The Lodge Tolland, CT
The Lodge at Crandall Park (its official name) is at 124 Cider Mill Road, Tolland, CT, the phone number is 860-871-3610 and their website is WWW.TollandCT.Gov/rental-facilities/pages/lodge-crandall-park.
If you were to get married at The Lodge, you’d get your marriage license through the Tolland Town Clerk’s website, which is WWW.TollandCT.Gov/town-clerk.
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Devils Hopyard State Park East Haddam, CT
Devil’s Hopyard State Park has both a waterfall (Chapman Falls) and a covered bridge for weddings and elopements.
The official address for Devil’s Hopyard State Park is 366 Hopyard Road, East Haddam, CT. When you visit for the first time, please allow yourself enough time to wander to discover various features of the Park.
If you would like to elope or have your wedding at Devil’s Hopyard, you do not need to make reservations, just please keep in mind that autumn weekends tend to be busy. You will need a reservation if you want to use a pavilion.The Devil’s Hopyard website is portal.ct.gov/DEEP/State-Parks/Parks/Devils-Hopyard-State-Park. The Website has directions, maps, and more.
If you decide to get married at Devil’s Hopyard (or by the Gillette Castle Lily Pond), you’ll get your marriage license at the East Haddam Town Clerk’s Office at 1 Plains Road, Moodus, CT (please note that a year or two ago they moved to Moodus). The East Haddam Town Clerk’s Website is WWW.EastHaddam.Org/departments/TownClerk. Debra and her team are nice people who enjoy helping engaged couples. It is a pleasure to collaborate with them several times each year.
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Chatfield Hollow State Park Killingworth, CT
The Chatfield Hollow State Park Website has maps, information about fees, and other helpful data. The State Park is at 381 Route 80, Killingworth, CT.
To get married in Chatfield Hollow State Park, you will get your marriage license from the Killingworth Town Clerk’s Office at 323 Route 81, Killingworth, CT. It is close to the State Park. The Town Clerk’s website is TownOfKillingworth.Com/town-clerk and you would click on “How do I get a marriage license?”.
There is a covered bridge in Chatfield Hollow State Park, and we wish we had photos of the covered bridge in autumn!
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Burr Pond State Park Torrington, CT
The Burr Pond State Park Website is helpful, and has some surprising information about condensed milk.
The address for Burr Pond Park is 385 Burr Mountain Road, Torrington, CT. The website warns that parking is extremely limited.
If you’d like to elope or have your wedding at Burr Pond, you would get your license at the Torrington City Clerk’s Office, 140 Main Street, First Floor, Torrington, CT, The City Clerk’s Website is WWW.TorringtonCT.Org/city-clerks-office/pages/marriage-licenses-and-certificates.
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Village at Boulder Ridge Barkhamsted, CT
The Village at Boulder Ridge Website shows how wedding-friendly they are! They have grown a lot since a couple who had met as counselors there had me officiate at their wedding. It was a nice wedding venue then and it is even nicer now.
To get married in Barkhamsted you’d get your marriage license from the Town Clerk's Office. The website is WWW.Barkhamsted.US/entities/town-clerk; scroll down and click on “Marriage Licenses” for help.
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Mystic Seaport Greenmanville Chapel Mystic, CT
You can elope, just the three of us, at Mystic Seaport, or have a full wedding with guests as shown on the Mystic Seaport Website.
Just to set your expectations correctly, Mystic Seaport is a museum (“The Museum of America and the Sea”), not a working seaport. The Seaport is located at 75 Greenmanville Avenue, Mystic, CT, which is in the Town of Stonington. (Mystic is a village, an “unincorporated locality”, which is physically in two towns.)
From Mystic Seaport to Historic Downtown Mystic (shared by the Towns of Stonington and Groton), where Main Street is filled with shops and restaurants is a short distance; you will probably want to drive, though. People use the word “quaint” a lot to describe Mystic. For all my life so far, I’ve lived in the area.
To elope or have your wedding at Mystic Seaport (or anywhere east of the Mystic River), you would get your marriage license at the Stonington Town Hall at 152 Elm Street, Stonington, CT. Please visit the Stonington Town Clerk’s Marriage Links Website to begin the process.
While you’re in Stonington, you might want to visit the Lighthouse Museum (yes, you can get married there, even in the Lamp Room [where the light itself used to be]!) and the rest of Stonington Village. Again, the word “quaint” springs to mind.
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Hopeville Pond State Park Griswold, CT
Hopeville Pond State Park is at 929 Hopeville Road, Griswold, CT. The Hopeville Pond Website contains a list of “Activities” and other information. You could have a Picnic Wedding or elopement! Like all Connecticut State Parks, there is no admission charge nor parking fee for vehicles registered in Connecticut.
To get married at Hopeville Pond State Park (or Heavitree B&B, another Griswold, CT place with beautiful autumn views) you would get your marriage license at the Griswold Town Clerk’s Office at 28 Main Street, Jewett City, CT; please start at her Website (please look under “MARRIAGE LICENSING”.
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Gillette Castle State Park Terrace Lyme, CT
The entrance to all of Gillette Castle State Park is located at 67 River Road, East Haddam, CT and the Gillette Castle website has a virtual tour (it may whet your appetite for the physical tour!).
Because of the priceless antiquities inside the Castle, neither a marriage ceremony nor photography is permitted inside the Castle itself. Escorted tours are available, however, and are strongly recommended.
If you decide to get married on the Castle Terrace part of Gillette Castle State Park, or anywhere near the Castle, you’ll get your marriage license at the Lyme Town Clerk’s Office. The Lyme / East Haddam Town Line runs through Gillette Castle State Park, making it confusing. You’re welcome to talk or text with me at 860-543-2334 if you’d like help!
Please see the Lyme Town Clerk’s Website; you’ll probably like her as much as I do!
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Gillette Castle State Park Lily Pond / Bridge East Haddam, CT
William Gillette, who built the Castle, who not only portrayed Sherlock Holmes on stage and screen, but he was also a prolific inventor who added amazing touches to his home. You’ll also notice his love for cats inside and out. When I was young, my parents took me on the escorted tour, and I fell in love with Gillette’s marvelous touches that our guide described. That probably explains my love of technology and remote control. Gillette’s technology was innovative in his time.
When you enter Gillette Castle State Park at 67 River Road in East Haddam, CT you’ll drive by a small seasonal pond and the Lily Pond with its stone bridge. The Gillette Castle website has a virtual tour of the Castle. Neither photographs nor marriage ceremonies are permitted inside the Castle itself. The escorted tours, however, are strongly encouraged when you visit! They are much better than the virtual tour....
If you decide to get married in the Lily Pond / Bridge part of Gillette Castle State Park, you’ll get your marriage license at the East Haddam Town Clerk’s Office; please see the East Haddam Town Clerk info in the Devil’s Hopyard State Park section of this Page. The East Haddam / Lyme Town Line runs through Gillette Castle State Park, making it confusing. You’re welcome to talk or text with me at 860-543-2334 with me if you’d like help!
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