Unique Hudson Valley wedding venues | NY wedding photographer | Best Hudson Valley wedding venues

Castles. Summer camps. Sculpture Gardens. If you’re looking for beautiful AND unique Hudson Valley wedding venues, you’ll want to read up on these 14 one-of-a-kind spaces.

If having a NYC wedding conjures up honking car horns and cramped space, then venture upstate to where we have all the room (and trees!) in the world. Though most folks know the Hudson Valley for the Hudson River, hiking around Storm King, and wine, there’s so much more to offer. I’ve been a Hudson Valley wedding photographer for years, and always brag about our area’s amazing waterfalls, mountains, arts, food, and more. But aside from all that, we have some darn quirky New York wedding venues that are night and day from anything else.

So, here are 14 Hudson Valley wedding venues that are different from the rest. Here in the Hudson Valley, wedding venues are a-plenty if you’re looking for a rustic barn wedding, vineyard, or country club. But within these 10 counties of the HV—where I’ve lived on and off for over 30 years (now I feel old)—we have SO much more to offer than traditional country venues.

Here’s my list, in no particular order:

The Most Unique, Extraordinary, & Best Hudson Valley Wedding Venues List

1. Full Moon Resort

A Full Moon Resort wedding is like going to summer camp for your adult wedding. It really almost could be a summer camp, because the idea is that yourent out this entire Catskills venue for the weekend, eat all your meals together in the hotel-style eating room, and have a blast with welcome activities, the pool, bbqs, and brunches. This is just one of my favorite unique Hudson Valley wedding venues because first, the staff are lovely; second, there’s a pool; and third, the people who rent this space out to have a wacky Full Moon wedding tend to be nontraditional in the first place!

For your wedding, you have access to all the buildings, and there are a few main ones: Mainly, there’s the barn, which is less formal and good for cocktail hours and welcome dinners, and the new pavilion with a balcony, seating areas, and more. For lodging, guests can choose from different cabins, air b’n’b-style rooms, luxury cabins, glamping, mini-homes with kitchenettes, and more. There’s wifi around the whole property and road—which is good, because you probably won’t have reception. Enjoy being in the woods for a Catskills wedding like this!

For some, a Full Moon Resort wedding is going to be more of a Woodstock-esque festival over a black-tie affair. If you’re the type of couple to have your wedding at Full Moon, you are probably more on the quirky, outdoorsy, nontraditional side. Most couples who get married at Full Moon come up from the city on a large rented bus with all their friends. I love it here!

2. Innisfree Gardens

Innisfree Gardens is hidden near the end of a country road, and unless you know it’s there, you wouldn’t stumble upon it. This place feels like a combination of a botanical garden, private grounds at a mansion (with no mansion), and a sculpture garden all in one. 185 acres of flowers, lake, brooks, nooks and crannies, organic garden design, ponds, and more will keep your interest throughout the seasons.

An Innisfree Garden wedding requires special arrangements with the kind staff, but there’s no place else like it. Even if it’s crowded (which it never is), you won’t feel like there’s anyone around you—it’s that spacious. You’re surrounded by woods, and if you sit and watch, you’ll see so many different frogs, dragonflies, deer, and more. If you’re interested in a wedding at Innisfree Garden, you’re probably a lover of serene places, the outdoors, intimate settings, and something far away from urban parties. Open only from late spring until fall.

3. Wing’s Castle

Wing’s Castle is a venue straight out of a fairy tale. You can’t get much more unexpected than this! Hidden in the small town of Millbrook, New York, you’ll have to make special arrangements with the owner to have a Wing’s Castle wedding. But look at this place! Is it not incredible?

The owner rents out rooms in the castle as an Air B’n’B, but you can arrange to have your intimate wedding at this one-of-a-kind home, built using almost all recycled materials. Character? Oh, it’s got character. Just 75 miles north of NYC, tours are included with every rental. Having a spooky movie shoot or Halloween-themed wedding? You can even rent The Dungeon Room!

4. Glynwood Events

While Glynwood Events may appear to be just another farm hosting weddings, it’s so much more. Heck, the place is so large it has its own one-way road! Your Glynwood Farms weddings can be so uniquely you because the property is massive. There are forests. Waterfalls. Walkways over streams. Lakes. Farmhouses. A boathouse. An island. Cottages. Stone buildings. Gardens. Barns. Acres and acres.

But for those looking for a green wedding, Glynwood Events offers sustainable weddings. Because they can supply their own produce and meat, and by using regenerative, organic farming techniques with carbon offsets, they offer a completely carbon-neutral event space. You can have a green wedding at Glynwood Farms—and that’s something to celebrate. For more intimate weddings at Glynwood Farms in the Hudson Valley, I’ve worked with Sarah Carroll of Small Shindigs. From 2 people to hundreds, they only host one wedding a weekend—yours.

