winery venu and upstate NY wedding planner

kellybsoontobec

Hi Brides to be, 
   My fiance and I are interested in having our reception at a winery.  Possibly Ventosa.  We will have ~250 guests.  Any thoughts or suggestions?
   Also, I'm looking for a wedding planner.  Preferably one that has done lots of winery receptions in the Upstate NY area (Seneca, Cayuga lake).  Any suggestions?  I am also curious how much a wedding planner costs.  Thanks for any insight you may have.

JN382

I know a lot of brides here have been married in the Finger Lakes region and at vineyards including Ventosa and Glenora and have had fabulous experiences! I wish I could help you more in that arena.

As far as wedding planner's go, it depends on how much you're willing to spend. Day of coordinators will be significantly cheaper, as they only help coordinate the day-of to make sure everything goes where it's supposed to, etc. Personally, my only hesitation would be if you have an on-site wedding coordinator with your location. My venue has an in-house coordinator, so having a day-of OR event planner could result in "too many chef's in the kitchen" kind of thing. Plus, I'd rather save the money.

The only wedding planner that I can recommend is Terra Rosa- I've heard great things about them!

Good Luck!

raes19

A lot of the bigger wineries (including Ventosa) have their own on-site coordinators. They are really great because they know their venue and how to work with it. I would suggest that you check with some of the places you are considering and see what services come with the venue before hiring a planner because it might end up being an unnecessary expense.

ChelseaB425

I'm getting married at Ventosa in September and couldn't be more excited. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about the food, view, ambiance and service. Since I'm planning the wedding long-distance I considered getting a planner or day of coordinator but it's just an expense I don't want to add to the bill. I have heard nothing but glowing things about RJ, Ventosa's manager, and the overall service.

raes19

Chelsea - I can say with absolute certainty that the view from Ventosa in September will be breathtaking. Just watch out for the peacock running around over there lol

kks4471

I'm getting married at Ventosa in June, and like PPs, don't feel like I need a coordinator. RJ is an excellent manager, promt with emails and quickly answers questions. My parent's friends just went to a wedding there, and absolutely loved the experience and atmosphere. We're happy to answer any more questions, good luck!

ChelseaB425

Haha! Also have to consider the donkey - my mom is afraid it's going to hee haw throughout the ceremony. Luckily, our DJ, who has done many weddings at Ventosa, assured her it has never been a problem. Peacock and donkey... Who would've thought those would be a consideration in Central NY. Ha!

meagandal

With 250 guest and wanting a winery specific I would go ahead and book Ventosa if I were you, I was not able to as they didn't have a Saturday that worked for us available, and we are having ours at Belhurst Castle which is right around the corner(or tip rather) of the lake.

I will tell you that almost all wineries are out with that many guest, we are 225-250 and the options are very limited at that size! Glenora is definitely not an option they can only accommodate 150 and (IMO) they are cramped even at that.  Logan Ridge is a gorgeous option though its not currently a functional winery it is gorgeous and can accommodate your number but be prepared to bring in EVERYTHING.

We wanted September and wanted the reception to be inside so that was another limiting factor, but if you are open to a tent there may be a few more options but I would suggest booking your venue ASAP!  We booked March 6, 2011 for our Sept 29, 2012 wedding and we snatched up the last Saturday between May and October 2012!

whereismymind32

One venue that hasn't been mentioned is Esperanza Mansion in Penn Yan. It's not a winery, but it is overlooking the lake and has a huge ballroom and terrace in a historic mansion. It's a great place and one of the few that can accomodate 250 guests. I don't know how far out your date is, but Mile Wine Cellars is building a banquet hall in the near future. I have no idea if it will be big enough, but you might want to keep it on your radar.