About this vendor
Who We Are
We are a wedding venue located in the heart of Burlington, Vermont. As the only cruise ship located on Lake Champlain, we offer breathtaking views of the city, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and the New York Adirondacks. We host all of your celebrations - including ceremonies, receptions, rehearsal dinners, wind down brunches, bridal showers, engagement parties and elopements. We hope to join you in an unforgettable celebration!
About the Ship
Our beautiful cruise ship offers two unique private decks for weddings. Rent one, two, or even three if you would like to charter the entire ship! Check out the decks in our photos - our lower deck, which is handicap accessible, is the Admiral Deck. The midlevel of the ship is our Horizon Deck. Our top level is off-limits to weddings unless the party choses to charter the entire vessel. Each level of the ship has a different capacity based on Coast Guard regulation. Get in touch with us to find out which deck (or which decks!) suit your wedding best.
Contemporary American Cuisine
We have our own on board galley and Executive Chef so we can serve your delicious meal piping hot! We specialize in Nouveau American, and are delighted to offer an array of different menus, designed for ease of planning. We are more than happy to customize to your unique tastes, so please do not hesitate to ask us. Our offerings include delicious appetizer packages and bountiful buffets. We understand food is one of the most important components of your Lake Champlain wedding, and we are pleased to offer the exclusive services of our amazing culinary team!
Services Offered
We strive to be an all-inclusive venue for our brides. We understand that planning such a large event can be an ENORMOUS undertaking! We offer the following to keep your planning simple:
Catering and Waitstaff
Bar, Bar Set Up, Bartender
Event Coordinator
Tables, Chairs, Dance Floor
Linens for tables and buffets
China, glassware, silverware
DJ, M.C., and Entertainment Services
Set Up/Clean Up
Liability insurance
Lighting/sound
Amenities + details
Ceremony Area
Handicap Accessible
Indoor Event Space
Liability Insurance
Outdoor Event Space
Reception Area
Covered Outdoors Space
Dressing Room
On-Site Accommodations
Wireless Internet
Ceremony Types
- Civil Union
- Commitment Ceremony
- Elopement
- Interfaith Ceremony
- Non-Religious Ceremony
- Second Wedding
Settings
- Beach
- Waterfront
- Cruise
Venue Service Offerings
- Bar & Drinks
- Cakes & Desserts
- Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
- Destination Wedding Planning
- Food & Catering
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Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
4.6
out of 5.021 reviews
We had the most amazing wedding aboard SOEA on 6/25/22- I truly cannot recommend this venue enough. Stephanie and the entire boat staff were fantastic and worked with us every step...
of the way. They were professional, attentive, flexible, and incredibly accommodating to our needs and vision- from our (tons) of decorations to a literal flash mob (if only I could attach videos)! We also had the most incredible sunset that our guests are still talking about. Our wedding was the best day of our lives and SOEA played a HUGE role in this. You will not regret getting married here- it is like nothing else!
Josh Palace and the Spirit of Ethan Allen Wedding team were superb from the earliest contact to the final details and wedding itself. It was like working with friends.
Josh is ve...
ry personable and fun to envision and mastermind a unique wedding with.
We did wait a year, do to Covid but it was worth the wait,100%. Josh is always busy but it never felt like I was rushed on the phone or in person. He answered questions, listened carefully and helped strategize our truly magical event!
Several weeks before our date we attended a dinner cruise and had the pleasure to meet some of the staff who were friendly, welcoming and professional with a lovely presentation and excellent service.
As a former restaurant person in The Mad River Valley I observe with a discriminating eye and clearly this floating restaurant is first rate!
The food is dynamic, delicious and healthful,and home like, yet elegant with a very thoughtful regard for food allergies and special needs.
Spirit Sounds provided ceremony support around our live friend performances and Mike was very kind, sincere and helpful with music.
We met Nikki the dinning room manager and she was dauntingly energetic and enthusiastic from the moment we arrived without even knowing we were wedding clients. The chef greeted us personally and we got the impression the S.O.E.A. staff enjoys their work and are genuinely kind, nice and a cohesive hard working crew! Attention to detail on every aspect was five star! As a Marine Professional Sail Carter captain and my husband First Mate, we can’t say enough about how much fun we and our ninety guests had that evening of our marriage! We strongly recommend planning your next important event, romantic date, lunch in the cafe with buddies or a first Lake Champlain Narrated Lake History experience for your out of town guests. Dazzling ! Something for Everyone! Take the stress out of your Event !
S.O.EA. ship will take you away for a magical day cruise or sunset dinner event.
We want to come back for Comedy Night and Lobster Dinner Cruise! It is truly a fabulous venue!
