Perched above beautiful Lake George on a wonderful mountainside rests Highlands Castle.  One of the most majestic New York Wedding Venues, this one of a kind property is certainly worth visiting if you are seeking an Adirondacks wedding venue.  Hosting weddings indoors and out, Highlands Castle offers views and historic elegance that is unrivaled in the Lake George wedding  region.

Painstakingly refurbished with great attention to detail this amazing New York wedding location will surpass your expectations with a one of a kind wedding experience that you and your guests will remember for years to come.  This is one of the most truly amazing New York wedding venues to be found in all the Northeast. Able to accommodate up to 1oo guests for indoor/outdoor receptions and rehearsal dinners, Highlands Castle is a one of a kind wedding location in New York.

To learn more about this great New York Wedding Venue please click HERE.

Just 45 minutes outside NYC you have Beckwith Point. A beautiful location for any event located on Long Island Sound. The beach is adjacent to the main ballroom and cocktail area. It’s a wonderful spot if you want incredible panoramas for your reception backdrop and photos. There is a huge rock in the center of the property that you can walk to for photos or just take in the view.

Real wedding of Conrad and Megan.

More of Denise Chastain/Modern Wedding Photography can be found HERE

For more information about this New York Wedding Venue please click HERE.

Looking for a unique &  affordable  location in Manhattan can be a task for some couples. The Alger House has become a favorite venue of mine to photograph.

The Alger House located in the West Village has amazing fun decor with vintage flair. Julius Caesar’s bust greets you after your walk up a long stairway until the entrance of the Alger house. You are greeted by white painted brick walls with lovely pieces of art work and unique stained glass and walls filled with tapestries.  Combining the look of a modern loft and artists space with mismatched artworks makes this venue work as a whole.

Upstairs there is a solarium used as the bridal suite which I often use with my clients for formals and a great place to stage the signing of the wedding license. Inside this room are mirrors, lovely couches and fireplace. The ceremony starts as the you watch the bridal party descend to the ground floor from the Solarium, seats are set up in a  typical ceremony fashion and the Bride has plenty of room walk down the aisle.  The ceremony area of the venue doubles as the reception area, as when the ceremony ends the room flips magically into a reception area. The cocktail hour takes place at the front of the venue, looks can be deceiving as there is plenty of room to walk around and mingle with guests.

You can bring in your caterer, however Alger house has their own on site catering. There is a front “foyer” style area which is a great place for the viewing of the cake, place cards and a sign in book.

This location is also a great example of using the environment you are in fully to photograph.  The East Village is a oasis for beautiful painted doors, gritty city streets and interesting parks.  Use this environment for its full capability to capture a unique and amazing wedding day.

Some of the great vendors that made this beautiful day a reality:

All photos courtesy of Laura Ryan: www.lauraryanphotography.com

Flowers: Denise Fasanello http://www.dfasanello.com/
Desserts: One Girl Cookie http://www.onegirlcookies.com/
Cake toppers: Naked Peggies off Etsy (Kate and Dinush painted them)

For more information on this great New York City Wedding Venue please click HERE.

* Recommended for smaller weddings, 60-80 guests max.

If you are looking for a wonderful island wedding in New York, there is no better location than the Rams Head Inn. Located on Shelter Island between the Twin Forks on the east end of Long Island, The Rams Head Inn offers understated opulence in an unpretentious setting. All the beauty of the Hamptons without all the drama, The Rams Head Inn accommodates up to 34 people and can host weddings for up to 180  in quaint New England style.

You and your wedding guests will enjoy over four acres of manicured grounds with 800 feet of private beachfront, perfect for taking in the magical surroundings. Well known locally for outstanding cuisine and exceptional service the Rams Head Inn ensures your wedding day will be spectacular.

*Site fees for 2010 wedding season have been waived.  Minimum bookings at the Inn apply.

For more information about the The Rams Head Inn please click HERE. The Rams Head Inn is a sponsor of Storied Locations.

We just had to feature this green wedding in honor of Earth Day.  Each detail was carefully thought through by Storied Events, the bride and groom and their families.  Special care was taken to ensure sustainable resources were used to the greatest extent.

Some of the incredible resources used were floral designs by Ariella Chezar, recycled bottle linen from BBJ Linen, an environmentally friendly invitation suite by Julie Holcomb and a tasty, creative feast utilizing local farms was designed by Dish Catering. This venue of course is also designed to be a green environment. Encompassing over 12,000 acres of privately owned and maintained forest preserve, it does not get any more earth friendly than this!

All photography copyright Modern Wedding Photography.

With its elegant white columns, expansive lawns, a neutrally designed formal ballroom and a relatively short commute  from New York city,  you will feel miles away at The Bourne Mansion.   Just imagine up to 300 of your closest friends and family sipping cocktails while enjoying the grandeur of the eras gone past at this breathtaking wedding venue.

The Bourne Mansion is also a photographers dream.  Outside on the 205 acres there is an unlimited amount of wonderful locations to photograph the bride and groom.  You have the mansion, the great lawn  and the gardens.  There is also the lake house for more rustic type of photos.  For the wedding featured here, we even used the little blue pick-up truck that was in the driveway. Inside the mansion there are plenty of rooms with beautiful old world fixtures, luxurious couches, and a grand stair case. You can be as editorial or classic with your approach to these locations. The grand ballroom offers a gorgeous backdrop for all of your reception photos.  The high ceilings, huge dance floor, balcony, antique organ and ceiling medallion are all perfect details for any photo.

