HUDSON VALLEY, NY BRIDES: Benefit from my reception site choosing hell ...

[Reinhardt]

Good news for Hudson Valley brides: There are many places in HV to choose from. Bad news is that there are many places in HV to choose from.

I finally decided what place is best for me -- my fiance's mother's backyard. I could not make up my mind; there was just so much in HV to choose from, but if it wasn't one thing it was the other, but anyway ....

Another HV bride asked me to help her find the perfect reception site. I listed many many places. Then I realized that I might as well share this with every other HV bride.

Now I am concentrating mainly on the lower Hudson Valley, because HV is so huge that I got to concentrate on one area.

If you want further help, please email me. I'd be happy to help. Makes me feel productive, and that all my reception site hell was not for nothing.

Three things I have to know to help you the best.

1 - How many guests are you having, and what is your budget. This is important. In that way, I can tell if your budget is
realistic or not. For example, I have 75 guests, and I can do wonders with with $15,000, if that is your budget. The number of
your guests will also narrow down what reception sites I can recommend.

2 - It is also imperative that you mention where in Hudson Valley you want to get married. HV is just too big. If you narrow it down, I can narrow down the list for you. As I mention above, One thing about
Hudson Valley is that it is HUUUUGE. If you are just
starting looking into HV reception sites and you are not sure where you want to marry in HV, be ready to be overwhelmed.

3- Is there a look that you want. French? Elegant and Formal? Outdoorsy? Overlooking the Hudson? Rustic? Open to anything? For example, I am open to anything, except elegant and formal.

If you haven't done so already, look into the following sites. These sites are either specific
to weddings in Hudson Valley or general to Hudson Valley itself. Remember always: Just because the
place does not mention that it allows weddings does not mean that it does not. If you fall in love with a place, call and ask if they do weddings. I have been
surprised time and time again.

www.hudsonvalleyweddngs.com

http://weddingjournal.com/

http://www.hudsonvalley-togo.com/hvguides/

http://www.albany.about.com/citiestowns/midlanticus/albany/cs/hvrestaurants/

http://www.newpaltzchamber.org/food_drink.html

www.travelenvoy.com/wine/newyork3.htm#MagnaniniFarmWinery


http://www.newpaltzchamber.org/wedding.html

http://lowerhudsonconference.org/Resources/Publications/HKC_Guide/Dutchess/Historic_Sites/historic_sites.html

http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/specialsections//bridal/

www.hvnet.com (Superb site for stuff about Hudson Valley in general. Keep in mind that many of these places also cater to weddings.)

http://www.pojonews.com/enjoy/index.htm (Good restaurant and catering views!)

http://www.vintagehudsonvalley.com/vhvwed.html

The Mohonk Mountain House is an incredibly beautiful
place. I mean BREATHTAKING!

http://www.mohonk.com/

The following two sites, Dutchess Manor in Beacon and Northgate at Dockside in Cold Spring, may be too
expensive. Again depending on your number of guests and THEIR minimum and THE date.

http://www.dutchessmanor.com/
http://www.hvgateway.com/NORTHGAT.HTM

French elegant country inn:

http://www.lechambord.com/

I MYSELF don't go for elegant, much less French elegance, so I never go to this reception site. But it may be ideal for you.

If you like rustic, a great place is Mount Gulian Historic Site in Beacon. You hire the caterer and
every other vendor. I think the site fee is $1,200 if I AM NOT MISTAKEN. You will have to call to be sure.

http://www.pojonews.com/enjoy/stories/0715971.htm

And lastly, the most beautiful place in the entire world is too rich for my blood. $3000 reception
site fee for an exquisite castle. Maybe if you like it, it's ideal for you. It is called The Wing's
Castle. It is in Millbrook.

http://dupontcastle.com/castles/wings.htm

I remember my jaw dropped to the floor when I saw the Wing's Castle.

There is also the Mountainville Manor. No web site, and the only thing I know about MM is that the place is like an old house (well, much nicer than it sounds).
And the price starts at about $45 a head or so. I did
some slight research and found nothing useful. My deejay once told me that she played at the MM and that the place was beautiful. The reason I did not get
into the research and get any info on them was because my date was taken.

There is also Bear Mountain Inn. Another fantastic rustic place. There really aren't too many good
pictures of Bear Mountain Inn. This is their ad for example.

http://www.th-record.com/sections/brides2000/images/215626.jpg

Gina is Bear Mountain's wedding coordinator, and she is incredibly good.

I have plenty of info on Bear Mountain Inn. If you
want it, just email me. If and when I send you the
BMI info, you will see I am very enthusiastic about BMI. I could not have it for myself, but I
think you should definitely give it strong consideration.

