, 10/10 would do again! Thank you to Bethany and our vendors for making it such an incredible day!

venue so you need to keep that in mind when booking as other brides have mentioned. However, I really did not have any issues with the venue itself. I simply booked vendors that had worked at the house before so they were familiar with the layout. Shoutout to Blue Rocks Catering, Drape Art Designs, Constance Schiano Photography and Elements Flowers. Bethany, the venue coordinator, is lovely to work with and is very timely in her responses. The venue and venue coordinator are amazing! We had a total of 85 guests attend our wedding which allowed for an indoor/outdoor event with no tents. The low cost of the venue allowed us to use the remainder of our budget on dressing up the venue. We were lucky enough to have our ceremony on the lawn , cocktail hour on the patio during sunset, dinner in the main room and a band/dancing setup in the wing. If you use the house properly then you can really create such an intimate and exquisite wedding. The architectural details really shine and cannot be found at typical wedding venues. The only minor inconvenience was the bar. You do need to hire UCONN for bar services and we did have a few issues working with them but that really isn't a reflection of the venue itself or of the venue coordinator. I would not recommend requesting a custom cocktail as they do not follow your recipe. It was also difficult to setup two bars on site for a smaller guest count. I requested one bar to be outside the entire night since I wanted to encourage people to move inside and outside of the venue throughout the night. However, they swiftly broke it down after cocktail hour. This was extremely frustrating given that I had left strict instruction with the manager to keep it open and it was still 60 degrees outside. It was the only thing that really frustrated me on my wedding day. Despite breaking down the outside bar, they were easy to work with before the wedding day and I really didn't have any issues organizing the bar services. They allowed me to customize the premium bar package to include additional brands of liquor and beer which was appreciated. My guests left happy and all had an opportunity to get plenty of drinks. I just wouldn't expect much flexibility the day of the wedding. Everything else can truly be customized at the venue making it work this minor inconvenience. Overall, I'd highly recommend this wedding venue to other couples!

n incredible stone portico with a great ocean view. Those features are the reasons why I was eager to book the venue, and they really shined on our wedding day. However, the Branford House is incredibly difficult to work with, and the complaints I have are not unique to me; I've seen other brides complain of Branford House's inflexibility, and it's something that I would encourage any bride to seriously consider before booking. Branford House forces you to book a bar through UConn Catering. The bar seemed pretty overpriced (their "Premium" tier featured Tito's vodka instead of Grey Goose for example). When it came to the wedding day, the staff was oddly strict about how drinks were served. There were multiple points in the evening when the bar refused to serve our guests; they told guests that they wouldn't serve drinks while speeches were being made, but the very reason our guests were at the bar were to acquire drinks to participate in toasts. The Branford House manager also scolded my mother-in-law and wedding party for bringing drinks to the bridal suite. Beyond the bar, Branford House was inflexible when it came to scheduling our rehearsal time. I was told that they would not allow me to book any rehearsal time at the venue until 14 days before the wedding. That window of time was too close for comfort, and we ended up scheduling our rehearsal at a separate venue to make everything work logistically. In the weeks leading up to the wedding, the Branford House manager told us that she would be present for the wedding to help answer questions as vendors were setting up. However, when we arrived at the venue, the manager introduced us to a new staff member who - while very kind - did not know where certain things were in the building when our vendors did have questions. All of that being said, Branford House was incredibly affordable and saved us a ton of money when it came to our wedding budget. But at the end of the day, I would have booked a different venue for a higher price if it meant getting more responsive and flexible service.

t you can go really light on decor and it will still looks amazing. There are plenty of bathrooms, a full kitchen for your caterer to use, high ceilings, and plenty of space for guests. It fit our 110 guests with no problem and with tons of room to spare!

e was AWESOME!) and made the venue really shine and flow well. They knew the ins and outs and we had no trouble setting it all up. Only downside was, we paid for a champagne toast, and it was never delivered. They put the bottles behind the bar and didnt tell us. I contacted them twice after the fact- the first time the coordinator didnt know & would check, the second time she was no longer working there. So beware- if you pay for a champagne toast they may change the plan and not tell you.

ere! The building itself is gorgeous, and the views are breathtaking! We lucked out with the best weather and were able to have our ceremony outside on the lawn. Katherine was great to work with from start to finish. Our guests were completely wowed. I can’t wait to see our professional pictures! If you’re having your reception inside, there are some challenges as it’s separated into three rooms and is unlike many traditional venues. Hire good vendors (especially a day-of coordinator!) who know the space and you won’t have any issues. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day!!

