We worked with Alissa Parlante and she was exceptional in both the multiple calls leading up to the wedding and the day-of. The Pond House is extremely well staffed, from the office managing tours, tastings, to payments to Alissa and the other day-of points of contact, to the servers and food vendors (specifically, the bartenders and cake partners), and it is very clear they are operationally excellent. The venue was the perfect size for 120 guests. One of our biggest appreciations of the venue was the decor that comes with the package - we did minimal custom decor, and the majority of the flowers, silverware, candles, etc. were done by the Pond House. The massive windows makes it beautiful during the day, and the lighting makes it even more stunning at night. We had access to the cafe area before hand, and took pictures on the bridge near the pond. The food was THE reason we chose the venue when planning, and it was completely justified! We had a very fun experience during the menu/bar tasting. Every hor dourves was incredible, and guests loved the dinner. Food kept flowing the entire night, which was exactly how we wanted it! Pond House truly combines high restaurant quality with wedding logistic and ambience prowess. The mixologists were extremely accommodating with our custom cocktail, it came our perfect (we did an chocolate covered espresso martini, and you get the sense they can do any drink you can think of). Cannot recommend this venue is enough. The value is incredible. We chose vendors that have worked here before and everyone we talked to has expressed how much they like working at the Pond House, both because of the physical features and the staff there.
Heather Sent on 04/09/2026
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Gorgeous venue, delicious food, and top-notch service!
The staff at Pond House Cafe are such a joy to work with! We had our wedding reception at Pond House in mid March and we couldn’t be happier with our decision! From the start, Charlene, Diana, and Alissa have been so organized and on top of things. They were so helpful with all of our questions about dietary restrictions and allergies. The food is amazing and the venue is stunning. We could tell how much effort and care they put into making our wedding day so special. We would highly recommend Pond House without hesitation!
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Danielle Sent on 12/30/2025
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Best Wedding Venue
The staff at The Pond House are amazing! They literally took care of every little detail and were the kindest people. The were able to accommodate some special diets in my family, they made our day the absolute best and easy going. We didn't have to worry about a thing, they handled everything! Everything feel into place and they were so helpful and responsive. I am still getting compliments about them by friends and family. Best decision I made for my wedding was using them. Thanks Alissa and Diane for the best day ever
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Michelle Sent on 12/26/2025
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The most amazing venue and staff!
Married 9/13/25 and we could not have asked for a better venue. From the very first tour to the final moments of our day, the entire team at the Pond House demonstrated such professionalism and genuine care of every single detail. It allowed us to be able to relax and fully enjoy our wedding day celebration. Our wedding venue coordinator, Leslie, was absolutely amazing! She was beyond organized, responsive and so supportive throughout the entire process. Any time I had a question she provided an answer and anticipated needs that I did not even imagine having. On our wedding day, she was everywhere and made sure everything ran smoothly. The food was beyond exceptional and our guests continue to rave about how delicious everything tasted as well as how beautiful the space was. The Pond House is the place for you if you're looking for a venue that provides top tier service. We are forever grateful for our experience!
Gaby Sent on 12/03/2025
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November 8, 2025
The Pond House was AMAZING! I could not have asked for a better wedding venue. Leslie was our wedding coordinator and she was so on it! She had every detail so carefully documented and made sure nothing was missed. Even on drop off day, it was so helpful running through the checklist and making sure she knew exactly where and how things were set up! As for the Pond House itself, it was beautiful! All of guests kept commenting how beautiful the venue was and so convenient to have the outdoor space as well (to cool off when the dance floor got to HOT). All of the food was so tasty and delicious. If I had to plan my wedding all over again, I would definitely choose the Pond House again, it was perfect.
Ann Sent on 10/30/2025
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Dream Wedding
Our family and friends are still talking about the beautiful Pond House Wedding. From the phenomenal staff, beautiful grounds and incredible food it was all perfect. We could not have asked for better! Diana and Alissa truly made us feel like VIP s. Guests were in awe of the view (we also lucked out with absolutely perfect weather), how fantastic the food was (the duck was superb), and how every detail was perfectly executed. We could not recommend the Pond House enough and can't wait to return for future celebrations. It's well-worth the investment for a beautiful, love-filled wedding!
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Meghan Sent on 10/23/2025
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The Best Wedding Venue!
We got married at The Pond House in September 2025 and cannot recommend this venue highly enough! It was everything we dreamed of and more. From the very beginning, Alissa and Diana were a joy to work with — organized, responsive, and genuinely invested in making our day perfect. They made us feel like family throughout the entire planning process, and their warmth and care made all the difference. Every detail was thoughtfully planned and beautifully executed.
Even when a bit of rain rolled in, the team handled everything flawlessly. They transitioned our cocktail hour indoors without any stress, keeping the entire day seamless and enjoyable. The staff was incredible — professional, kind, and so accommodating to our 160 guests, ensuring everything ran smoothly from start to finish.
The venue itself is absolutely stunning. Our guests couldn’t stop talking about the gorgeous gardens, the walls of windows overlooking the pond, and the warm, inviting atmosphere. And the food — truly exceptional! Every dish was delicious and beautifully presented.
From the breathtaking setting to the outstanding staff, amazing food, and the feeling of being truly cared for, The Pond House exceeded every expectation. We are so grateful to have celebrated our wedding there and will cherish those memories forever.
Megan Sent on 10/18/2025
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Absolutely lovely
Everyone is wonderful and supportive to work with. They don't try to upsell you on every available thing but make very thoughtful suggestions based on your budget, desires, and attendees. I didnt know much about weddings as most of my friends have all just had court-house weddings, so I really appreciated the input and helpful ideas for how to have the wedding my way, but also in a way to ensure everyone had a good time and knew where to go! Very beautiful spot, can't wait to return just to eat the delicious food!!
Autum Sent on 09/12/2025
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September wedding
We looked at a number of venues and were getting very discouraged for what you were getting for the price. Then we found The Pond House and so much is included with the price!! Leslie was awesome and always responded to me the same day. The venue is breathtakingly beautiful as welk. Highly recommend!
Ryan Sent on 09/06/2025
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Amazing wedding venue!!!
The Pond House is absolutely amazing!! Everything was perfect- the food, the venue, the coordinator, staff members. It was a magical place for a wedding!! Thank you to the Pond House staff for a wonderful wedding day.
Kate Sent on 02/17/2025
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Perfect Wedding Day!
Great experience working with the Pond House in the year leading up to our wedding in December 2024. Charlene was responsive and helpful during our initial inquiries into the venue and Leslie was wonderful with planning and executing our details the day of. Every last detail came together seamlessly. Quick replies to quick questions and sudden changes in our guest list. Our guests continue to comment that it was some of the best food they have ate at a wedding. Sales staff worked with us to ensure we'd meet the minimum right before booking our event. It would've been more helpful to plan out realistically what we were going to pay (adding bar, an app table, etc.) so that the final cost was most consistent with initial conversations. But all in all my husband and I wouldn't change a thing and recommend the Pong House with no reservations. Thank you for a night to remember!
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Anna Sent on 11/17/2024
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Idyllic setting for a romantic intimate wedding--LGBTQ+ welcoming
10/10 would recommend.
Pricing was transparent and reasonable.
We are a lesbian couple, and many of our guests are also queer and trans, and our experience was that this venue was welcoming and affirming.
Our Wedding Coordinator Leslie Bates was very organized, responsive, detail-oriented, and a joy to work with. She took care of so many important details leading up to as well as on the day of our wedding.
