The Boathouse and its representatives truly believe they have one of the best views of the Columbus Downtown skyline, which provides for a wonderful back drop for any wedding. They are a restaurant company and their food is made from scratch, everything is fresh and made for each wedding. It's a great facility and they are always eager to exceed expectations of the guests. It is really a unique and interesting venue that has one of a kind view of the city. The view evolves and changes as the sun goes down and the city lights come on.
The Boat House at Confluence Park is Columbus’ premier venue for your most special events. With panoramic views of the downtown Columbus skyline and the confluence of the Olentangy and Scioto rivers there’s simply no other location like it.
Voted Best Wedding Location in Columbus by wedding publisher The Knot, and recognized by major publications as one of the city’s best waterfront dining experiences, the Boat House Restaurant offers the backdrop and accommodations to make your special event even more special.
Their experienced special events team members have collectively planned and executed over 20,000 weddings! They offer full-service, all-inclusive event planning, design, coordination and execution.
They have ample entertainment space and a variety of settings, including breezy outdoor patios and an outdoor wedding space for waterfront ceremonies.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many people does your wedding venue accommodate?
The Boathouse has four different rooms. The largest room is the Buckeye room and it holds up to 300 guests. The Confluence room is their medium sized room and it holds 175 people. The Olentangy room holds up to 132 guests. The Scioto room holds up to 100 guests. The Boathouse also has a small restaurant on site that people can come in and enjoy anytime they want. - Can I hold my wedding ceremony as well as the reception at the venue?
The Boathouse can do an indoor ceremony or an outdoor ceremony and they also have space for the reception. They have an outdoor Gazebo that can hold up to 225 guests in the Garden area. The Boathouse also has a patio area that faces the downtown skyline that can hold 155 people. They also have space indoors for ceremonies as well. - What is your rental fee?
The Boathouse has a food and beverage minimum for each room in the facility. The pricing ranges from $2000.00 to $15,000. The prices can fluctuate depending on the size of the room, the day the event is held, the time the event is held, the level of service the bridal party wants and the type of food and beverage options they choose. - How much is the deposit and when is it due?
They have a 20% advance deposit due at the time the room is booked. The second payment is due 6 months prior to the event and that is an additional 30% deposit. Final head counts are due ten days prior to the event and final payment is due 7 days prior to the wedding date. If additional services are requested the night of the wedding they will accommodate that as well. - What is your cancellation policy?
Per the contract that is signed with The Boathouse the deposits are non-transferable and non-refundable. With that being said The Boathouse will make every effort to re-book the facility on the night or day in question, if they are able to do so then they reserve the right to return some or all of the deposit depending on the circumstance of the cancellation. They try to work with all the guests and the greater the notice given the better chance they have to re-book a room. - How long will I have to use the event space I've reserved?
Each room at The Boathouse is booked in five hour time blocks. The clock starts at the time the first guests arrive. The evening timeframe starts at 6:00 the day time frame goes from 10:30 until 3:30. The evening time frame can be extended at an additional fee but he daytime one cannot unless there is not an event following it. The Bride and Groom can arrive anytime they want for picture taking and such. The latest any event can go is 2:00 a.m. - Is the food catered in or is it done in house?
The Boathouse offers full bar service. They are a restaurant and as such all the food is done in house. They offer nor d'oeuvres, they offer plated or buffet meals as well as food stations. They are a restaurant so the menu the bridal party can choose from is wide ranging. The pricing of the food also changes based on the day and the time of day the event is being held. The Boathouse does offer dessert as part of its menu but guests are allowed to bring in their own wedding cake and other desserts for the wedding event. - Are tables, linens, chairs, plates, silverware and glassware provided?
The Boathouse has linens available in white, black or ivory, they have napkins in 27 different colors; the china, the silverware, the glassware, the set up and the teardown are all included. Chair covers and chiavari and upgraded linens are additional. - Can I bring in my own alcoholic beverages?
Guests by law are not allowed to bring alcohol onto the premises. - Are you licensed to provide alcohol service? If so, is alcohol priced per person or by consumption?
They are licensed to serve alcohol on the premises. Pricing on alcohol is very flexible, sometimes its best to pre-pay for unlimited drinks for the guests or they can pay the bar tab at the end. - What is your weather contingency plan for outdoor spaces?
The Boathouse has the ability to move a ceremony inside in the event of inclement weather. - Does your facility have a bridal room and groom room to allow the wedding parties to prepare themselves?
The facility does have a bridal suite and that is available for a fee and the first wedding party to book the wedding bridal suite the night of the event gets it. - Can I move things around and decorate to suit my purposes or does everything need to remain as is?
The guests can do anything they like to the tables. The Boathouse does not allow guests to attach things to their walls or get on ladders. The Boathouse uses a decor company to help with decorating the space to the bridal parties taste. This is a separate fee based service. - Do you have decoration guidelines that must be followed?
No glitter and no Confetti, this material is just to hard to get cleaned up. Candles are allowed. - Do you have restrictions on what kind of music I can play or a time in which the music must end?
There is no restrictions on the type of music that is played. The wedding party can have a DJ or a live band. They do have a decibel meter to help keep the music at an except able level for everyones enjoyment. The Boathouse is also very particular about how the sound systems are set up in each room so they avoid cross contamination of each room. Many of the more popular DJ's and Live bands have been in The Boathouse on many occasions and are very familiar with how to set up each room. Speaker placement is very strategic in the best interest of everybody. - Does your venue provide on-site parking?
The Boathouse has 341 parking spots available for guests. Even on nights where they are completely full their is plenty of parking. Most guest arrive 3 to 4 per car and many guest arrive via a shuttle. Parking is almost never an issue at the Boathouse. - Are their nearby hotels that your venue recommends?
The Boathouse does have relationships with nearby hotels some of which offer shuttle service to and from the venue. They can arrange for transpiration as well as hotel room blocks. The primary hotels they use are the Grandview hotels like The Hyatt Place and Springhill Suites because they have a shuttle. They also offer special pricing to The Boathouse guests. - Is the site handicap accessible?
The facility is handicap accessible. - Does your venue have liability insurance in the event that someone is injured during the event?
They have plenty of insurance to make sure they are covered for just about anything. - Do you have signage or other aids to direct guests to my event?
They have lots of signage available for guests both inside the building to direct them to the proper room and they can even offer exterior signage upon request. - Do you have a recycling policy?
They do some responsible recycling behind the scenes. - What else would you like to say about your venue that I have not asked?
The Boathouse and its representatives truly believe they have one of the best views of the Columbus Downtown skyline, which provides for a wonderful back drop for any wedding. They are a restaurant company and their food is made from scratch, everything is fresh and made for each wedding. It's a great facility and they are always eager to exceed expectations of the guests. It is really a unique and interesting venue that has one of a kind view of the city. The view evolves and changes as the sun goes down and the city lights come on.