The Wadsworth Homestead, a historic and family-owned estate in Geneseo, New York overlooking the Genesee Valley, is home to casually elegant weddings for couples looking for rustic charm. Sitting on 300 acres of land, the interior is furnished with decor collected over six generations, while the grounds allow couples to basque in the the dramatic landscape of awe-inspiring oak trees, lush fields and forests that surround the property.
Facilities and Capacity Couples can host up to 300 guests in warm weather (125 in the winter). For reception options, couples can choose between the large dining room on the first floor or, for larger parties, a tent on the grounds is provided. Cocktail hour can be hosted in one of two drawing rooms or the elaborately decorated library.
Services Offered The Wadsworth Homestead offers all-inclusive wedding packages, including planning and catering, to ensure that couples can make the most of the experienced staff. The venue also offers the following services:
Aisle markers
Altar/arches
Audio equipment
Centerpieces
Chairs
Dance floor
Decor
Furniture
Tables
Tents
Cuisine Food at the Wadsworth Homestead is prepared by Jeff and Lisa Bleier of the Caledonia Village Inn. Their 40 years of experience drives the excellent food and presentation of Homestead events, and their expertise includes uniquely designed menus and artfully designed ice sculptures.
History The Wadsworth Homestead was built as the original property of brothers General William Wadsworth and James Wadsworth in 1804 and is one of the few properties in the United States that has never changed hands from family to family. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. In 2011, the family decided to open the property to public weddings and large events.
Location Situated on the south end of Geneseo’s Main Street, within walking distance to shops and restaurants, the property is 30 minutes from Rochester, New York.
As New York City residents, my wife Ioanna and I planned our wedding to be in late August on the Brooklyn waterfront, with a guest list exceeding 400, and a myriad of extravagances, each ticking the box of what one would consider a "dream wedding" checklist. Never in our dreams would we have imagined that our special day would be no longer; moreover, it would need to be postponed to next year, or the year following! Little did we know that the impact of COVID-19 on our plans, and their ultimate dissolution, would be a profound blessing, shaped in the form of a picturesque, heartwarming wedding ceremony and dinner, organized and hosted by the Wadsworth family, some of the loveliest people you will ever encounter, at their historic Homestead in Geneseo, New York. In just two weeks, Louise, Will, Piper, Lauren, and Krista, collectively the Wadsworths, put together an event more special than we could have ever hoped for. Louise Wadsworth, the matriarch, was a logistics aficionado, making sure that all arrangements were in place, including flowers, makeup, hair, decor, etc. She even organized a live streaming platform. Almost 150 of our friends and family, including relatives from Greece, Albania, France, and Germany, were able to watch us and comment in real-time! Take that pandemic! Will Wadsworth, patriarch, historian, officiant, and savior (when I realized I could not tie my bow-tie), made us feel comfortable, well cared for, and eventually learned, after he graced us with stories of his family's past, much of which was tied to the charming Wadsworth Homestead, rich with artifacts, the smell of books, mahogany, and the fresh Genesee Valley breeze. Lauren and Krista, daughter and daughter-in-law to the Louise and Will, were highly professional and engaged photographers, providing us with memories that will last a lifetime. They even organized a horse to be brought to the property at my wife's request, so we could have a bride and groom with a horse portrait session! Piper (the youngest daughter) is a trained chef. She put together the most well crafted, pleasing to the eye (and tummy), cheese, and charcuterie boards with actual honeycombs. She made us a superb high-end restaurant-grade dinner, snacks, and breakfast of our choosing after we stayed the night. Words cannot express our gratitude to this family for all they did for us, especially considering the difficult timing. Each moment of that special day on June 11, 2020, is frozen in time as a lasting memory for me and Ioanna, her mother, and my father. We went from 400 to 4 wedding attendees, and it turns out bigger isn't necessarily better when it comes to weddings, and the Wadsworth Homestead made that possible. Thank you to the Wadsworth Family for working a miracle; we will be eternally grateful for what you gave us. Love, Greg & Ioanna O'Connell.
Sent on 09/25/2020
Maggie Lloydhauser
· Married on 08/08/2020
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Impeccable, personal, beautiful experience
When we chose to have our wedding at the Homestead, we could never have known how essential the venue we chose would be to our ability to have the wedding we envisioned. From the very start (months before the pandemic), working with Will and the Homestead team was easy, and a joy. The system is streamlined and they outline all the choices you need to think of. It was easy to make any given aspect of the plan our own, or, if we didn't have a strong opinion, to let the Homestead team work their magic. Will was ready with suggestions of reliable vendors and tips to make everything run smoothly.
