New York

**MelissaC** And everyone else :)

I just saw your post on the newbies topic and wanted to say Hi!

Im not sure who is aware of it, or does it, but on the main CNY page in the upper right hand corner theres a box that says "post by recent...." if you uncheck that and reload the page, the topic that was most recently commented on is at the top of the list. (Hence how I knew Melissa posted!)

So Melissa, you asked our opinions on venues, but let me ask you, what kind of budget do you have? I can certainly help you if you have a small budget and I know there are girls on here who can help with an average budget or even a larger budget.

What kind of feel are you going for? Do you want ceremony/reception in one place? Are you looking to stay close to a certain area? How close is close?

Give us a few more details and Im sure the girls here will blow up this post with things theyve learned about different venues.

People are inherently stupid. Weddings make it painfully obvious -- KevinandMonica
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Re: **MelissaC** And everyone else :)

  • edited December 2011
    Welcome!!

    Some ideas... (although budget would be a big factor, so if you could give us an idea it would help)

    Adirondacks- I had 2 friends married here last year on top of a mountain... it was breathtaking.  You had to tkae a gondola to get up to the top... it was really pretty cool, but very simple.  Their reception was just a BBQ and they rented some cabins for their guests.  Awesome and outdoorsy and probably very inexpensive.

    Finger Lakes-  most of the venues out here are much more expensive, but also very gorgeous.  I am a little biased toward Glenora, b/c that is where my reception is and it is my absolute favorite.

    There are lots of other wineries around the Finger Lakes, but many of them are small and can only accommodate up to 50 guests... some maybe 100, so the size of your guest list is another factor.

    If you can give us a better idea what you are looking for, we can definitely provide some more specific recs.

    Budget
    # of guests
    indoors or outside for the reception
    Church/religious ceremony or other location
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  • sbolger17sbolger17 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I live in Ithaca and my reception is at the Fontainebleau Inn (25 minutes from downtown Ithaca).  We're not, but a lot of people choose to get married outside on the grounds; it's right on a small lake and it's beautiful.

    Also, my photographer was telling me that he's shot a couple of weddings at Taughannock State Park in Trumansburg (15 minutes from downtown Ithaca).  It is gorgeous there and if you get a permit, there are a few spots where you could have the ceremony.
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  • edited December 2011
    8G is definitly do-able as long as you arent expecting the best of the best for everything.

    I have 150-ish guests and will have mine planned around 8G.

    Im also focused more on fun than looks. I have DIY table #s, FG basket, RG pillow, and invites. Simple white rose flowers, simple centerpieces. No chair covers. Our favor is donated $$ to Make-A-Wish, and a semi-cash bar.

    I went bigger on my photographer b/c Im a picture freak and my DJ is highly recommended at 550. My cupcakes are a bigger investment for me b/c theyre amazing and I wouldnt have dreamed of going anywhere else.

    BUT you have half my guest list so your decorations/bar etc could be ramped up and still under 10G

    People are inherently stupid. Weddings make it painfully obvious -- KevinandMonica
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  • edited December 2011
    I have to post and run, but just FYI- Glenora is waaaay outside of your budget.  They have a $10K minimum for a Saturday wedding (I think Fri/Sun is may $8K).... and that is only for the location, food and drink.  When you add in dress, photog, invites, everything else.... well... let's just say it's not pretty and required me to pick up a second job for a few months.

    There are lots of other gorgeous venues that will easily fit within your budget (and looking back, I wish I would have been a little more frugal in that area).

    I will try to post some mroe rec's later, but I wanted to let you know about Glenora before you fell in love with it like I did!!

    HTH
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  • edited December 2011
    Ok Kevin is procrastinating... so real quick... some wineries:

    Miles- Beautiful old house, really cool history, one of the best views on Seneca Lake with a pretty cliff.  Indoors is small, but outdoors would be beautiful.
    Villa Bellangelo
    Castle Grisch
    Ventosa is beautiful (officially the BEST view on the lake, IMHO), but even more expensive than Glenora.  Plus, their wines aren't really that great.
    Americana... this is a diamond in the rough... really cool barn, nice place to hold a ceremony outdoors w/ large covered patio/gazebo

    Here's a link to some other wineries... http://www.cnyweddings.com/category/winery-weddings

    We honestly just went on a wine tour with the intent of scoping out potential locations, talked to the owners or event coordinators and made our decision.  Any excuse for a wine tour.  lol


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  • edited December 2011
    If you like the Ithaca area, check out The Barn. I think the website is something like barnparty.com. It is a great renovated barn that you can rent out for the whole weekend and have your ceremony out on the lawn. You have a lot of control over your budget because you can bring in your own caterer and stock your own bar.
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  • edited December 2011
    I just wanted to add that I also started my search without a clue as to how much weddings really cost and... ended up at Glenora too! My advice is to email for pricing before you go to places and don't even visit places above your budget! You can't un-see a gorgeous place and unless you're a more practical person than I am, everything else will seem like settling.
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  • sbolger17sbolger17 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_central-new-york_melissac-everyone-else?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:621Discussion:058b5133-1328-43a1-93eb-e62a92fe32b3Post:384d95b1-7352-4e95-bff0-de8912c8bac1">Re: **MelissaC** And everyone else :)</a>:
    [QUOTE]And Sbolger, Fontainebleau Inn is gorgeous! I'm very interested in looking there now. Thanks for the rec! :)
    Posted by MelissaC315[/QUOTE]

    No problem!  Although if you are planning on serving a regular dinner and open bar, you probably wouldn't be able to do it for $10K.  But check them out online; they have a lot of info there including prices for the rental and for drinks, so you'd be able to do the math and see what might work.
    Anniversary
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