Waveny House
677 South Ave
New Canaan, CT 06840
203-594-3600
View their website
Average Base Cost: $13,000
Average base cost for a Waveny House wedding is calculated by figuring a 125-person guest list for a Saturday ceremony/reception including their non-resident rental fees, family-style catering costs of $50/pp (since you can bring in your own food and beverage), and standard security guard/cleanup fees as well as their included furniture/serveware. Transportation to venue, entertainment, decorations, DJ, and photography are not included. Average price includes gratuity and state sales tax. Price is rounded up to the nearest thousand.
How it Breaks Down
Facility Fee: The Waveny House can be rented on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for the following rates:
For New Canaan Residents:
$1,500 for the use of Waveny House, the Patio and lawn immediately surrounding the house plus a $375 non-refundable deposit and $750 clean-up bond
For Non-Residents:
$2,650 for the use of Waveny House, the Patio and lawn immediately surrounding the house plus a $665 non-refundable deposit and $750 clean-up bond
NOTE: The Walled garden adjacent to Waveny House is not part of the rental and requires an additional use agreement. Its permitted use for wedding ceremonies is available only to individuals who have a Waveny House rental and only for that date.
What’s Included: The rental rate includes use of the property for 10 hours. Weddings and receptions will include the first floor, kitchen, west porch, terrace and immediate grass grounds, along with two upstairs rooms for the bridal parties. Rental of the Waveny House also includes the following items:
- 60″ diameter round tables (20)
- 30″ diameter round tables (16)
- 36″ diameter round tables (2)
- 6 foot long tables (12)
- 8 foot long tables (12)
- card tables (6)
- chairs (160)
- place settings china- cup, saucer, 10″ plate, 2-7½” plates (160)
- place settings stainless flatware- knife, fork, spoon, salad fork (160)
- salt & pepper shakers (25)
- cream pitchers (24)
- Sugar bowls (24)
- thermos pitchers (8)
- coffee pots (4)
- water pitchers (24)
- 8 burner Garland gas stove cook top
- Garland ovens (4)
- double door S.S. refrigerator
- stand-up freezer
- dishwasher
NOTE: Rental chairs are not permitted inside Waveny House or on the Terrace. Rental chairs are only allowed for use in the Walled Garden and may not be dropped off or stored at Waveny House. Waveny House chairs and tables may not go off the outside terrace and on to the grass.
Additional Fees: Waveny House requires a New Canaan Police Officer to be on duty during the event. (On average, a security guard can cost anywhere from $10-$50/hour, but you can expect the price to run around $100-$200 per guard for the evening.)
Other Important Notes:
- The Library and Billiards Rooms are not available for rental.
- New Canaan residents and organizations may rent Waveny House for their own use up to two years in advance.
- Non-residents and Non-resident organizations may rent Waveny House up to one year in advance.
- Waveny House rentals are handled on a first-come first-served basis at the Recreation Department Office only and not over the phone.
- Proof of residency is required for resident rentals.
- No tents are allowed
Food and Beverage: You may bring in your own caterer as long as they have proof of insurance. As part of the insurance requirements, all events allowing the consumption of alcohol require Liquor Liability Coverage.
More Stats
Space Type: Inside/Outside
Size: Up to 160 guests (Grand Hall 80; Dining Room 40; Sitting Room 40 for a total of 160)
Bridal Suite: There are two suites available for the bridal parties (or bride and groom)
Parking: Yes
Food Service Type: Your choice.
How Will Grandma Get There? The Waveny House is about an hour’s drive from Grand Central Station in New York City, and a 10 minute drive from Norwalk, CT where guests would most likely stay since hotels are a bit limited in New Canaan. Click here for a list of hotels near the Waveny House.
Party On! The rental includes use of the property for 10 hours with the following curfews:
• The bar must close at 11:30 p.m.
• Inside music must stop at 11:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• Outside music must stop at 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10:00 p.m. on Sundays.
• The House must be cleaned and the premises vacated by 1:00 a.m.
NOTE: If the 1:00 a.m. curfew is violated, the person renting the House will forfeit their $750 clean-up bond.
The Report
The Waveny House is a Tudor Mansion that was built in 1912 for the Lewis Lapham family and was purchased by the Town of New Canaan in 1967. It is now considered a Town of New Canaan municipal building and run by the New Canaan Recreation Department. The home has wood-paneled walls and ceilings, tudor style leaded glass windows, marble fireplaces, hand stenciled muraled walls, wide plank wooden floors, and an open-air patio alongside the expansive grounds.
Woman Getting Married Says
I think this venue is a gem for those couples looking for a mansion-style wedding venue in Connecticut and outside of New York City. First, it’s pretty cool to say you got married at the original Wayne Manor (though, admittedly, the one used in Batman Begins is more awe-inspiring… but still). Second, you know how I feel about venues that let you hire your own caterer and bring in your own alcohol (with the proper insurance, of course).
The venue fee is more than reasonable considering what they’re also providing, and the fact that it has both inside/outside spaces is a huge plus. While it might be too out of the way for New York City couples looking for a mansion wedding venue (and the surrounding area since hotels/nightlife might be a bit sparse for out-of-town guests), it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for a historical wedding venue on a budget.
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Wow, I absolutely loved reading this review of Waveny House! The stunning architecture and beautiful surroundings sound like a dream for a wedding venue. Thanks for sharing such detailed insights; it really helps in planning!
Thanks, Mark! We must’ve gotten some wrong info. We’ll update this!
Waveny House was Never used for the filming of the 1966 TV Series “Batman”. The exterior of Wayne Manor in the tv series was a mansion in Pasadena, the interiors were all on a 20th Century sound stage. Other exterior shots were done at Desilu with the exception of the exterior of the Bat Cave which was filmed at Griffith Park.