Photo by Shawn ArrajjTucked away behind the cover of trees, the stately wedding and event venue Chateau Polonez is almost completely hidden from drivers passing by on Malcomson Road. But that secluded atmosphere was exactly the intention when the building was designed, co-owner Kasia Tran said.
"We wanted to create a space that felt private, like a hidden secret," she said.
Today, the business is run by Tran and her sister Basia Gurtowski, but it was founded by their mother in 2005. After running her own floral and catering business for years, she decided to follow her dreams of building a venue from the ground up.
"She had the vision," Tran said. "She was very hands-on with the interior design."
The venue itself is described by Tran as a European-influenced chateau with modern aspects. Chateau Polonez can be used for any kind of big event, including corporate events and parties, but is most often used for weddings, Gurtowski said. Chateau Polonez differs from similar venues in that Tran and Gurtowski have committed to only host one event per day, she said.
"We don't want to have multiple events going one where we're assigning people to ballroom A or B or anything like that," Gurtowski said. "We want our guests to feel like they are the only focus on their day."
The staff at Chateau Polonez also strives to create a more personal feeling by customizing every event in distinct ways based on preferences and interests.
"Each event is unique, so we take notes on what guests like and try to provide special touches," Tran said. "Recently, we've had one group request a coffee bar and another who, instead of alcohol, asked that we serve root beer floats. We do whatever we can to cater to what they're looking for."
The chateau features a grand ballroom with a stage that seats 240 downstairs and provides room for another 112 guests upstairs along with elevator access. A backyard terrace provides another scenic area for guests to gather. Additional features include a built-in bar with lounge seating, a gazebo overlooking a lake, balcony, outdoor fireplace, food-serving room and recently remodeled dressing rooms for both bride and groom.
"The bride and groom both have rooms to get ready in with attached bathrooms," Gurtowski said. "A lot of places will go all out on the bride's room and leave the groom with just the basics. We make sure our grooms get a nice experience as well."
Through the use of an in-house caterer, all food served at events is cooked on-site and made from scratch. The chateau also offers a full bar. Clients are allowed to bring in any kind of special decor or vendors, including photographers, disc jockeys or bands.
"Once you have the candles lit and the lights dimmed, you really don't have to add much in terms of dcor though," Gurtowski said. "[The venue's ambiance] creates a very warm feeling."
Booming business
Business for Chateau Polonez has been steadily growing since it opened in 2005, but over the past few years, co-owners Kasia Tran and Basia Gurtowski have noted a sharp increase. Tran and Gurtowski are looking to add a new staff member to the team to help organize events.
"We have probably doubled the number of events we host from last year to this year," Tran said. "A lot of it is word-of-mouth, which has just built up over time as guests tell their friends about the experience."
Ceremony locations
Chateau Polonez offers three different wedding ceremony options for guests:
Outdoors in front of a stone wall with a wood-burning fireplace
Outdoors at a gazebo overlooking a lake
Indoors in the grand ballroom, with a stage and seating for 350
Domed ceiling
The most notable aspects of the chateau include the double staircase and large domed ceiling, which features a painted mural.
"That's probably the most popular area to stage photographs," co-owner Basia Gurtowski said. "It's the first thing people notice when they come inside."
Chateau Polonez
12612 Malcomson Road, Houston 281-655-5656 www.chateaupolonez.com, Hours: Tue.–Fri. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
