Tag Archives: best destination wedding venue

Wedding Venue: Locusts on Hudson

by on April 14, 2013

 locusts on hudson wedding

Locusts on Hudson

135 Old Post Road
Staatsburg, Ny 12580-5228
212-965-4352
View their website
 
 
 

Average Cost: $73,000

*Average cost for THIS venue is calculated by figuring a 150-person guest list for a Saturday night wedding using standard food/beverage costs and tax and gratuity. Transportation to venue, catering kitchen/equipment, entertainment, decorations, flowers, tents, chairs/tables, lighting, etc. are not included. Price is rounded up to the nearest thousand.

locusts on hudson

How it breaks down:

Facility Rental Fee: $30,000 location fee and a mandatory $30,000 lodging fee, so $60,000 total.

What this includes: The $30,000 location fee gives you use of the property’s 76 acres for four days and three nights, which means you can have your rehearsal dinner, lunches, brunches, and any other event-related activity there. The $30,000 lodging fee provides you 11 bedrooms with room for 21 guests (I’m guessing you can squeeze in one more so there’s room for 11 couples total) for four days and three nights. Services and amenities include:

  • Housekeeping 
  • Heated Pool

  • Hot Tub

  • Sauna
  • Pilates Reformer

  • Tennis Court

  • Hiking Paths

  • Historical Farm Complex 
  • Beach
  • Wireless Internet

  • 76 Secluded Acres

  • Golf Course Next Door
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The barn at Locusts on Hudson

Food: You will have to bring in your own approved caterer. You can expect prices to range from $100-$200/up for food and beverage depending on your caterer. Caterers can use the manor’s kitchen for small gatherings up to 40 people. Otherwise they will have to set up a portable kitchen on the grounds which can run you several thousand dollars.

More Stats:

Space Type: Inside/outside

Bridal Suite: Yes

Size: Up to 250 guests, with seating for 150 in the barn and 40 in the manor

Food Service Type: Depends on selected caterer

Parking: Yes

How Will Grandma Get There? Up to 21 guests can stay in the manor for a fee of $30,000 for three nights. For guests not staying at the manor, there are several hotels and B&B’s in Hyde Park, Rhinebeck, or Poughkeepsie. The closest train station is in Rhinecliff. Amtrak offers a 95-minute service from Pennsylvania Station to Rhinecliff-Kingston while Metro North offers a 105-minute service from Grand Central Station to Poughkeepsie (a 20 minute drive from the house).

Extras: Tents, tables, chairs, linens, etc. need to be brought in from an outside vendor. You can hire a concierge for an additional $500/day, as well as obtain the services of a private chef for a fee.

Party On!: There is a 12 a.m. noise curfew.

A bathroom in The Manor @Locusts on Hudson

A bathroom in The Manor at Locusts on Hudson

 The Report:

The Locusts on Hudson sits on 76 acres in New York’s Hudson Valley. The Neo-Baroque style manor was built in the 19th century, and is surrounded by tennis courts, a beach, a neighboring golf course, a working farm, and gorgeous meadows. The property is owned by hotelier Andre Balazs,  who bought it in 2004 as a private residence and has since transformed the manor, barn, and entire property. His main initiative in purchasing the grounds was to create a working farm that would allow him to bring that experience to The Standard Grill in NYC.

Woman Getting Married Says:

Who wouldn’t want to get married on a property as gorgeous as this? The price, however, is not for the faint (or broke) of heart. The (semi) good news is that you can offset the lodging part of the cost if you wanted, and have 10+ couples (including you and your husband) stay in the 11 bedrooms on the manor and pay their share, which breaks down to $909/night per room (or $476 per person per room, if two people were staying in it.) With an additional $30,000 location fee on top of the $30,000 lodging fee, it’s still expensive any way you cut it. If you have the money and want to get married at a private, stunning location, this is an amazing choice. I think it would work best for a small, intimate wedding of 22 people or less, so everybody can stay on the property and you don’t have to worry about tents or other expenses.

Check out more pics from a wedding at Locusts on Hudson here. I love that the couple brought in a taco food truck!

 locusts on hudson new york

 

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How to Rent an Estate For Your Wedding

by on February 2, 2012

 

Let me start off by saying I love this idea. I think getting married in a non-traditional venue such as an estate is ideal…it’s like you have a super rich Uncle that has an amazing house and he’s like, “Come! Get married here! It would be my pleasure!” Except, in this situation that imaginary Uncle is super cheap and is making you pay for it. But whatever. The bottom line is: renting an estate is expensive, but it’s not crazy out of reach if you have a $30k budget or more.

I stumbled across the website Estate Weddings and Events the other week in my search for unique venues across the U.S. I think their website does a great job of giving you the information you need…it’s easy to navigate, shows great images, and gives you a lot of stats. You can browse by location, event type, capacity, and price. And on a side note, they were extremely responsive when I dealt with them. A big plus.