The Pond House staff did an amazing job with decorating so that we could focus only on the pieces that most mattered to us: centerpieces and flowers. The wedding decor was customized to our needs, and we also didn't have to DIY more than we wanted to.
The catering staff did an amazing job also. This venue is a restaurant as well, so the food was exquisite and personalized to our guests' dietary needs. We even got to have a soft serve ice cream bar to cap off the night!
We had 110 guests, and this venue was the perfect size for what we wanted: an intimate outdoor summer ceremony on the terrace looking out at the pond and a delicious dinner and night of dancing inside afterward.
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Gsquared1080 Sent on 10/23/2024
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Best Wedding Ever!
Everyone on the Pond House team is absolutely amazing, and my wife & I would recommend that anyone and everyone gets married there :)
Danielle Sent on 09/29/2024
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Wedding of our dreams within our budget
The Pond House Cafe is a magical wedding venue filled with the most caring and hard-working people! The space itself is beautiful and so dream-like with the twinkle lights and incredible views of Elizabeth Park.
The staff is incredible. A coordinator gets assigned to you 6 months out and helps walk you through everything that needs to be done prior to your big day. Leslie was great leading up to my wedding and made sure all my questions were answered.
Diana is also so fantastic. She oversees everything going on during the event and truly makes sure every detail is perfect. I appreciated her dedication, from keeping us on track with the timeline, to making sure my wedding party and parents had appetizers brought to us when we were missing parts of cocktail hour.
The venue is so flexible with whatever you dream of. Even when things sounded like it wasn’t usually something they do, somehow the Pond House found a way to meet every request I made. They really do go above and beyond to make your vision come to life.
For everything being included, the Pond House weddings are extremely reasonable. I searched a while for a beautiful venue that was within my budget, and the Pond House had it all! Everything is included, from day-of coordinator to the wedding cake. I loved that it was basically a “one-stop shop” and that they handled all aspects of the reception. The food is truly incredible; take it from someone who never enjoys wedding food but truly loved everything I tried at the Pond House.
The bar packages are very reasonable, and the bartenders are so fast! There was never a line to get a drink.
I was worried about where to have my ceremony- but the Pond House truly has it all. For a fee, they set up the outside terrace for your ceremony and it overlooks a pond with a water feature! It’s so picturesque!
I couldn’t have asked for a better venue staffed with any better people! Pond house: thank you for giving Mike and I the wedding of our dreams!
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Noelle Sent on 09/28/2024
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Wedding of our dreams
Words cannot explain how happy my husband and I were with the pond house. Leslie and the whole staff was so amazing and our wedding night went off more perfect than we could ever imagine. The planning process was made easy thanks to Leslie and The Pond Houses organization. We will forever be so grateful to The Pond House for hosting, preparing, and creating the wedding of our dreams
Mihoko Sent on 09/05/2024
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A Dream Venue!
Where to even start...Pond House was incredibly easy to work with through the entire wedding planning and execution process. They strike the perfect balance between hosting weddings often and making you feel special and personally cared for - especially our venue coordinator Leslie. She is attentive, detail-oriented, very professional, and you can tell she knows the wedding process like the back of her hand, which is incredibly comforting. They worked with us on all our unique requests like sourcing specific alcohol for the bar and incorporating Lebanese drummers onto the dance floor. The venue is all-inclusive in terms of food, drink, tables/linens, yet it gives you the freedom to chose your own vendors (DJ, photographer, florist) which gave us the perfect balance of an easy planning experience without feeling like our hands were ever tied.
The venue itself is also gorgeous - it's in the beautiful Elizabeth Park, has a cute patio for outdoor ceremonies, and the reception room is breathtaking with its decorations, twinkly lights, and massive windows. You could tell our guests were in awe of the beauty of the room when they first stepped inside!
To add to everything great about the venue, the food and drinks are delicious and at a reasonable price point for the high quality and volume you get. Our guests raved about the hors d'eourves, the buffet (especially the beef tenderloin and eggplant parm), and the signature cocktails (s/o to the strawberry basil vodka lemonade). And of course the butlered mini desserts hold a special place in my heart.
All in all, we cannot recommend this venue enough if you're looking for an easy, all-inclusive wedding experience with a classy, garden vibe and delicious food.
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Marlene Sent on 06/13/2024
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Amazing ....
I can't recommend the Pond House enough. The food, the details and the flexibility of offerings. My guest were as blown away with everything as much as we were. Our coordinator Leslie was amazing and so helpful. She kept me on track through the planning right up to the big day.
Rebecca Sent on 03/31/2024
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The Perfect Venue
We had our wedding here on 3/23/24. I cannot speak highly enough about the venue itself as well as the staff. We worked with Diana and Leslie. Diana knows her stuff! She gave great suggestions and was helpful throughout the process. Leslie was beyond amazing- she nailed every detail. The venue was stunning and all the guests raved about the food. We had a seated dinner with 115 people. Everything fit perfectly. The decor was well done. The staff were incredible. We truly had the best day, and would choose the Pond House 1000 times over.
Aimee Sent on 01/08/2024
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Can’t recommend enough!
The first time I visited the Pond House I absolutely fell in love with it. It was decorated for the holidays and it felt so magical. We knew right away that this was where we wanted to get married. Two years later we got married here on 1/5/2024 and I just can’t stop thinking about how amazing it was! My guests all night kept saying how it was one of the prettiest venues and funnest weddings they’ve ever been to. How it was stunning and felt so magical. I have an old school Italian family and was so worried about the food because they can be such critics but omg. People RAVED about it. I had my rehearsal dinner here as well. Each food item better than the next. They have so many different options to choose from to satisfy and also accommodate dietary needs. The servers and bartenders were professional, hard working, personable, and so kind. My wedding coordinator Leslie, was attentive, always replied quickly, never made me feel like a bother, and her professional opinion was always appreciated. Diana was also so much help and so pleasant to work with. I wish I could relive that night over and over. I can’t recommend this venue enough. 🖤
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Michelle Sent on 11/11/2023
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Lovely location and great food
I absolutely loved the Pond House Cafe the moment I walked inside with its wonderfully dreamy atmosphere and decor. I and my guests absolutely loved the food. They especially liked the table of desserts at the end. Pond House was great at accommodating complicated dietary restrictions and allergies as well.
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Ashlee Sent on 10/11/2023
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The best day ever!
We couldn’t recommend the Pond House Café enough to our guests! They made our big day so special from the very start. I originally thought we would do a small “garden wedding” so I looked into Elizabeth Park in West Hartford. As soon as I started looking, the Pond House Café popped right up and we fell in love. Our first meeting with Leslie was great and staff even brought us over their truffle risotto balls as a complimentary snack. We felt so welcome right then & there! Coordination through Honeybook and Social Tables were pretty seamless with our coordinator Jess who was amazing! She handled everything on our day and was so organized and professional! I can’t tell you how big of a help it is to know that all your decor is packaged up for you at the end of the night so you don’t even have to think about it! Jess was great at listening to our ideas and visions for the day as well as answering every little question we had. Compared to other wedding venues we had toured, the Pond House Café was a lot more reasonably priced and, in my opinion, WAY more beautiful than most of the venues we toured! The outdoor terrace was perfect for our ceremony and the pond was the perfect backdrop for guests to take photos during cocktail hour. Also the opportunity to take our wedding photos in Elizabeth Park is a huge perk all on its own. We hope some of our guests will turn the Pond House Café into their wedding venue just so we’re able to go back and reminisce!
