TL;DR
Unique and Affordable Venues
For those seeking unique venues that offer a balance of affordability and charm, several options stand out. Feast at Round Hill is praised for its vintage style and reasonable pricing, located just an hour from Manhattan [1:1]. In Long Island, Westbury Manor and North Ritz Club are recommended for their beautiful grounds and exclusivity
[1:2]. For a modern touch, the Kimpton Hotel Eventi offers a rooftop outdoor space and starts at $309 per person, making it a hidden gem in Manhattan
[2].
Garden and Outdoor Settings
If you're looking for a garden vibe, several venues fit this description. The Foundry in Long Island City is a favorite for its industrial charm and flexibility with catering options [3:1]. Queens Botanical Garden offers both indoor and outdoor options, providing a serene setting within NYC
[4:2]. Pond House Cafe in West Hartford, CT, though a bit further away, provides a beautiful garden atmosphere and is owned by a gay couple, making it queer-friendly
[3:4].
Venues Outside NYC
For those willing to venture slightly outside NYC, there are some excellent options. Grounds For Sculpture in NJ offers a unique and artistic backdrop for weddings [4:3]. Delaware State Parks provide picturesque venues with fall colors, suitable for a budget-conscious wedding
[4:1]. Additionally, North Shore Beach Club in Rocky Point, NY, is affordable and allows you to bring in your own vendors
[4:4].
Comprehensive Venue Lists
For a more comprehensive search, consider utilizing spreadsheets compiled by other couples. These lists often include detailed pricing and venue information, saving you time and effort in your search [5]. Notable mentions from these lists include Capitale NYC and Hutton Brickyards, which have been well-received by previous couples
[5:2],
[5:3].
These recommendations should help guide you toward finding the perfect venue that fits your style, budget, and logistical needs for your special day in or around New York City.
Hi all. I am trying to plan a wedding in New York but everything is either gaudy, too expensive, too small, or ridiculously far away from the downstate NY area. Has anyone found any unique venues in NY? Im willing to be in Long Island, most Burroughs but Manhattan, and the lower-upstate region. I’m starting to exhaust the online search engines and I’m not sure where to start looking next. I wish they had a wedding venues yellow pages lol. Help!
Edit: for those asking, here are some more details! The wedding is going to be between 150-200 people, possibly a Novemberish date (my fiancé gets too sweaty in summer) but flexible, and we need it to be able to accommodate different dietary needs (vegetarian/dairy, kosher, gluten-free). Other than that, we’re just looking for a charming rustic vibe with indoor/outdoor options (but maybe more indoor cuz November can get cold). Thank you again for all your help everyone!
In Long Island, Westbury Manor and North Ritz Club are very nice catering halls. You’d be the only party there and they both have beautiful grounds where you can take photos.
The Foundry is one my fav NY venues!
We had our wedding further upstate, but we looked at FEAST at Round Hill which was SO nice. Arrow Park was on our list as well but we did not tour it. Have you considered Northern NJ? Some areas are more accessible than Long Island and probably have similar pricing!
I looked at Feast too! But it didn’t seem like they accommodate our dietary restrictions so we chose not to add it to our list. What did you think about it? But I’ll definitely check out arrow park and Nj. Thank you for the ideas! I don’t know why I didn’t consider NJ as an option until now shrugs
We really liked it. The space was great and very pretty, the food was delicious, and we really liked their stance on up-front inclusive pricing (the fact that they include the service charges upfront rather than presenting the lower, without charge price) and their food-focus. Loved that the visit was basically a cocktail hour. I'm surprised they weren't able to accommodate your dietary restrictions - given their focus on food and how varied the options are and their past work is, that's not something I would have anticipated. But also, we didn't have anything specific we needed, so perhaps my assumption is wrong.
How many people are you thinking? I’m happy to share my spreadsheet if it’s helpful. It’s mostly Brooklyn and a few places in Hudson Valley. Feel free to message me if you’d like it!
oh please share - we are torn between Manhattan or BK
For sure! DM me your email and I’ll send it along.
