The Hall at Huntingtown is a local wedding venue and arguably Calvert County’s best kept secret. Attached to the Huntingtown Volunteer Fire Department & Rescue Squad building, the venue boasts a beautiful and spacious banquet hall draped with a sparkling crystal grand chandelier, sizeable windows, cathedral ceilings, and a neutral color pallet and decor to make any theme come to life comfortably. The main ballroom holds up to 275 guests, with a separate ceremony room available within the hall for up to 150 people. Many clients will utilize both rooms as a way to save money and avoid the need to travel between the ceremony and reception.
While the entrance to the hall is located at the finish of a large staircase, the venue is handicap-accessible with an elevator available to take guests to the second floor. Rental of the ballroom includes tables, banquet chairs and of course, a movable dance fl oor. New in 2017 are optional upgraded chairs, including a white wedding folding chair and silver Chiavari chair. Personalized professional wedding day coordination is also offered to help with decorations, bar staffing and coordinating vendors.
The ballroom holds many different types of events throughout the year, from Wednesday bingo to nniversary parties, receptions, company holiday celebrations as well as weddings and renewal of vows ceremonies. Most notably, however, is their annual Calvert Bridal Expo, held this year on March 5. The Bridal Expo is one of the biggest events for the hall, and in turn supports the wedding business at the venue.
Banquet Facilities Manager Carole Fonfara has worked at the hall for nearly ten years and knows first hand just how busy their schedule can get. “We host about 30 weddings a year, sometimes three in one weekend.”
All weddings take place Friday through Sunday, with only one event scheduled per day. For back-to-back events, Carole says the clients will bring decor a week prior for a mock set-up. The team at the hall then sets up the decorations complimentary on the day of the wedding. In fact, they also help tear down at the end of the night. “All the client needs to do is bring in their personal decor,” says Carole,who acts at the day-of coordinator and wedding planner for all events.
Annie said she fell in love with the venue after attending a friend’s wedding. “When we started planning our wedding we went to see the hall as one of our options. Justin loved the location as much as I did and we both absolutely loved Carole so we booked the hall immediately.”
Carole said interested clients can book their date as soon or as far out as they want, as long as the day is available. “We once had a lady who had to move her wedding up very quickly due to circumstance and we put her wedding together in three weeks. If we have the date available, we can do it, but if you’re looking for a specific date, don’t wait.”
Rental fees are based on a four-hour reception; though additional time is available upon request. All bar service is done through the hall, as opposed to the caterer, with tons of different options and customizable packages sure to make any party a good time.
Outside of the hall there is plenty of parking and a large garden for photos. In addition, lodging is located nearby in Prince Frederick, about seven miles down the road.
Carole says one of the things that makes the hall unique is they truly care about the bride and groom and making their vision of their wedding come to life. “We want to make sure that every event is as good as it can be, and we have excellent caterers to choose from. It’s a gorgeous room and can make anybody look back and say I had a beautiful wedding.”
Annie & Justin Brady of Waldorf, MD married at the Hall at Huntingtown on October 27, 2012
Annie and Justin both worked at the mall when they were younger and met one day at Cinnabon. Eventually Justin asked for her number, and that night they talked for hours, having their first date the very next day. “We have now been together going on 15 years,” she said.
The couple had a Halloween-themed wedding, with the colors of purple, black, green and orange filling the hall. “We had fall leaves, hay bales, Jack-O’-Lanterns,” said Annie. “There was a fog machine for our entrance. And my mom made us a Halloween themed wedding cake. We also had a candy bar with little trick or treat bags as guest favors.”
Between Annie’s mother and the help of Carole, the couple said their experience was ‘stress free.’ “Carole is truly amazing at her job. She is so organized, professional and truly a wonderful person. She puts your mind at ease during the planning process and she makes your wedding reception go beautifully without one issue,” Annie said.
They also praised the vendors, from the caterer down to the linens. “The tablecloths and napkins through Top Hat Rentals were gorgeous and Dream Weavers Events and Catering was delicious!” she said. “We had zero complaints during the planning process or on the day of. We have people who still talk about our wedding to this day!”
Shauna & Tommy Simpson of Waldorf, MD married at the Hall at Huntingtown on June 20, 2015
Tommy and Shauna started out as friends until sparks flew one night on her birthday.
“It was my birthday and I really wanted a blue glow necklace. Tommy did everything possible to get me one. We talked on the way home and laughed a lot, too.” When Shauna arrived home she texted Tommy, ‘You know what I want for my birthday? You as my boyfriend.’ From that day on they were a couple, and four years later – on her birthday – he asked her to marry him.
For the wedding, Shauna and Tommy combined a rustic theme with a splash of color. “Outside of the hall we had wooden crates with our initials and flowers. The stairs were wrapped with Dogwood flowers. There was a memory tree of our family members who had passed away and could not be there to celebrate with us,” she said. The couple had brightly colored flowers as centerpieces and blue and white accent colors throughout the venue. “Individual bags of Fisher’s popcorn were tagged to show where guests were seated, and we had a dessert table with the groom’s cake, cupcakes, Oreos, and lollipops on it.”
Overall, Shauna was very pleased with all of the vendors on her wedding day. “Working with Dream Weaver Events and Catering was wonderful. DJ Dave was a great choice for music. Paul Kwak Productions was my videographer; Paul and his wife did an amazing job. Birds of a Feather Photography were my photographers and their photos were breathtaking. Bow-tie Booths was able to set up on the upper landing, it was the perfect space.”
Shauna says Carole took the stress out of dealing with vendors and setting up the hall and helping to make key decisions. “The great thing is that Carole was in contact with all of the vendors and on the day of the wedding, she handled everything. Carole is the biggest benefit of the hall. She works extremely hard to make sure your day is perfect and stress free. You can call her with any questions. She gets just as excited about your wedding day as you are,” she said.
“I’ve also never heard of a venue where you could drop off your decorations the night before and they would set them up for you and then take them down and pack them up. Carole will feel more like a family member by the time your wedding day is over. She is warm, witty and smart. Carole can really help make your dreams a reality.”
Patricia & John Smith of St. Leonard, MD married at the Hall at Huntingtown on October 8, 2016
John Wayne and Patricia met when they were teens and never made attempts to date because the timing was just not right. The couple reignited old sparks several years later and found themselves falling in love. They have a beautiful daughter together, which made their love for each other flourish.
The couple chose a fall-themed wedding with leaves, pumpkins, corn kernels and all things that feel like fall. “Color-wise we used brown, champagne, ivory and orange splashes,” Patricia said. “The hall had everything! It was ust perfect all around. The look, the options, and the set-up was great. Plus Carole, she is phenomenal.”
Patricia loved the option for an indoor/outdoor ceremony. “We wanted an outside ceremony, but we unfortunately could not have that due to weather.” Overall, though, she praised the venue for being versatile. “The Hall at Huntingtown is always doable whatever theme or decor you choose! It has yet to disappoint myself or anyone else I know whether they be a guest or in the wedding party.”
