About this vendor
At Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, our history is deeply rooted and we take great pride in being a national landmark in the 'best small town in America' of Essex, Connecticut. In operation since 1871, the railroad has always been an elegant, romantic way to travel; and still is to this day. Choose from two unique brick and mortar venues- our Atrium at 6 Main in the Witch Hazel Factory or our Dickinson Ballroom, once a Witch Hazel Bottling Plant. We also offer Essex Clipper Dinner Train receptions as well as Riverboat cocktail hour and dancing cruises.
Being a historic, boutique property, we host only one wedding per weekend. We understand the immense planning that goes in to weddings no matter how large or intimate and want all attention focused on you. Upon reserving your wedding, you will meet the team and enjoy a complimentary tasting. We will help every step of the way planning your wedding and we offer a list of preferred vendors that have worked at the station and are the best of the best.
We have multiple, unique options for onsite ceremonies- a private meadow that is a five minute ride from the station, a landing overlooking the Connecticut River, on our South Lawn by a rustic barn or indoors, in our natural light filled Jensen Gallery.
Each of our venues has their own hospitality suite so you can prep here on your big day. The photo opportunities are endless- in our 1920s train cars, on our cobblestone patio or our lush south lawn.
We can't wait to meet with you and start planning you Essex Station wedding. All aboard!
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
On-Site Accommodations
Business Attributes
- LGBTQ+-owned Business
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Religious Ceremony
Settings
- Ballroom
- Cruise
- Historic Venue
- Industrial & Warehouse
- Loft
- Park
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Food & Catering
- Planning
- Service Staff
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.02 reviews
Review photos
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We had a fantastic time with our guests on the Essex Steam Train and Riverboat as a pre-wedding event! Our guests were extremely excited about the trip, and it was a great way for ...
us to spend time with them in a relaxing, beautiful setting. The staff were so helpful and easy to work with, both while we were planning and during the trip.
We had the wedding of our dreams and managed to stay within our budget! We originally thought we wouldn’t be able to afford to have our wedding here, but was so impressed with the ...
venue and also found it to be the absolute best value out of all the places we looked at! I was beyond excited to have my dream venue and the actual day did not disappoint! We had just about 190 guests and we still receive rave reviews from all of them of our special day. The food was amazing and many guests said they couldn’t believe how good it was. Even our wedding tasting was a special event in itself! Tosh went above and beyond and we are so glad we had her on our team! She was detail oriented and often times checked on me during our reception- from helping me fix my hair, to grabbing me a drink, we love how supportive, loving, and pro-active she was. It is clear she loves her job and she is incredible at it! I made a lot of my decorations and not only was Essex Steam Train supportive of it, they helped accentuate the lanterns I made to make sure they were absolutely stunning. All of the staff were great and helpful! I loved that we could drop our decorations off a week early and pick them up days after the event to minimize stress as much as possible. Tosh and all of the event’s staff were wonderful at helping us feel well taken care of and in good hands. As swing dancers, we loved having a vintage wedding and the dance floor was absolutely perfect. Another cool factor was that our guests got to take an hour long train ride and it was super fun waving goodbye to them and taking our photos while they were whisked away down the line. Tosh worked her magic and made it so we could meet up with the train and surprise our guests by riding with them on the way back to the station. We had the most incredible day that was even better than I could have imagined. And we have such amazing and unique memories and photos to cherish for the rest of our lives. We also love the fact that we can celebrate our anniversary by doing the dinner train in years to come!
Contact
1 Railroad Avenue, Essex, CT
Essex Steam Train & Riverboat