Look into Inncredible Caterers also. Inncredible
Caterers is the name of the place and the name of the catering company. They used to be
the Breakneck Lodge, but they totally renovated the
place. The place is surrounded by a mountain, and it is very beautiful. Too high a minimum for me though, just like BMI. I would be safe in saying that
Inncredible Caterers is rustic outside, elegant inside.

They have a web site that has not been updated in a couple of years, but I imagine the menu choices are
the same. There are also other reception sites there.

http://www.inncrediblecaterers.com/

Plum Pointe Caterers is also very nice, slightly typical though, but very reasonable. They look like a
"reception place," but they are still nice. No wedding factory, from what I have seen. One of the
most reasonable in the area. I would safely say around
$40 a head. My date was taken, of course.

http://www.plumpointe.com/

MANY MANY brides go to Anthony's Pier Nine in New Windsor. I think it SCREAMS wedding factory, but I
feel compelled to mention it to you as it is so very popular with HV brides. If a concern of yours is that the place has
experience with weddings, then by all means consider Anthony's.

www.piernine.com

I love helping, especially looking for reception sites around these parks. I HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE, you can't even imagine (or maybe you can). Again please mention
if you have something specific in mind, like a rustic
look, a Victorian look, a looking-over-the-Hudson
look, or even a price, a number of people to which you
must stick to, if there is a town you prefer.

I know of a good caterer, deejay (very good, as I have heard time and time again), photographer
(referred by the deejay), organist, officiant, and an
excellent cake place. If you need help with those, but all means ask.

Yours in Hudson Valley planning,

Belinda

[ktw915]

Hi,
i've been researching reception sites and came across your message about HV
weddings. I was hoping that you could recommend any sites in lower HV (i'm in
lower westchester). I'm trying to keep the budget low. i only plan on having
about 75 people. what i really want is something that is either rich in
nature or history. any recommendations would be much apreciated. your links
have been very helpfull so far.
thank you so much.
kristina

ps - when i checked out your link to wings castle my jaw alos dropped.