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Kevin Sent on 10/10/2023
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The Perfect Classy, Whimsical Fall Wedding
The Pond House was the perfect location for our September wedding! We picked the venue for its visual appeal and food and both exceeded our expectations. We knew the Pond House provided seasonal decor but it was absolutely breathtaking! It would have cost thousands extra to provide our own twinkle lights, flowers, and decor. The food was outstanding and the incredible staff made sure we had plenty of it. Our coordinator Leslie met us right after the ceremony with our drinks (she even asked what we wanted at the rehearsal!) and the servers brought hors d'oeuvres right to us while we were taking photos. Our guests are still talking about the food! Leslie and the entire Pond House team really went out of their way to not only give us everything we asked for but also provide us with advice when we asked and needed it. We could not recommend The Pond House more!
E & Sent on 07/30/2023
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Wonderful venue
We are so happy we decided to have our anniversary party at Pond House Cafe! Our coordinator, Leslie Bates, was super friendly, organized, and easy to work with - we highly recommend her :)
We loved the fact that Pond House Cafe combines the beautiful backdrop of Elizabeth Park, amazing food + bar service, and seasonal decorations/flowers in the main reception room and patio. We had a lovely experience and are really grateful for Leslie's help throughout the process.
Michelle Sent on 06/27/2023
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super helpful staff!
The staff at pond house were so helpful for all the planning phases for my wedding. Leslie, our coordinator was great! The venue is gorgeous and is on the amazing Elizabeth Park.
Ben W. Sent on 06/20/2023
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Our dream wedding venue come true!
We are so glad that we chose Pond House for our wedding venue. We appreciated Diana’s straightforward and no-nonsense attitude. Our coordinator, Leslie, was easy to work with and very accommodating. Their communication leading up to the wedding was terrific. The venue itself was stunning, especially as the evening went on and the twinkling lights became reflected in the windows. The food was all exceptional—our guests kept telling us how delicious everything was. Diana, Leslie, and the rest of the staff were very attentive of us, ensuring we ate and drank. There were a few minor issues—they served champagne to some of our guests who we had specified don’t drink and there were some issues with getting the food out on time (we had asked to have the salads out when guests arrived, but they ended up being served after the speeches which delayed our program). That said, we truly loved Pond House and plan to come back for our anniversary!
Michelle Sent on 05/31/2023
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Beautiful wedding at Pond House adjacent to Elizabeth Park!
The staff at Pond House was absolutely wonderful accommodating everyone's allergies and working with us to make our wedding extra magical.
Aleina Sent on 05/17/2023
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Would recommend
Would highly recommend! The planning process was great with our coordinator, they were quick to adapt to changes in the plan due to inclement weather and the coordinator set up all the decor we brought to make sure our vision came to life! Great night and a fantastic wedding
Marisa Sent on 04/30/2023
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Perfect venue
Perfect location for a wedding. We chose to have a day wedding and the venue was able to accommodate easily whether it rained or was sunny! Leslie was our coordinator and we couldn’t have asked for a better person to support us for our day. She made the entire process seamless and stress free. The food was spectacular and all of our guests gave fabulous reviews on the food and the decorations within the venue. Highly recommend this venue for you wedding reception!
Heather Sent on 03/23/2023
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The Perfect Day
The staff at the Pond House are so attentive and professional! They made our day so special, we are so happy that we chose the Pond House for our wedding.
Leah Sent on 03/20/2023
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Best venue ever
We were impressed from start to finish with our experience at the Pond house for our wedding. Leslie was a fabulous coordinator, and everything turned out perfectly. The food was fantastic and the venue is already stunning inside so we did not have to add much for decorations. Being able to coordinate food, cake, drinks, and on site ceremony through the venue was so easy, and it took a huge amount of weight off of our shoulders!
Matt Sent on 02/03/2023
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Excellent wedding venue
We got married here 1-28-23. We loved working with Diana, Leslie, Eric and all the staff. They’re extremely knowledgeable, professional, dedicated and you can tell they want your wedding to go as smoothly as you do. They bent over backwards to help us and work with us and I can say with confidence I would not recommend any other vendor to handle a friend or family member’s reception.
Kaitlin Sent on 09/06/2022
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Perfect night
There were a few bumps in the road for our wedding needing to be rebooked due to COVID and some staff that left during planning but when we were able to work with Stephanie a few months before the wedding, she was able to jump in where we were left and make sure that all the loose ends were tied. She reassured us with all of our questions and concerns and was so personable. The day ended up being absolutely perfect.
Megan Sent on 04/27/2022
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Incredible Venue: Service, Kindness, Value
I cannot recommend Pond House Café enough for your venue of choice. They are transparent, communicative, helpful, thoughtful, and immersive. Our wedding planner Stephanie is clearly a seasoned industry professional with a passion for her job. Pond House is one of the few venues that offers a minimum spend instead of a per guest cost and this gave us a lot of flexibility as the final guest count came in. Pond House decorates seasonally in an extremely tasteful manor that transforms any wedding into an event even if you do nothing.
The food options are vast and the delivery on that food was top notch. Our cocktail hour had a Peking Duck option that I still think about 3 weeks later (do you think the chef will share?). The appetizers were plentiful and Pond House clearly believes in staffing their events well because no guest missed any of the options. The dinner was a very smoothly executed buffet (which if you've been to a couple of weddings you know is a feat on it's own) and the the staff was kind, courteous, and efficient. The salads are well above what you expect for a wedding if you've attended a few. The chef and their team clearly takes great pride in their work.
Pond House is well located in Elizabeth park which offers many great photo locations. Our Golden Hour photos in front of the greenhouses remain some of my favorite photos. If you went a bit later in spring you might catch the beautiful rose garden in bloom. In case of bad weather I recommend renting an hour or two at Hartford City Hall ($50/hour) where you will find an incredible marble palace.
I highly recommend Pond House Café for quality of service, location, and staff.
Hh Sent on 03/25/2022
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Contract For Sale
Unfortunately, our plans have changed and the wedding planned for SATURDAY JULY 30TH 2022 has been cancelled. We are working with the venue to help them rebook the date (they have been amazing, the food is so delicious, summer blooms in the park!).
If you are interested at all, this venue/date would be an absolute steal.
Nicole Sent on 10/23/2021
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Beautiful venue for a fall wedding!
The Pond House team truly helped us have an absolutely perfect day! Their event space is decorated beautifully for the season, which really enhanced all of our fall themed decor and flowers. Their outdoor terrace was a gorgeous backdrop for our ceremony and cocktail hour. Even more importantly, the food was delicious! I have received nothing but positive feedback from my guests, everyone had a fantastic time. The staff is friendly and professional. We worked with Stephanie as our wedding coordinator, and she was incredibly helpful and responsive throughout the whole process! If you get the opportunity to work with her, rest assured you’re in great hands! Long story short, we highly recommend the Pond House Cafe for your big day!
Samantha Sent on 08/26/2021
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A Magical Wedding Day!
My husband and I can not say enough wonderful things about the Pond House! We booked our wedding back in fall of 2019, so we were wedding planning through the whole COVID rollercoaster, and I am not sure that we could have kept our sanity intact without the Pond House on our team. They were incredibly agile and adaptive, more than generous when working with us around the updated regulations, and responsive to our many, many questions. They also valued keeping our guests and their employees safe, which was important to us.
