The Central Park Boathouse

other venue with the classic NY wedding feeling and the oasis of being in Central Park. We worked with James who was always so quick to respond and such a joy to work with while planning the wedding. On the night of the wedding, James and his staff gave us the best night of our lives. Our guests can't stop raving about the food, service, and overall experience of being in Central Park at this gorgeous venue. I think there are more pictures of the raw bar than us!! There is nothing like it.

fect amount of space to feel like a full party but not overcrowded. The outdoor space and views were amazing!

en at a wedding. Everyone was served properly where all plates came out to the table together and the waiters placed them in front of the guests at the same time. No one waited for a drink or anything else! The food was AMAZING!! Some of the best food I have ever had and by far the best food I’ve ever had at a wedding. There was so much food too! Cocktail hour was amazing as well, where the stations were just kept getting refilled so everyone had plenty of food. The dinner was four courses which everyone loved. Every wedding guest said it was the absolute best wedding they have ever been to! And I 1000% agree. It was an absolute dream wedding and I highly highly recommend this venue!!

s come off and they make it very clear to you that your endorsement means nothing to them because people will always want to have their parties in Central Park, regardless of what you say. Their shuttle service was 45 minutes late, so all of our guests except two late ones had to walk into the park including senior citizens and disabled guests - many were very late to the cocktail hour as a result. I'd say don't rely on their shuttle and book your own. That was a really big issue - as were some big communication lapses/inconsistencies during the planning stage that made the planning 100x more stressful than it needed to be- but the wedding itself went fine. The food was good and Harold was a fantastic maitre'd. I just have a really, really bad taste in my mouth over their lack of customer service and standing behind their contract, and I'm sad that this has colored my memories of the wedding. If I could do it again, I'd book the wedding elsewhere - iconic venue or not. I'd rather go where people care.

no issues. We finally got to celebrate last week and it was a dream come true! James answered every last minute question leading up to the day before the wedding. Harold was amazing as well! When I couldn’t find some of the pass arounds I wanted to try he brought and entire plate of them to me at the table! Together, James and Harold made the night a dream come true. I cannot recommend the Boathouse enough! Literally 0 regrets!

d the food scrumptious. The fact that you ALSO can have gondolier rides was the icing on the cake!!!!

‘d so warm and friendly. Had an amazing experience and couldn’t say enough positive things!

cation, to the professional service. We worked with James, who is a seasoned professional and his team was invested in making our wedding an overall great experience for all guests. One thing I have to highlight is the food. James insisted that their food is not typical wedding food (think overcooked filets), and he was right! Our guests raved about the cocktail hour hors d'oeuvres and all four courses of the sit-down meal. The Loeb Boathouse is the quintessential NYC venue, and I cannot recommend it enough!

worked with James and his team and it was an absolute delight from start to finish. We viewed the room twice before signing the contract, and both times James helped review all the package details, how the day would go and answered any questions for us before we signed. During the process, he was always available to answer questions, help schedule the tasting, event review, final drop offs and give us tips about the venue and what has/has not worked in the past. We felt no need to have a wedding planner to assist, given how helpful the boathouse staff was. The day of our wedding was perfect, and was a great reassurance for why we chose the boathouse. The service was exceptional from setup through clean up, that even our guests commented how amazed they were with the wait staff & maitre d. Beyond that, all the food was spectacular from the cocktail hour passed hors d'oeuvres, the stations and then the seated dinner meal. Our guests raved about all the food, which was extremely important to us. We could not recommend The Central Park Boathouse more to couples who are looking for a wedding or event venue.

Bethesda Terrace and an up-to-date reception room that photographs beautifully and can host one hell of a party. James and his team have clearly been doing this for a while and have it down to a science (in a good way). Slow to respond sometimes (definitely busy with what seems like a massive event every day) but on the day of, they have your full attention and were there for us every minute of the wedding. Special shout out to Harold for being the absolute best maitre D'.

st. We worked with Peter to plan our wedding and he was the best to work with! He was very professional and gave us great advice in planning our special day. He was even there the whole night to make sure everything went smoothly! His matridee, Harold, was just as good! He looked after us the whole night and made sure we were well taken care of. The Boathouse staff was equally as courteous as Peter and Harold. They made sure our drinks were always replenished and even made sure our parents were seated for their meals! Meals were served to guests at the same table simultaneously. Overall, our entire experience at the Boathouse was amazing! We would recommend the venue to anyone!