5. F.E.A.S.T. at Round Hill

F.E.A.S.T. at Round Hill is an all-inclusive wedding venue which cuts down on cost AND stress. Though the grounds aren’t the most unique on here, this affordable Hudson Valley wedding venue is popular and unique. From getting ready to bar service to indoor/outdoor ceremonies and catering, FEAST at Round Hill offers their grand house and private grounds for only one celebration a day.

For LGBTQ+ couples in the Hudson Valley, FEAST at Round Hill is inclusive and welcoming to all—perhaps more so than any other venue. No matter how you identify, they’ll welcome you here. “We’re a very affordable option in the Hudson Valley, and a unique alternative to a typical banquet hall. Catering, wedding cake, liquor, linens, tables, chairs, tableware, and your site fee are all included, and we hope when couples book with us to make their wedding planning a stress-free and enjoyable experience,” says Christina Schneider, who works for FEAST.

Flowers, gardens, ponds, and more, the FEAST at Round Hill wedding venue will provide special cuisine (all done in-house) according to your wishes—and boy do they have an extensive list of options. FEAST at Round Hill makes weddings in the Hudson Valley easy, and they’re lovely folks to work with.

6. Arrow Park

Weddings at Arrow Park? Yes, please! Arrow Park is a beautiful stone lodge, garden, and summer camp overlooking an impressive lake. One of the star attractions is the entryway, but the extensive property has many different viewpoints and hidden little areas that you’ll love. The people running Arrow Park are uber-friendly, and you just get that feeling of tranquility when you arrive.

Want a more formal affair with a live string quartet? You can have an elegant Arrow Park wedding. Want to do giant backyard games and have a wild party? You can do that here as well. It’s a lovely property that makes you seem like you’ve rented out the world.

Plus, will you look at all that greenery?! It won’t come as a surprise that the Appalachian Trail is a stone’s throw from the venue. And on the other side, Woodbury Commons is a short drive away. So close to shops and restaurants, but when you look out over the lake, you’ll feel a world away–and it’s beautifully worth it.

7. Rivermere on the Hudson

Rivermere on the Hudson is a beautiful, gated, private home that’s also a unique wedding venue. With vineyards, a pond, peacocks, a vaulted indoor pool with tiki bar, fountains, a fairytale winding staircase, a grand piano, and Hudson River views, it’s perfect for microweddings or more intimate weddings up to 50 people.

Rivermere on the Hudson is also home to Lani Microweddings, an offshoot company offering truly small weddings. However many people you want to host, this private mansion will cater to you completely. The owners are super kind, and you’ll really feel they’re sharing their home with you.

8. Opus 40

If you’re a “who-knew-you-could-have-weddings-here” person, Opus 40 is your wedding venue! Simply puts, Saugerties’ Opus 40 is a quirky sculpture park that you wouldn’t immediately think of for a huge gathering, as it’s typically more of a walk around / meditate venue. Surrounded by forests and filled with fountains, statues, and sculpture, it’s a great place to have a more nontraditional, tented outside wedding. You can host up to 400 here, and because they host weddings frequently, you don’t have to worry about loud generators in the middle of a field—they have the site fully ready to light and tent.

Open April through November only. The main sculpture is perfect for your ceremony, cocktail hour, live music, or even hired performers. Your Opus 40 wedding will be memorable due to the fact that there’s no other sculpture like this in the world!

9. Locust Grove

Poughkeepsie’s Locust Grove wedding venue is a laid-back setting that hides a lot of beauty in unlikely places. A nature preserve, a not-for-profit museum, AND a garden, it offers a sanctuary in the middle of Poughkeepsie. If you’re familiar with the Mid-Hudson Valley, you know this area is full of strip malls, hospitals, and the nearby train station. But once you walk into Locust Grove—which I first did literally 29 years ago (geez, I feel even older now), you feel you’re in a completely different place.

It may not be the most unusual venue on this list, but on a summer or fall day, being in this woodsy haven is beautiful. At your Locust Grove wedding you can walk to the hill and overlook the Hudson, stroll through the gardens with peonies and garland-covered arbors bursting forth, learn about the historical buildings, and party in their main building. You’ll have the entire place to yourself. I love taking photos in the gardens and getting those pops of color from seasonal displays. Poughkeepsie is not exactly known as New York’s pride and joy, but Locust Grove weddings are a world away, and darn classy.

Trust me: You’ll love Locust Grove and the feeling of being in your own private estate.

10. The Abbey Inn

The Abbey Inn is a new Hudson Valley wedding venue, and you’ll instantly know why it’s already popular. It looks like a castle was found in perfect condition and placed on a patch of lawn overlooking the Hudson River! Formerly a convent, this northern Westchester wedding venue was finished just last year, and now has a full-service spa and unique intimate event spaces. You may not think of The Abbey Inn as one of the small wedding venues of the Hudson Valley, but it’s actually great for tinier weddings.

For weddings of 30-120 people, you get to use their scenic lawn and party in the former chapel. But aside from the amazing view, the star of the show (for me) for this Hudson Valley wedding venue is the Cornerstone Room. Its historic paintings transport you to not just another time, but another place–say, Europe in the 1600s. Your Abbey Inn & Spa wedding will be a relaxing AND regal event!