Our wedding day itself was absolutely magical! The room and the gardens were gorgeous – it felt like a dream. The food was delicious (all of our guests were raving), and the team made sure that, even as the bride and groom, we never went hungry. Stephanie is amazing and she was there to help us in every way, even helping me to figure out a difficult bustle! Thanks to the Pond House, the whole night ran seamlessly - we can’t imagine a more wonderful wedding day.
Jacquie Sent on 07/26/2021
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Truly magical!
Wow! It was purely magical!! From start to finish was all she had dreamed and hoped for! It exceeded all of our expectations. The venue, the FOOD, the staff, everyone and everything was perfection! It’s been a week since the wedding and I’m still getting texts and messages from friends and family who are still raving! Most frequent comment, “Best wedding I’ve ever been to!” Thank you Stephanie, Diana, and the entire staff at the Pond House for making my daughter and her new husband’s dreams come true!!! ❤️
Sam A. Sent on 04/03/2021
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Best day of our lives!!
All thanks to the Pond House and their amazing team for making our wedding out of this world perfect in a less than perfect covid time. Stephanie was our coordinator and I just loved her! She was so personable and easy to reach, ask questions to and so reliable the day of. I would never ever regret working with the pond house in our day. The food was so amazing! They even helped make a special meal for my mom who has a very picky taste. Thank you thank you thank you- Kyle and I are forever grateful for the amazing memories, full stomachs, laughs and picture perfect pristine venue.
Love the Calhoon’s ❤️
Stephanie Sent on 01/17/2021
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The best wedding venue
I can’t say enough about the Pond House. The food is amazing, the venue is gorgeous and they have been more than accommodating while we were planning our wedding especially during covid. The wedding planner, Stephanie, is great, so helpful and very attentive. Diana and all of the staff have been so amazing and kind to us. We couldn’t have picked a better venue and are so happy to say we had the wedding of our dreams.
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Ashley Sent on 10/28/2020
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Beyond Our Expectations
How do I give ten stars? The Pond House hosted both our ceremony and reception, and it was the most wonderful experience. The pictures of this venue speaks for itself -absolutely stunning. The food from the venue was also incredible, we received so many compliments from our guests about their meals.
The entire day was well organized and absolutely beautiful, but one of the best things about The Pond House was how great they were during the planning process. Planning a wedding during COVID was so challenging, and Stephanie helped us through every single step. We had to significantly change the size of our invite list, and at one point had planned to move everything onto the patio due to COVID restrictions. Stephanie was a calming presence, and was always very accommodating and flexible. Thankfully the big day ended up being everything we had envisioned and more.
Annie Sent on 01/26/2020
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I wish I could have 100 weddings at the Pond House!
Our winter wedding at the Pond House Café exceeded all of our dreams for the big day! Stephanie, our assigned coordinator, was so friendly, helpful, and easy to work with. She was very organized and great with communication – there wasn’t a second leading up to or during the wedding that we were worried about a thing. We had the ceremony in front of the fire place, which allowed us to flow seamlessly from ceremony to the reception, which was very convenient. Excellent food was our #1 priority when wedding planning, which made going with the Pond House a no-brainer. There are so many great menu options that allow you to break the mold of traditional wedding food. Everything we tried at the open house, tastings, and on our wedding day was incredible. All of our guests raved about how delicious the food was and how beautiful the venue was! The room set up with all of the trees and winter décor was so beautiful and beyond anything we could have dreamed up. We were in awe at the beauty of the room - it was a magical winter wonderland for our perfect day.
Ashlee Sent on 09/26/2019
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Amazing Wedding Day!
We are thrilled with our wedding at Pond House! I actually found them right here on Wedding Wire searching around. We initially wanted the rustic barn style wedding, but after researching more, I realized we needed something a bit more hands off. I loved the look of Pond House. It is so romantic, and the main room is so stunning when you walk in. (I'm a sucker for high ceilings.)
We set our first appointment for the walkthrough with Diana. We then sat down next door for lunch, and tired a few different items to get an idea of the food. Although we had another meeting at another venue booked later that week, I cancelled it, and we booked with PH about 1 1/2 years before the wedding day.
I encourage you to go to any open houses or tastings they hold. We were able to try apps and the cakes at 1 event. (Donna's cakes are to die for!- See that review as well!) We also had a great time at the food tasting. I'm a HUGE foodie, so that is another reason why PH was a great fit. A few of mine and our guests favorites: Apps: Mini Chicken and Waffle. Thai Chicken Skewer. Smoked Salmon on a Potato pancake. The star of dinner with the Moroccan chicken. Everyone was raving! (and that is something we would have never picked unless we went to the tasting!)
The night flew by!!! My advice would be to stop and take it all in. We did head inside about a half hour before the ceremony started and was able to see the room set up. It is decorated so beautifully. All we had to bring in was the florals, the favors, and extra things like the seating chart, guest book, and some photos of family members.
Throughout the process we worked with Brittany. She was great with keeping us organized, and answering any questions we had! I'm secretly hoping someone I know has a wedding here, so I can also experience it as a guest! Thank you Pond House!!
Sam A. Sent on 09/25/2019
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Gorgeous venue with wonderful staff. AND THE FOOD!
My wife(!) and I couldn’t have been happier with the pond house cafe for our wedding. Its gorgeous, with the great hall and it’s wall to ceiling windows overlooking the water.
But, for us, it was the staff that made the venue shine. Brittany Philips was our rock!! She was cool and collected on a notoriously chaotic day. She took the rain in stride, moving our ceremony inside. She sent a stream of appetizers to our table, making sure we ate. And apparently she added a guest-needed table for us halfway through dinner. I was never bothered, her and the staff just figured it out 🤷♂️👍
And the food was flawless, too. Everyone was raving about it afterwards. So happy :)
Thanks for a wonderful night!
Sarah Sent on 01/09/2019
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Love this place!
Loved the Christmas trees/ decorations here! They were so beautiful and a great background for photos. I had my ceremony and reception at the pond house. The ceremony was a little tight because we had 120 people and there were only 30 chairs, but it was short so didn't really matter. The reception was amazing, I loved all of the natural light that came in from the big windows. All of the staff were very friendly and helpful, and the food was delicious (the servers kept coming back to me and making sure I had enough to eat!). I especially recommend the lamb.
Elizabeth Sent on 05/04/2018
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The Pond House Café was our first and only choice for our wedding venue. We initially met with Diana and she sold us right away on the all-inclusive aspects of the venue, the cost of which was priced very fair for our 100 guest wedding. We decided to have the ceremony on the adjoining terrace and it is a lovely setting, especially in spring and summer with the gardens and the pond in full view. Another plus is that if it rains and you planned for a terrace ceremony, it is very easy to move the whole thing inside in front of the gorgeous fireplace (luckily we had fantastic weather). The venue really maintains their property inside and out, which was a huge plus for me because I was not big on decorating the space and I didn’t need to at all! There were flowers and décor already in place and it all looked fantastic on our late-April Saturday daytime wedding. Erin was our coordinator leading up to the big day, and she was incredibly accommodating, responsive and helpful as we planned all the details together. My husband and I were able to come in several times to meet with Erin, and sample the food we were going to serve (which is wonderful! I highly recommend dining at the attached restaurant if you want an idea of the food quality). We met another coordinator, Cindy, for our rehearsal and reception, and she was great with rallying everyone and keeping the bridal party and guests happy during the reception. Erin was also great with making sure my husband and I got a chance to eat during the reception (thank you for that, it is easy to forget you’re also there to enjoy the meal when you’re the bride and groom!). I also appreciated that she also made sure my guests with food restrictions were taken care of. Erin and Cindy handled all the notes I had about the placement of my own décor and props perfectly. I highly recommend the Pond House for your wedding or other special event, you will not be disappointed with the quality of service given to you on your special day.
