Webb Barn Weddings | Historic Barn Venue

History of the Webb Deane Stevens Museum

Opened in 1919, the Webb Deane Stevens Museum is a view into the lives of 18th- and 19th-century New England folks. The property consists of the following buildings:

• The Holcombe Education Center
• David Buttolph’s house
• Isaac Stevens’ house
• Silas Deane’s house
• Joseph Webb’s house
• Joseph Webb’s barn

All of these structures have been restored and are now open for tours and viewing by the Connecticut chapter of the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. The Holcombe Education Center is the one exception; it’s a new facility that opened in 2021 as an educational space and art exhibit. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.

Obviously, it’s the last of these buildings that has become known for awesome Webb Barn weddings.

Webb Barn Venue Vibe and Features

Layout

The Webb Deane Stevens Museum property is located on Main Street in Old Wethersfield. Conveniently, it’s set back from the road. Your Webb Barn wedding will more or less be hidden. Because their view is blocked by some of the museum’s buildings, there isn’t much for passersby to see.

One thing to note is that you’ll actually only have access to the inside of the Webb Barn on your wedding day. As far as the other museum buildings go, it’s exterior only (note that the public may still use the museum up until regular closing hours). This is a fairly recent change; the Holcombe Education Center used to be available for getting ready, but no longer.

Parking is in a grass lot at the rear of the property, behind Webb Barn. The lot is on the smaller side, so arranging for bus transport from guest hotels is a good idea.

Downtown Old Wethersfield

You’ll always want to consider portrait locations when planning your wedding. Webb Barn weddings give you a great opportunity for variety. While you’ll be spending most of your time on the property, you can also easily access downtown Old Wethersfield via sidewalks. This area is reminiscent of downtown Mystic, but with more room.

From a timing standpoint, it’s best to have your wedding planner and photographer help with brainstorming this, if you’re interested of getting out on the road for some portraits.

Holcombe Education Center

This building used to serve as an operations center during weddings. It’s actually no longer available for wedding events.

The Webb Deane Stevens Museum Grounds

The outside grounds of this museum wedding venue are really nice. You have pretty good privacy from the public while also having a nice amount of room to spread out. Portrait opportunities are plentiful, which is great!

The Webb Barn

Webb Barn itself is primarily used as the reception space during your wedding (though it can also serve as the ceremony rain location). The barn can fit 135 people and has a dance floor and restrooms. Even though there’s a kitchen, you might consider booking a food truck to get some great eats all night.

Note that when you book this venue, decorations and lighting are a separate cost and consideration for you to customize.

Webb Barn Wedding Costs and Considerations

Here is some basic Webb Barn wedding cost info:

• The Webb Barn wedding season runs from April to November each year.
• Bookings are for a five-hour event to start. One of Connecticut’s affordable wedding venues, Webb Barn has a base rental fee of under $3000 for a weekday wedding and $5000+ for a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday event.
• A $1000 base deposit, plus a refundable $500 damage deposit, is required to book your date. The remaining balance is due 30 days before your wedding date.
• While Webb Barn can fit 135 guests, you can actually book a larger guest count in advance. There are additional fees and rules for this approach, including the need to rent your own tent and possibly portable bathrooms.
• Your contract will basically be for the property only. Decorating inside the barn, catering, bar, etc. will all be separate items that you’ll need to arrange.

Hotels Close to Webb Barn

Your wedding plan wouldn’t be complete without considering hotels for your guests (and yourselves, as Webb Barn no longer has a getting ready facility available). Here’s a list of hotels close to Webb Barn:

1. Connecticut River Valley Inn (Glastonbury, CT)
2. Hilton Garden Inn Hartford South/Glastonbury (Glastonbury, CT)
3. Homewood Suites by Hilton Hartford South-Glastonbury (Glastonbury, CT)