5.0
Praised by couples for:
Amenities
Guests comfort
Helpful staff
Casually elegant, beachfront weddings
Holds ceremonies and receptions
My wife and I got married at The O in September 2025 and we cannot recommend it enough. Jon, Pat, Brenda, and the entire team are wonderful people who made us feel so taken care of from our very first walk through to our wedding day. Throughout the process, they were in touch with us regularly, super organized, and so easy to work with. We had about 185 guests and the space accommodated everyone perfectly.
Can't emphasize enough how much care, kindness and warmth they showed us throughout our wedding-planning process. It was their hospitality that took our great experience to an extraordinary one!
We had the BEST time at our wedding and our friends and family were blown away by the beauty and charm of the O. It's a stunning property. We were so proud to host everyone at this beloved and one of a kind venue.
Kaela J.
5.0
There cannot be a better place to get married in New England. The inn is breathtaking with beautiful views of the sound and perfectly manicured gardens. The inn itself is perfectly New England. Just do yourself a favor and visit.
But there are beautiful venues in many places. The hosts and staff made our wedding perfect. They will move mountains to support you, are incredibly honest and a dream to coordinate with. They truly make you feel like you are being hosted by family. To Brenda, John, Pat and the entire rest of the staff - thank you.
Particularly if you are looking to bring in outside catering, choosing the Owenego will be the best wedding decision you make.
Alex B.
5.0
Dreaming of a casually elegant, beachfront wedding? If so, we invite you to celebrate your love at Owenego Beach and Tennis Club situated in Branford, CT. Here, you will enjoy incomparable water views, outstanding cuisine, and impeccable service.
Situated on a grassy knoll, The O, as we are lovingly known, affords sweeping views of Long Island Sound with the legendary Thimble Islands scattered in the backdrop. Many couples choose to exchange their vows on the expansive lawn, nestled in front of our enchanting, waterfront garden. After the ceremony, many Owenego brides choose to kick off their heels and slide on flipflops to fully take advantage of our beachfront location.
After a fabulous cocktail hour on our seaside deck, continue the celebration in our historic inn, where the surrounding windows allow the exterior seascape to mingle with the interior decor - a decor that is purposefully neutral in palette so as to best showcase your individual style. While we offer menu packages as a springboard for ideas, we will happily work with you to customize your menu to reflect your personal tastes. Family-owned and operated, our wedding couples and their guests are welcomed as an extension of the family.
Here at The O, our gracious staff pays meticulous attention to the details, so that you can revel in each other, your guests, and the magic of the day. Call us today so that we can help you realize the waterfront wedding of your dreams.
179+ years in business
Speaks English
5 team members
Amenities + details
Amenities
Ceremony Area
Dressing Room
Indoor Event Space
On-Site Accommodations
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
Civil Union
Commitment Ceremony
Elopement
Interfaith Ceremony
Non-Religious Ceremony
Religious Ceremony
Second Wedding
Vow Renewal Ceremony
Settings
Beach
Waterfront
Garden
Historic Venue
Tented
Venue Service Offerings
Bar & Drinks
Food & Catering
Service Staff
Any questions?
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.032 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 7
Alex B
Highlighted review.
5.0
There cannot be a better place to get married in New England. The inn is breathtaking with beautiful views of the sound and perfectly manicured gardens. The inn itself is perfectly...
New England. Just do yourself a favor and visit.
But there are beautiful venues in many places. The hosts and staff made our wedding perfect. They will move mountains to support you, are incredibly honest and a dream to coordinate with. They truly make you feel like you are being hosted by family. To Brenda, John, Pat and the entire rest of the staff - thank you.
Particularly if you are looking to bring in outside catering, choosing the Owenego will be the best wedding decision you make.
Kaela J
5.0
My wife and I got married at The O in September 2025 and we cannot recommend it enough. Jon, Pat, Brenda, and the entire team are wonderful people who made us feel so taken care of...
from our very first walk through to our wedding day. Throughout the process, they were in touch with us regularly, super organized, and so easy to work with. We had about 185 guests and the space accommodated everyone perfectly.