f was spectacular! However, the one down side is some of the other managerial staff is very difficult to communicate with and can be challenging to work with. Our wedding was not their largest event nor black tie but size or “gala” wedding should matter when it comes to treatment of those having a wedding there.

people don't know that the Boathouse has a separate event space on the west side of the building that still overlooks the lake, but is private from the main restaurant. Everything from start to finish for our reception was an absolute dream. My husband and I did our own wedding planning, and Peter was super responsive to any and all of my questions throughout the year we spent preparing for our big day. The food was incredible, open bar and cocktail hour were so impressive and the staff so charming. Our wedding was in July in the heart of summer and the scenery was so gorgeous - I highly recommend using the boathouse for late spring - early fall weddings, since in the colder months it gets dark earlier and you cannot get the beautiful views you get in the warmer months. We heard from a number of our guests that ours was the best wedding they'd ever been to, and I know this had everything to do with the Boathouse being our venue!

i called to request info over a year before my wedding, i spoke with Peter and that is who i dealt with from that day forward. I wasn't passed around to whom ever was available but the same person helped answer my questions, set up the tasting, recommended vendors, etc. Peter Bischoff is an absolute professional who has an extremely calming demeanor. Whenever i was worried about something he would just kind of tell me not to worry about it and, well, i didn't! and all was ok. Ive heard some other reviews state that there emails or cals weren't immediately returned, i didn't have that experience AT ALL. All os my inquiries were answered the same day. The maitre d on the day of my wedding was Harold and he was a dream! My husband and I are sober so i was important to us that only non-alcoholic beverages be at our table and no accidental champagne was given to us. With a gesture he made it clear he understood our concerns and never once made us feel awkward about it. I stayed in the bridal suite during the cocktail hour b/c i needed some time to rest and the amazing staff brought in trays of food to us and card to our every need. I do not have a single bad thing to say about one person that worked my wedding. so professional and so lovely. The food was out of this world and there wasn't a single glitch with timeless or what not. There were some allergies and they were extremely attentive and took great consideration with each and every guests needs. The venue itself is so classically beautiful it takes your breath away. I wanted a more traditional wedding and the venue is perfect for the with the added modern twist of NYC backdrop. Every guest i have spoken to has said it was the best wedding they have been and i have so much praise and thanks for the Boathouse staff for making that so!!

's wedding.

professional, kind, and takes pride in what he does. From day one, James was so helpful and such a pleasure to work with ! He made sure our wedding was exactly how we imagined. Everything was planned and executed perfectly. Not a detailed was missed. The food was outstanding!! Our guests were raving about our wedding- everything from the venue to the service and food !!! I couldn’t have picked a better place to have our wedding.

truly an iconic, unique venue within the heart of Central Park and Manhattan. The Boathouse was recently repainted and the floors were redone, and it’s never looked better! The views of the lake, Central Park’s lush greenery, and the skyline is one not to be missed! Your guests will be in awe of the surroundings. We had the pleasure of meeting both Peter and James and ultimately used Peter for our wedding planning process. Peter knows his stuff – he’s on top of everything (tastings, layouts, etc.). He had also worked with the majority of our vendors before so coordination between the vendors and venue was easy! Our guests raved about how amazing the passed hors d’oeuvres, appetizer, salad, and entrée were (thanks to the wonderful chef Ramzi)! Harold, the maître d, was on top of the timeline and coordinated the entire evening with ease. Every single thing about our cocktail hour and reception was perfect. I wouldn’t have changed a single detail. I can’t thank Peter, James, Ramzi and Harold enough for their hard work. It was truly the best night of our lives. Thank you!!!

of the event. Absolutely every single detail went exactly as we discussed, from our signature drinks, to the menu, to the signs I brought in to be placed in certain areas of the room. The food was absolutely delicious - guests keep complimenting us on all of it - from the passed hor d'oeuvres to the plated meal. James, our event coordinator, could not have been more helpful and kind. He took the time to get to know my husband and me and made us feel like our wedding was important to them. He was an absolute pleasure to work with, as was 100% of the staff that was there on our wedding day. The maitre d was outstanding - everything the day of went off without a hitch. We could not be more grateful to James and the boathouse for giving us our dream wedding. It was flawless, and we highly highly recommend.

y, and the weather could not have been better. Cocktail hour outside was heavenly and the patio is gorgeous at night. Working with James was so easy, he was always on top of everything and very willing to work with us to make sure our day was exactly the way we wanted it. The food was absolutely delicious. Our guests are still making comments to us on how fantastic everything was. We will absolutely be going back year after year for our anniversary!