I’ve never had an event at one of their estates, but I do think there’s a need for a service like this. When I was scouting venues in Miami for my wedding, I had to go through a caterer to find available spaces. This is way more convenient, and it gives you a choice when it comes to selecting vendors.

The company lists available estates throughout the country, and prices vary. The houses are individually-owned, and are put through a pre-qualifying process before they are listed. You can opt for a full-service package which includes catering, or you can bring in your own caterer for a $1,000 fee. On average, it looks like 50 guests with the outside caterer fee will run you around $3,500 for the site rental only. For 100 guests you’re looking at around $6,000, and it goes all the way up to $10,000 and more depending on the estate. Events are given a 5-hour time limit, with time for vendors to start coming in as early as that morning to set up. You also have to pay a $500 cleanup fee. Some locations allow for overnight accommodations. One estate with 6 bedrooms was listed at $700/night total.

Below is one of the estates I received information on, which gives you a good range of how much a smaller one would cost:

The Emma Estate

Location: Rancho Santa Fe, San Diego

Size: Up to 300 seated, 400 cocktail-style

Standard Rental Fee (includes $1,000 outside caterer fee): 

  • Up to 50 guests -$3,500
  • 51-100 guests- $5,000
  • 101-150 guests- $6,500
  • 151+ guests- $8,000

Average Price :  $24,000

(price includes tax and service charges. Does not include additional decor)

How it breaks down:

Site Rental: $4,000 ($1,000 was deducted from the standard fee for using their caterer)

Food/Equipment: $105/pp

Includes: 

  • 100 person guest list
  • Access to estate from 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Event service from 5 p.m.-10 p.m.. Events must end at 10 p.m. due to noise ordinances.
  • Seated dinner (3 tray passed hors d’oeuvres, choice of one salad and 2 entree selections)
  • Equipment rentals (Chiavari chairs, linens, 5 cocktail tables, china, dance flor, round or banquet tables, 2 display tables, water and champagne stemware)
Beverage: $38/pp
  • Top shelf bar for 5 hours
Additional: 
  • Service Fee @ 20%
  • Sales Tax @ 7.75%
  • Cleaning fee: $500
  • Valet: $900
  • Day of coordination: $500

For this particular estate, there are three bathrooms, so you don’t have to worry about lines being too long. For a guest count over 150, they will supply additional “luxury” bathrooms, which I’m only assuming are gold-plated Port-O-Potties? I can dare to dream!

For more pictures, click here.

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Wedding Venue: Dunton Hot Springs

by on December 15, 2011

Dunton Hot Springs

52068 West Fork Road #38
Dolores, CO 81323
(970) 882-4800
View their website

Average Cost: $45,000

*Average cost for THIS venue is calculated by figuring a 44-person guest list for a Friday/Saturday night stay during their Winter/Spring low season, including all meals and accommodations for you and your guests. Transportation to venue, entertainment, additional decorations, and flowers are not included. Average price includes gratuity and state sales tax. Price is rounded up to the nearest thousand.

How it breaks down:

Facility Rental Fee: A “Town Buy-Out” will give you and your guests exclusive access to the entire property.

The rates are as follows…

Summer/Fall: $25,000/night with a three-night minimum

Winter/Spring: $19,000/night with a two-night minimum

What’s included in the fee: All meals, beverages, alcohol (except for reserve list wines and champagne), and lodging. Guests have access and use of the entire property, which includes private hiking trails, mountain bikes, river access, pool, screening room, fitness center, and yoga studio.

Photo by Max Wagner

View more photos here

Accommodations: There are 13 luxury cabins on the property that accommodate up to 44 guests total. That means that some cabins can hold up to 4 people.

 

One of the 13 cabins at Dunton Hot Springs

The Well House cabin has a private hot spring and cold plunge.

 

Food: The chef will customize all menus with you. Below is a sample weekend menu:

Friday Night

BBQ BUFFET on the fire: House Smoked Ribs, Smoked Pork Loin, Smoked Flank Steak, Smoked Chicken Quarters, Grilled Ginger Brined Corn on the Cob, Fresh Bread (for sandwiches if desired, Smoked Fig & Tarragon BBQ Sauce, Braised Swiss Chard & Salt Pork, Grilled Jalapeño Corn Bread, Baby Mixed Green Salad, Grilled Plumb Pie

Fish Option – Grilled Grouper and grilled vegetable skewers

**Smores at the fire**

Saturday

Breakfast 7:30AM – 9:30AM BUFFET

Grilled Eggs Benedict, Local Smoked Seafood’s, Bacon & Sausage, Soft Scrambled Eggs, Lavender French Toast, Assorted Fresh Muffins & Pastries, Fresh Yogurt & Homemade Granola