Can't emphasize enough how much care, kindness and warmth they showed us throughout our wedding-planning process. It was their hospitality that took our great experience to an extraordinary one!
We had the BEST time at our wedding and our friends and family were blown away by the beauty and charm of the O. It's a stunning property. We were so proud to host everyone at this beloved and one of a kind venue.
Any questions?
Kym F
5.0
The Owenego is such a special place to get married. We knew it was the right fit as soon as we walked onto the property. The gardens and beach are stunning, but it has such a comfo...
rtable and easy vibe. John, Pat & Brenda make you feel like family and were super easy to work with. We got married on a beautiful day in October - there were couple members of the beach club around early in the day, but we had the place to ourselves by the time guests were arriving. Our guests raved about the location, too. We feel so lucky to have gotten married here and will certainly be back to visit!
Emily M
5.0
The Owenego is a stunning location along the CT shoreline. John and Pat and their entire staff were incredible help through every step in the wedding process. We loved the grounds,...
the water, and the reception area. We made lifelong memories at the Owenego!
Kelsey A
5.0
The Owenego was such a beautiful place to get married and the people there are wonderful to work with. John, walked us through everything we needed and helped with everything along...
the way. Brenda was such a wonderful and warm human being who made sure all my nerves on the day before were smoothed out. They allowed us to do a walk through of what the ceremony would look like the day before and worked with me to ensure our timing was appropriate for the song choices and more. I’m excited to share my pictures with John and his team and am thankful we were able to get married in such a beautiful place.
Theresa H
5.0
Our daughter had her wedding late May at the Owenego and the following day, she said it was “the wedding of her dreams.”
We could not agree more!! The location is so magnificent. ...
The Allium were all blooming in front of the sea wall; which accented the arch and the decorations. The folks there felt like family. They were attentive, caring , but never intrusive. All the guests raved about the great time they had. It was truly magical! Thanks to all of you for making our daughters wedding a dream come true. You would be very fortunate to have your wedding at this amazing place!
Lisa P
5.0
We had the most beautiful wedding at the O! The entire staff made us feel like family. I could not have picked a better place!!!!
Anna F
5.0
I cannot say enough good things about The Owenego!
We had our June 2023 wedding ceremony and reception at the beautiful Owenego Beach and Tennis Club. It was an obvious choice for...
us--the location on the Connecticut shoreline is stunningly beautiful and must be seen to be believed. The interior reception space is so unique and special--whitewashed post and beam with open rafters, plentiful natural light, and twinkly bistro lights. It hits the perfect balance of elegant but relaxed. John and Pat couldn't have been more lovely to work with--kind, patient, accessible, and professional. They were also incredibly inclusive and supportive of our same-sex wedding--something that is not always a given in the wedding planning process.
When the wedding coordinator that we hired disappeared 3 weeks before our wedding, we were panicked until we met with John and Pat. They listened to every concern that we had, and made a plan to ensure that every detail was carried out to our exact wishes. Pat was a joyful and calming presence on our wedding day, and really made us feel special and cared for. It was a truly perfect wedding day and my wife and I are ecstatically grateful to the Owenego staff--they truly care about what they do. Thank you!!!
MaryBeth L
5.0
My husband and I had our wedding reception at Owenego 42 years ago this September. It was a beautiful day! We cherish the memories ♥️
Christina E
5.0
We had our wedding at the Owenego in June and we couldn’t have dreamed for a more beautiful day. John and his team were incredible. They made us feel at home the minute we toured t...
he venue. It was a no brainer to have our wedding at the Owenego. We must have received a comment on the venues beauty from every guest!!
Margaret P
5.0
Our wedding last month at the Owenego was fantastic. We held the ceremony there on the grounds and the reception indoors. The location is beautiful (check out the jetty!) and the s...
taff were helpful. The interior of the club has a slightly rustic feel, keeping the wedding from being to stuffy. I also appreciated that they let us request a special vegetarian entree since I am vegetarian.
I felt that they took Covid seriously, and proactively told us about their precautions, and kept us abreast of changes in state rules about gatherings. Even when this pandemic is over, I think this speaks well to their character and care for their guests.