l the cool "raw" event space we could find. But each space had its challenges and some compromise was always necessary to make it work for us. But then one day last summer, we were walking through Central Park and stopped by the Boathouse. We had actually first met at the adjacent parking lot when we both signed up for the same bike ride and have spent many happy hours together enjoying CP. As soon as we walked into the event space, we fell in love with it. Although some may consider it a more conventional event space, it still has a rustic vibe, which fits so perfectly into the beautiful natural surroundings of CP. We made the best decision to simplify the process, leverage the talent and expertise at the Boathouse and we are so glad we did!!! We worked closely with Peter Bischoff, who was so professional, thoughtful and accommodating and led an amazing team. We also had a planner, and all worked so well together. The space, lighting and access was a breeze. The team accommodated several people with food allergies, vegetarians and even a Glatt Kosher contingent. Peter provided the floor planning layouts as well as menus and tasting recommendations. We were able to speak directly with the chef, make suggestions on some dishes as well as add a signature cocktail and augment with some special wines and alcohol. We were so happy with our food and beverage selections. We found the planning to be easy, especially since the Boathouse works with a group of quality vendors that really know the space so well. But I did make it a point to meet with Peter on occasion face to face. At times, you might feel the staff is not always receptive, but it is not true, it’s just that we do this once, and they do it every day. So their focus and timing might be a bit different than yours. Yet, I always heard back via email in 48 hours. On the day of our wedding, Peter was there along with Harold the Maître d’ to make sure everything went off as planned. It absolutely did and we could not have been happier with the outcome. True professionals from start to finish. Thanks to Peter and the rest of the team at the Loeb Boathouse for such an exceptional experience.

entire process! The attention to detail was outstanding and our wedding day was unforgettable thanks to James, Harold and crew!

ith, and all involved are very professional. The venue could not be more stunning, right in the heart of Central Park, by the water, in NYC! The food and service were second to none. This must truly be one of the best and most beautiful places to celebrate a wedding in New York City.

r than the Boathouse? Finding a date in the near future was seemingly difficult there, as it is so popular, but James worked his magic and we ended up having a Sunday evening wedding (instead of Saturday) over Labor Day weekend, which was even better than imagined. We had so many people traveling in from all over the country, and a few from across the Atlantic, that having Sunday allowed us to give everyone time to get there, as well as a welcome party and events leading up to the big day. James answered all of our questions thoroughly, was a source of support and guidance, and made sure the evening went off without a hitch. We had hired a day of coordinator as our ceremony was at a church, and she turned out to be a huge disappointment- but James saved the day ,as did Harold, the maitre'd. It was truly the greatest day- we are still having people tell us about the delicious food ,the flawless service, etc. Hoping we can do 10, 25, and 50 year celebrations there!!!

mmenxed vendors also that heloed perfect our NYC dream wedding. Him and all of the staff made our day magical. The service, setting and food had everyone talking! It was a memorable experience not only for us but our guests as well. Thank you again to everyone!

e constantly felt looked after. With my husband and I living in Australia and my parents living in California, James worked every bit of scheduling magic to make sure we could squeeze in tastings and planning meetings during our limited time in NYC before the wedding. It was an absolute joy to experience our ceremony and reception at this iconic venue.

us on tracking with the planning process. We've only received rave reviews from our guests. From our signature cocktail, to the table service to the food itself - everything was wonderful. We could not have asked for a more perfect, quintessential New York City wedding. The venue and location are stunning and the shuttle bus makes it easy to get to and from for those who don't want to have to walk. It was by the far best, and easiest, chose we had to make when planning for our wedding. You will not be disappointed should you have your wedding at The Loeb Central Park Boathouse.

utiful place for a wedding reception. We worked with James McGovern, who was really great, and very responsive the whole year. The space was absolutely perfect for our group of 150 guests. The boathouse made it really easy to plan a wedding. We couldn't be happier that we chose it!!

e which made my (very) long-distance planning so much easier. The venue location and facility is gorgeous - it has a rustic understated elegance feel which is what my husband and I were looking for. When I was researching venue options, I came across a few reviews about how good the food was which was also a big selling point for us. We weren't disappointed and a bunch of our guests raved about how the food at our wedding was the best they've had. We splurged on the raw seafood bar which our guests absolutely loved. I worked with James McGovern who I found to be so helpful, accommodating and professional. James and Harold were also on-hand the day of our wedding and they were great. I highly recommend having your wedding here!