>Good news for Hudson Valley brides:
>There are many places in
>HV to choose from. Bad
>news is that there are
>many places in HV to
>choose from.
>
>I finally decided what place is
>best for me -- my
>fiance's mother's backyard. I could
>not make up my mind;
>there was just so much
>in HV to choose from,
>but if it wasn't one
>thing it was the other,
>but anyway ....
>
>Another HV bride asked me to
>help her find the perfect
>reception site. I listed many
>many places. Then I realized
>that I might as well
>share this with every other
>HV bride.
>
>Now I am concentrating mainly on
>the lower Hudson Valley, because
>HV is so huge that
>I got to concentrate on
>one area.
>
>If you want further help, please
>email me. I'd be happy
>to help. Makes me feel
>productive, and that all my
>reception site hell was not
>for nothing.
>
>Three things I have to know
>to help you the best.
>
>
>1 - How many guests are
>you having, and what is
>your budget. This is important.
>In that way, I can
>tell if your budget is
>
>realistic or not. For example, I
>have 75 guests, and I
>can do wonders with with
>$15,000, if that is your
>budget. The number of
>your guests will also narrow down
>what reception sites I can
>recommend.
>
>2 - It is also imperative
>that you mention where in
>Hudson Valley you want to
>get married. HV is just
>too big. If you narrow
>it down, I can narrow
>down the list for you.
>As I mention above, One
>thing about
>Hudson Valley is that it is
>HUUUUGE. If you are just
>
>starting looking into HV reception sites
>and you are not sure
>where you want to marry
>in HV, be ready to
>be overwhelmed.
>
>3- Is there a look that
>you want. French? Elegant and
>Formal? Outdoorsy? Overlooking the Hudson?
>Rustic? Open to anything? For
>example, I am open to
>anything, except elegant and formal.
>
>
>If you haven't done so already,
>look into the following sites.
>These sites are either specific
>
>to weddings in Hudson Valley or
>general to Hudson Valley itself.
>Remember always: Just because the
>
>place does not mention that it
>allows weddings does not mean
>that it does not. If
>you fall in love with
>a place, call and ask
>if they do weddings. I
>have been
>surprised time and time again.
>
>www.hudsonvalleyweddngs.com
>
>http://weddingjournal.com/
>
>http://www.hudsonvalley-togo.com/hvguides/
>
>http://www.albany.about.com/citiestowns/midlanticus/albany/cs/hvrestaurants/
>
>http://www.newpaltzchamber.org/food_drink.html
>
>www.travelenvoy.com/wine/newyork3.htm#MagnaniniFarmWinery
>
>
>http://www.newpaltzchamber.org/wedding.html
>
>http://lowerhudsonconference.org/Resources/Publications/HKC_Guide/Dutchess/Historic_Sites/historic_sites.html
>
>http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/specialsections//bridal/
>
>www.hvnet.com (Superb site for stuff about
>Hudson Valley in general. Keep
>in mind that many of
>these places also cater to
>weddings.)
>
>http://www.pojonews.com/enjoy/index.htm (Good restaurant and catering views!)
>
>
>http://www.vintagehudsonvalley.com/vhvwed.html
>
>The Mohonk Mountain House is an
>incredibly beautiful
>place. I mean BREATHTAKING!
>
>http://www.mohonk.com/
>
>The following two sites, Dutchess Manor
>in Beacon and Northgate at
>Dockside in Cold Spring, may
>be too
>expensive. Again depending on your number
>of guests and THEIR minimum
>and THE date.
>
>http://www.dutchessmanor.com/
>http://www.hvgateway.com/NORTHGAT.HTM
>
>French elegant country inn:
>
>http://www.lechambord.com/
>
>I MYSELF don't go for elegant,
>much less French elegance, so
>I never go to this
>reception site. But it may
>be ideal for you.
>
>If you like rustic, a great
>place is Mount Gulian Historic
>Site in Beacon. You hire
>the caterer and
>every other vendor. I think the
>site fee is $1,200 if
>I AM NOT MISTAKEN. You
>will have to call to
>be sure.
>
>http://www.pojonews.com/enjoy/stories/0715971.htm
>
>And lastly, the most beautiful place
>in the entire world is
>too rich for my blood.
>$3000 reception
>site fee for an exquisite castle.
>Maybe if you like it,
>it's ideal for you. It
>is called The Wing's
>Castle. It is in Millbrook.
>
>http://dupontcastle.com/castles/wings.htm
>
>I remember my jaw dropped to
>the floor when I saw
>the Wing's Castle.
>
>There is also the Mountainville Manor.
>No web site, and the
>only thing I know about
>MM is that the place
>is like an old house
>(well, much nicer than it
>sounds).
>And the price starts at about
>$45 a head or so.
>I did
>some slight research and found nothing
>useful. My deejay once told
>me that she played at
>the MM and that the
>place was beautiful. The reason
>I did not get
>into the research and get any
>info on them was because
>my date was taken.
>
>There is also Bear Mountain Inn.
>Another fantastic rustic place. There
>really aren't too many good
>
>pictures of Bear Mountain Inn. This
>is their ad for example.
>
>
>http://www.th-record.com/sections/brides2000/images/215626.jpg
>
>Gina is Bear Mountain's wedding coordinator,
>and she is incredibly good.
>
>
>I have plenty of info on
>Bear Mountain Inn. If you
>
>want it, just email me. If
>and when I send you
>the
>BMI info, you will see I
>am very enthusiastic about BMI.
>I could not have it
>for myself, but I
>think you should definitely give it
>strong consideration.
>
>Look into Inncredible Caterers also. Inncredible
>
>Caterers is the name of the
>place and the name of
>the catering company. They used
>to be
>the Breakneck Lodge, but they totally
>renovated the
>place. The place is surrounded by
>a mountain, and it is
>very beautiful. Too high a
>minimum for me though, just
>like BMI. I would be
>safe in saying that
>Inncredible Caterers is rustic outside, elegant
>inside.
>
>They have a web site that
>has not been updated in
>a couple of years, but
>I imagine the menu choices
>are
>the same. There are also other
>reception sites there.
>
>http://www.inncrediblecaterers.com/
>
>Plum Pointe Caterers is also very
>nice, slightly typical though, but
>very reasonable. They look like
>a
>"reception place," but they are still
>nice. No wedding factory, from
>what I have seen. One
>of the
>most reasonable in the area. I
>would safely say around
>$40 a head. My date was
>taken, of course.
>
>http://www.plumpointe.com/
>
>MANY MANY brides go to Anthony's
>Pier Nine in New Windsor.
>I think it SCREAMS wedding
>factory, but I
>feel compelled to mention it to
>you as it is so
>very popular with HV brides.
>If a concern of yours
>is that the place has
>
>experience with weddings, then by all
>means consider Anthony's.
>
>www.piernine.com
>
>I love helping, especially looking for
>reception sites around these parks.
>I HAD SO MUCH TROUBLE,
>you can't even imagine (or
>maybe you can). Again please
>mention
>if you have something specific in
>mind, like a rustic
>look, a Victorian look, a looking-over-the-Hudson
>
>look, or even a price, a
>number of people to which
>you
>must stick to, if there is
>a town you prefer.
>
>I know of a good caterer,
>deejay (very good, as I
>have heard time and time
>again), photographer
>(referred by the deejay), organist, officiant,
>and an
>excellent cake place. If you need
>help with those, but all
>means ask.
>
>Yours in Hudson Valley planning,
>
>Belinda

