So many people told us “Good luck!” and “Try not to stress too much!” when it came to picking a wedding venue. They clearly don’t know me very well!

My fiancé proposed to me on November 9^th, 2017. We had our venue booked by December 3^rd…

I wanted to start the process right away and I wanted to make sure I found a place that we could make our own! So, I started doing research.

Too many venues in Westchester and NYC are very plain and all have the same décor and they don’t let you customize things too much. On top of that, they are extremely expensive! The average for a moderately sized venue for just under 100 guests in Westchester County is about $140/person, before all the taxes and fees and so on.

If you’re looking into NYC and Brooklyn, forget it. There is a beautiful venue called The Foundry in NYC. It almost looks like a giant greenhouse, and since we are having a very boho-inspired wedding with lots of greenery, this place looked perfect. BUT, the cost for food & beverage was $150/person and that didn’t include chairs, tables, linens or any entertainment whatsoever. After all the chair rentals and linens and so forth, you’re looking at almost $200/person or maybe even more.

We wanted something different. So we thought outside of the box. We wanted a place that had a beautiful view, not a window that looked at NYC or a brick wall. We wanted a place where we could bring in any décor we wanted (as long as we didn’t put holes in the wall). So, we looked a little more north.

The further up north (away from the city) we looked, the more that we discovered there were these tucked away gems of venues that offer amazing packages. We also thought about all the people that would be traveling to the wedding. Some from upstate and some from Westchester, where we live.

After only 3 weeks of looking and researching, we went to Cove Caste in Greenwood Lake, NY. Greenwood Lake is about 30 miles west of the Tappan Zee Bridge (I will never call it the Cuomo Bridge). We went and saw that this place was BEAUTIFUL! It has a restaurant with an outdoor bar downstairs, along with a stage on a mini beach for live music! Upstairs was the room for the reception. It is incredible! It has these beautiful big windows that look right out on to the lake. The ceremony has an altar down near the water on a stained wood platform. What was the really great part was the difference in cost and what we got out of it. They include all the tables and linens and chairs and even wedding cake. They offered a signature cocktail we can make for our wedding and they are letting us do any kind of décor they want! They even own a 2 bedroom apartment across the street where they have the brides and bridesmaids get ready!

We just went to our tasting with our parents and ate on the water, and we couldn’t be happier that we chose this place. It actually is less travel time than having to get down to Brooklyn on a Saturday night, which worked out better for all of our guests!

The main point of all this is that if you plan ahead, do your research and know what you want, there is no reason to settle for a regular venue that overcharges. A wedding is your day and you are the one that makes it memorable.

You may think three weeks is fast, but it could be worse. It only took me an hour to choose my wedding dress!

❤