We’ve had a good experience so far with Feast at round hill (wedding next year). They seemed to have treated their couples well throughout the pandemic, it has a vintage style that we love, it’s only an hour from Manhattan, and finally we simply could not beat the price for the level of formality/size.
I just wanted to let you all know about this unicorn of a venue - super modern, rooftop outdoor space, good food - I never knew about it as a wedding venue before I doing a client's wedding there, and it was amazing. Prices start at 309/pp and they're perfect for a small - medium size wedding (50-150). This isn't an ad, but I have said to myself throughout the process "why don't more people know of this place??" and I thought I would share.
The staff was caring, detailed and so on top of things, to the point where you probably don't need a coordinator (if you have minimal DIY decor, are a relatively organized person with time to dedicate). It reminded me of the experiences I've had working at catering venues outside of the city where they venue people acts like a coordinator, there's a great bridal attendant, and everything is included. Feel free to ask me anything about it or DM me for photos. I look at a lot of manhattan venues on the more moderate end of things and there's always something that you have to "settle" on IMO (old fashioned decor, meh food, icky organizational/political affiliation) everything about the Kimpton was wonderful - the indoor and outdoor ceremony options are both equally beautiful (I think), the facilities are beautiful. And the restaurant kitchen also serves the event venue, so the food was actually good.
Curious to hear more and see photos!
My fiance and I are from Jersey but are looking for any venues that are in NYC or surrounding areas that are not ballrooms/country clubs/golf clubs. We love a garden vibe! Not trying to be super picky but we don’t LOVE a barn but can deal if it looks pretty! (Queer friendly please 🌈) All the help will be great! Thanks!!
The Hilton Pearl River, gorgeous hotel with an incredible outdoor lawn for weddings. It’s truly perfect. Close enough to the city but far enough to avoid the chaos.
Had a great event at The Sanctuary RI. Foundry a great option also but it’s space only. You have to get catering.
The Foundry in LIC – might be a stretch on budget but worth checking, especially if you're open to partial-day, weekday, Sunday, or lighter catering packages
Deity NYC in Brooklyn – super unique space, includes in-house catering and staff
Dobbin St. in Williamsburg – rooftop garden potential and customizable packages
Pond House Cafe in West Hartford, CT – bit of a drive but great garden feel and good value
Worth looking into community gardens or private estates that work with caterers, places like Glen Foerd or some Hudson Valley spots. Would recommend looking now just to get a sense of what books fast and what kind of minimums are common, a lot of venues have 2026 pricing posted out and it only goes up from there.
I second the Pond House! It is 10 minutes from the Hartford Train station, which has service from NYC. They are right in your budget and have a beautiful garden vibe. Don't be deterred by the fact that they do multiple weddings a weekend - they are true professionals and the setup and service is so smooth. Also, they're owned by a gay couple!
Im searching for exact same vibe! Crossed Keys got back to me with their pricing break down, if you get married on a Thursday in August the day rate all in is $36k.
Blooming Hill Farm is on a farm but is refined because they have the giant sail tent and lots of wildflowers on the property in August. The food is phenomenal and grown on the land. They have hosted many queer weddings.
My fiancé and I are planning to get married in October or November, we couldn’t start planning until now due to Visa reasons.
We are looking for a budget wedding around 10,000 maybe slightly higher. We are open to Sunday dates if it isn’t too far from the city.
Basically all of our guests are from the NYC region but venue costs in this area are way to high. We were thinking to travel a bit further away from the city for a venue but not too far, three hour drive max.
Please let me know if anyone has any venue ideas. I will also like to mention for the ceremony portion we really want to embrace the fall colors.
Have you checked out the Queens Botanical Garden btw? It's in NYC (and I've been thinking about it myself too), has an indoor option too (although I would definitely take the outdoors though) and is fairly inexpensive, even with catering.
I only looked at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden but it is definitely worth check that place out thanks.
To be honest the boathouse at BBG might be nicer, (cost to rent the venue is fair, but caterers and vendors would hike it up beyond $15,000) but I was using wedding-spot to price out the Queens one and looked like I could pull off a 100 person wedding for maybe $8,000, depending on what other services I spend $ on, what I forego, etc.
