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Connecticut rain plan guide

Updated

Connecticut outdoor venues with rain plans

A rain plan is what happens to an outdoor ceremony if the weather turns: a room indoors, a covered space, or a tent. Plenty of venues with a lovely lawn never say which. In Connecticut, 17 venues with an outdoor ceremony say what happens if it rains. Most move indoors (15); 4 put up a tent. Plans are most often stated in Mystic & Eastern Connecticut and the Connecticut Shoreline.

We've gathered details on 35 Connecticut venues. Pick a starting point and Sage will rank them for your day, with cost estimates wherever the venue publishes its prices.

Outdoor + rain planThe whole propertyEstate or mansion

51% of the Connecticut venues we track say what happens to an outdoor ceremony if it rains

We count a venue only when its own details describe a plan. Most of the rest never mention weather, which means you'll need to ask, not that there's no plan.

What kind of venue

Which kinds of outdoor venue have a rain plan

The share of each kind of Connecticut outdoor-ceremony venue that says what happens if it rains. Start your search with the kinds at the top: estates and mansions (6 of 9) and barns and farms (4 of 6).

  • Estate / Mansion6 of 9
  • Barn / Farm4 of 6
  • Banquet Hall4 of 6
  • Beach3 of 6
  • Event Center3 of 6

Read the rain plan carefully

“We have a rain plan” can mean three different things

You move indoors

15 Connecticut venues

The simplest plan: the ceremony moves into a room the venue already has. Ask whether it holds everyone, and whether it's also the dinner room, since resetting it takes time.

In Connecticut: La Bella Vista, Lionrock Farm and The Lodge at the Hops, among others.

You put up a tent

4 Connecticut venues

A tent can go where you planned the ceremony, but it is usually ordered days ahead and paid for separately. Ask who orders it, who pays, and how late you can decide.

In Connecticut: Lionrock Farm, Maneeley's Banquet & Catering and Eolia Mansion, among others.

Some venues offer more than one, so the counts overlap.

Venue by venue

What each Connecticut venue does if it rains

Every outdoor-ceremony venue here that describes its plan, in a sentence: where the ceremony goes, and, where the venue says, when the call is made and what it costs. The most detailed first.

  • If it rains: The two indoor ballrooms hold up to 200 for a formal seated dinner, so an outdoor event can move inside; a tent may also be contracted for the terrace for cocktails and dancing, or for dining in the Tennis Pavilion.

    Up to 200 guests

  • Waveny House

    New Canaan

    If it rains: An outdoor ceremony can move inside, where the Grand Hall, Dining Room and Sitting Room together hold 160, or on to the covered West Patio, which seats up to 90. Tents are not permitted.

    Up to 160 guests

  • If it rains: Ceremonies can be held indoors as well as out, The Grand Lodge is climate controlled, and the Grand Tent and rustic pavilion keep social hour covered if the weather turns.

    Up to 225 guests

  • If it rains: Your on-site ceremony can be held indoors or out; either way the ceremony fee covers the chair setup and the coordination, so the ballrooms are ready if the weather turns.

    Up to 500 guests

  • If it rains: When the weather will not allow the waterfront terrace, the ballroom and its floor-to-ceiling windows over the river take the ceremony or reception indoors.

  • If it rains: The Grey Barn gives you an indoor room with vaulted ceilings and cathedral windows, and the Patio can be tented, so there is cover whatever the day brings.

    Up to 200 guests

  • If it rains: Every on-site ceremony comes with a backup inclement weather plan; ask us which space becomes your rain plan for the experience you choose.

    Up to 260 guests

  • If it rains: A ceremony can be set on the beach, in the tropical gardens or inside a ballroom, so an elegant indoor room is ready if the weather turns.

    Up to 550 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather will not cooperate, the ceremony moves indoors to the Jensen Gallery and its natural light, which also hosts cocktail hour.

    Up to 230 guests

  • If it rains: With three indoor banquet rooms on site, a ceremony on the beach or an event in the pavilion can move inside if the weather turns.

    Up to 1200 guests

  • If it rains: You can hold your ceremony indoors or outdoors, weather permitting, and our staff handles the setup and breakdown either way.

    Up to 240 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather turns, your ceremony moves inside to the 7,000 square foot lodge, fireplaces lit and garage doors closed.

    Up to 350 guests

  • If it rains: Ceremonies move indoors for inclement weather and through the winter season; the $600 ceremony fee still applies.

    Up to 299 guests

  • If it rains: Your ceremony can be held outdoors or indoors, so if the weather turns we simply bring it inside.

  • If it rains: If it rains, your ceremony is held inside the barn, the same space as the reception.

    Up to 210 guests

Show all 17 venues
  • Eolia Mansion

    Waterford

    If it rains: If the weather turns, the ceremony moves under the custom tent on the terrace.

    Up to 150 guests

  • If it rains: If the weather turns, a lawn ceremony moves inside to the Wine Cellar.

    Up to 75 guests

Each sentence is from the venue's own published details. Plans and fees change, so confirm with the venue.

How these venues differ

How venues with a rain plan differ from the rest

The 17 Connecticut outdoor-ceremony venues with a rain plan against the 13 outdoor-ceremony venues that don’t mention one, biggest difference first.

Share thatThese venuesOutdoor-ceremony venues that don’t mention one
Have four or more separate event spaces71%31%
Have both indoor and outdoor spaces100%77%
Have on-site lodging18%38%
Provide a coordinator65%46%
Offer their own catering76%85%
Price the space alone, before food12%15%

Each row counts only the venues that say; a venue that doesn't is left out of that row rather than counted as a no.

Where to look

Regions where more venues say what happens if it rains

The tick on each bar marks Connecticut as a whole: 18 of 35 venues say what happens if it rains (51%). Regions with fewer than five venues that say are left out.

What it costs

What outdoor venues with a rain plan cost

$23k

Typical venue and food, 100 guests

Across the 8 of these Connecticut venues that publish a full price.

$20k–$33k

Typical range

Most of them fall in this range.

$25k

Every Connecticut venue

The typical figure across all 18 Connecticut venues with a full price, for comparison.

In Connecticut, outdoor-ceremony venues with a rain plan typically cost $23k for the venue and food for 100 guests, 9% less than the $25k typical across the state.

Places worth a closer look

Connecticut outdoor venues with a stated rain plan

Each has an outdoor ceremony space and says what happens if it rains, in a different way. Open a venue to see its spaces, pricing, and other planning details.

Find venues that match your vision and budget

Describe your guest count, your budget, and anything you can’t compromise on. See a ranked list of venues, with why each one fits, trade-offs, and what to double-check.

Try:

Sage the Date reads each venue's own published details, including pricing, catering and alcohol rules, music curfews, rain plans, whether you get the whole property, and how many guests each space holds. Every estimate uses your guest count. When a venue doesn't say, we tell you instead of guessing.

Before you book

Questions that decide whether the plan works

  • If it rains, where exactly does the ceremony go, and does it fit all our guests?
  • If the plan is a tent, who orders it, who pays, and how late can we decide?
  • Who makes the weather call, and when?
How this guide is built

Sage reads each venue's own published pricing and policies, puts different kinds of quotes on the same footing, and estimates the cost for 100 guests. A venue counts as having a rain plan only when its own published details describe one; the comparisons are among venues that offer an outdoor ceremony. If a venue doesn't say something, we treat it as a question to ask, not a no.