Lighthouse Point Park, CT reviews

elledubs

Hi!

I'm hoping to get married at LPP next summer (have already talked to Sabrina about the dates). However, there are some reservations from family members and the fiance that the place would be filled with people since it's a public park. For the brides who have already gotten married there or who have staked out the location (I'm currently overseas, so I've only asked families to check it out for me til I can make it out there), how crowded is the place around 5:30 during the summer? We're thinking of doing a ceremony by the beach or the lighthouse, facing the water.

Also, I understand that the bathrooms are outside of the carousel building - do you know if they will get cleaned before an event?

I'm in love with the place based on pictures, but we have to make a decision based on family members' input and other reviews so any help would be appreciated!

shanhou3

Hi there, 

We almost got married there (got quite a ways into planning, til we ended up deciding to majorly downsize and have a teeny tiny wedding... that's another story haha!) so I can tell you all that I heard from others during my planning process!  I also live down the street from LPP and go there often in the summer so I can speak from that experience as well.  

First of all, from everyone I talked to who has been married there, they said that the people on the beach did not bother them one bit.  They were just so happy and on Cloud 9 on their wedding day, and any passerby were just full of well wishes, which actually kind of adds to the happiness of the day... that they just barely noticed anyone but the people at their wedding.  Also, when the staff and/or your family/friends start setting up your ceremony on the beach, they can gently ask anyone in the immediate area to relocate further down the beach because of the wedding (I know this because I myself was asked this once while lounging on the beach just before a wedding got set up - spying on weddings there while I was planning! haha!).  People are usually understanding of things like that! 

Also, I would say that actually the park part of the park, i.e. the grassy picnicky areas- tend to be busier by that time of day than the beach itself is, for whatever reason.  The closer to the lighthouse your ceremony is, the more privacy you will have because the beach is WAY less busy over there (although you may have a few folks sightseeing near the Lighthouse itself).   I know that they have a women's bathroom reserved especially for private events, but the men's room is public (since guys usually couldnt care less about whether a bathroom is nice), so it just depends if you care about that.  Your event also has a somewhat private parking area - it isn't technically private, but less popular than the other lots...  if you have guests (without mobility issues - this area is not paved) follow the "Carousel Parking" signs they will be led to the Carousel & beach area by a path that is less traveled than other paths in the park, which is kind of nice.  

Depending on the weather, there definitely will be people on the beach, though, so you do have to be prepared for that - you definitely won't have a 100% private wedding. But I don't think you will care.  Honestly, I am still sad we couldn't have our wedding there once we downsized.  I love the place!  It's so unique and romantic, your photos will be so beautiful and your guests will have so much fun... the positives SO outweigh the negatives.  If you can afford it, do it!!   :-)