I recommend Grounds For Sculpture in NJ. It is really beautiful and unique. You can reserve the restaurant fully or partially. It didn't work out for us due to distance but I would've love to have it there.
Thanks, that looks great. I sent a message for more information to the location.
North Shore Beach Club in Rocky Point, NY (Long Island) is cheap to rent - but you will need to bring in your own vendors, so you can play with the budget there. The max # of people is 125, figured I’d mention that part. Good luck!
Edited to add that the location would probably be great if most guests are coming from NYC, as its only about 1 hour 15 mins outside of the city by car.
Thanks I will have to check it out. We are only look at 50 to 60 guests so that size works
We just booked ours there for next summer. It would be great for a small group, and probably very cost effective for you to bring in catering for a group that size. There is also a nice terrace on the outside where you could do your ceremony if you weren't going the church route. Joan, the contact there, is very informative and kind.
This is great!!! I live right by there too. I’m keeping this in mind.
Cheap to rent...? Do you know any. General pricing info tried a quick google search couldn’t get that much info :) greatly appreciated
Check out state parks on Long Island. Heckscher State Park has a huge pavilion with picnic tables, although everything would be outdoors.
Check out Delaware State Parks...northern DE (Wilmington) is a 2ish hour drive from NYC and they have some gorgeous venues, especially if you're looking for fall colors
The good news is that there are so many great venues in and around NYC and NYS...the bad news is that it's nigh impossible to visit or research them all. Or it's a pain to get transparent pricing from these venues in a timely fashion.
Don't worry -- we stand on the shoulders of giants, i.e. lovely Redditors who have already shared their extremely helpful research. We compiled some of those venue search spreadsheets below.
With thanks to ZaharaVinson and snoconed for compiling some of these spreadsheets in prior posts.
If you have a spreadsheet to share, or we missed crediting you for your work, please let us know via modmail!
Capitale NYC
Feel free to add Hutton Brickyards to that list! Jd at Hutton brickyards dot com
We got married at HB and it was splendid!
YOUR ARE ALL HEAVEN SENT!
You’re incredible! Thanks for this!!!
The pinned post that many would find helpful 😁
Looking for a venue for 250 guests in Manhattan or one of the Boroughs. I am looking to do an upscale wedding but want to stay away from the super overpriced venues (i.e. Cipriani, Glass house). I still do want a very pretty space but I dont need it to be like a "brand name" venue.
LAVAN Midtown or Chelsea, Edison Ballroom, Chelsea Piers, City Winery, Liberty Warehouse BK, BK Botanical Gardens, Metropolitan Pavilion, 501 Union BK
501 unfortunately is too small
Chelsea piers lighthouse
Just DM’d you
Weylin
Try the venue at Edge NY! Amazing views
Looking for brides who found absolute gems of a venue aka cute, spacious, but don’t break the bank.
I live in Brooklyn so we started venue shopping in NYC and north Jersey but, as expected, the quotes are insane so we’re thinking about a destination somewhere - hence the broad call for hidden gem venues :)
(If there are any NYC brides who happen to know of places around the city - even better!)
I had my wedding at Giando on the Water in Williamsburg a few months ago. Everything was included (gratuity even) for $21k for 100 guests on a Friday night in the spring with the ceremony. I don’t know if it’s a hidden gem but I found it on Weddit and it was the best. I wouldn’t have changed anything. Just got some flowers, photographer and DJ and they did everything else. Feel free to DM me.
wait I’ve heard of this place but didn’t realize they could host that many people!
100 is the MINIMUM
Your best bet is always going to be somewhere that isn’t specifically a wedding venue. Elks or Eagles lodge, church basement, back yard, city park, natural area, etc. You spend money on rentals and have to do more coordination, but ultimately it is cheaper than an all-inclusive venue.