My only slight issue and notice for other couples is that they were not the best at email and often did not reply all, so whoever got the reply would have to add everybody (the couple, the planner, and MOB) back to the thread. Not a big deal, just FYI.
Thank you!
Marissa D
5.0
My husband and I just got married at the Owenego last weekend and it was nothing short of amazing! Despite Covid-19, it was more than we could of ever dreamed of. John, Pat, Brenda...
, Meg, Tess, and all of the staff were amazing throughout the whole process as well as our actual wedding night. They truly made our day so magical and we could of not asked for anything more!!!
Katie S
5.0
My husband and I had our wedding at the Owenego a few weeks ago, and couldn't have been happier with that decision. The term "hidden gem" doesn't even do it justice, slice of heave...
n is more appropriate! John and Pat were a blessing as we tried to figure out what to do when COVID hit. They were perfectly flexible and gracefully guided us through the decision-making process. They took every measure possible to ensure that we could have a safe event. Every detail of the actual event was superb - the food was outstanding (one guest said best filet he'd ever had), the setting was ideal (despite a tropical storm a few days before), and the staff was so delightful (Pat was angel helping everything run smoothly and taking attentive care of the groom and me). After the reception, we just couldn't bring ourselves to leave, and stayed for drinks on the deck - again FABULOUS service. I can't wait to visit again!
Sarah D
5.0
I have always known that the Owenego was a special place and have grown up going there, but even knowing how incredible it was our wedding at the Owenego was more magical than I ev...
er could have dreamed. John, Pat and all of the staff were so helpful and patient (with my millions of questions) throughout the whole process leading up to the wedding and on the day off we could not ask for better hosts. The staff set up the room perfectly and helped everything go off without a hitch. They were on top of every single detail and were so attentive to us and our guests. They were right by our side reminding us to take a moment for ourselves and to eat and made sure we had everything we needed and more! And of course- you cannot beat the property and the view! I cannot recommend the Owenego as a wedding venue enough!
Erin G
5.0
2 weeks ago my husband and I got married at the Owenego. We are still blown away by how comfortable they made us from day one. They have been so helpful with answering our question...
s and accommodating all the guests. We are still hearing our guests rave about the venue, staff, and the food! Although the event was a couple hours long, we were able to get to know the staff which made us feel part of the owenego family. Throughout the wedding they made sure we had a drink in our hand, we were eating, and that we were enjoying ourselves. At one point, one of the staff members brought a tray of hors d’oeuvres out on the rocks as we were taking pictures to make sure we ate something. Of course we can’t say enough about the scenery at the Owenego; it was truly unbelievable. All together we couldn’t say anything negative about this venue, staff, food, or view!
Kristen D
5.0
My husband and I had our wedding ceremony and reception at the Owenego in June and it was more amazing than we ever could have imagined! Our guests could not stop telling us how st...
unning the venue was and how delicious all of the food was. The staff was extremely available, knowledgeable, and helpful throughout our entire wedding planning process and wedding day. I felt so comfortable and relaxed that they had everything we wanted and needed under control. Our wedding ran so smoothly and was exactly what we wanted. You cannot beat the amazing scenery at this venue! On top of this, food is plentiful and delicious and the staff is extremely good at what they do. I highly recommend the Owenego and can't thank them enough for making our day so unforgettable!
Erica J
5.0
Awesome venue -- hidden gem. John and Brenda were terrific to work with and the day could not have been more beautiful!
Jennifer S
5.0
Owenego is a hidden gem! We could not be more grateful to John & the entire staff who were so patient and kind throughout the entire process. Everyone is so relaxed and flexible to...
accommodate our requests, whether it be bringing in rentals to changing the house wines and beyond. The venue is so beautiful, and Reid & I couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else. Everyone loved it and raved about the food. Though they don't do food tastings, rest assured that everyone will be well-fed with great portions! We love you Owenego & are so grateful!!