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ntastic. We did not have a wedding coordinator, but with the Boathouse team, we did not need one. They took care of everything including helping our families after the reception was over. We’ve had so many guests tell us how much fun they had at the wedding and how spectacular the food was. We fully recommend the Boathouse and their team for a wedding.

Central Park. The entire staff there is impeccable and everything went seamlessly - they are clearly experts at hosting weddings. I have to say my favorite thing about the Boathouse is that they take care of so much for you. We saw a few of the more "raw space" type venues and the amount of coordination and extras that you need to worry about (like silverware and linens) was just ocerwhelming. At the Boathouse we were able to plan our wedding in under 5 months with little to no stress. I also loved that we didn't have to worry too much about decorating given the beautiful scenery and space. We worked with Peter who was not just a lovely person but kept us fully organized and feeling great throughout the whole process. He just makes you feel like everything will be okay and was a perfect mix of guiding and flexible. Harold was our maitre'd the day of and took great care of us and kept everything running smoothly. The food was also spectacular and all of our guests are still raving about it. I cannot recommend this venue more highly.

ular! The wine service at the tables was to die for, and our guests still talk about the food and the gondola rides we offered during cocktail hour!

e in order to make it look special, which a lot of the cool BK lofts and venues like that really require. Plus, being an interfaith couple -- combined with not wanting to make our guests schlep around the city -- meant that we wanted to have the ceremony and reception in the same location. The Boathouse was absolutely perfect. Every last detail was accounted for, and the space, food, booze and staff were all second to none. All of our guests were literally floored by the quality of the food and the attentiveness of the staff. The venue and its location speak for themselves, and the shuttle provided (which drove us to our afterparty!) made the location even more convenient, particularly for older relatives. The only thing I think could've been improved upon was the responsiveness of the staff in the weeks leading up to our wedding. We mostly corresponded with Kristen, the coordinator, and Peter, who was our event manager. They could really take their time in responding to us even when the wedding was getting kind of close, which isn't really ideal when you're trying to get details figured out. But when it really counted, they were there. Also...Harold, our maitre'd, was exceptional. He cared for us and guided us throughout the night, and always made sure we were in the right place without being overbearing in the least.

eciding on the Boathouse. We wanted to forgo using a planner, and yet had a lot of ideas we wanted to execute. Part of what made us choose the Boathouse is it came with a lot of standard things in its package like premium open bar, linens/tables/chairs/etc., staff and a wedding coordinator, but they were open to us bringing in anyone else we wanted except for the florist. We got to put our own tweaks on things like renaming the tables and having our dog in the ceremony without having a logistical nightmare. Guests raved about the venue and the food. Also, we got quite a few comments that staff was, um, rather liberal with the alcohol :) We worked with Peter, who was excellent and executed every request including doing a rehearsal and an extra planning meeting. Would hands down get married in the Boathouse again. A must for any NYC bride!

ful city and park views, it is hard to top that but the service certainly did. The service was immpeciable. The waiters, bar tenders everyone was so nice and attentive. Multiple guests who have been to many weddings said it was the best service they've ever had. Harold made sure the day was flawless. Peter helped us plan from the beginning and did a great job. We didn't even need a planner. He has great attention to detail and a genuine desire to have it be the best day ever and it truly was. Finally, the food was absolutely delicious. Everyone raved about it. I could go on and on but there are not enough words to describe how happy we were with everything at the boathouse and are so thankful for Peter, Harold, James and the entire boathouse staff for making it truly truly perfect!!

ures but in the distance a reminder that you're still in New York as the tall skyscrapers tower over the trees (it's a bit surreal). We worked with James McGovern who is great! We threw some wild ideas at him and one semi crazy request (we were desperate for a roasted pig... he got us 2) and he pulled through for everything. He was so sweet and super accommodating. Such a pleasure to be able to work with! The boathouse itself is a New York staple. There are many beautiful locations for pictures. we were lucky enough to have the option of renting the gondola for cocktail hour which are guests adored. Harold was our Maitre d and he was very attentive and made sure things ran as smoothly as possible. This was truly an unforgettable experience for us and worth every penny.

