Belhurst Castle

We had our reception at the Belhurst castle (main ballroom) and grounds in September last year, and having it there was easily one of the best decisions we've ever made.

Our search criteria for a reception were a bit contradictory - we wanted to have a wedding somewhere that (a) had history, ideally stonework as opposed to anything "cheaper" and potentially tackier, (b) with plenty of room for an outdoors gathering but enough room indoors to party, and that was (c) within traveling distance of New York City. And all of this (d) on a reasonable budget as well.

Based on all of the above, I honestly didn't think we stood a chance of finding any option that wasn't a scam or that wouldn't try to up-sell us the second we signed a contract. Yet my fiance (now-wife) persevered, and got in touch with Sharon at the Belhurst Castle in the Finger Lakes region of upstate NY.

Sharon alone is what I'd define "a delightful powerhouse". She's an incredibly patient communicator who exchanged something in the neighborhood of 50-100 emails with me, not to mention half a dozen calls and at least 2-3 in-person meetings over the course of 8 months, to make sure we were well taken care of from the start. We connected with her and discussed our budget for a reception, and unlike most coordinators she was 100% upfront from the start about any expenses we should expect. If you've been searching for a venue, you know that one of the biggest headaches is simply getting a straight answer about "can I have a wedding reception for X guests with Y budget" from their event managers. Sharon and her team were both friendly and informative for the entire planning process, and made sure we felt well taken care of every step of the way.

The Belhurst itself is gorgeous. Huge green lawn overlooking the lake, with a dock just begging to be used for group photo ops. An actual CASTLE in Upstate New York, complete with a Tower Suite and other storied rooms for guests and newlyweds. Two ballrooms, that can fit both big and small wedding parties. Google the pictures, what you see online is what you actually get in person.

The food they made for our wedding was also excellent, and again budget-wise they have plenty of options to choose from to fit your wallet's availability - both for the appetizers and passed hors d'oeuvres, and for the main meal. Still licking my chops thinking about the lamb that we had at our tasting session with Morgan and Sharon a year ago.

In terms of lodging, besides the fancier and slightly more expensive options in the Belhurst castle itself, there's also plenty of rooms at the Vinifera inn on the same property grounds - and lots of even cheaper but still good hotels in the nearby area within a 5-10 minute drive if need be.

All I wish we could do is hit repeat and relive the day we had in Geneva - and celebrating our reception at the Belhurst was a huge part of that. Still can't quite believe we managed to do this - I live comfortably enough, but am by no means rich and went into this without expecting a ton of financial support by friends or family.

And yet my spouse and I were able to plan and achieve a gorgeous wedding here, without sacrificing quality at all.

This place is a gem - if you're within half a day's drive, do yourself a favor and check them out if you're hunting for the perfect place to get hitched and celebrate with your family and friends.

Our wedding reception at Belhurst Castle was everything we could have hoped for and more! The wedding team was extremely attentive and personable - it truly felt like they sincerely cared about our day! Sharon and Morgan in particular were phenomenal. They took the time to really listen to what we wanted for our wedding reception and answered our many questions without hesitation. They accommodated our food tasting on my husband's birthday and it was a very special day for both of our families. Leading up to the big day, we felt at ease knowing they had everything handled. Morgan even packed us a to-go bag of food for after the reception, which we greatly appreciated. Our family and friends continue to tell us how much they enjoyed our wedding and how beautiful Belhurst Castle was for our reception venue. They also continue to tell us it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding reception! It was a magical night and we could not be more grateful for the staff at Belhurst Castle. We will definitely be back for anniversaries to come!

Sharon and Morgan were our guides throughout the process at Belhurst, and they were extremely attentive and helpful. They were responsive via e-mail, and did whatever they could to give us the best wedding day possible - one example is helping to customize our bar offerings with signature cocktails and a particular choice of spirits. The ceremony on the lawn, with the lake in the background, and the Meritage ballroom proved to be stunning venues for the day. We had some initial hesitations about Belhurst running two weddings per day, but on our wedding day we hardly knew there was another event happening - they were able to keep them pretty much fully separate. The service and food (hors d’oeuvres, entrees, and late night pizza) were all fantastic and received rave reviews from our guests. It was very convenient to host the whole wedding weekend at Belhurst, which is what we were looking for - accommodations, ceremony, and reception - as well as being able to hang out at Stonecutter’s and around the fire pit - all in one place. Staff at Belhurst provided some particular items in support of our day, which was nice (for example, stands for our desserts). They had great recommendations to provide to us for vendors that they have worked with well. Our wedding at Belhurst was everything we had hoped for and more!

My fairytale wedding was nothing other than a dream! I still think about it to this day and it was perfect! Thank you to Carmen and all the tremendous staff!

My daughter got married at Belhurst Castle on 09/03/23. Everything about the wedding was perfect!! With the historic castle, lakeview and beautiful tall trees, the outdoor ceremony was intimate and very romantic. Appetizers and cocktails were served on the patio outside of the Meritage Ballroom. It was a hot day but the patio was in the shade and guests could sit outside with a view of the lake or inside in the air-conditioned dining room during cocktail hour. Our guests gave rave reviews to the appetizers. Carmen and her staff set beautiful and elegant table settings in the dining room. The atmosphere was timeless!! Guests enjoyed their meals and the great bar service provided. I would highly recommend Belhurst Castle for a wedding. The setting, inside and out, is stunning. Carmen and her staff ensure that everything goes smoothly and perfectly! I can’t thank Carmen enough for her professionalism and expertise!

This is the only place I would ever have my wedding, it’s beautiful grounds and ballroom, with access to the docks for amazing photos, the food was astounding, everyone had nothing but compliments and amazing things to say about how beautiful everything was. Smartest choice I ever made next to saying yes.

... than it doesn't get any better than this! Belhurst is gorgeous with beautiful grounds and a dedicated staff. I love working with them!

Our wedding was amazing! Carmen and her team went above and beyond in every aspect! We couldn’t have envisioned our day any more perfect thanks to her!! From our initial meeting until after our wedding day Carmen was connected, responsive and supportive through it all!

Carmen and her staff we're so attentive and just made our day easy on us. We had fun and couldn't have picked a better venue to get married at.

I can’t say enough great things about belhurst… they are just flat out perfect! I’m so happy we decided to go here! Carmen did so much for us! She was there with every crazy question we had, dealt with my crazy in-laws with the Covid madness with ease! Best thing Belhurst has ever done is hire Carmen. They did all the set up too!! Everything was exactly what we wanted! She went above and beyond and we truly appreciated it. We love you Belhurst thank you for all your hard work!
Tips to the bride: help out your venue coordinator, they have so much!! When we talked to Carmen after she was so happy because we thought about how to box things up, yes they were more boxes in total but with our pics that we took how we wanted things to look and our organizational tote system, she was able to replicate our vision down to the last spoon!