Annie K
5.0
Working with John and the rest of the staff at Owenego was so, so relaxed and easy. The space was breathtakingly beautiful, and the breeze from the ocean provided the perfectly co...
ol summer evening. The lights in the space helped to set the mood, and the food was absolutely delicious. We haven’t stopped getting feedback about how perfect the evening was. I would recommend 100%! We were well taken care of through the entire process.
Joseph S
5.0
My wife and I got married at Owenego 3 months ago, and we are still glowing from what a magical experience it was!
The staff was extremely accommodating, friendly, and warm. John ...
Bloomquist made sure all our dietary needs and desires were beyond satisfied, and the food (both pass-arounds and main meal) was OUTSTANDING!
His wife, Pat, also made a plate of vegetarian pass-arounds and personally delivered it to the bride as she was busy adjusting her dress, making sure she got fed. So thoughtful!!
Jane Peck and the rest of the staff made sure everything looked beautiful and ran smoothly. The entire wedding year experience involved very little stress, largely in part to Owenego making sure everything was under control and in check. They allowed us to execute our vision in terms of design while making sure everything ran smoothly. Our friends keep saying it was the best wedding they've ever been to. I highly recommend you book your wedding at Owenego!
Jessy D
5.0
If you are considering using The O Club for your wedding, DO IT! John and his team were incredible to work with. Absolutely everything was taken care of for us with the utmost care...
. I know some are nervous about venues that do not do tastings but I am here to tell you that we heard "that's the best thing I've ever eaten!" about absolutely every dish at our wedding from the apps to the carving station. John is the wedding coordinator you want on your team - I never saw him sweat and had solutions to potential problems before I could even ask. Speaking of sweat, I know The O does not have AC, but to be honest it did not feel like it during our July wedding.
It was the perfect setting for our laid-back reception. I cannot thank The Owenego enough for making my wedding day unforgettable not only for us, but for our guests as well.
Robyn C
5.0
The moment we stepped onto this property to check it out for our wedding day, my fiance and I both immediately felt relaxed. We'd been there before, but this was for such a special...
event that we had to be sure. The staff is amazing, the facility is romantic and gorgeous, and we even rented out the 6 rooms for us and our party that night so we could stay put! We returned from our honeymoon and are still getting comments about how incredible the food was, and how it was the best wedding our guests had ever been to (we agree!). We ended up moving the ceremony inside due to a little rain that cleared in time for photos, but the guests said having it inside made them feel even more of a part of it. They raved at the quality and amount of appetizers, the dinners, the staff, and the views. We couldn't have been happier. Thank you to the "O!"
Melanie C
5.0
I can't say enough good things about the job John and his entire staff did to make our wedding such a great night. Everyone at the venue is kind and incredibly easy to work with, ...
and John was nice enough to meet with us a few weeks ahead of time to walk us through everything and make sure everyone was on the same page. The food and service was excellent throughout the night, and we both really appreciate how hard everyone worked to ensure that all of our guests had a great time.
The venue itself is incredible and certainly worth checking out if you are getting married in the area. Lots of beautiful backdrops and great photo opportunities.
Thank you all again! Highly recommended!
Shana C
5.0
My husband and I just recently had our wedding at the Owenego Beach and Tennis Club. We had the most amazing night thanks to John and his staff. Everything from the breathtaking vi...
ews during our outdoor ceremony, to the cozy, quaint atmosphere of our reception was perfect. We just loved all the rustic decor, making it a perfect fall wedding!!
Melanie S
5.0
I had my wedding at the Owenego a few weeks ago and it was absolutely amazing. The venue is right on the water so the views are just gorgeous, and the staff did such an incredible ...
job with the food, service, decor, and everything else in between. Nothing was unaccounted for and no detail was spared - it was all perfect. They do not do menu tastings so I was a little nervous about the food, but let me tell you, it was out of this world. I received tons of compliments from my guests saying that the food at the Owenego was the best they've ever had at a wedding.
Ainsley W
5.0
We had our rehearsal dinner at the O and it was an amazing night. Our guests loved the food (we did a 'lobster bake' of sorts - lobster, steak, chowder, corn on the cob, roasted po...
tatoes), everything was prepared perfectly.