*** Lots of berries / fresh fruit***

NOON BUFFET (Casual seating around saloon & Deck):

Course One – Smoked Chicken & Whole Grain Noodle Soup

Course Two – Grilled Greyer Cheese & Heirloom Tomato Sandwich, Heirloom Tomato Bisque, Organic Baby Green Salad,

Course Three – Homemade Coconut Ice-Cream Sandwich, Chocolate-Chip Cookies

(Wedding) 4:00PM Cocktail Hour – Handcrafted Cocktails and Passed Appetizers:

Petite passed appetizers that compliment Dinner menu (not too heavy as dinner will be substantial)

5:00PM Plated Dinner:

Course One – Wild Mushroom Dark Chocolate Bisque

Course Two – Chilled Petit Green Pea, Watercress & Bing Cherry Salad, Parmesan Mint Aioli, Rendered Pancetta

Course Three –Roasted Pink Salt Foam Encrusted Texan Bison Striploin, Roasted Red Beets, Grilled Wild Asparagus, Bison Couscous

Or

Course Three –Roasted golden Tile Fish with a fresh herb & vanilla bean butter sauce

Or

Course Three –Fontina Cheese Risotto Croquettes

Course Four – Tiered Wedding Cake

 Sunday

Breakfast – Brunch 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM BUFFET:

Roasted Beef Top Round, Roasted Ham, Cheese Quiche, Local Smoked Meats, Bacon & Sausage, Soft Scrambled Eggs, Root Vegetable Hash, Black Berry Waffles, Assorted Fresh Muffins & Pastries, Fresh Yogurt & Homemade Granola

*** Lots of berries / fresh fruit***

NOTE: Meals (with the exception of your reception) are served family style in the Saloon.  Breakfast is served from 8am to 10am, Lunch is at 1pm, and in the evening, cocktails and appetizers are served in the Saloon at 6:30pm with dinner between 7:30pm-8:00pm.

Photo by Max Wagner

View more photos here

Where does the actual ceremony/reception take place? Weather permitting, most couples take advantage of the property’s expansive outdoor space for the ceremony. The reception takes place in the Dance Hall. After dinner, guests are taken to the adjoining Saloon for cake, and the Dance Hall is set up for…you guessed it, dancing!

Extras:

  • Reserve list wine and champagne
  • All traditional appetizers such as cheese platters are included, but a passed hors d’oeuvres can be added for  $10.00/pp.
  • Market price for special request food items
  • Wedding cake, flowers, officiant, additional decor not included
Interesting fact: In the state of Colorado, anyone can conduct the ceremony so long as the marriage license in order (which must be obtained in the State).

natural hot springs bath house

More Stats:

Space Type: Inside/Outside options.

Size: Up to 44 guests can stay on the property.

Food Service Type: Buffet/seated options

How Will Grandma Get There? She stays on the property! Woo-hoo! Guests fly into one of several airports in the area, which include Telluride and Cortex. From there you can arrange for the resort to pick you up, or you can rent a car to explore the area.

Party On!

  • Since you’re buying out the entire property, you can party as late as your little heart desires.

The Report:

Located in the San Juan Mountains of the Colorado Rockies, across from Telluride (about 1 hour away), Dunton Hot Springs is a ghost town turned luxury wilderness resort. The 5-star cabins and spa include such cool features as private hot springs and cold plunges. Guests at the resort have access to hiking, fishing, yoga, and of course the hot springs. The chef sources all local food, including lamb and fruit and vegetables from their own garden.

Woman Getting Married Says:

Um, can I go here right now? This place looks amazing, and I love the idea of having your own resort for your family and friends for your wedding. Of course, that kind of luxury doesn’t come cheap. However, I actually don’t think it’s as crazy as the price sounds. Think of it like this: The price includes every meal and accommodations for your guests. If you get married in the Winter/Spring when it’s $19,000/night and have guests stay two nights, that’s $45,000 if you include tax and gratuity. It would not be unheard of to have guests contribute $300/night or more for their accommodations, since meals are included. If you recouped $300/night per cabin (there’s 13), that would be $7,800 off (you could add on tax for each cabin to bring it up higher than that). That brings you somewhere in the neighborhood of $37,000 for the wedding (minus, of course, flowers and photographers, etc.). It’s expensive, but it’s not astronomical considering every meal is paid for and you basically have an entire luxury resort to yourselves. And more power to you if you have the budget to cover the guests! If that’s the case, can I come to your wedding?