Kellina Sent on 11/05/2017
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Andrea and the team at the Pond House made our wedding absolutely perfect! When we found out it was going to rain on our day Andrea reassured me of a backup plan and walked us through it so it was perfect. The absolute BEST wedding experience ever! Also the food is unbeatable. We got so many compliments on the food and the beauty of the hall. 100% would recommend!
Ashley Sent on 11/04/2017
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There are not enough positive words to say about the pond house. Diana is an angel and helped us tremendously with vendors and helping keep us in budget. They day before the wedding Andrea (our amazing coordinator) surprised me and told me she was moving our ceremony outside for no extra charge!!!! The day of was absolutely beautiful and any wish we had was their command. They even made my son a special meal he didn’t order and wasn’t on the menu. I’d tell anyone to hand their special events there.
Andrea Sent on 08/04/2017
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I was so impressed with the Pond House! I had a vision for what I wanted and they really exceeded my expectations! When I walked into the room for our reception everything looked exactly as I hoped! The staff was super responsive and friendly, and they were always willing to discuss details over the phone, by email, or in person. Everyone raved about the food and how beautiful the venue was! It is naturally beautiful so all you need to do is add your personal touches. I would definitely recommend the Pond House to future brides!
Heather Sent on 01/26/2016
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The Pond House provided my husband and I and all our guests with the most beautiful reception. The room was decorated like a winter wonderland and it was so warm and cozy with the fire place running all night. What a nice touch! Andrea and her staff did a wonderful job of executing cocktail and dinner service with no flaws. The bartenders were great and all our guests had an amazing time! The food was delicious and the staff was so accommodating and friendly. It was such a pleasure working with Andrea throughout the planning process and she was so helpful and professional. Thank you Pond House for providing my husband and I with a night we will never forget!
User2359985 Sent on 10/10/2015
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I recently had my wedding reception at the Pond House Café and it was everything that I hoped it would be and more! After a beautiful ceremony in Elizabeth Park, my guests were greeted by the friendly staff as they transitioned to the outdoor Terrace for a cocktail hour which included butler served, delicious appetizers and drinks!! Soon after my groom and I arrived from taking pictures in the park, I checked in to peek at the Garden Reception Room and was thrilled to see that every detail of my design for my wedding reception had been executed as requested! Andrea was a pleasure to work with and demonstrated professionalism even under the pressure of setting up all of my decorations that I provided including linens, desserts, chargers, napkin holders, votives, etc. My guests raved about how beautiful everything looked and reported that the food was amazing! The staff was extremely friendly and accommodating. I would highly recommend the Pond House for those brides seeking a unique, intimate and beautiful venue for their wedding reception!!
User2233227 Sent on 07/20/2015
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The pond house is a beautiful place to have any type of ceremony but a wedding is sure to impress guests. All comments I got from friends and family were positive. The food is the highlight. The ceremony area makes for beautiful pictures. The amount of light and decoration makes you need less of extras. The help throughout the process makes everything go smooth. The dance floor was great. Overall an amazing experience.
Jenelle Sent on 12/15/2014
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My husband and I just recently had our ceremony and reception at the Pond House. Everyone said planning a wedding could be dreadful but I have to say this was an amazing experience. Diana and Susan were the 2 women I worked with and I can’t even tell you how easy they made this whole process. They were professional, sweet and caring the whole time. Our wedding was a Christmas themed wedding the decor and the space was stunning. The food was phenomenal as all of our guests are still telling us how good it was. The staff (servers, bartenders etc.) was fantastic and as nice as could be. I can’t say one bad thing about the evening or the whole planning experience because they truly are an amazing group to work with. If I could get married 20 more times (all to the same husband of course) I would do it again and again at The Pond House!
User1788528 Sent on 08/31/2014
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Great team of professional women! Very responsive, honest, and helpful!
Susan Sent on 08/28/2014
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The Pond House was the perfect venue for my wedding... you get the beauty of Elizabeth Park and a unique setting that is not just a hotel ballroom. They even have a new outdoor patio area where we had our cocktail hour that is gorgeous! Beyond the space, my coordinator Susan was amazing. She was so patient as I changed my final count and tweaked food choices what felt like a billion times in the weeks before the wedding. On the day of she helped execute all the details I had worked so hard on flawlessly. Oh and the food was so good... the appetizers were a hit with all the guests (tempura asparagus and potato bar amongst others!) and we loved the buffet. They even provided me my own plate of gnocchi since I don't eat meat. I cannot say enough about everyone at the Pond House, they made our reception great!
Samantha Sent on 08/01/2014
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We just had our wedding at Pond House Cafe on June 27th and we were amazed with the venue! Susan was our wedding cordinator at the Pond House and she was awesome to work with and very reassuring, which was helpful with planning our CT wedding from SC! She made sure that everything was set before the big day and she was there the entire night of our wedding making sure everything went as planned! They made sure all of our little details were perfect for when all of our guests arrived and the space was beautiful as always! I would highly recommend Pond House Cafe for any event!
User1440506 Sent on 11/14/2013
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My husband and I flew from Las Vegas to CT just to have our wedding at The Pond House. The setting is gorgeous- the room is perched in the middle of historic Elizabeth Park which is a 125 year old rose garden with a beautiful gazebo on a picturesque pond. Make sure you get photo permission from the Town of West Hartford so you can take pictures everywhere and anywhere you please! The building has huge windows look out over the property. Diana and Susan worked in tandem during contract and food decisions and were extremely well informed. Susan was our actual planner, and she did everything we wanted. She made things happen easily and was always there when we needed to talk and was by our sides for most of our event. Our cake was included in our package- and Donna from Creative Cakes by Donna literally created our cake from a pictures we gave her. Incredible! It's not easy planning a wedding from across the country. But this team made it so. The chef is INCREDIBLE. Louis is extremely talented. He did a tasting "on the fly" for us right before Easter this past year- he was preparing for the biggest brunch of the year as he was sending out plates for us to taste. The whole staff is incredibly accommodating from beginning to end. and it was all incredible. I worked in the restaurant industry for almost 20 years. This man is brilliant. Go for lunch or brunch and check it out. You're just silly if you don't at least visit this venue. The service, the food, the package deals are all generous and delicious. Look at the pictures and menus on the website. The pictures are beautiful- but even they don't do the place justice.
User1199604 Sent on 06/13/2013
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My husband and I got married in October 26, 2012. We had always liked the Pond House because we would go for brunch on Sundays. I worked with Susan for part of the time but the Diana took over the rest of the planning for our wedding. I couldn't have been happier with the way things turned out. I loved the venue because it's not your traditional banquet hall. They had decorated it so beautifully and my family and friends are still talking about how wonderful the reception was. Diana was awesome to work with! She's got a great personality and is organized and easy to work with. Planning a wedding from Texas was difficult but she really put my mind at ease. The cost was reasonable, the food was delicious! The day turned out better than I could have ever imagined. Diana made everything run smoothly and it made our special day that much more wonderful!