absolutely floored. We had our ceremony on the lawn overlooking the LI Sound and the backdrop of the stunning mansion. We had 90 guests, so we were able to really make full use of the mansion rooms. Cocktail hour, speeches and first dance all on the long patio, dinner seated all in the main central room with the two story fireplace, dancing in the side room next to the outdoor bar and a quieter room to keep couches, dessert/coffee to escape all the adventures. There were even fireworks across the sound from Ocean Beach Park that we watched from the patio! As mentioned before, the building itself is stunning so we just added pillar candles and loose florals in the nooks/fireplaces to really bring it to life. We chose the Branford House because if it rained, we'd still have a stunning facility. Parking can be a bit tight. We hired shuttles (DATTCO) from the hotel (Hampton Inn Groton) we and a majority of our guests were staying at and it worked out great. I highly recommend working with a coordinator and a caterer who are familiar with the BH due to its crazy layout and kitchen situation. We went with David Alan Hospitality Group, and they 100% nailed it. I think they do over 20 weddings there a year! Hire a pro to do the hard work for you and enjoy the planning and your wedding day.

e are stunning and our guests loved wandering around the lawn and looking out at the sound. It provided the perfect back drop for our ceremony. They also have a longer rental period than most venues I researched (10 hours: 2 for setup, 1 for breakdown, 7 hours of celebration). It was excellent having a longer reception time for even more fun since the day flies by so fast. They also allow you to bring in any caterer you'd like, which is also hard to find. The only downside is you much use UConn catering for the bar. They do an excellent job, but they have a preset selection for beer and wine, and you need to pay extra if you want to add any additional beers and wines. They don't let you swap selections. But they were very nice to work with and did an excellent job. The Branford House also doesn't allow you to use their chairs on the lawn, so you'll have to rent your own if you want an outdoor ceremony. These were minor details for all the wonderful benefits of this place. We were able to fit 100 guests in the main room; 10 round tables that were 5', and a 16' rectangular table as the head table. Then we used the west wing for the dance floor and the east wing for the buffet and dessert tables. Nothing felt cramped, but at the same time it was very cozy. My family is still talking about how gorgeous this place is. Definitely recommend!

beautiful venue with breathtaking views and can fit over 100 guests inside comfortably. It poured on our wedding day, but guests loved the venue and we received so many compliments on how gorgeous it was. The only drawback is that you have to use UConn Bar for alcohol and bar services, which can be expensive. Although they provided excellent service, it did add on quite a bit to our budget. A beautiful venue that many people do not know about – we would absolutely recommend!

lucky with beautiful weather and our guests spent a lot of time on the patio and lawn. Katherine was great to work with. I do recommend calling her with most needs and then following up with an email if it is urgent and you are unable to get in touch. They have a great deal with a beautiful location and all day rental (you will be the only group there on your day!) The house itself is relatively inexpensive but they do require you to contract UConn Bar for alcohol which can drive up the price a bit.

nd easy to work with. The only downside to this venue is you have to use the UConn liquor catering. I wouldn't let that stop you from having your wedding here but my advice is to make sure to pay extra for the champagne or else your guests will have empty glasses for the dinner toasts. If it wasn't for the liquor caterer, this would be a 5 star venue!

entative it was of the beauty that is the New England Shoreline. If you want to feel like royalty, this place will do just that.

nce you can imagine. Unfortunately everything else about this venue is a problem. Staff were unresponsive and unhelpful. There is very little flexibility or understanding on any front. They have a requirement that you hire UConn Catering for any alcohol, and their service is very overpriced and lacking in selection. Again, it's very picturesque but I don't think I'd recommend it to a friend.

mpressed with the location which is right on long island sound. The property around the house was just perfect for our outdoor ceremony and all of our our pictures. In my opinion, the best thing about Branford House is that they let you hire the caterer of your choice - a huge cost savings! I was nervous about the three different rooms but we used the large main room and one smaller room for a sit down dinner. With 115 people, it was just perfect. We used the other smaller room (near the portico) for our dance floor and it all flowed well. It helps that our caterer and DJ had worked there many times before. We optimized use of the space by having our cocktail hour and first dance on the patio. The only reason I give this place four stars instead of 5 is because the bathrooms are hideous (think public school bathroom) and the venue manager, Katherine, can be pretty tough to get in a hold of. But don't let that deter you - this place is amazing otherwise!