e booked the venue on December 2013 for our May 2015 wedding. In that year and a half, James was great at communicating with me in a timely manner, and patiently answered all the questions that I threw his way. As the date neared, he was very helpful, even providing useful suggestions. The space is gorgeous, and it is a classic NY venue. The Boathouse provides a shuttle which picks up guests from 2 different locations outside the park, and leaves them directly at the venue space. We decided to have our ceremony and location all here, and everything went by seamless. We did not have a rehearsal the day before, but we arrived about an hour early, and James practiced with everyone excluding me (the Bride). The bridal suite is very tiny, but it was the perfect waiting area/escape, and a place where we were all able to leave our things. We were provided with bottles of champagne and sparkling water as we waited. After the ceremony, all of us in the bridal party were given champagne, while our guests were led outside for cocktail hour. The service at our wedding was top notch. Our guests were greeted with champagne and sparkling water upon arrival. We were able to have a top shelf open bar, along with his and hers cocktails. The food was PHENOMENAL. Honestly, it was even better than it was during our tasting - and I left our tasting thinking the food was amazing. The only negative I would say is that you can only work with one of 4 florists that the Boathouse recommends. Obviously, they are on the pricier side. We chose Lenox Hill Florists, and they were awesome (another review for them to follow.) And only the florist can decorate the space. That's really a minor thing in the grand scheme of things, though. Since the space is so big, and you have the park as the backdrop, you can go really simple with decorations. In terms of the price, while it is pricey, it is not bad for NYC standards. Everyone raved about our wedding, and 2 months later, we still have people telling us it was the best wedding they have been to. Or people still reminiscing about the night. We also opted to have the gondola for 3 hours during our reception, which our guests loved. You cannot go wrong choosing the Boathouse. We had a classic New York wedding in the middle of Central Park. What more could you ask for?

ude, speaking to both my fiance and me as if we were children who know nothing. It was so bad that at one point of the meeting, when I attempted to take notes, he told me to pay attention! It was very obvious that he had a selling script and that the boathouse, while beautiful, provides the exact same wedding for each and every couple. I honestly love the space but the thought of dealing with such a condescending and rude man totally deterred my fiancee and I from even considering this venue. Be warned!

e even very helpful with taking care of things after the wedding was over. Ask for James, he was the best guide during my planning process that I could have possibly had. Without him, I don't think it could have turned out so perfect.

ter was beginning a new chapter in her live with a great guy, winter had finally broken, friends and family were with us. The Central Park Boathouse is a beautiful venue in and off itself, but an intrinsic part of the elegance of the event was due to the great food and impeccable service of the BH staff. I like to work with people that elicit my trust and once that was established with James, our BH coordinator, everything ran smoothly. We live in Massachusetts, thus we needed to feel that we could count on someone that we would not meet in person often. James was always responsive to my emails, my concerns, and my wishes. Truth be know, since we are not from NYC, we did not know what an iconic place the BH is. But soon I could tell that we were going to be in good hands; that James knew well the possibilities. The BH has a very well trained staff, waiters, waitresses, and chefs and other staff. They run the events like clockwork, without loosing attention to small details. The guests felt attended for all the time. The ceremony, the cocktail hour, the food itself were great.In our family, we enjoy good food, with good ingredients and great execution. Again, truth be known that I had always worried about having just so-so "wedding food" at my daughter's wedding, but the food at our event was outstanding. The guest could not stop commenting about it. That made my daughter and her husband, my husband and myself particularly pleased. I would recommend this venue to anyone!

us. We also thought it was great value for the money. Just make sure you book early.

eption. 1. It's Central Park...need I say more? Surrounded by the lake on one side, Bethesda Fountain, greenery; great escape from the city 2. Convenient location - short walk from 72nd St./5th Ave, and there's also a shuttle on the day of that stops along 5th Ave to bring your guests to/from the venue An added bonus for us was we got married in March, and the Boathouse is closed for dinner during the winter (before April), so we had the entire venue to ourselves (not just the banquet room), which made it extra special. Service was terrific throughout. There's a coordinator who answers your questions from the day you book the venue (or even before that) and is there the entire time on your special day. The only negatives were that dishes were cleared very quickly between courses and not everyone had a chance to finish (but that's probably true of most places), and although they saved us lots of extra wedding programs, they cleared away all of the dinner menus (we didn't think to ask for extras until it was too late) and I have no idea what happened to the extra cake. The bridal suite was also more like a closet and not very spacious, but it's sufficient to drop your belongings in there and go for a quick rest, but don't count on getting ready there. Overall a great experience and beautiful venue. High recommend it!

used almost all of the vendors they recommended.