Captain Susan Elizabeth Smith Sword
Mr. Carl Howard Sword
S.V. Arioso, Malletts Bay Vermont
My husband and I were married on the SOEA and we could not have dreamed of a more perfect venue, planner, or experience. Cruising along Lake Champlain, we had the beautiful mountai...
ns and fall foliage as a backdrop for our wedding ceremony. The venue was ideal as it was all inclusive and we did not have to worry about a thing. Decorations, full stocked bar, accommodating staff, DJ, tables, linens, chairs, food, the list goes on. The venue even included our own remarkable wedding planner! Kristin Bogovich was such a pleasure to work alongside. Her organization skills, quick responsiveness, and coordinating expertise made our planning stress free. She was attentive to what we had envisioned and helped make our wedding day a dream come true. Overall our champagne brunch wedding experience was a huge success. All our family and friends raved about how great it was to enjoy the scenery beautiful Vermont had to offer while dancing, laughing, and indulging in scrumptious goodies provided by the SOEA. To reference a few, we had corned beef hash, scalloped potatoes, Vermont sausage, WAFFLES, and maple syrup you could drink from the ladle! We highly recommend joining the SOEA for any occasion as Kristin and her team were amazing
We had our ceremony and reception at the Spirit of Ethan Allen. We were planning from afar, which can be difficult for anyone. However, the coordinator, Kristin, made everything as...
easy as possible! She was so willing to work with us via phone and e-mail to figure everything out prior to our arrival in Burlington. Our wedding was perfect with her assistance. The only "hiccup" was that it rained so we could not have our ceremony outdoors as planned. It was extremely easy to move it indoors at the last minute, and it was still gorgeous. We had the Champagne on the Champlain brunch buffet, which was delicious. The decorations that I had brought were perfectly arranged. And to top it off, our waitstaff was extremely friendly and the service was amazing. There are not enough good things I can say about the SOEA!
The Spirit of Ethan Allen was the most beautiful experience for our wedding. We had our ceremony out on the Dodiback of the boat and our receptionSpaulding on the 2 nd deck. It was...
amazing and magical!! Michelle coordinated everything so beautifully...They decorated for us and the whole staff was so professional and helpful. Our guests told us how beautiful everything was and that they had never been to such a wonderful wedding. The pictures we took with the lake in the background were breathtaking. I would recommend having your special day on The Spirit of Ethan Allen and all your dreams of a beautiful day will come true!!!
I got married on the spirit of Ethan Allen last night. It was a magical experience. The staff was wonderful, cheery, and Michelle was amazing. Everything was done exactly the way I...
hoped it would be. Elegant, sophisticated, fun. The food was divine. The weather didn't completely cooperate but I was reminded that rain during a wedding is good luck. I cannot recommend this place enough.
We visited the Spirit of Ethan Allen for the first time in November, prior to our July wedding. Even though the boat was docked and not set up for a wedding, we knew that it was t...
he perfect place to showcase our unique style as a couple. The wedding coordinator, Heather, made everything very easy for us. She walked us through everything from day of timelines to weather contingency plans. Heather really is a gem. You feel comfortable putting everything in her hands, because you know that she will get it done. She is also as sweet as can be.
One of the best parts of the venue is that almost everything is included. They take care of the rentals, the linens, the food, and the DJ. All of these things are excellent. The food was delicious and the DJ was phenomenal. The drinks are not included in the venue price, but they do have bar packages that you can choose.
If you are so inclined, you can have the ceremony on the boat, followed by the reception. Each deck has an outdoor space, so you and your guests can appreciate the beauty of Lake Champlain. The deck where you have your wedding will be assigned to you based on the size of the wedding and the boat's schedule for that day. You will not officially find out what deck you are on until about two weeks before the wedding, but the size of your wedding makes it pretty clear which deck you will be on. It is possible that you will have other events happening on the boat during your wedding. Not to worry. We didn't even notice the other people on the deck. The only time we even realized that we weren't alone was at the end of our ceremony, the guests on the deck below applauded us. It was lovely.
The Spirit of Ethan Allen allowed us to have the perfect wedding. All of our guests commented on the beauty of the venue, the excellent quality of the food, the friendly service, and the fantastic DJ. My husband and I wholeheartedly recommend this venue.
We experienced a bait and switch with the Spirit of Ethan Allen. We were actively misled about availability for months.. We signed a contract for our wedding, for the intimate open...
top deck that was already booked a year prior. I guess now that we were the back up plan. The owner later bragged that his staff 'never put in writing' that we had the top deck for sure. When were we told? Never. Not even that morning. We found out seconds before, in full wedding attire with our guests, ready to board. Humiliating and crushing. We looked up to see another wedding started on the top deck. All alternatives were stolen from us by the deliberate omission. Our small wedding party of 30 was led to a dated, awkward, enclosed and poorly cooled lower deck for 300. The owner gloated in an email weeks later that it was never ours, and informed us that we had a "great time", as if misleading us was acceptable because we made the most of it. Were the boat staff great? Yes. But, find another venue that you can trust.