Here to say: church, synagogue, house of prayer….single best cost-saving decision we made, not only was the venue cost $150, but then the cost of everything else (catering, drinks, etc) fell too because we were able to buy our own booze; find our own caterer etc
This was right before covid, but my sis got married at the Harness Racing Museum in Goshen NY (Hudson Valley). The rental fee for the ballroom was only $500. They went with a caterer who charged $100 a plate and included open bar. The cater was Simply Gourmet.
I’m sure prices are a bit more, but it was the least expensive option she found and it was a beautiful wedding.
In Northern NJ, I know someone who said they planned an event at Merced Manor and it was only a $250 an hour rental https://www.mercedmanornj.com
I’ll send you a DM !
Ooh I feel you. I was in the same spot and it took a while to find affordable ones.
We’re having our wedding at Atmosfera in Astoria this fall with 75 guests (max capacity) and were quoted a little over $7K for a Saturday, including wait staff, tables, glassware. Our premium bar package added another $4K but we were choosy with our alcohol choices. If you want to have drinks, the bar minimum is $1K, but food and drinks aren’t required through the venue. I have heard good things about their in house chef if you want all inclusive. They also have referrals/in house vendors like DJs and Florists, but you can ultimately choose to bring in whom ever you like.
Our wedding is still a couple months out but we’re on track for a $35K budget.
Best of luck!
Westchester county - open to up or downstate ... about 50-75ppl max
Aurora! Is a great spot- but I used to work there back in the day so that would be weird for me! Lol
What part of New York?
Townstages.com is a great value
I had my wedding at Aurora Brooklyn for 55 guests . The venue is amazing for small number of guests . The total with taxes came a little over 10k
Recently engaged. Looking for wedding venues in BK - most seem to be warehouses that you need to bring your own caterer and other items. Looking for some tips on venues people have enjoyed or have heard about. Any recos welcome!
Brooklyn Bowl does weddings
Check out Brooklyn Cider House! It was my top choice, I loved it there and price is on the more reasonable side for a Brooklyn wedding.
had ours there, it was great
Sounds like you’re looking for an all inclusive venue. my s/o and I were looking at BK venues but we couldn’t find anything that wasn’t going to cost an arm or leg. El Caribe is a beautiful place if budget isn’t tight!
Look at the Picnic house (bon soir catering) or the Boat House with (I forget who but you can only use 1 catering company at that venue and it’s pricy) for your reception. If you need a holiday weekend, you need to book 18 months out to get your holiday of choice but if flexible, you can reserve a bunch closer to !! Rental fee yes, but it’s reasonable and their vendor list is short so they know how to do your party!
Seconding the Picnic House. They’re definitely not all inclusive but give you a list of vendors to choose from (there are at least 20 different caterers) so that makes it a lot easier!
Brooklyn Botanic Gardens! Recently set my date there and have been so happy thus far working with the team there. I love the idea of having everything taken care of at one location!
my FH and I are highly considering BBG. Did you choose the atrium or the palm house? If you don't mind sharing, what was your quote and for how many guests?
I chose the Palm house on a Friday in May. I’ll message you all the info!
Best wedding venues in New York city
Key Considerations for Choosing a Wedding Venue in NYC:
Capacity: Determine the number of guests you plan to invite and choose a venue that can comfortably accommodate them.
Style and Ambiance: Consider the overall aesthetic you want for your wedding. NYC offers a variety of venues, from elegant ballrooms to rustic lofts and outdoor gardens.
Location: Think about convenience for your guests. Venues near public transportation or hotels can make logistics easier.
Catering and Services: Check if the venue provides in-house catering or if you need to hire external vendors. Some venues may also offer wedding planning services.
Budget: Set a budget and look for venues that fit within your financial plan. Remember to account for additional costs like decor, rentals, and service fees.
Top Wedding Venues in NYC:
Recommendation: If you're looking for a blend of elegance and convenience, consider The Plaza Hotel for its iconic status and comprehensive services. For a more unique and intimate setting, The Foundry offers a charming atmosphere with a touch of industrial chic. Always visit the venues in person to get a feel for the space and discuss your specific needs with the staff.
Get more comprehensive results summarized by our most cutting edge AI model. Plus deep Youtube search.