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Wedding Venue: Blackberry Farm

by on September 7, 2011

Blackberry Farm

1471 West Millers Cove Road
Walland, Tennessee 37886
(865) 380-2260
View their website

Average Cost: $78,000

*Average cost for THIS venue is calculated by figuring a 78-person guest list for a Saturday night ceremony/reception in Mid-Season using the venue’s Main House wedding package and charging your guests $350/night for two nights in 39 rooms. Transportation to venue, entertainment, additional decorations, and flowers are not included. Average price includes gratuity and state sales tax on meals and guest rooms. Price is rounded up to the nearest thousand.

How it breaks down:

There are several packages you can choose from, listed below. They all include two-nights accommodations for you and your guests, as well as all their meals and non-alcoholic beverages for the entire stay (including the reception dinner and morning after brunch), and event coordination by Blackberry Farm. Since all package prices already include two-nights of accommodations for your guests, what you would do is have guests write you a check for their rooms (Guests cannot pay the hotel separately–packages must be paid by you to Blackberry Farm). The exact rate you choose to charge guests per night is up to you…the Farm suggest somewhere around $300 as an example, though typically rooms at the resort for hotel guests start at $395 – $445/night without the meal package, and $745/night for the traditional “full American plan,” which includes meals, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages for hotel guests. So, to figure out how much the package would end up costing you, deduct the price for the guest rooms. For example, the Farmstead wedding option, below, includes 20 guest rooms. If you charge $350/night per room for two nights, that would make the Mid Season package $56,000 instead of $70,000. With that said, it’s kind of a pain in the butt to have guests pay you, and be out of pocket all that money. Also keep in mind you’d be paying for guests’ arrival night dinner, next-day lunch, snacks, and morning-after brunch in addition to the wedding ceremony and reception. Sure, you love your guests, but that breaks down to a whopping $1,400/person!

 

NOTE: Low Season is January-March, Mid Season is April-September, and High Season is October-December. 

Wedding Packages at Blackberry Farm

A Farmstead Wedding:

  • Up to 40 guests
  • 20 guest rooms
  • Exclusive use of Heirloom Garden and The Barn for wedding ceremony and reception
  • $65,000/$70,000/$150,000 (low/mid/high seasons)

A Main House Wedding:

  • Up to 78 guests
  • 39 guest rooms
  • Exclusive use of Main House and Main House Lawn and Veranda for wedding ceremony and reception
  • $90,000/$105,000/$200,000 (low/mid/high seasons)

Full Property Wedding:

  • Up to 124 guests
  • 62 guest rooms
  • Choice of wedding ceremony and reception sites
  • $140,000/$163,000/$355,000 (low/mid/high seasons)

Food: Every meal for you and your guests staying at the hotel is included in the package price (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, morning after brunch). For the reception, a seated, pre-selected four course menu is included and can be customized with the culinary team, based on seasonal and available ingredients. Offsite guests not staying at Blackberry Farm are welcome to eat for the following additional price:

Meal
Price
Breakfast
$25
Lunch
$25
Dinner
$125
Brunch
$45

 

Important Note: Alcohol and additional wedding vendors (photography, floral, live entertainment, etc.) are not included in the package price. The package price DOES  include tax and service charge on the guestrooms and meals.

More Stats:

Space Type: Inside/Outside options. Location options (depending on package) include Main House, Main House Lawn, Veranda, Heirloom Garden, and Barn.

Size: Up to 124 guests. For parties over 124, they also offer a sister property, Dancing Bear Lodge.

Food Service Type: Buffet/seated options

How Will Grandma Get There? Ideally Grandma would get to stay in one of the guest rooms assigned to your package. For guests not able to stay on property, other cute inns are available nearby, such as the Butterfly Gap Retreat (hey, wasn’t that a bad movie with Ashton Kutcher?) and the Richmont Inn.

The Report:

Blackberry Farm is indeed a farm, with their own heirloom produce , honey, farm-fresh eggs, and artisan cheeses culled right from the property. But make no doubt about it, there’s nothing rustic about it. Located in Walland, TN, Blackberry Farm and it’s 4,200 acres in the Smoky Mountains was recently rated the Number 1 Resort in the Continental U.S. and Canada for 2011 by Travel + Leisure magazine. That’s quite a feat.

Woman Getting Married Says:

This place is gorgeous. I mean, look at it. It’s the perfect posh country retreat. And of course it’s going to be expensive, considering how pricey their regular hotel rates are. HOWEVER, I really think they are doing themselves an injustice by making you pay for not only the guest rooms, but also every guest meal. Unless you’re Kim Kardashian and you can afford to fly in your whole family AND pay for their rooms AND every meal, this is out of reach for most of us. Since they’ve recently introduced a ‘Build Your Own Experience’ pricing option for regular hotel guests, where you can just pay the room’s base price and add-on dining options, activities and events as you see fit, maybe they’ll eventually do the same for wedding guests as well. Otherwise, I don’t know any bride who wants to pay that much per person.

For more images of Blackberry Farm, click here.

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