16 Things You Need to Know

***PLEASE NOTE***

THE WELLESLEY HIGH SCHOOL RESTROOMS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE DURING COTILLION REGISTRATION AND BUS BOARDING. PLEASE USE THE RESTROOM BEFORE ARRIVING AT WELLESLEY HIGH SCHOOL.

AS STATED IN THE GUIDELINES, ALL GUEST MUST CHECK IN AT EITHER WELLESLEY HIGH SCHOOL OR THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB - BLUE HILLS. ALL GUESTS MUST RIDE TO AND FROM COTILLION ON THE CHARTERED BUSES PROVIDED BY THE COTILLION COMMITEE. ANY GUEST THAT ARRIVES AT The verve hotel VIA ANY OTHER MEANS WILL BE TURNED AWAY.

The Wellesley Cotillion is organized by a committee of parent volunteers with the goal of providing our sons and daughters and their guests with a formal winter dance.  Attendance at Cotillion is a rare privilege and the expectation is that cooperation with and respect of The Wellesley Cotillion Rules and Regulations will ensure a wonderful evening for all who attend. In addition to signing the Cotillion Waiver and reading and agreeing to our Rules and Regulations when purchasing your ticket, Cotillion organizers recommend that parents/guardians of attendees also review the following Cotillion policies and procedures to set expectations for logistics and appropriate behavior on the evening of Cotillion. 

1. ALL communication and updates about the event will happen on the Wellesley Cotillion Facebook page. 

2. Everyone attending Cotillion must be dropped off at ONE of TWO locations: 

  • Wellesley High School (WHS) front doors between 6:45-7:00pm. Parents ARE NOT allowed inside WHS. Police will be on site to help move traffic efficiently. Buses will start leaving the high school promptly at 7:15pm.

  • The Boys & Girls Club - Blue Hills, 15 Talbot Ave., Dorchester, MA. Drop off between 6:45-7:00pm at the Boys & Girls Club - Blue Hills. Parents ARE NOT allowed on the bus. Guests will check-in with a Parent Chaperone as they board the bus. The bus will be on the road by 7:00pm.

3. There is a Zero Tolerance Policy for alcohol, drugs, smoking products or vaporizers. Anyone found under the influence of or in the possession of drugs, alcohol, smoking products or vaporizers will be detained and their parent/guardian will immediately be called to come and pick them up from whichever location they are at - Wellesley High School, the Boys & Girls Club - Blue Hills, or The Verve Hotel.

4. Everyone attending Cotillion must have REGISTERED, PAID IN ADVANCE, AND SIGNED THE WAIVER through the Cotillion Website. THERE ARE NO REFUNDS. Anyone arriving at Wellesley High School, Boys & Girls Club - Blue Hills, or at The Verve Hotel who has not registered, paid in advance, and completed the waiver will be TURNED AWAY. Registration is NOT available on the evening of the event. Attendees do not need to bring a “Ticket” to WHS nor to the Boys & Girls Club - Blue Hills.  At WHS, you will check-in at the registration table. At the Boys & Girls Club - Blue Hills, you will check-in with a Parent Coordinator as you board the bus. 

5. Financial Challenges? No one will be excluded from Cotillion due to financial challenges. If you would like to be considered for a ticket fee waiver, please email wellesleycotillion@gmail.com.  

6. Everyone attending Cotillion MUST ride TO and FROM Cotillion on one of the chartered buses provided by the Cotillion Committee. Buses will depart from Wellesley High School and The Boys & Girls Club - Blue Hills. After the event, one bus will transport guests to the Boys & Girls Club - Blue Hills and all other buses will return to Wellesley High School. 

7. Bags and Backpacks will NOT BE allowed at Cotillion, at The Verve Hotel, nor on buses. Bags should be dropped at post-Cotillion destinations ahead of time. The exception to this is that small, evening-style bags will be allowed to be carried by our female guests. Evening bags will be searched at check-in.

8. Once inside WHS, Cotillion attendees will be subject to bag searches, pat-downs of jackets, and random breathalyzer tests. There is a Zero-Tolerance-Policy for alcohol, drugs, and smoking products. 

9. WHS Buses are NOT Pre-Assigned. Buses will be boarded based on attendees’ arrival at WHS. A queue will form around the perimeter of the cafeteria that will allow for guests to do some limited organizing of groups and to hear information regarding transportation expectations from their bus chaperones. Each bus will hold approximately 50 Cotillion attendees.

10. Access to Wellesley High School will be limited to the cafeteria. WHS bathrooms will not be open. We will have an efficient loading of the busses and students should only be waiting in the bus queues for a maximum of 30 minutes. We ask that students plan accordingly and use the bathroom before they come to Wellesley High School. There will of course be full use of bathroom facilities at The Verve Hotel.

11. Blank index cards & sharpie markers will be available at COAT CHECK. We encourage anyone with an over-coat or tuxedo coat to write their name on an index card and slip it into their jacket or tuxedo pocket for ease of identification at the end of the evening. Guests are encouraged to label their shoes prior to the Cotillion, especially if they plan to take them off for dancing.

12. Black tie refers not only to dress code, but also to an appropriate code of conduct. Attendees should come prepared to model manners and behaviors befitting this formal evening, both on & off the dance floor. See the Dresses & Tuxes tab on this website for information on discounts from Jos. A. Bank Clothiers in Framingham on tuxedo rentals and for financial assistance for attire. The Cotillion Committee is committed to ensuring that financial constraints are never a barrier to participation at Cotillion. 

13. Drinks and snacks only will be served at Cotillion, attendees will not be served a full meal.

14. Buses will begin to depart The Verve Hotel at 10:30 pm. Attendees that will be picked up by parent/guardians should text their ride once their bus has left The Verve Hotel to provide an estimated pick-up time. Driving time from The Verve Hotel to WHS is approximately 10 minutes and the Boys & Girls Club - Blue Hills is approximately 30 minutes. 

15. Pick-Up Information:

  • Wellesley High School: Parents/Guardians should wait in a parking spot in the WHS Parking Lot. Please do not park or wait ANYWHERE along the curb as this area will be enforced as a “live” pick-up-only zone. Guests will exit from the front door of WHS and cars may approach the pick-up zone only when the returning Cotillion guest is on the curb.

  • The Boys & Girls Club - Blue Hills: Parents/Guardians should wait in a parking spot along either side of the parking lot. Please keep the thruway clear for the bus.

16. Snow Policy: The Cotillion will only be cancelled if the state declares a snow emergency. Please click here for full Snow Policy.