For more information on The Bourne Mansion, please visit Lessings.

]]> http://blog.storiedlocations.com/the-bourne-mansion-a-long-island-new-york-estate-wedding-venue/feed/ 1 http://blog.storiedlocations.com/hudson-valley-new-york-wedding-venues/ http://blog.storiedlocations.com/hudson-valley-new-york-wedding-venues/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:48:32 +0000 Carrie MacMillan-Lane http://blog.storiedlocations.com/?p=1359

Please roll over image for location and credit

A short drive from New York City, New Jersey and really, the entire east coast, New York’s Hudson Valley is home to some of Northeast’s finest wedding venues.  From rustic farm weddings, private estate and castle weddings to glamorous, resort country club affairs, the Hudson Valley does have it all.

Many destination weddings will find a haven here – the lush green hills, mountains and of course lakes, ponds and rivers offer a remarkably romantic setting.   These hills are strewn with history and plenty of historical sites that are witness to the past, but are happy to host your modern affair. Chances are you will find a few ballrooms, rustic pavilions and of course, tented sites to create the wedding of your dreams.

Here are just a handful of Hudson Valley wedding locations:

Whistlewood Farm , Twin Lakes,The Grandview, The Garrison, Opus 40

Onteora, Mount Gulian, Mohonk Preserve, James House, Cole hill Farm

Clermont Historic Site, Cedar Lakes Estate, Cat Rock Osborn Castle, Boscobel House

Check out Storied Locations website for more great wedding venues!

All images courtesy of ©Laura Ryan Photography, www.lauraryanphotography.com

In the last two years I have photographed weddings at a venue called the Old Field Club.  The Old Field Club was founded by the Melville Family in 1929, and is located in Setauket, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island.   This location and environment has a simple vintage feel with a beautiful waterfront view.  I have photographed there both in the summer and twice in the fall. I can say both times beautiful and especially in the fall because the trees are all changing.

In addition to the outside waterfront spot, down the block there is a old lighthouse and a private beach, both locations great for extra formal photos.  The waterfront property also offers wonderful views for a ceremony.

Cocktail hour is in a separate room towards the back of the club.  If you do have a large party there is a outside back deck where your guests can mingle.  The main ballroom is beautiful with large windows, chandeliers and tall wooden ceilings with views of the water.  The dance floor and bar is located toward the end of the ballroom.  As a personal preference, I like the idea of keeping the dance floor separate from the main dining area.

In addition, the Old Field Club is such a clean, simple, elegant location, you can bring any type of wedding theme and decorations into the venue.

Pros:

Waterfront view, great service, great wait Staff,  large ceremony spot, private, delicious food, bridal suite, ballroom

Cons:

Small cocktail area if you are not utilizing the outside deck area

Dance floor can be small  if you have a band

Wooden ceilings makes it hard for your photographer to bounce flash from the ceiling.  I often use off camera flash for the Old Field Club to spread out light.

To learn more about this venues, visit their website at www.oldfieldclub.com

All photos courtesy of Laura Ryan Photography, www.lauraryanphotography.com

Nestled in between New York City and Orient Point, heading out to the stretch of Long Island known as the North Fork is an incredible wedding venue. Row and row of vineyard grapes along with the oak barrels, wine corks and the blank slate of tent can set the stage for a spectacular dream wedding.

Pellegrini Vineyards is available for weddings on Saturdays from June through September for up to 150 guests. There is a minimum purchase for wine {of course! You are at a vineyard!} and the site fee does not include any rentals. You are provided with a recommended list of professionals, but you are free to select vendors of your choice – bonus!

www.pellegrinivineyards.com

]]> http://blog.storiedlocations.com/a-new-york-vineyard-wedding-venue-pellegrini-vineyards/feed/ 2 http://blog.storiedlocations.com/the-most-romantic-ceremony-site-boldt-castle-on-heart-island/ http://blog.storiedlocations.com/the-most-romantic-ceremony-site-boldt-castle-on-heart-island/#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 21:15:37 +0000 Carrie MacMillan-Lane http://blog.storiedlocations.com/?p=1121 In honor of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to share one of the most romantic ceremony sites in the country. Far North in the 1,000 Island region of Western New York, lies Heart Island and the incredible breathtaking Boldt Castle.

Not just a ostentatious show of money, the Castle was built on love – true love. George C. Boldt – think Waldorf Astoria – began building the Castle as a monument to his wife, Louise, in early 1900.  This gesture of love was stopped short though in 1904 when Louise suddenly passed away. It is said George Boldt was so distraught he halted the construction on the Castle and left Heart Island to never return. The Castle remained abandoned until 1977, at which time the Thousand Island Bridge Authority began restoration efforts and continues to maintain Heart Island today.  Wow! True love… at its grandest!

Ceremonies only,  no wedding receptions are allowed. Nuptials at Boldt Castle are an experience your guests will surely not forget anytime soon.  Keep in mind having a private ceremony on an Island is not inexpensive. Everything – including you and all your guests must be ferried over, regardless of rain or shine. Additional “tolls” may be assessed as well. Be sure to read the fine print on contracts before securing historic venues as well, many stipulations may be in place to protect the integrity of the property!

Our valentine to you: Great Boldt Castle images from Andrea Casey Photography

Happy Valentine’s Day!

All images in this post found.