The Loeb Central Park Boathouse

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.

ve 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.

ern, 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 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!

athouse 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.

ng 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.

sts still talk about the food and the gondola rides we offered during cocktail hour!

ofts 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.

d 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!

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!!

k 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.

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?

o 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!

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.

nter 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!

ke sure you book early.

y 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!

simply outstanding and the service was incomparable. I had a guest mention that her fish was cooked a little more than she likes it (she didn't tell them how she wanted it) and within 1 minute she had a new plate. The place is beautiful and every staff member was so accommodating. Harold the maitre 'd was simply outstanding. This is just the perfect place to have a wedding. Period.

They made everything very easy for me. The only slight issue I had was since they do so many events you won't get much attention until the month before the wedding when you're crazed. But rest assured everything will be perfect.

Bar Mitzvah in the morning the same day as our wedding in the evening). This can cause drama with timing and setup. That notwithstanding, however, they executed a really fantastic event for us.

we had full classes and plates all night! Our guests commented on how amazing the food was and that the service was excellent and they felt so special and attended to. The ceremony there was fabulous too! We had it right in front of the windows overlooking the lake. It was so romantic and picturesque! We had 167 guests and everyone was looked after like they were the only one there!

an't say enough nice things about Peter. From day one, he held our hands and made sure everything was exactly what we wanted. Harold, Stephanie and James made sure every detail was perfection. From the bridal attendant reminding me to eat something at the cocktail hour to Harold making sure we took a minute to ourselves before being introduced...everything was simply perfect! My guests have not stopped raving about the food! The cocktail hour was amazing! The steak and sea bass were wonderful. The desserts were the perfect accent to the cupcakes we had. I'm so happy my guests were all able to fully enjoy themselves. I know my husband and I did! I sincerely can't recommend the Boathouse enough!!!

e...well my wedding was just a few weeks ago and I have to tell you the food was great! The staff was amazing (Peter and Stephanie, thank you!) and everything went so smoothly...I was so happy! I would wholeheartedly recommend the venue to anyone who wants the "Nyc" venue with great food and service!

Would do it again in a heartbeat!

is spot special.

aff really worked hard to make sure everything went smoothly. Harold, the maitre d', was very professional and was a huge help. We loved being able to utilize the outdoor garden and the gondolier on the lake. It was really a magical place.

eginning and he was on point every step of the way. He responded immediately to all of my concerns and questions. He was extremely professional, polite, and attentive. The boathouse staff was very flexible. They knew exactly what their strengths were and they made it very clear so I didn't have any unexpected surprises. The setup during the reception was gorgeous! I used their crystal and table linens and it was simply beautiful. The food was exceptional. It was far better than the restaurant itself (and the restaurant is still excellent). I was thoroughly impressed. The chef really worked with us (we are foodies) to make the dishes just right. Everyone commented on how great the food was and it really was. My guests loved the dessert table and the presentation! I saw some of them requesting some take-home dessert boxes. The service was fantastic as well! Our guests raved about the service. They really did an amazing job. Bravo! I'm still smiling from the memories of the day. I hope everyone has as wonderful an experience as we have had at the Boathouse.

he dancefloor was spacious and the ceilings were high and airy. Additionally a lot of our guests were smokers and there was plenty of outdoor space to accommodate them.;The management changed halfway during our planning which meant that we had to push a bit to make sure we got what we wanted. On the night because of a bit of a breakdown in communication we had some confusion around tables/placecards. Make sure you have everything in writing and insist on a go-thru of the seating chart if it is complex.