A Summer Spillian Wedding in Upstate NY

May 17, 2026

Spillian NY | Catskills Weddings Fleishmanns New York | Spillian Wedding Photographer

Kayla & Matt | Spillian NY Wedding in Fleischmanns NY

Spillian wedding photos by Catskills wedding photographer Kathryn Cooper Weddings

Upstate Spillian Weddings

For couples hosting intimate Upstate NY wedding weekends in the Catskills, Spillian is a legend. A unique wooden mansion set within a forest up in the mountains of New York, Spillian is the perfect location for a ~75-person wedding weekend. For Kayla and Matt—who wanted to spend time with their closest friends—this Catskills venue was a beautiful location to hold their summer celebration.

Spillian is a unique NY wedding venue that’s privately owned by Leigh and Mark, and they re-opened it in 2013 as a private venue. It’s got unique architecture inside and out. Picture a lace Victorian, but with custom, unique features similar to a shingled cabin. Inside, it’s decorated with statuettes, trinkets, local Catskills memorabilia, wooden details, and so much more.

The history of Spillian and Fleischmanns, NY is quite interesting—and you can read all about it here: https://spillian.com/spillian-the-place/spillian-history/. The venue also hosts unique residences, events, and workshops.

Spillian: A Place to Revel

Spillian: A Place to Revel (as it’s officially named) is definitely a darker venue, giving those getting ready photos a moody, unique look. I love getting black & whites, shadows and silhouettes, and light streaming in the tall windows during the getting ready. There are multiple rooms for the wedding party and family, creating an almost elevated, private mini-hotel sense.

Outside, there are beautiful spaces: A cute, colorful shed; ferns and little gardens; walkways in the woods, a giant hill in front, a pond, and the entire wooded ceremony & party space.

Wedding Ceremonies and Candids around the Property

Like many couples, Kayla and Matt loved the private nature of Spillian, fell in love with the awesome main house, and liked having the different options for an outdoor party and bonfire.

Wedding ceremonies at Spillian typically occur outside in the side yard, a short 200-foot walk on a lined mulch walkway into the woods. Simple wooden benches face the forest edge, which is lined with ferns, bare lightbulb strings, and sun-filtered tree light. This is where Matt and Kayla got married.

Getting ready was full of rushing around and setting up, as the couple DIYed a lot of their flowers and details. Spillian does not have A/C, so lots of fans were set up to cool down the bride on their hot summer day. With the beautiful light coming in the mansion, I took some beautifully moody getting ready shots and details/invites.

Photos in the Spillian Mansion

While Kayla didn’t want to see her groom until the ceremony, she did have a first look with her father (who definitely teared up).

Soon it was time for the ceremony, where their friend officiated. It was informal, sweet, and personal. After they said I Do, it was time for their bubble exit!

Afterwards, everyone went back to the mansion for family photos and cocktail hour (where Kayla was super excited about their custom menu!). Then, it was time for dinner, buffet-style. They’d set everything up indoors, and had toasts and cake cutting on long, farm-style tables set up in the main rooms.

Dancing the Night Away in the Catskills

Afterwards, the staff had cleared the ceremony space and converted it into a dance floor and band stage for their live band! They did their first dance and parent dances, then opened the dance floor to all as the band played well into the night.

A bonfire was lit, and was massive—10 feet tall! The cake was served, the bar was open, and everyone loved the party. The bride even had a dress change, and the July night was beautiful up in the Catskills.

You get a full-weekend rental with your Spillian weddings rental, and that allows you to party well into the night. This couple was super low-key, and really just wanted their summer celebration to be a fun, beautiful weekend with their best friends—all taking place in the middle of the forest. As a Catskills wedding photographer, I love being able to capture these moments in a private location. No noise ordinances, no other guests to work around, no onlookers staying at the hotel: It’s just you and your guests at these more intimate, all-inclusive Upstate NY venues!

What does a Spillian wedding cost? Conveniently, they put their base costs up-front on their website, and you can find the official Spillian wedding weekend rental costs (including food, bar, rehearsal dinner, and other add-ons) right here. Both 2027 and 2028 wedding costs at Spillian are listed right on their website.

That said, most people fall in love with Spillian’s secluded, unique, all-in-one features–and also the owners, who work one-on-one to make your gathering come together.

That night I was sad to leave, and caught one more shot of the Spillian house all lit up in the night. What a wonderful location for Matt and Kayla’s summer celebration~

Spillian | A Place to Revel – Kayla & Matt’s Summer Spillian Wedding:

Photography: @kathryncooperweddings
Venue: @spillian
Dress: https://www.tadashishoji.com/
Reception Dress: https://shonajoy.com/