Weddings at Essex Station is a wedding venue located in Essex, Connecticut offering steam trains, a riverboat, and a railway station for your wedding day celebrations. You can bask in the romance and charm of transportation history for a truly memorable and distinct setting for your special day.

Facilities and Capacity

Weddings at Essex Station offers many options for hosting your wedding celebrations, whether train, riverboat, or in the station. The Essex Clipper Dinner Train has 1920's Pullman dining cars, in which you can dine while looking out at the Connecticut River coast. Private and semi-private charters are available for up to 97 guests. The Becky Thatcher, a 70-foot long Mississippi-style riverboat, can host 150 guests and allows you to enjoy a golden sunset on the water. You can avail of a dining car lunch, followed by a cruise on the riverboat and a steam train ride. Essex Station itself offers the nearly 3,000-square-foot River Valley Junction Hall with for up to 200 guests and the airy 1,000-square-foot Oliver Jensen Gallery for up to 110 guests.

Services Offered

Weddings at Essex Station can host your rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception. In addition to wedding services, this venue is available to host other special events and celebrations. These include anniversaries, birthday parties, corporate events, and school trips.

Cuisine

You can enjoy a sitdown meal on the river and rail or in the station. You can relax on a 2.5-hour outing in a dining car through the scenic Connecticut River Valley while enjoying a four-course meal. Guests must select their entrees before the trip. On board, a cash bar, tab bar, or open bar are all available. The Becky Thatcher can host a waterborne cocktail reception or sit-down dinner on its three decks.

Other Facilities

Essex Station is an ADA-compliant site with their public buildings, grounds, and campus all wheelchair-accessible. However, their restored historic train cars and riverboat date from a time where accessibility was not a design priority, and thus can present mobility challenges.

History

In the summer of 1871, the first ceremonial train run of the Valley Railroad company took place. Until 1968, a succession of railroad companies ran trains along this stretch of rail. Local volunteers decided to take action to preserve the rail tracks for future generations. The new Valley Railroad ran their first train on July 29th, 1971, one hundred years to the day after the first run.

Location

This wedding venue is centrally located in Essex, and the proprietors offer an extensive list of local restaurants, cafes, and accommodation. It is a 37-minute drive from New Haven and one hour and 12 minute-drive from Providence, Rhode Island.