11. Untermyer Gardens

Untermyer Gardens in Yonkers, NY, is a very formal garden located right on the Hudson River. Managed by the City of Yonkers, this gem is available for weddings medium to large. As a Hudson Valley wedding photographer, I love taking portraits outside of the city due to the amazing nature and greenery, and the gardens just north of NYC here do just that.

If you’re looking for something that those in the city can easily get to (even on public transport), an Untermyer Gardens wedding will be gorgeous and high-end—a real exclusive feeling in terms of unique Hudson Valley wedding venues.

12. Storm King Arts Center

Storm King Arts Center is where artsy, successful Brooklynites get married. Okay okay, lots of folks try to get married here, but because only 6 weddings a year are hosted here, you have click all the right boxes and have just the right connections to snag a date here. My clients chose to have me photograph their Storm King Arts Center, and were actually from London—but had lived in the city before their successful international careers. This is an almost all outdoor wedding venue in the Hudson Valley, so consider a daytime wedding here, or tent lighting.

This Hudson Valley wedding venue is a prominent sculpture park open to the public 6 days a week, with visitor tickets ranging from about $15-$20/person. Renting the property for your Storm King Arts Center wedding, however, is a very unique opportunity, and gives you access to have photos done on parts of the massive, 500-acre park that no one else is even allowed to step foot on. If you’re going to have your wedding at Storm King, you’re definitely a fan of the arts, you’re pretty quirky, and you love the nontraditional. I love photographing Storm King Arts Center weddings, because as a creative wedding photographer based in the Hudson Valley, well, what can beat the country, forest-y landscape mixed with one-of-a-kind sculptures, offbeat couples, wacky mirrors, and more?

P.S. The header photo of this article (the red sculpture with bridesmaids) is also from Storm King Arts Center.

13. Cedar Lakes Estate

Cedar Lakes Estate is lesser known as far as Hudson Valley wedding venues go, but it shouldn’t be. This beautiful Port Jervis, NY wedding venue. Featuring an 85-year-old deck overlooking the lake and tall pines surrounding your amphitheater ceremony site, it gives off an oh-so-California feel. Want something else? Get married in one of their fields overlooking the mountains. Where to party? Their 5,400-square-foot reclamation barn can be decorated with flowers, chandeliers, and lights that transform the space.

There’s also an open-air pavilion, a fire pit, kayaks and wildflower fields along with cottages and amazing cuisines. Vegan? Gluten-free? They will cater to your exact needs. Weddings at Cedar Lakes Estate can be rustic country style or upscale lakefront soiree.

14. Mohonk Mountain House

New Paltz’s Mohonk Mountain House is famous here in upstate New York, and is a renowned Hudson Valley wedding venue. You may have seen it on the hit Netflix series Upload, and with good reason: Mohonk Mountain House is one-of-a-kind, with outdoor activities like mountain biking, golfing, and rock climbing within walking distance, a massive lake, unique rock features, and practically private hiking and views.

A stay at Mohonk includes 3 meals a day, activities ranging from kayaking to disc golf to pilates to tomahawk throwing classes (seriously). So if you’re having a Mohonk wedding, you DEFINITELY want to take advantage of staying in your honeymoon suite for several days. And if you’re hosting a Mohonk Mountain House wedding, make sure to factor in extra time for photos at the top of the mountain, on all sides of the lake, and maybe even in the Lemon Squeeze (look it up!). Fall is my favorite time here, and it’s really unbeatable.

Have a one-of-a-kind Hudson Valley wedding

Unique wedding venues are hidden all over this part of Upstate New York (okay, some might call us downstate New York, but we’re all north of NYC!). As a Hudson Valley wedding photographer with a nontraditional style, I love shooting celebrations at unique wedding venues. These 14 made my cut (and no, I was not paid for this article, not asked to mention any venue specifically–these are all my own opinions, but there are many more beautiful, nontraditional venues up here as well. Are these the best Hudson Valley wedding venues out there? Some of them sure are! There are of course hundreds of venues throughout Westchester up to the Catskills, so keep in mind that this is a more specific and targeted list for nontraditional couples.

It’s hard to beat the Hudson Valley for beautiful greenery, mountains, lakes, and the Historic Hudson River—all about 90 minutes from NYC. With wild animals, endless farmlands, waterfalls, and silence, you’d never guess you were so close to the city. These 14 unique Hudson Valley wedding venues will make your Upstate NY wedding that much more memorable.  I love photographing in the natural surroundings up here, and love even more when I get to spend the weekend with my clients, truly getting to know them and their friends. Many of these venues are the reason I so love being a Hudson Valley wedding photographer, and I can’t wait to capture more celebrations at these unique venues.

Kathryn Cooper Weddings: Hudson Valley Wedding Photography | Best Wedding Venues Hudson Valley | A Nontraditional Hudson Valley wedding venue | Small Wedding Venues Hudson Valley