Now that we had narrowed our list of venues to seven, we headed to New York City for a whirlwind weekend of venue visiting.
Disclaimer: all of the venues that we visited were beautiful, and we would have been happy and lucky to celebrate our wedding at each and every one. That being said, we found pros and cons to each venue that eventually led us to make our decision that was right for us.
Tarrytown House
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Tarrytown House is a beautiful old estate with a brand new convention center built right on the property. We liked that there was a hotel right on the property that many of our guests could stay in, and that there were activities to do on and near the property for guests throughout the weekend. We loved the garden option for the ceremony, and the old estate where the cocktail hour would take place. However, the convention center was a little too modern for our taste, and the rain plan was not exactly what we were hoping for.
Lyndhurst Castle
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Lyndhurst is a gorgeous castle in Tarrytown right on the Hudson River. The grounds and views were spectacular, and though we liked the idea of having a tent, we didn't love the placement on the grounds (in the back, not overlooking the water or garden). Despite how pretty the grounds were, we were beginning to realize that an estate with a tent might not be what we were looking for.
Caramoor
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Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is in Katonah, NY (northern Westchester) and is a beautiful expance of wonderful architecture and impressive gardens. I had taken school trips here in grade school and remembered the falconry exhibit well (seasonal). While we loved the idea of supporting a cultural center, it was a little too far from the city, and the options for a wedding were not ideal for our vision - most of the spaces that we would have liked to use were way out of our price range. I would love to go back to see one of their music festivals though!
New York Botanical Garden
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The New York Botanical Garden is in the Bronx and is 250 acres of lush gardens. We loved the separate enclosed garden for ceremony space, and that all of our guests would be welcome to explore the gardens before and after our wedding. We would be surrounded on all sides by blooming spring flowers, and the famed Conservatory (in the picture above) would be a stones throw away. The reception hall on site ensured privacy, but I wasn't in love with the decor, and the carpet seemed a little tired to me. I wish we had had more time that day though, I would have loved to explore the Gardens!
Bridgewaters
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Bridgewaters is a two-story reception venue located downtown at the South Street Seaport (conveniently across the street from one of my former apartements!). We loved the terrace that looked out over the water, the feel of the cobblestone entrance that defines the Seaport. However, I wasn't crazy about the idea of having another wedding going on at the same time right on the same floor, and while the views were great, they were truly spectactular at night, and we were pretty sure we would be doing a day time wedding. However, they did have chivari chairs (oh, swoon!)
Pier Sixty
(Click here to see more)
Pier Sixty is a giant blank canvas reception venue inside Chelsea Piers, right on the water. There are windows all around, and there is terrace access rain or shine. It is a relatively convenient location, and the space is literally a blank canvas on which to make all our dreams come true! However (and by now, you know, there is always a "however"), Chelsea Piers is still Chelsea Piers, and the best views looked out over the nearby driving range, and it felt like we were entering the sports complex instead of a wedding venue.
And last, but definitely not least:
Tavern on the Green
(Click here to see more)
Tavern on the Green was probably our most quintescentially "New York" venue, and surprisingly, the most affordable. Situated right in Central Park, with private garden access and a dining room enclosed with windows to ensure beautiful views and a second-to-none rainplan. However, the decor was a bit ornate for our taste, adorned with chandeliers and a fancy carpet.
Throughout our whirlwind weekend, we saw venues across the spectrum, from modern to ornate and everything in between. We had water views, garden ceremonies, Central Park and more to choose from. It was an emotional weekend, at times feeling like we were never going to find the right place, and the wonderful feeling of knowing right when you've found the place where you and your love are going to make it official. Which one did we choose? Stay tuned to find out the conclusion!
Did you find your venue right away? Was it an emotional experience?
(Click here to see more)Tarrytown House is a beautiful old estate with a brand new convention center built right on the property. We liked that there was a hotel right on the property that many of our guests could stay in, and that there were activities to do on and near the property for guests throughout the weekend. We loved the garden option for the ceremony, and the old estate where the cocktail hour would take place. However, the convention center was a little too modern for our taste, and the rain plan was not exactly what we were hoping for.
Lyndhurst Castle
(Click here to see more)Lyndhurst is a gorgeous castle in Tarrytown right on the Hudson River. The grounds and views were spectacular, and though we liked the idea of having a tent, we didn't love the placement on the grounds (in the back, not overlooking the water or garden). Despite how pretty the grounds were, we were beginning to realize that an estate with a tent might not be what we were looking for.
Caramoor
(Click here to see more)Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts is in Katonah, NY (northern Westchester) and is a beautiful expance of wonderful architecture and impressive gardens. I had taken school trips here in grade school and remembered the falconry exhibit well (seasonal). While we loved the idea of supporting a cultural center, it was a little too far from the city, and the options for a wedding were not ideal for our vision - most of the spaces that we would have liked to use were way out of our price range. I would love to go back to see one of their music festivals though!
New York Botanical Garden
(Click here to see more)The New York Botanical Garden is in the Bronx and is 250 acres of lush gardens. We loved the separate enclosed garden for ceremony space, and that all of our guests would be welcome to explore the gardens before and after our wedding. We would be surrounded on all sides by blooming spring flowers, and the famed Conservatory (in the picture above) would be a stones throw away. The reception hall on site ensured privacy, but I wasn't in love with the decor, and the carpet seemed a little tired to me. I wish we had had more time that day though, I would have loved to explore the Gardens!
Bridgewaters
(Click here to see more)Bridgewaters is a two-story reception venue located downtown at the South Street Seaport (conveniently across the street from one of my former apartements!). We loved the terrace that looked out over the water, the feel of the cobblestone entrance that defines the Seaport. However, I wasn't crazy about the idea of having another wedding going on at the same time right on the same floor, and while the views were great, they were truly spectactular at night, and we were pretty sure we would be doing a day time wedding. However, they did have chivari chairs (oh, swoon!)
Pier Sixty
(Click here to see more)Pier Sixty is a giant blank canvas reception venue inside Chelsea Piers, right on the water. There are windows all around, and there is terrace access rain or shine. It is a relatively convenient location, and the space is literally a blank canvas on which to make all our dreams come true! However (and by now, you know, there is always a "however"), Chelsea Piers is still Chelsea Piers, and the best views looked out over the nearby driving range, and it felt like we were entering the sports complex instead of a wedding venue.
And last, but definitely not least:
Tavern on the Green
(Click here to see more)Tavern on the Green was probably our most quintescentially "New York" venue, and surprisingly, the most affordable. Situated right in Central Park, with private garden access and a dining room enclosed with windows to ensure beautiful views and a second-to-none rainplan. However, the decor was a bit ornate for our taste, adorned with chandeliers and a fancy carpet.
Throughout our whirlwind weekend, we saw venues across the spectrum, from modern to ornate and everything in between. We had water views, garden ceremonies, Central Park and more to choose from. It was an emotional weekend, at times feeling like we were never going to find the right place, and the wonderful feeling of knowing right when you've found the place where you and your love are going to make it official. Which one did we choose? Stay tuned to find out the conclusion!
Did you find your venue right away? Was it an emotional experience?
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