[amurray]

Hi Belinda,
Thanks for all of your helpful info. I've been searching for a reception site for the past two months, and have had much difficulty. I actually almost signed the paperwork for Bear Mountain Inn, but I made another trip on a busy Saturday afternoon, and decided that it was just too crowded for my tastes. The inn is absolutely gorgeous, but it is situated right in the middle of a park that can get very crowded and noisy. My fiance and I are looking for a place that is very secluded and very nature-like. We would like an outdoor wedding and/or reception site, or in a place that feels like you are outside. Could you recommend any places that are situated in a natural outdoor setting, and is within an hour's drive from New York city? I don't care for any fancy hotels, castles or the like, and especially a place that feels like the typical catering hall. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

Aimee

[lunarwax]

Aimee: I highly recommend Crabtree's Kittle House, in Chappaqua. It's a highly rated resturant, and the food is amazing. They have a beautiful ballroom downstairs, with a greenhouse-type wall facing a private courtyard, so it's like you're outside even if you're not (and you can be). We had our cocktail hour in the bar, and the reception downstairs. It has the best service I've ever seen--one waiter per table, plus a maitre'd. It's classy, yet not stuffy. Good luck!

[Lillywhitestable]

Hello, I just purchased the bridal bargains book and went immediately to the message boards. Lo and behold, your message!! I would greatly appreciate your help in finding a reception site for my wedding reception in the lower Hudson valley area!

I live in NJ and my fiance lives in NYC. My family is in South Jersey, his in Rochester. Ultimately, we would prefer not to venture more than 40 minutes outside NYC. Our Reception date is Sunday, April 25, 2004. I am looking at a Mansion right now called "Gateways Mansion" in Morristown, NJ (Morristown Unitarian Fellowship). I love it and would book it right away, but I want to look around a bit. You can go to their website to get a better idea of what I am looking for.

We are trying to have a very un-traditional reception (our ceremony is going to be on a completely different day than the reception). I want a historic building with a cozy feel. Because of the time of year (late April) I would like for the location to be mostly indoors with easy access to the outdoors (via doors that lead to a patio kind of thing). We have 100 on the guest list and would need to add another 30 or so for staff for Maximum capacity limitations. We are very anti-wedding factory, so things like a gazebo, swans, bridges (unless they are stone and centuries old) don't attract us AT ALL! We also want to rent a site that would be ours exculsively. I would rather start with a blank slate and hire all my own vendors than have an all inclusive where I don't have much of a choice.

We will have a buffet of some kind with some appetizers. I guess seating for everyone, but no table assignments. Dress will be jackets for the men and day dresses for the women. I would like the reception not to go into the evening and end around 6pm or so.

Any suggestions would be VERY helpful.

Thank you!

[Reinhardt]

I don't know much of your area, unfortunately, but I will help as much as I can.

One place I highly recommend is the Ramsey Golf and Country Club in Ramsey.

www.ramseycountryclub.com/

My friend had her ceremony and reception there and it was great. The food *made* the reception, truly.

Though I cannot vouch for the caterer, Culinary Creations has a site that has lots of NJ reception sites for you to look into.

http://www.culinarycreations.com/

Scroll down the site and you will see "NJ Catering Locations".

Also, if you did not already, register at www.theknot.com and www.weddingchannel.com. The message boards there, especially the LOCAL New Jersey message board, are EXCELLENT.

Good luck!

Belinda

[Mazlynn]

Hi! I'm just in the early stages of planning, so any advice you could give me would be helpful! I'm getting married in August 2004 in the Troy/Albany area - the ceremony will be at the Albany cathedral. We're both grad students, so the budget is "cheap". Its an afternoon ceremony, and at the moment we're thinking of something along the lines of a english tea/country garden theme, so I'm looking for garden or outdoor sites, although I'm open to other suggestions - nothing is set in stone yet. Rough estimate of guests - we're expecting around 100. If you have any suggestions I'd be grateful!

Thanks for sharing your research!

[Reinhardt]

I'm sorry, but I do not know one thing about Troy/Albany.

Alls I can tells ya is to post here and go to www.theknot.com and www.weddingchannel.com, register, and post your message on the New York Local boards. These two boards have a wealth of information.

Good luck!

Belinda