User1014612 Sent on 11/13/2012
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We almost didn't work with Pond House because of our first encounters with Lisa. Long story short--don't work with her--go straight to Susan and you can't go wrong. Susan convinced us to give them a chance and they were the best possible venue for us. Susan is fantastic, relaxed, highly competent and remained that way until the very last detail was done. We were also extremely impressed with the chef and kitchen. They designed an entire vegetarian (and some vegan plates) buffet from some suggestions we offered about favorite ingredients and dishes we'd had at a vegetarian restaurant. The chef went above and beyond in creating little masterpieces. The food was so good, we still think about it! Even our meat-loving guests were raving about how delicious everything was. The decor was elegant and beautiful; including the hand-built bar. The bartender got rave reviews from our guests too. Everything was perfect; we're glad we gave them a chance. Totally recommend!!
Britney Sent on 06/27/2009
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This was the absolute perfect venue for my formal and elegant wedding! The hall was decorated to the nines for Christmas, it was perfect for a winter wedding! The food was delicious and the staff was helpful!
Sarah Sent on 11/16/2008
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My husband and I were very impressed with The Pond House as the venue for our wedding reception. The building is beautiful and unique, with various gardens surrounding the building. The food was amazing and was very reasonably priced. This is the type of place that allows you to have something more than the usual "banquet" style wedding reception. Although our wedding took place in the perennial garden in Elizabeth Park, The Pond House would have accommodated the wedding in the reception room if it had rained, which took a lot of stress off of us as we planned and watched the weather leading up to the wedding.
We recommend this as an option to anyone!
Suzanne Sent on 07/07/2009
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We had a brunch reception and the food was amazing. We had many special requests and they were very flexible in getting exactly what we wanted. I would recommend them highly and really do consider a brunch reception. The food was AMAZING!
Amber Sent on 06/25/2024
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June Wedding Was Amazing
My husband and I got married the weekend of June 21st 2024 with the heat wave in full effect and the staff at the pond house went above and beyond to make us and all our guests so comfortable! The updated indoor option was a dream come true and we felt so lucky to have our special day in such a beautiful place. I knew from the moment we toured the venue it would be the perfect setting for our vision. Leslie and her team absolutely knocked the service out of the park, we didn’t have any worries or complaints as everything was exactly as we envisioned. If you’re considering the Pond House for any event I would highly recommend and I know you won’t be disappointed!
Michelle Sent on 11/05/2023
4.8 out of 5 rating
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Thank you!
My husband and I were impressed with Pond House Cafe from day 1. Their customer service and hospitality are unmatched. From initial meetings, food tastings and rehearsal, we felt very confident in our decision to choose Pond House Cafe for our wedding ceremony and reception. The banquet room itself is beautiful and requires very little extra decorations. The food is incredible and they offer so many different varieties of food. A special thank you to Leslie, our wedding coordinator, for ensuring everything went perfectly.
Nicole Sent on 10/12/2023
4.8 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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Pond House Wedding 09/15/23
We got married at the pond house on 09/15/23 and so happy we chose them as our venue. We had 115 people and ceremony on site. Leslie was our coordinator who was always very responsive. Really all of the coordinators work as a team as a well-oiled wedding machine. The food was great, we did a plated with short rib, duck and salmon. One of my favorite parts of The Pond House is all the decor that is included with the banisters and lighting. As someone else mentioned this would typically cost thousands of dollars elsewhere.
One thing I wish I had done was chosen to have our cocktail bar outside instead of inside. Leslie had kind of sold me on the idea that people would walk into the banquet room from the front then grab a drink at the bar, put their place card down and go out to the patio with a nice flow. In reality no one went outside and the doors were actually shut and locked. No one knew to go out and the few people who did actually were locked out at one point. I did bring it to their attention but my husband had to yell an announcement on his own to have people move. It was also sad because we had a lovely 3 piece jazz band playing out there. We had also chosen to do our formal pictures beforehand so we could join cocktail hour and mingle which really didn't happen as I'd hoped. I would not have chosen this for the bar if it weren't suggested to me. Definitely have it outside if weather permits.
Otherwise the day was perfect and all the staff were phenomenal. I would highly recommend.
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Claire Sent on 01/24/2023
4.8 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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Winter Wedding at Pond House
Leslie and Diana worked so hard to make our day perfect! From the very first inquiry they were super friendly and helpful, sharing their experience and expertise every step of the way. The Pond House is such a beautiful venue- and while many enjoy it with the gardens in the spring and summer it is something truly special in the winter. Guests told us they felt like they were in a Harry Potter movie (best compliment ever..) it was so beautiful and magical. The night was so smooth, we were checked in with and taken care of non stop, and the food is DELICIOUS. We couldn't recommend the Pond House more, any time of year.
Kathryn Sent on 09/29/2022
4.8 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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Gorgeous Venue and Wonderful Staff
This venue is STUNNING. The gardens are gorgeous, the cafe is along the water, and it is truly picturesque. The hall and terrace are already decorated for the season, and linens and such are included and all catering is done through Pond House, so minimal work is needed! Literally, they handle basically everything related to the ceremony and reception. A day-of coordinator is provided. We worked with Nicole who was a LIFESAVER! Truly a wonderful, helpful, responsive, patient person. I don't know where I'd be without her.
My only 2 gripes are no bridal room onsite and that the bartenders didn't announce last call, but neither were real problems. There is parking onsite and it's public so I strongly recommend hiring transportation. The gardens are also public and a permit is needed to take pictures.
I truly had the most incredible experience here. The venue is a solid value with dozens of truly delicious food options. The included wedding cake was a wonderful addition and the bartenders created amazing drinks. The waitstaff were attentive and friendly and I truly felt spoiled!
My husband and I are so glad we had our ceremony and reception here and we're SO grateful for Nicole!!!
Leah Sent on 07/06/2022
4.8 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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Great venue!
We got married at the Pond House on July 1st and had an extremely positive experience. The factor that really made our wedding planning smooth and painless was our coordinator, Nicole. If you have the chance to work with her, go for it! She is organized and professional, but also warm. She made us feel special and helped to make the day really feel like us.
Beyond that, the food and decor was lovely and exceeded our expectations. And word to the wise, there is a wide range of budget options for the Pond House. If, like us, you're trying to have a small, budget-friendly wedding, consider lunchtime and weekdays. We thought the Pond House was way out of our budget, but found that a Friday afternoon lunch buffet was a great value and worked for us.
Overall, very pleased with our experience and would recommend! And ask for Nicole- she's absolutely great!
Nicole Sent on 10/06/2020
4.8 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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So accommodating!
The Pond House was our dream venue! Not only is it gorgeous, but the food is delicious and the staff is truly wonderful. We planned our day with a ceremony and reception at the venue, only to have COVID drastically change our plans. Ultimately we had our ceremony just as we planned it, but on a backup date. Stephanie was so helpful and accommodating with our many changed plans and was quick to respond to all our questions and concerns. I wish we could have had all our guests enjoy the reception & food we had planned!
Michaila Sent on 05/30/2019
4.8 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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Modern and Elegant venue
They made the reception and ceremony beautiful, it rained so we had an indoor ceremony and they made it just as expected if not better! The only thing I wish they had was a separate private room for the bride and bridal party
It was hard to hide from guests before ceremony. Great food and even greater service !
