May 22, 2011

The One, The Only...Boldt Castle

So I figured I might as well give you the lowdown of the castle I have mentioned, the lovely Boldt Castle!

The stunning Boldt Castle in the Thousand Islands, Alexandria Bay, NY.
A gorgeous castle surrounded by pretty gardens on a heart-shaped island in the Thousand Islands area!

Lovely, isn't it?!

It wasn't always that way. The castle was built by George C. Boldt for his wife Louise as a labor of love, but unfortunately mid-construction she passed away. Heartbroken, Boldt abandoned the project and the castle.

Years later in 1977, renovations began to take place and now a good part of the castle is back to, or greater than, its former glory and open to the public. There are still many parts of the castle left to work on, and as time passes more and more areas of the castle are completed.

The Grand Hallway and Grand Staircase of Boldt Castle in Alexandria Bay, Thousand Islands, NY.The ballroom of Boldt Castle in Alexandria Bay, Thousand Islands, NY.
Weddings here are a bit structured to say the least. You can only have the wedding outside at the gazebo, (if raining on the veranda) but since the rental fee is basically just admission fees to the castle, (and a new $150 "reservation fee" XP) all attending can view the castle if they like.

A wedding at Boldt Castle in Alexandria Bay, NY.
What to expect for a wedding at Boldt Castle:

First and foremost, it is on an island, so the biggest thing is getting your guests, your bridal party, your decorations, your officiant, your musicians, etc. across the water to your ceremony! Fortunately Uncle Sam Boat Tours does group sales for its shuttle, so you can decide to either pay for your guest tickets or just reserve a block of tickets for them.

You have a limit of 150 people in attendance, including the officiant, musicians, photographer, etc. and you have an hour and a half for setup, the ceremony, and cleanup of the site. Not much time to work with, but I assume you can have photos taken onsite before or after the ceremony without much fuss, since it is a public attraction after all!

They say the staircase in the castle is not available for photos, but I would definitely try to make a special request...

The Grand Staircase in Boldt Castle, located in Alexandria Bay, Thousand Islands, NY.
Every ceremony comes with a changing/waiting room for the bride and bridesmaids, all ceremony chairs, a portable address system, and a free wedding rehearsal for the wedding party.

A bride walking down to her ceremony at Boldt Castle in Alexandria Bay, Thousand Islands, NY.
Costs for a ceremony is $7 per adult, $4.50 per young child for all attending, (again, officiant, musicians, photographer, etc. included), and a $150 reservation fee.

You cannot have a reception on the island, unfortunately, but if you're really set on having your reception at a castle, Singer Castle might be more up your alley!

Singer Castle in Chippewa Bay, Thousand Islands, NY.
I will probably do a review for Singer Castle sometime, but personally I like the grounds of Boldt Castle more. However if it can hold a decent number of people for a seated dinner then I may consider it Thousand Island reception option #5! XD

So yes, while the castle is pretty, it's no bargain in my opinion. If I have 100 guests, that's $850 just for the ceremony site... XP At least viewing the rest of the castle will give my guests something to do before the reception??? *shrugs*

But it is a castle...such a pretty, pretty castle XD

The boathouse at Boldt Castle, located in Alexandria Bay, Thousand Islands, NY.

Comments (10)

Loading... Logging you in...
  • Logged in as
Hello, thanks for the information. I'm interested in having a ceremony at boldt castle but can't find a reception area for after. I'm not from the area so I'm not to familiar, do you have any suggestions? Thank you.
2 replies · active 662 weeks ago
Check for location at Alexandria Bay, its within view of the castle. Good luck!

Don
Sorry for the late response, I hope I can still help!

Receptions are hard to find in the 1000 Islands area due to many being outdated and expensive :P But I did look into things recently and one place looks VERY promising, Thousand Islands Club: http://thousandislandsclub.com/ . They did a lot of renovations to their facility very recently this year, and you can message them for their wedding packages. They are located close by on Wellesley Island. I really believe that is your best bet right now.

Another good option is the Clayton Opera House, my post about that venue is here: http://iwantweddingchampagne.blogspot.com/2010/07... . This is a great place too because you can do so much with the space, but you will have to find a caterer. For that I recommend Tin Pan Galley: http://tinpangalley.com/index.htm and The Clipper Inn: http://www.clipperinn.com/restaurant.asp . Both have FABULOUS food :)

I hope this helps and good luck!
Esther Underhay's avatar

Esther Underhay · 616 weeks ago

Bonnie Castle has new owners who have done massive renovations, it is definitely worth serious consideration for your reception with a gorgeous view of Boldt Castle.
Note: the $7.50 per adult is the standard admission fee to the Castle. This DOES NOT include officiant, musician(s), nor photographer.

Kindest regards,
Esther Underhay
The Elegant Harp
Is there anyway to get the same kind of info for singer castle or a website that actually has the pricing on it?? Thanks!!
You would have to contact the staff of Singer Castle on their website, there's no pricing information online, (trust me, I've checked! lol). Good luck!
My recent post I Didn't Think It Could Happen...But I Hated the Thought of My Wedding
nice
Wonderful castle. I just loved it and the interior works of it. I am invited to my employee’s wedding at one of New York wedding venues. Will go along with few friends. But still looking for a gift for the couple. Have no ideas what to give them. Will ask my friend to help in finding a lovely gift for the couple.
Beautiful! I love historical places. And the story to this home is very touching. If your ever in the area this is a must see!
Do you happen to have the name of the officiant or wedding photographer you used for your boldt castle wedding?

Post a new comment

Comments by