The venue itself is far more beautiful than you can imagine before you visit it. The endless photo opportunities are fun and unique, and you'll find that photographers are thrilled to be asked to shoot there because they know how phenomenal the photos will be. The Wadsworth Homestead is rich with history, and throughout the process of planning an event there, learning that history makes your own event all the more meaningful.
When COVID hit, Will's communication was clear and reassuring. He reached out proactively long before we had begun to worry, assuring us that our deposits were safe, offering us the option to book a 2021 backup date, and opening the lines of communication. I've read horror stories from couples working with venues that took advantage of the fine print in contracts and am so grateful that we never had to doubt that we were in good hands.
Once my husband and I had decided that we definitely wanted to get married on our original date, no matter what, the creativity of Will and his team really shone. They were so clear that they would not compromise on the safety or on the quality of our event, and they delivered on that commitment. They were flexible, placing a last-minute order for some two-top tables so that we could have couples seated in "pods" at our request. They were ready with plans B, C, D, and E in the event of regulation shifts, such as preparing boxed picnics that we could pass out to our guests if a seated dinner was no longer an option or even pitching an additional tent on the property at their own expense to ensure that our tables could be distanced. While we didn't have to use any of those backup plans, we got great peace of mind from knowing that even if there were dramatic updates the week of our wedding, the event would still be fantastic.
Our wedding was better than we could have imagined. Will and his team took care of dozens of details before we even thought to ask about them, and from start to finish, their attitude was always that anything was possible. Every time I thought of something we needed, the answer was either "we've already taken care of that," or "we can source that for you, no need to think about it again." No detail fell through the cracks, and everything was beautiful. They were extremely careful about COVID safety protocols, with stocked hand sanitizing stations, masks and gloves on all staff, signage to remind our guests about the masking procedures we had outlined, generous distance between tables, a tent design optimized for safety, and more.
At the end of the night, we found that COVID had not put a damper on our day or on our celebration. Will and his team are creative, hard-working, professional, enthusiastic, and attentive to detail. We are so grateful to have trusted them with this event and cannot recommend The Homestead highly enough.
Sent on 09/07/2020
Ashley
· Married on 09/28/2019
5.0
Quality of service:
5.0
Responsiveness:
5.0
Value:
5.0
Flexibility:
5.0
Professionalism:
5.0
Phenomenal
I got married nearly two months ago at Wadsworth, and I still don't think I can grasp how perfectly the day went. I kept putting off this review because I didn't feel quite ready to write it, because I am still trying to come to terms with how lucky I was. I don't know if I ever will! After over a year of planning and dreaming of my wedding, I had this nagging feeling as it approached that it was going to be similar to a birthday... a good time, but sometimes a bit of a let down because of how high your expectations were and how long you spent planning it. I am SOO pleased to say that the EXACT opposite was true!! It was the best day of my whole entire life and I can only attribute that to Will and his crew. Will showed up HARD, from the beginning to the end. He worked tirelessly throughout the entire day to make sure it was perfect for us. He made sure everything ran smoothly and that I wasn't even aware of any snags or problems. He handed everything, and I mean every single thing. He even bustled my dress when my maid of honor was missing, for Pete's sake!! I truly can't express how thankful I am for him. Not to mention the venue was in tip top shape!!! It was absolutely stunning. I was a very particular .... some may even say "hard to please" person when it came to my wedding - so the fact that Will blew my expectations out of the water is truly incredible. Book your wedding here, you will not regret it.
Wadsworth Homestead is a beautiful wedding and event space in Geneseo NY. We have had the pleasure of performing for some incredible weddings there and everything was perfect.
The grounds are historically preserved with the elegance of yesteryear. Beautiful views on all sides.
Check out Wadsworth Homestead for your wedding!
Wadsworth Homestead is a beautiful wedding and event space in Geneseo NY. We have had the pleasure of performing for some incredible weddings there and everything was perfect.
The grounds are historically preserved with the elegance of yesteryear. Beautiful views on all sides.
Check out Wadsworth Homestead for your wedding!
Wadsworth Homestead is a beautiful wedding and event space in Geneseo NY. We have had the pleasure of performing for some incredible weddings there and everything was perfect.
The grounds are historically preserved with the elegance of yesteryear. Beautiful views on all sides.
Check out Wadsworth Homestead for your wedding!
