New York State never fails to amaze me. With an abundance of amazing places to get married and only a short drive from New York City, it is a great destination wedding option. Heading upstate can and will save you (and your guests) time and money! Upstate New York is a vast expanse. Composed of wilderness, interspersed with pristine lakes make the perfect backdrop for weddings. The best part is that there are so many places where couples can have their weddings that feel like a destination wedding without ever having to leave the state.
Foxfire Mountain House
Foxfire Mountain House is a quaint 100-year-old Inn in the Catskill Mountains. It is situated on ten acres of a private paradise and close enough to amenities while still well tucked away from the rest of the world. Think “Well-off Uncle Larry’s” summer cabin in the mountains. This cabin is complete with a massive stone fireplace, antler chandeliers, and hand-crafted furniture with the modern comforts of home. Foxfire is modern chic meets rustic comfort surrounded by giant conifers. The vast forest is speckled with sunshine and greenery. With its 11 guest rooms and a rustic outdoor pavilion surrounded by an ethereal, untouched forest, it’s the perfect venue for small, intimate weddings.
Cedar Lakes Estate
Or how about Cedar Lakes Estate located in the heart of the Hudson Valley. This area can only be accurately described as countrified elegance with a touch of old-world family resort mystique. The lodge is breathtaking. It is a mixture of a modern city style mixed with a woodsy, rustic cabin vibe. All of Cedar Lakes Estate cottages are quaint, comfortable with all the modern amenities. And the venue and grounds—THEY ARE INCREDIBLE! They have indoor and outdoor event areas, with views of the lake, thickly forested areas, and mountains. It is, literally, a dream location for wedding portraits. And stunning backdrops! Plus, The Estate offers the best of both worlds with its modern interiors and endless green spaces outdoors.
Blue Hill Farm
And then there’s Blue Hill Farm at Stone Barns located in Westchester County in the Pocantico Hills. The restaurant has been named as one of The World’s Top 50 Restaurants for its world-class cuisine. Think of a farm-to-table vibe but in a pastoral, country setting inside a large, stone-built, and finely crafted restaurant and event venue called the HayLoft. The building can host as few as 14 or as many as 260 guests. It has high, wood-beam ceilings and a bank of windows that look out over the vast stone patio into the rolling hills beyond. Blue Hill farm offers the quintessential old-world village hall vibe but with high-end decor and cuisine, as well as idyllic scenery guaranteed to blow your mind.
New York State is filled with so many home-away-from-home retreats. Resorts not only make perfect wedding venues but also give your guests a chance to relax and kick back, surrounded by the beauty of the countryside.
If you’re planning an upcoming wedding in upstate New York, take a moment to reach out on my contact page. I’d love to learn more!