SOEA was an absolutely perfect choice for our wedding! We were planning a VT wedding from abroad, so wanted a venue that would take care of everything. SOEA did not disappoint! Our...
wedding coordinator, Sarah, took care of all the details and made sure that we had the perfect day. We received so many compliments on how fun and unique our wedding was. We were surrounded by the beauty of Lake Champlain and all our guests had a tremendous time. This is a great choice for VT destination weddings!
We had the most amazing wedding day aboard the Spirit of Ethan Allen! I highly recommend it. Sarah was so helpful and attentive during the planning stages, and really helped make a...
ll our visions a reality. The entire staff was polite, happy, and attentive. We couldn't have asked for a better experience!
Our wedding was perfect on The Spirit of Ethan Allen! The employees were curtious, helpful, and more than accommodating with anything we needed throughout the evening. The food was...
excellent and fresh (guests were raving about it after dinner) and they did a great job decorating the boat deck as we had planned! I would highly recommend this beautiful venue for a wedding!
It was everything I imagined it would be and more! The price point was on track with our budget and the staff and food was amazing! My wedding coordinator was my savior during the ...
process!
The SOEA was everything we hoped and expected. I am a real critic and a second time older bride. Truthfully, everything was to perfection-every detail. The support and service was ...
exemplary. The Food, buffet style, was raved about by our 100 guests, including 2 restaurant owners. Sarah Chasse our wedding planner was the best. I highly recommend this venue. Oh, not to mention gorgeous Lake Champlain and the sunset cruise:)
I cannot say enough wonderful things about all they did for me and my husband. From the initial meeting with Sarah on the boat in April to the final moments walking off the boat a...
fter our reception - it was like a fairytale. The food was fabulous (we got the Taste of Vermont menu), staff incredibly attentive and friendly and it gave our guests (most of whom were from out of town) an amazing experience with gorgeous Adirondack and Green Mt Views. Sarah, the wedding planner could not have been more helpful in the planning of it and on board, Kendra was there for every single thing we needed before we even knew we needed it. They incorporated my decorations perfectly and I literally could not have been happier. Don't bother going anywhere else - just book your wedding here!
The staff especially made this expereience so easy and amazing. I felt like the only bride planning an event. They made sure they were with me every step of the way; reminding me...
of things I needed to do, comforting me when I was stressed, and making sure I was able to get everything I needed! The entire event went off without a hitch. The DJ was included and so was gratuity and tax so I did not have to worry about figuring all that out which was so helpful!
I have always loved going on narrated tours, but wish the special tours weren't so expensive.
Everything looked great and was set-up very nice. The lake was beautiful. The burners for our food blew out and the servers didnt ever light them again so we got served cold food a...
nd some of the planning wasnt as good as it should have been but nonetheless we had a amazing wedding and a lot of fun. Would recommend!
The staff was simply amazing, especially Alicia in our planning stages - thank you Alicia!. They took care of all decorations and cleanup. All we had to do was drop everything of...
f at the office the week before. Food was spectacular, everyone raved about it, and there was a great variety (we had Captian's Table menu). Drinks were mostly served in a timely matter, although some people ordered during the open bar time frame and the staff could not bring them in time so they were charged. Overall, there was a large staff for just our deck. Only complaint was it got really hot on the boat even with the air conditioner on so the door was open (middle deck) which made the hot air come in. Would absolutely recommend for any occasion.
Overall we had a wonderful experience and recieved many compliments from our guests that the venue was unique and exciting. The service was great, and we didn't break the bank to h...
ave our special day! The venue covered the ceremony, reception, food, drinks, and dj.
we picked the boat cruise because we wanted people to enjoy a night out on the lake. it was summer and we thought it would be a great idea. but we never expected that the service a...
nd food would be so fabulous. was in part expecting traditional banquet fare....but it blew me away. sooo delish. and heard the same reviews from many in attendance. service was great. very attentive staff. we had an open bar, beer and wine...and it didnt break the bank. Great afforable choice for a rehearsal dinner and or wedding.
I had my reception on the Spirit of Ethan Allen, a beautiful boat that offers dinner and lunch cruises on Lake Champlain. The experience was wonderful! I had to plan my wedding lon...
g-distance, and they helped me with so many details. You supply the decorations, and they set everything up for you the day of. Each wedding has it's own event coordinator, and she makes sure that everything keeps running smoothly. The price includes a delcious sit down dinner, (you can choose from different menus), the table setting. The crazy part was we spent less on my reception because so much was included than if we had just rented a conference room at a hotel and had tried to had a comparable dinner. The guests loved it, and it was gorgeous scenery. The staff is excellent, and it saved me so such stress in the long run. Would defintely reccomend!
Contact
0 College Street (Boat), Burlington, VT
Spirit of Ethan Allen