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Sarah Sent on 11/03/2018
4.8 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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October Wedding
My husband and I stumbled upon the Pond House during one of their open houses back in March 2015 when we first got engaged. We are so happy we attended the open house because we fell in love with the venue immediately. We booked in 2016 and ended up getting married at the Pond House Cafe this October. We had a long engagement and were eager to have our wedding there. All of the staff at the Pond House were great to work with, from Diana who gave us our first official tour, to Brittany and Cindy who coordinated our wedding day. Diana was even there on our wedding day to ensure things went smoothly as well. Chef Ani was also a pleasure to work with and she created some samples of a signature drink we were thinking of having and let me try it during one of our last meetings before the wedding. She also took the time to sit down and review the menu and to go over any food allergies or diet restrictions any of our guests had and offered alternate solutions for them which was great. She even came out the day of the wedding to make sure I was happy with all of the food. We enjoyed working with the Pond House every step of the way and they truly went above and beyond to ensure our day was everything we wanted. I sent numerous photos of how I wanted things set up to Brittany and she ran with my ideas and made my vision come to life! I was so impressed with how beautiful everything looked the day of and so happy to see all of my hard work come together. It's hard to pass the reigns to someone else when you've been planning for almost three years, but I am so happy to have had the staff at the Pond House there to help my vision come to life. We cannot thank you enough for everything! We wish we could go back and get married again because it goes too quickly! We definitely recommend the Pond House Cafe to anyone who is looking to get married at a beautiful venue for a reasonable price. The food was also amazing and the food tasting was one of our favorite parts of planning. Everything was so delicious it was so hard to choose our menu! If you're thinking about booking the Pond House go to an open house and try some food and meet with other vendors or book a meeting with Diana. You won't be disappointed!
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Marissa Sent on 07/13/2018
4.8 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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I can't say enough about how much I loved the Pond House. It was the only venue my husband and I looked at, because when we walked in, we knew right away it was the one. The room is GORGEOUS, a real show stopper. The room itself has floor to ceiling windows along two walls, and there is so much decor already, that all you really need are centerpieces. From the twinkly lights to the exposed beams, it has the rustic feel we were looking for, without the added expense and stress of a barn or tent wedding! We got so many compliments and questions about how we found such a beautiful venue. The food is amazing, and the portions are awesome. We definitely recommend the braised short rib!
Kelly Sent on 01/11/2017
4.8 out of 5 rating
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My daughter had her reception at the Pondhouse this past August and everything was perfect! She got married outside on the beautiful patio overlooking the pond with the fountain. The bridal party actually walks in front of the guests with the pond as the backdrop...so beautiful. The flowers around the patio that were provided by the Pondhouse were gorgeous. After the ceremony our guests moved to the grass area where a few chairs and tables were set up to start the cocktail hour and to allow the staff to bring the chairs to inside and the area to be prepared for the cocktail hour. I was concerned that this would seem odd to our guests that they were all waiting on the grass to have the patio cleared and set up with couches and a few tables but everyone said it was so quick they really didn't even notice and the wait staff immediately brought around drinks and the absolutely best hors d'oeuvres. Our guests raved about them. Especially the chicken and waffles. The presentation was amazing- not just on a tray but a tray with a beautiful flower arrangement on each tray. After the cocktail hour we moved into the dining room that was gorgeous. If you are looking for a rustic, elegant room, this is the place. The attention to detail was very impressive. My daughter really did not have to bring anything to decorate other then the flowers on the table as they had flowers everywhere. The dinner was fantastic. We were so impressed with the food, the drinks and the venue. Susan the wedding coordinator was wonderful to work with, she was very laid back, attentive to our needs and calmed our nerves. Susan, the wait staff and the bartenders - all wonderful and are definite assets to the Pondhouse. The chef even worked with me on a special request I had made. We have received many compliments for our daughter's wedding, many saying it was the best they have ever been to. You will not be disappointed if you have your wedding reception here.
Sarah Sent on 11/09/2013
4.8 out of 5 rating
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5 out of 5 rating
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The Pond House was amazing. People raved about the food all night long, and the room was gorgeous. We thought it was a great value compared to some of the other venues in the area, and they were so flexible with all of my requests. Susan (our coordinator) was fabulous to work with, was very responsive, and was very organized. When I walked into the room it was perfect! We were able to have a wine service, oysters, and fabulous food with a really big dance floor - ALL of our dream components!
My only complaint is that when it was over, someone told us we had to take everything with us... so my bridesmaids quickly threw all of the chargers, vases, picture frames etc. into boxes and loaded them on the bus. But this was NOT what was told to me a few days prior. It made the end of the night annoying, but my bridesmaids took care of it all so I really didn't have any concept as to what was going on. To her credit, Susan called the next day to apologize because that was not what was supposed to happen. The person who told us to take it with us had misspoken. Susan also came to my hotel the next day and picked up all of the florist vases because the florist was coming back to the Pond House to pick them up. She didn't make me bring them back, since it was obviously their error.
Besides a little snafu at the end of the night, everything was perfect, the bar was well staffed and well stocked, the food was the best wedding food I've ever had, and I loved working with Susan. OH! And it is in the middle of Elizabeth Park which is an absolutely beautiful place.
T Sent on 06/11/2013
4.7 out of 5 rating
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AMAZING venue with fantastic food, beautiful decor, professional staff, great acoustics for your music, great setting for photos....Susan, our wedding coordinator was fantastic and we appreciated everything very much. She made sure that we ate our dinner! She was running around all night making sure things were in order. The night was perfect. We had great response/feedback about the food from many of our guests. We ordered the chicken, shortribs, and mushroom wellington for the wedding and couldn't have been happier. Thank you Pond House!
User935586 Sent on 09/16/2012
4.7 out of 5 rating
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The Pond House was phenomenal for our August 18 wedding of 95 guests. The venue was beautifully decorated with soft lighting and candles for the evening. It looked absolutely beautiful. The staff was incredible and were there to help me every step of the way (even helping fix a falling updo!). I highly recommend the Pond House!!
Kimberly Sent on 08/25/2025
4.6 out of 5 rating
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I would do it again for the views!
I would do it again for the views! Staff was great. Food was just okay which was surprising since everywhere I’ve read and everyone I spoke to said it was spectacular. My guests still had a really good time
Shannon Sent on 08/22/2023
4.6 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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Love the Pond House!
We had such a great time at our wedding at the Pond House. We had Leslie as our coordinator and she was fantastic! The food, drinks, and all the staff there that night were absolutely amazing and made our night.
User1496497 Sent on 04/04/2014
4.6 out of 5 rating
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We had an amazing New Years Eve wedding at the Pond House. We were so impressed as were our guests with the decor, lights, and beauty the venue takes on esp during the winter months.
When deciding on the Pond House, we met with Diana who was great to work with; very responsive and even had a few cool ideas for us for the ceremony. She was also very helpful with explaining the packages, working on the contract etc. Susan was our wedding planner and also very nice to work with. At times, Susan was a little harder to get a hold of, but all in all - we had a very good experience. The wedding went off without a hitch thanks to Susan and team. The food was amazing, the place looked magnificent, the service was excellent - servers were so friendly.
We were so happy we chose the Pond House for our wedding. Being foodies and wanting quality, the Pond House did not let us down. We would definitely recommend the Pond House as a wedding venue - you will not be disappointed.
Deirdre Sent on 01/17/2011
4.6 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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4.5 out of 5 rating
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As a former resident of West Hartford, I always think of Elizabeth Park when it comes to wedding. Everyone I know that has been married in the area has taken photos in the beautiful rose garden. However, when you think New Year's Eve in CT, the rose garden isn't really an option. But the Pond House is! It was beautifully decorated for the Christmas season, the fire was blazing in the fire place, the food was SPECTACULAR! Our reception was gorgeous, not only by our standards but also our guests. Anything we asked for was immediately taken care of. The staff was friendly and accommodating. It really was a perfect reception.
