The Branford House is one of the most elegant seaside Connecticut wedding venues. It’s a gorgeous stone mansion that rivals those you’d see in Newport. Situated on Uconn’s Avery Point campus in Groton CT, Branford House Weddings enjoy panoramic views of the ocean.
Branford House Exterior
The grounds surrounding the stately Branford House mansion are breathtaking. A large bluestone patio stretches the entire length of the mansion. From there, you can look out over the great lawn, lighthouse, and ocean.
Branford House Interior
Every Branford House Wedding centers around the Grand Ballroom with its massive fireplace, ornately carved wood walls, and a two-story ceiling. Flanking the ballroom are the equally exquisite East Wing and West Wing rooms.
North Side Portrait Locations
There is a myriad of excellent locations for Branford House Mansion wedding photos. The front door to the mansion is a great place for family photos as it’s shaded and cooler in the afternoon and easy to get to for grandparents. It’s also a great place for wedding portraits if you have a special vehicle to arrive in! Around the side of the mansion is a terrace area with stone columns that is great for family or bridal portraits when the light is good.
South Side Portrait Locations
On the ocean side of Branford House, the path to the lighthouse provide for a classic New England background for wedding portraits. Walk around the side, and you might be able to catch a sailboat going by as well. Just to the side of the lighthouse is a pretty rocky beach area that is perfect for romantic wedding pictures.
Both the great lawn, and the large boulders that stick out of the great lawn are the best spots for the quintessential photo with the mansion in the background.
If you like boats and are up for a little walk, the edge of the campus overlooks the Shennecossett Yacht Club just across the water. It’s a lovely nautical background for photos.
Branford House Wedding Tips
The patio and lawn are the best part of the venue so, if you can, maximize the time spent out there. Instead of having just the 1 hour cocktail hour on the patio, think about extending cocktail hour and doing intros and dances out there before heading inside for dinner. I also highly recommend sneaking out for a few sunset photos if at all possible!
Bridal Suite
The Branford House has a beautiful wood-paneled bridal suite with several large windows. It’s much nicer than a hotel room for getting ready or for putting the dress on.
A La Carte
A big advantage of hosting a Branford House Wedding is the fact that it is not an all-inclusive wedding venue. It is relatively inexpensive to rent and you can choose all the other vendors you want to work with. There are some great catering companies in the area, including Coastal Gourmet, Morins, and A Thyme to Cook.
Hotels Nearby
The closest hotel to The Branford House is the Mystic Marriott, which is a large modern hotel. They have several large suites available for getting ready.
Just a bit further away is Downtown Mystic, which has many lodging options like the Whaler’s Inn, The Inn at Mystic, and the Hilton Mystic.
For those looking to party, the casinos (Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods) are just 30 minutes away.
Location
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