Friendly and professional staff, great food, good drinks, and a beautiful view of the Long Island Sound. You can't go wrong with the Owenego and all of its New England charm. Great choice for a waterfront venue (rehearsal dinner or wedding).
Susan W
5.0
Owenego did a fabulous job. The staff was friendly, professional and attentive. We received many positive comments from our guests on both the service and the food -- and of course...
the setting on the water can't be beat. The atmosphere for our wedding was casual and relaxed, which is just what we wanted. This is is a family run business that only books one event per day. You get their full attention and almost feel like part of the family. The only slight negative is the lack of air conditioning, which could have been an issue if the weather had been hotter. We would highly recommend this venue to anyone.
Anna T
5.0
Located right on the Long Island Sound, the views from this place are awesome. The food was really good too. We have a lot of family and friends from the midwest and this was per...
fect for an introduction to New England. We had a clam bake and everything was perfect!
Cynthia M
5.0
The staff was amazing, the setting amazing, and everyone who came said it was one of the best weddings they've been to! We had our wedding ceremony on site, and unfortunately Hurri...
cane Irene did some damage to the property. However the site was decorate beautifully with mums and hanging lanterns. One thing that we did that I highly recommend was we had someone come in a decorate the inside. The inside is a little dated (i'm talking about the ivory vine paneling) but it was covered up with tulle and looked gorgeous!!!
The staff was sooooo helpful and the food was absolutely delicious! I have nothing bad to say about the Owenego. It was amazing!!!
catherine s
5.0
The owenego was beautiful. I was so pleased with the whole day. The food was excellent and the staff helped me feel so comfortable. I didn't have to worry about anything all day...
. The hurricane had just happened and even though the power came on the day before they were going to do everything possible to make sure my wedding still happened. I would highly recommend the Owenego. It is a beautiful place with the water right outside.
Kristine V
5.0
My husband Eric and I grew up in Branford and Guilford, but moved to North Carolina for graduate school. We wanted to get married near our home towns, so we looked fairly extensive...
ly along the Connecticut shoreline for a wedding venue. The Owenego was the perfect place - with it's stunning views out over the Long Island Sound and Thimble Islands, and it's classic New England charm.
We could not have been happier with the service we received from John and Pat Bloomquist and the rest of the Owenego staff. They were always available to meet with us before the wedding, even though we had only a scattered day or two in Connecticut. They were also very accommodating when working with our other vendors.
The wedding itself was spectacular. The gardens at the Owenego were beautiful (even in October), the lawn overlooking the sound was an idyllic place for the ceremony, and all of the decks were great for our guests for enjoying the outdoors. We had a fun time taking pictures out on the rocks by the beach.
Our guests raved about the bar and the food - everything was delicious and unique (appetizers, salads, soups, entrees).
I have absolutely no regrets about having my wedding at the Owenego. In fact, I can't picture a more perfect place. We highly recommend them to anyone looking for a intimate waterside wedding in Connecticut.
Tara T
5.0
The Owenego is located on the Long Island Sound the grounds are simply stunning and guests were impressed before they even set foot into the dining room. The patio area is the pe...
rfect place for the cocktail area. My guests couldn't stop talking about the amount of food served during the cocktail hour as well as the quality. While we were unable to do a food tasting we were more than pleased with taste and presentaion of the food on our wedding day. Because there is only one dining area there were no other weddings going on and we had very personalized attention from the Owenego staff in the days and weeks before the wedding as well as the day of the wedding. I would absolutely recommend this venue to a bride planning a wedding in Connecticut!
Want to book a visit?
Start the convo
*=Required
Use this secure form to reach out and share your wedding vision.
Wedding vendors in Branford
Owenego Beach and Tennis Club
Why use The Knot to message vendors?
Messaging our verified vendors on The Knot is free, safe and secure. Conveniently track vendor messages and planning details all in one place. Our mobile apps make it easy to stay in touch with vendors while you're on‑the‑go. For personalized pricing and package details, sending the vendor a message is the fastest way to get info.