User1429019 Sent on 11/08/2013
4.5 out of 5 rating
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3 out of 5 rating
3.0
My daughter was married in the Rose Garden and we lucked out with the weather. It had rained the week leading up to the wedding and did not look promising for the wedding day ....but it held off and thankfully so. Our only negative comment is the inflexibility on the part of pond house to be able to accommodate our ceremony in the event of rain...so that was a bit stressful right up until the moment of our ceremony worrying that it might rain. Aside from the weather issue, everything was perfect and beautiful and the food was amazing !! Several guests even commented that the food was the best they had ever eaten at a wedding and I would have to agree.....it was delicious !! The room was gorgeous and decorated to perfection. The staff were professional and pleasant to work with. The bathroom facilities were very clean and neat despite the fact that they are public . The day was beautiful in every way and we would strongly recommend Pond House to future Brides.
Marisa Sent on 07/13/2018
4.4 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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4.5 out of 5 rating
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I remember when I was looking at venues and stumbled across The Pond House’s image of the banquet room beautifully bright with floor to ceiling windows. It was breathtaking and I’m so happy it was my wedding venue! I opted for a Sunday brunch wedding with a 12:30 ceremony and reception ending at 4pm. Our wedding was at the end of June, when the roses in Elizabeth Park are in full bloom which made for the most amazing pictures!
Pond House Café was great through my entire wedding planning process. Diana, the Sales Manager, is very on top of things and quick to reach out. As we approached the 6-montth mark I began working with the on-site coordinators. There are anywhere from 2-4 coordinators and managers and I didn’t have a dedicated person working on my event (they all just work together) so sometimes I did find that part frustrating; I had to have faith that everyone on the team was getting the memos. In the end, there were no major errors and the wedding day was a success.
Pros: My guests said great things about the food! It’s not your basic buffet and/or plated meal. The chef puts in a lot of effort to ensure local, fresh and organic ingredients are used. We got to meet the chef and go over our menu selections. We got to try one of the buffet options per our request. Another pro is that your cake is included in the price—and the cake was super yummy!! Pond House recently updated their enhancements list and it’s packed with ways to make your day even more special.
My biggest pro was how beautiful The Pond House was decorated and showed. Their team puts a lot of time and money to replace the window sill flower boxes, swap out décor for the buffet table etc depending on the time of year, even the outside of the venue gets decorated. My decorations were MINIMAL because of how spectacular the space already is and how much décor is already on-site.
Cons: No bridal suite. Guests share a bathroom with the public (if the café is open during your event time).
Stacey Sent on 10/20/2009
4.2 out of 5 rating
4.2
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3.5 out of 5 rating
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3.5 out of 5 rating
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4 out of 5 rating
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The Pond House Cafe was more than we could have asked for on the day of the wedding. The room was perfect, the food was perfect and the staff was perfect. It is not your ordinary venue at all and your guests will be surprised to see how spectacular the room is! Not was you expect at all from the outside. The value for your money is the best that you will find and on top of it to have outrageous food! I wish I could have taken home left overs! :)
The only down side is it is a little hard to get a hold of a wedding coordinator and is a bit frustrating when you are getting down to the wire and you have not heard back from anyone. But none of this effected the outcome of the day of the wedding.
Chloe Sent on 10/18/2011
3.9 out of 5 rating
3.9
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4.5 out of 5 rating
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3.5 out of 5 rating
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I grew up a block away from Elizabeth Park and the pond house, and when my mom suggested having my wedding there, I was pretty much sold! It was the only place we looked at, and we pretty much booked it on the spot. They were very helpful with everything, including the fact that they take care of all the centerpieces and decorations themselves. Most everything at the reception was perfect, the food, the organization, the beautiful decorations (that just so happened to exactly match our color scheme... nice job Pond House!). However, there are a few things that annoyed me a little bit. We decided to do a challah blessing before the meal, and payed a lot of money for a huge challah that was supposed to be cut up and served with the buffet... well they forgot, so most of the challah went to waste. Also, I believe a champagne toast was included in our bar price, and they never did one.... Also, don't be fooled into getting their "breakfast bread table" if you have a brunch here, it is very small, and not really worth it. But all in all, the put on a wonderful reception for us, and many of our guests proclaimed it the most beautiful reception they had been to.
Monika Sent on 06/30/2009
3.4 out of 5 rating
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Getting a hold of the "wedding coordinators" can be very frustrating, at the same time it may take a while for them to give you a call back. Wedding coordinator not exactly flexible or enthusiastic. Food is delicious, set up of food is beautiful and the waiters/waitresses were very attentive. If food is what is most important to you, then this is the place, you will not regret this unique delcious menu!
The bathroom is a public bathroom, toilet paper was consistenly lacking, there were dirty diapers on the bathroom floors, could have been much cleaner and well kempt. Outdoor grounds are beautiful, as the Pond House is located at a Rose Garden.
Aleksandra Sent on 06/30/2020
1 out of 5 rating
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Hire someone who cared for their customers during COVID
This review took me a while to post because I had to process my thoughts and grief that I felt about the way my fiance and I were treated. Our wedding was supposed to take place in August at Pond House. My fiance and I had a thorough conversation with Pond House concerning the issues and fear COVID-19 was causing our family. We expressed our concerns and explained that 90% of our family needs to travel in and being that a lot of our relatives were considered high risk, traveling for our wedding was just not a possibility. We asked them for a refund of our $4000 deposit and let them know that we plan to come back once this ever-evolving pandemic is at its end. Nope. Pond House insisted that we reschedule for next year with "up to" a 5% price increase or that we use the $4000 deposit for a catered event instead. This didn't make sense for our family and made my fiance and I believe that we weren't being heard. How could we take advantage of a catered event when our family is out of state AND how can we possibly reschedule for next year when coronavirus is an ONGOING and EVER-EVOLVING PANDEMIC? Pond House finally agreed to refund some of our deposit but decided to keep $1000 of it even though they rendered absolutely NO SERVICES. They said we can have it back if we spend a minimum of $6000 with them in the next 12 months which is absolutely ludicrous. We will not put our family at risk. However, at this point my fiance and I had already given up and just agreed to those terms. We didn't have the energy to continue fighting. We were already losing the wedding we've been looking forward to for months and our venue was pouring salt into the wound. Do yourself a favor and get a venue that actually cared about their customers during this pandemic.
Pond House Cafe's reply:
Our hearts go out to all of our weddings that were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We have put a great deal of time and consideration into creating policies and procedures that are fair to both parties. With almost 100 weddings affected in 2020 we had to hold to these policies for all weddings in order to fairly help them find solutions during this unprecedented time. We offered a variety of solutions for our weddings to choose from and we successfully rescheduled over 90 weddings to 2021, and found alternative solutions for the majority of the remainder. Although we understand that there were a few weddings that did not agree with our policies, we do feel that these policies did a great job in helping almost all of our weddings find solutions for their special day.
We understand how heartbreaking this has been for all of our weddings as it has been for us as well. We have had the pleasure of hosting weddings for 21 years and have never experienced anything as devastating as this pandemic. We wish all of our weddings that have chosen to not reschedule all the happiness in the world as they begin their lives together.
User1499528 Sent on 01/07/2014
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Can't leave a message at ext. 102 when you're closed. You need a better system!