, from a great kitchen for the catering staff to a beautiful room for the bridal party to get dressed in, and the fireplaces are stunning. Plus, you can bring your own vendors/caterer in, which very few other sites in the area allow. This flexibility allowed us to have exactly the wedding we wanted. We had a wonderful winter wedding here and walking down the staircase to get married in front of the main fireplace was like something out of a fairytale. The views out to the ocean are stunning and you really feel as though you have stepped back in time. The woodwork is incredibly intricate too, which makes for exceptional photo opportunities. I could not be happier with the venue!

detail of this mansion are breathtaking!

oing in the side room because the rooms are split and the dancing room got hot fast with only twenty people, but that being said, everyone said it was one of the most beautiful weddings they'd been to. The grounds were beautiful, it was open, people came and went, and it had a great, elegant but laid-back feel that we wanted. We had a pizza truck out front (Branford was great about flexibility and letting us use our own caterers to create our vision and feel for the night) and Cloud Nine salad bar and bar. So many people loved the outside parts of the venue that many people milled about outside, enjoyed the view and the ocean breeze. The photos were exceptional; there were so many photo opportunities that it hard to narrow down our options to favorites. The on-site coordinator was helpful and incredibly kind. We loved the intricacy of the interior and the wood work.

ather cooperate for you to have your wedding outdoors on the lawn. We were lucky and the weather was absolutely perfect! This venue does have it's challenges, as it's a broken up space and not an open ballroom type setting. With keeping our guest list to right around 100 people we were able to work with the space, having the guests eat in the center ballroom, dancing in the West Room and Food Service Stations in the East Room. Realistically, this venue can really only comfortably accommodate weddings up to 100 people, any more than this and it's tight and challenging. If you have a wedding larger than 100, I would recommend renting the tent out on the lawn. I also discovered when interviewing caterers for this venue, that most DO NOT WANT to do a seated, plated dinner at this location. Because they kitchen is in the basement, they said it was very challenging. So if you're heart is set on a seated, plated dinner, this is probably not the best venue, unless you do the tent. The venue does absolutely nothing for you, except provide a person to be on hand to have the place open, direct traffic and close the place up at the end. The people on hand were very friendly. However, one frustration I did have was getting a response from the venue coordinator. At first she was very quick to return my calls, but after all my money had been paid, it seemed as though I was no longer important and many calls and emails were not returned quickly, if at all. The bridal party got ready on site, but it is good to note that no mirrors were provided and it was a good thing we had thought to bring our own. It would have been also good to bring some lamps, as the lighting was very poor. We are still very happy that we found this place to have the wedding, even with it's challenges it was awesome.

ough the front doors took my breath away! It has stunning views of the ocean and gives you various options for ceremony and picture spots. Katherine who runs the house can be tough to get a hold of at times and a few days before my wedding we had some miscommunication but everything went off without a hitch. I have only seen a few pictures from my wedding so far as it was almost only 3 weeks ago but they are amazing thanks to this beautiful property inside and out! My family and guests were raving about the venue as well which makes me feel like I pulled off the best wedding most of my guests have ever been to!

ng make our wedding day so special!

ouse allowed us the flexibility to customize our day with our own vendors. Katherine, the venue manager, was very responsive and helpful through the planning process. In the end, our wedding day was very representative of us because of what this venue had to offer.

Inside is dark and gothic, which was kind of my wedding theme. It is smaller inside than it appears outside, so it's not great for a wedding larger than 125ish (I had 100). It is not a banquet hall or standard wedding mill, you have to get your own catering/florist/planner etc. The views of the water are amazing and the photographers love shooting there. Only complaint is that the event manager is not very responsive to emails/phone calls, but otherwise the space is great. Try for off season for a cheaper price.

set and sail boats quietly coasted in the water. My wife went to school in Newport, RI and wanted the Newport feel without making our guests stay in hotels for Newport prices. The Branford House has all of the beauty and elegance that you would see in Newport at a much more reasonable price. The price of the venue has gone up slightly but is still pretty reasonable relative to other options. You have to pay to use their wooden chairs if you decide that you'd rather use those instead of the free plastic ones. Given how expensive the venue was and that they already owned the chairs, this extra charge was a little surprising. Also, if you decide that you wish to use the lawn (say you want to do a big tent on the grounds) there is another charge for that. We did the ceremony outside with the dancing under a tent on the patio and the meals inside which was terrific. The venue is so beautiful it is nice to be able to use as much of the space as possible which we felt like we were able to do. The only complaint we have about the facility is the bathrooms - they are okay and certainly functional but not terribly nice. The staff actually did some decorating for us ahead of time which was very nice of them. Overall would absolutely recommend the Branford House - you and your guests will without question have a day that you will never forget. One last item of note, if you are going to have your wedding at the Branford House, make sure you get a good photographer. There is such beautiful architectural detail that having a great photographer is really worth the cost (we hired Joshua Behan and the pictures are terrific).

