9 Tips For A Spectacular Catskill Wedding

[John Morgan]

You just got engaged! The joy, the bliss, you are marrying the love of your life. Congratulations! You’ve told all of your family, friends, co-workers - anyone who will listen now knows you are going to be married. After the initial excitement dies down, however, it’s normal for a slight panic to set in. So much to plan! Who will be in the wedding party? What dress will I wear? What if my preferred venue is already booked? What sort of music should we play? Relax. What better way to start your planning than by realizing your dream of having a big, luxurious wedding in Catskill, NY.

1) Location, location, location

The first thing you're going to want to do is get your location booked. There are so many horror stories out there about couples who waited too long to book their favorite venue, and when they finally got down to it, their required date was full. The only option they had left was to either change their date or use their backup location. Don’t let this happen to you. With so many breathtaking sights to see in Catskill, your venue options are endless.

2) Ceremony vs. Reception

Do you want your ceremony to be at one location followed by a reception at another? Or, would you prefer the convenience of having the entire thing at one beautifully located venue? Honor’s Haven Resort and Spa in Catskill, NY, for example, offers 250 gorgeous acres for you to choose from. With a location like this, you could easily get married in one of their picturesque outdoor paradises, then have your guests make their way into the charmingly decorated Solarium Hall for dinner, drinks, and an all-around wonderful time.

3) Wedding Photos

Make sure you hire a photographer that specializes in wedding photography. The Catskill Mountains are sure to be any photographer’s dream. Do yourself a favor and picture the beautiful bride and groom-to-be standing with the view of endless green, just off of the Hudson River. Don’t think that a mountainous scene sounds like something you’d be up for? Well, never fear. Catskill has dozens of prime locations for photographs. Whether you prefer rustic and chic, farms and barns, landscapes or even on the waterfront; there is no better place to find your ideal location than here.

4) Guest Accommodation

If this is a destination wedding, or even if you have guests that are traveling to be there, it is your job to make sure they have somewhere to stay. There are several fantastic options for this, and if you choose a reception location that also has rooms available, all your problems will be solved. Your guests can party all night, and instead of having to phone taxi-cabs or friends to pick them up, they can simply take the lift up to their rooms. Not only is this convenient for your guests, but it is also the safest option for your wedding. You’ll need to do your research of course, but most resorts have a ‘group option’ which will allow your guests to get a significant discount on their room.

5) The Dress

Arguably one of the most important - if not the most important - details of a wedding is, of course, the bride’s dress. If a woman is lucky, she won’t have to shop around very much before she finds the dress. However, most women try on at least seven dresses before coming to a decision, so some strategic planning should be involved before going out for a day of shopping. Many locations around this town sell dresses; you just have to find the one that really suits your style. Do your research, and you’ll be able to get this out of the way fairly quickly. Of course, after the bride has her dress, you’ll have to repeat the same process allover again to find the perfect bridesmaids dress.

6) The Meal

Perhaps the wedding preparation that is least worrisome to the bride and grooms, in fact, one of the most important things for the attendees: the food. You’ll want to make sure that there are both meat and vegetarian options offered. Chicken is a popular dish for weddings, and who could say no to a nice, slow roast. Whatever your meal requirements, Catskill has a huge variety of catering services to fit your every need. You’ll want to book this well in advance, and always call the catering company a month ahead of time to re-confirm that everything is on schedule. Otherwise, you’ll have a lot of hungry guests to feed!

7) Flowers and Decor

Hand in hand with a venue, the decor is the esthetically pleasing vision that your guests will get as they walk into the ceremony and reception. Once again, Catskill has a huge variety of florists who will often be able to suggest decor to pair with the flower arrangements. When in doubt, ask for opinions; it can never hurt to get a second opinion on whether those two colors match or not.

8) Open bar?

These days, many weddings offer an open-bar policy. Alternatively, there is always the option to buy your guests their first drink, and let them fend for themselves for the rest of the night. Remember, if you have alcohol at the reception, ideally you’ll have a taxi-service lined up or a resort wedding where guests can simply walk up to the room.

9) Music

Live band or DJ? These days, most people just hire a DJ, but there is a certain rustic feel to having a live band. Can’t decide? Why not hire a nice quartet (saxophones, violins, etc.) to play during the meal and have a DJ for the dance? You get the best of both worlds. Traditional music lovers will get to sway to a nice melodic rhythm throughout dinner while the most energetic crowd can get their dance on afterward to a solid DJ.

No matter what it is, from dresses to meals, Catskill has everything necessary for a stunning wedding. Start your planning early, and make the day you’ve always dream of become your reality.