Wedding and reception venues in New York?

May 14, 2007 6:33 PM

Friends are looking for wedding and reception venues in New York State, preferably within an hour or two of NYC.

This will be for a May or June wedding.

For the wedding venue:

* A wedding venue that can seat around 200.
* A memorable natural space in which people can walk around afterwards.
* An outdoor wedding with alternative arrangements if there's rain OR a beautiful church.

For the reception venue (which might be the same as the wedding venue):
* Obviously, drivable from wedding venue.
* Curfew into the night (2 or 3 am preferably).
* Close to decent hotels for people to sleep at.
* Strongly preferred: allow you to bring in your own caterer.

For both:
* As inexpensive as possible within the above constraints.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

posted by shivohum to human relations (6 comments total)

My wife and I got married two hours due north, one the grounds of one of the mansions - ... Clermont.

It was fantastic: Inexpensive, we brought in our own caterer (from New Paltz - can't remember their name but they were terrific) and florist (Linda Baldwin). Caterer provided the tent.

Linda Baldwin helped immeasurably, we were thinking about one venu (an old barn) that then fell through, then looked at Montgomery place (Another estate - which had an eleven o'clock pull-the-plug curfew) and other places. Linda suggested Clermont, and it was ideal.

We did not have a 'church' wedding - though there are a plethora of really nice chapels in the area.

A fair number of hotels, though start reserving rooms now. (It's not far from Woodstock/Saugerties either)

And it's a two hour, two and a half if the traffic is bad drive.
Best of luck.
posted by From Bklyn at 1:17 AM on May 15, 2007

Onteora at the foot of the Catskills might be too pricey but I went to a wedding there and it was totally amazing.
posted by The Straightener at 4:18 AM on May 15, 2007

Hm. I got married at Coindre Hall out on Long Island, which sounds like what they might be looking for. Trains run to Huntington from NYC, and it's about an hour trip. I don't think the curfew is as late as they'd like, however.

Here's a decent link w/photos:
Coindre Hall
posted by tigerbelly at 7:19 AM on May 15, 2007

I can personally recommend the Kittle House in Chappaqua, which is where I got married in 2005. Events are held downstairs in the banquet room, which has access to (and a view of) a lawn area where the ceremony was held. You can see more pictures at one of the florists they recommend.

It is also an inn (though small) so certainly some people could stay there. They do not, however, allow outside caterers - though their food was excellent, and I wouldn't think you would need one.
posted by timepiece at 9:43 AM on May 15, 2007

Maybe check out this list of vineyard wedding locations in the tri-state area.
posted by lalex at 3:25 PM on May 15, 2007

And honestly, in the New York area, it may be cost-efficient for them to hire a planner - I think mine saved me money, just because she was able to get discounts based on repeat business, including at the venue. The impression I got was that in the NYC metro area, any wedding reception was going to be $100/person, minimum.
posted by timepiece at 7:57 AM on May 16, 2007