en David Alan catering not ripping us off and the low rental fee of the mansion (compared to surrounding places) we were able to stay within budget. USE VENDORS WHO HAVE WORKED THE MANSION SEVERAL TIMES! they know the electrical outlets, how to do lighting, where to do the first dances, how to maneuver the kitchen downstairs and how to make flowers flow. I cannot stress this enough. despite negative feedback, Katherine the manager, did return my calls and was extremely helpful with suggestions that other brides have done. we got our $$ worth by having a caterer who didn't rip us off and having the mansion until 12:30am. our cocktail hour and a half started at 5pm. people were still dancing at 12:30am! post brides helped us so much... using school buses (christine cooper) for guest transportation from the Mystic marriott to the mansion. cancelling our concerns on the separate rooms, which was NOT A PROBLEM. i don't know what i was worrying about. we took the suggestion of the bar underneath the Portico/stone patio and the dancing in the room right next to it. brilliant b/c guests mentioned they could still see the action when enjoying drinks outside and the cigars we put out :) the mansion speaks for itself. the biggest tip i can give is don't overdo it! you don't need to splurge on flowers or heavy decorations. it's very "busy" and authentic in itself. hence my beach theme going out the window. i saw a bride do one and it just didn't flow. i'm sorry but it's a castle.. built in 1901 with gigantic marble fireplaces and wood walls carved by Italian artisans. we took the advice of a bride and did candles EVERYWHERE. every nook we could find and it looked romantic and accented the natural beauty vs. changing it into some trendy theme. (sorry ladies) I got over the not so cute bathroom quickly when friends said, you tinkle and leave. LOL. they're correct. no one cares. some people wandered around and watched our cake cutting from upstairs. they loved the separate rooms, another waste of stress i had. if it rains, a good caterer will know what to do. you aren't locked into food choices or other weddings happening. HUGE! contact me for any advice. like my husband said, we can bring our children back here. it's historical, it's going nowhere. I've gone back 3x in 4 weeks. I will forever have an emotional attachment to my cinderella castle.

l day (we were there for about 13 hours from set up to take down). The inside and out side are both gorgeous so if it does rain on your big day you really aren't missing out!

s created an ambiance that was warm, classy and beautiful. Due to the fact that it is an old mansion, be prepared that there are three separate rooms to have your guests in, which some people are bothered by. It seemed to work fine for us as we used one room for the dance floor and band and the other two for our tables. The patio works well for a cocktail hour and the photo-ops are amazing. Wouldn't have picked a different location!! Plus it was really inexpensive to rent! (Although you do have to bring in all your own vendors, which can add up).

dors we wished. The negatives would be that for the price, you only receive the location, tables, and cheap chairs. Anything else is an additional cost (such as nicer chairs, adding a tent, etc). Also, sometimes it was hard to get in contact with the main point person regarding questions.

rm with amazing architecture and beautiful fireplaces. Katherine was wonderful to work with and answered all of my questions promptly.

ine is very helpful also and was able to recommend other vendors and options.

ding was amazing - it was filled with candles and even though it is so large, it still had a close, romantic feel to it. It was the perfect place to have a wedding and the staff at the Branford House were so helpful and kind. They were there during the entire wedding and leading up to the wedding were so accessible and always available to answer questions or to allow us to visit just one last time. Beautiful place to get married with wonderful staff. Thank you!

remony and reception.

beautiful and really doesn't need much additional decoration. We had so many complements from our guests! As other reviewers have mentioned, you rent the space and then bring in outside vendors. I liked this idea because we could customize the wedding to fit our style and didn't have to stick with only certain approved/favored vendors.

ted on what an amazing venue it was. I would definitely recommend it but only for the couple who wants to and has the time to find separate catering etc because nothing is really included in the price besides table and chairs. Although it was more expensive for our May wedding, it was well worth it for such a beautiful and memorable place.

ely happy with the location and cannot wait to see the pictures.

g. The only thing provided is chairs and tables.