There is one reason in particular that so many people choose to have their wedding in the Catskills of Upstate New York: to be surrounded by nature. The natural setting of the Catskills provides a beautiful and peaceful atmosphere that’s almost as “un-city” as possible. When I was working in NYC, I couldn't wait to get away! The region of the Catskills is famous for a sense of adventure, history, and scenic mountainous landscape. Just a few hours away from Manhattan, the region is especially popular with couples looking for a more rustic wedding setting than the busy city can provide.
For Younger Couples
1. Plan a Romantic Woodland Wedding at The Roxbury Barn & Estate
Rating: ★★★★★
The Roxbury Barn & Estate is one of the Catskills Region’s hidden gems, a place of modern romance and true natural beauty.
The grounds of the boutique wedding venue in the central Catskill Mountains include a lily pond, a tree-lined courtyard, lush perennial gardens, and a redesigned, striking carriage barn.
The Roxbury Estate spans across forty-two acres and combines both outdoor and indoor event spaces, with inclement weather plans available for outdoor weddings.
The spacious hilltop roofed pavilion provides you with a perfect spot for ceremonies with the grand mountain vistas as the backdrop. The Natural Cathedral provides another stunning setting.
667 County Highway 41, Roxbury, NY 12474
2. Host a Weekend-Long Wedding Celebration at Blenheim Hill Farm
The Blenheim Hill Farm is a sustainable farm in the Catskills that spans across 150 acres of Upstate New York and provides an idyllic setting for an amazing wedding with a rustic, natural setting.
This living farm boasts a long history in the area, dating back to around the 1740’s, and is now owned by the Blenheim Restaurant/Smorgas Restaurant, a critically-acclaimed New York City restaurant group.
As such, couples and their guests can enjoy farm-to-table fare from the Michelin-rated restaurant using their own crops, seasonal ingredients, and heritage meats. If you are planning a rustic wedding, I can't recommend it enough. The three-story bard offers a great venue for receptions.
673 Blenheim Hill Rd, Jefferson, NY 12093, Phone: 646-209-9633
3. Say Your Vows Amid Wildflower Fields at Catskill Barn Weddings
The Natural Gardens provides a beautiful setting for Catskill barn weddings, offering a completely private, unique, and exclusive wedding venue for couples wanting to get married in the scenic and relaxing atmosphere of the Catskill Mountains.
Catskill Barn Weddings at Natural Gardens includes several spots for wedding ceremonies and receptions, including a garden, a farm, and a barn across the more than one hundred acres.
Scenery includes waterfalls, babbling brooks, ponds filled with koi, woodland gardens, stone walls, and of course, the mountains. The Natural Gardens are thought of as one of the region’s hidden treasures and a venue with rustic elegance.
304 Sutherland Rd, East Meredith, NY 13757, Phone: 607-746-2028
For a Luxury Wedding
4. Create a Spa-Inspired Wedding Weekend at Emerson Resort & Spa
The Emerson Resort & Spa is a wedding venue that boasts it’s a “have-it-all destination” for celebrating weddings in the Catskill Region of New York, and an excellent place to get away for rejuvenation and relaxation.
Only around two hours away from Manhattan and boasting a history of excellent hospitality, the Emerson Resort provides spectacular views of the mountains and Hudson Valley, along with many amenities, accommodations, and splendour for chic, rustic events.
The Great Room provides couples with a stunning setting for an indoor wedding during colder months, with its large floor-to-ceiling windows and a huge stone fireplace.
5340 Route 28, Mount Tremper, NY 12457, Phone: 845-688-2828
5. Celebrate Rustic Elegance with a Forest Wedding at Handsome Hollow
The Handsome Hollow is a romantic farmhouse and barn in the Catskill Mountains, located fewer than three hours away from New York City, between the Delaware River Basin and the Hudson Valley.
This rare and unique wedding venue is a beautiful property encompassing approximately ninety-three acres of mountain views, forests, meadows, and fields, as well as a stunningly restored Amish barn that dates back to the eighteenth century.
The century-old Handsome Hollow farmhouse acts as a memorable and idyllic space for rustic-chic wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions, ranging from casual and intimate affairs to more grand and formal celebrations.
5256 County Road 28 Long Eddy, NY 12760
For a Small Wedding
6. Design a Modern Country Wedding at Hayfield’s Barn Venue
The grounds of Hayfield are full of ancient trees, dappled sunlight, and wild grass, all nestled within the middle of the Catskill State Park, providing an almost storybook-like setting for wedding ceremonies and receptions.
You can exchange your vows in the hay field, guests can sip cocktails outdoors as they watch the sunset, and dance and dine in the renovated and rustic Prairie Barn or English Frame Barn.
The meticulously restored barns at Hayfield are completely structurally safe, offer easy logistics for vendors, and amenities and comfort for guests, well appointed for casual, elegant, or formal events.
221 County Route 56, Maplecrest, NY 12454, Phone: 646-245–1638
7. Exchange Vows with Catskills Views at Onteora Mountain House
The Onteora Mountain House was originally built back in 1928 and is the former summer home of RIchard Hellmann, the mayonnaise millionaire.
Situated on the mountainside of Mt. Tycetonik in the heart of the Catskill Mountain Preserve, the Mountain House at Onteora is now a unique wedding venue of the Catskills.
Two hundred forest acres surround the property, which also offers panoramic mountain views.
The deck provides space for wedding ceremonies and overlooks the Esopus Valley, while the Adirondack-style, almost 100-year-old house and the terrace is a great spot for appetizers and cocktails, with the 3,600-square-foot pavilion for receptions.
96 Piney Point Rd, Boiceville NY 12412, Phone: 845-657-6233
Plan Your Trip