We will incorporate our favorite things from both of our cultures! There will be a fun mix of German and American traditions, language and music.
Please be advised, there is a short walk from the parking lot to the ceremony site and the reception. For those who would like assistance, there will be a golf cart service available to take you from the parking lot to the ceremony site and the reception. Please email us at markandhoppe@gmail.com or give us a call to learn more. Please join us at the amphitheater for the wedding ceremony, which will begin at 4:15pm. Please plan to arrive no later than 4pm. Follow the wedding signs up the sidewalk on the right of the parking lot! Following the ceremony there will be a cocktail hour on the patio and in the gardens of the Mansion. Please enjoy a cocktail and some lawn games. Dinner will be served inside Eolia Mansion, followed by dancing taking place under the tent on the patio. Be advised that you will be walking on gravel pathways and grass surfaces throughout the event. Choose your shoes wisely!
We are beyond thankful that you are traveling to our wedding and spending this special day with us. Your presence is gift enough and we do not expect any wedding presents. If you would like to further support us and the life we are building together, we have made a list of some items we would love to have as newlyweds.
The wedding ceremony will be outdoors at the amphitheater. In case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be moved to the Breakfast Room at Eolia.
From NYC/New Haven, 95 North || Take Exit 75. Bear right at the end of the exit, you will be on Route 1/Boston Post Road. Proceed 3 miles to the light at Avery Lane (Route 213), turn right, and follow to the park. Avery Lane will become Great Neck Road. Turn right into Harkness State Park and continue up the driveway. From Boston/Providence, 95 south || Take Exit 81. At the end of the exit ramp, turn left onto the access road and proceed to the stop light. At the light take a left onto Cross Road and continue to the intersection with Route 1. Turn left onto Route 1 and continue to the traffic light at Avery Lane (Route 213). Turn right onto Avery Lane and follow to the park. Avery Lane will become Great Neck Road. Turn right into Harkness State Park and continue up the driveway.
Yes! a shuttle will pick up our guests who are staying at the Marriott, and the Holiday Inn. Feel free to take the shuttle from one of these two locations even if you are not staying there. More details can be found on our transportation page. For those staying at AirBnbs or hotels that are not within walking distance to our shuttle bus pick-up locations, we ask that you use a ride share service (Uber/Lyft) for transportation to our venue. After the reception, a shuttle bus will take all guests to the Hotels OR our afterparty. **please note that transportation will not be provided from the afterparty back to your accommodation. We encourage you to pre-book an Uber/Lyft if you are staying at an AirBnB, or plan to attend our afterparty.
There will be a parking lot for wedding guests only once you enter the parking lot on the left, you will see it roped off. HOWEVER, we would love it if you didn't drive. There will be shuttles available to and from the wedding venue.
Harkness Memorial Park, located in Waterford, Connecticut, was originally the summer estate of Edward and Mary Harkness, wealthy philanthropists tied to the Standard Oil fortune. Built in 1906 and named "Eolia" (named after the Greek god of the winds), the estate featured a grand mansion and gardens designed by renowned architect Lord & Hewlett and landscape architect Beatrix Farrand. After the deaths of Edward (1940) and Mary (1950), the estate was donated to the state of Connecticut and transformed into a public park. Today, it spans 304 acres, offering access to restored gardens, historic buildings, and scenic views of Long Island Sound.
The venue has the reception room and bathrooms on the ground floor. There will be a golf cart shuttle from the parking lot to the ceremony site and the reception.
We kindly ask our guest to dress in summer Semi-Formal/Cocktail Attire. That includes long or mid-length dresses, jumpsuits, or pant-suits for ladies, and men are encouraged to wear a suit.
Please RSVP no later than April 15th 2025.
Hit the RSVP tab at the top of our website and you will be brought to the RSVP page with a box to input your name. When typing your name into the RSVP box, please enter the first and last name of ONLY ONE PERSON in your party. This will bring you to the next page where all persons in your party can be found and responded for individually.
Welcome to Connecticut, all of you out-of-towners! The weather here can be funny. During the day, the weather in this area should be beautiful, averaging 75-80 Fahrenheit/25-30 Celsius in the summer. However, there is often a breeze at the coast hopefully cooling us down a little bit. A word about rain.... rain works a little differently here... if it starts to drizzle, it will likely be pouring within 2 minutes. Don't expect consistent drizzle, rather an epic summer downpour :)