The Catskills, a mountain region in the southeast part of New York State, is an ideal wedding destination. The area is full of natural beauty; you can get married along a creek or in front of a waterfall, and mountain ranges give incredible vistas. Because of its proximity to New York City (it’s around a two-hour drive), there are amazing chefs and hoteliers who call the region their home, too. Whether you’re looking for a hipster hotel to a grand estate, the Catskills has something for you.
To help you plan your perfect Catskills wedding, we turned to Bethany Pickard, owner and lead planner for Modern Kicks, an event planning firm in the region. Weddings in the Catskills are all “beautifully different,” she says. Still, there are some general rules. To get married here, she recommends having a budget of at least $800 to $1,000 a guest. While there are options for year-round weddings, she also suggests late May to early October as an ideal time to tie the knot in this region.
Meet the Expert
Bethany Pickard is the owner of Modern Kicks, an event planning company in the Catskills.
One of the greatest parts of the Catskills is how many beautiful, diverse venues there are. “The hotel venues in the Catskills are anything but ballrooms,” explains Pickard. “Some require a tent, while others have a barn or other raw space that can be transformed for the wedding day. In addition, we have a large number of stand-alone barn spaces, estates, and reimagined historic properties to choose from.”
The current outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. As the situation remains fluid, we’ll be sharing tips and stories from industry experts to give you of-the-moment advice and help you navigate wedding planning today. For the most up-to-date guidelines and latest on travel restrictions and requirements, check the CDC and U.S. Department of State websites.
Here are some exceptional Catskills wedding venues for your big day.
