Gay Modern Wedding in the Hudson Valley- Got any unique venue ideas? (paging Celia)

Helsinki Hudson is an amazing space!

http://helsinkihudson.com

ETA: added link

I'm so sorry you experienced this!!

I'd also recommend Bear Mountain

Thank you so much for everyone's fantastic and amazing suggestions!!! I love some of these ideas and have researched them. We checked out some of these places and really like the urban and unusual feel of some of them. We were also thinking about paying for a pop-up store location for the weekend closer to the wedding date, or renting a large industrial warehouse and making it our own for the evening. We are still looking, so any additional ideas you may have, please share. I wanted to include some information that I received for some of these places in case others on these sites are considering any of these locations:

Club Helsinki- very cool, urban-loft feel. Rents out various sections of the location or the entire venue. Cost rises with each additional section rented. Those sections that are not rented are typically open to the public.

Bear Mountain Carousel Room- very cool location and unique. Can only accommodate up to 100 people.

72 W. Main St., Middletown, NY- fantastic urban industrial space for rent... minimum rental fee for space is $12,000

Roundhouse (in Beacon)- beautiful, more formal space with great views- around $30,000

Opus 40- cool sculpture space- all outdoors. Approximately $8800 rental fee for peak session day

Basilica Hudson- amazing urban location- blank slate with some graffiti and rustic feel- approximately $13,500 to rent the space

Locust Grove- Nice indoor/outdoor option. Gay-friendly. Rental fee for space approximately $6,000/ $7,000 if you hold your ceremony there too.

We are hoping to stay within a $15,000 budget with 150 guests who like to drink... we are continuing to look for some cheaper urban-inspired/unique quirky venues in the Hudson Valley. We will keep people posted as our search continues. Thank you so much to those of you who have already offered suggestions. You are wonderful.

@Chris - so happy for the update on your search. I'll definitely keep you in mind if I think of any other suggestions. Good luck!!

Is your wedding date definitely set may 2018? I know a place under construction anticipated opening later 2018. It will be great (former CBA in Esopus, right on the river) but may be risky since its in progress. Have you ever been to Blue Collar Brewery? Not sure if they do private rentals but very industrial type place. Mill House in Poughkeepsie does smaller private events, if you're looking for rehearsal dinner or something (but their private space is not wheelchair accessible). Also, if you do find a DIY warehouse space, Crooked Rooster (on Rt. 55) does really good catering! Also McKinney and Doyle in Pawling does amazing catering.

I am also in Poughkeepsie

It is not a must for May... We are learning that we have to be flexible, hahaha. Do you know what the new space is called in Esopus? I love Crooked Rooster.

Pretty sure it will be called Star Estates (Star Vodka). They are planning a vodka distillery, boutique hotel, restaurant and event space. I'm not sure how far along they are but had heard they anticipated September 2018 opening. It's maybe 20 minutes from Mid Hudson Bridge.

ETA-Unfortunately, I agree with Celia. $100 pp is going to be really tough around here. I had a friend who got married here recently at her inlaws property so they didn't even have to rent a venue. It cost about $25k for 120 people. I have a couple other friends married around here recently who spent a LOT more. I got married in Buffalo last year at a cost of $8k for 60 people which is pretty cheap really! $15k might cover closer to 100 guests if you are lucky.

Honestly, 100 bucks per person in season in the Hudson valley is going to be a tough one. Heck, 100 bucks per person at almost any time is going to be tough. That means you have to start at about 75.00 PP including the room fee and bar.

Sorry, I'm the pragmatist.

Hahaha Nothing wrong with being a pragmatist, Celia. We are staying away from the traditional wedding idea and really just looking to have a giant party with folks we love. Dinner buffet, dancing, laughs, and drinks. The date is a bit flexible and the budget primarily will include the venue cost, food, and alcohol. The DJ/music, florist, photographer, and paper items (menus/invites/etc.) are being gifted by friends and family. We've been talking about the need for being flexible and are willing to re-look at the guest list and sadly reduce it if it must be done. Hopefully we'll find an affordable venue that can accommodate everyone.

You're talking friendors?

A couple more places to check out

Barrett Arts Center, Poughkeepsie

The Collective, Kingston

Unison Arts Center, New Paltz

Have you checked out the Hudson Opera House?

I got married at The Foundry in their newest space, The Albra. The Albra is for intimate weddings with less than 70 guests. I believe it's around $8,000 to use the space for ceremony and reception. However, The Foundry is just raw space- you have to rent tables, chairs, linens, dinnerware, glassware, silverware and hire staff. The Metropolitan Building is also another great Long Island City venue.

I have nothing to add for a venue search. But, what an awful thing for a venue to say. Hurtful!!! Please report them. I worked a wedding last year for two men. They gave a speech near the end and said they had vendors tell them no since it was same sex marriage. A marriage is a marriage. It hurt my heart to him them say that. Happy you are finding lots of venues. If you want to come to Maryland I work at a great one. .

Thanks everyone! These are really some great suggestions. I hadn't thought about some of these suggestions and will need to check the out. The pictures look great!

Hahaha about the "friendors".... people do have some awful stories about this! We are hoping to avoid asking friends to be a part of the wedding production and use all professionals. Except that my brother wants to be the person to marry us- which we are good with since we will not be having "best men."

Since this is a same-sex wedding, we won't need a wedding dress or bouquet, which helps redistribute some costs to our budget. We are hoping for a less-formal buffet dinner instead of a sit-down dinner to fit in more with the "party-like" environment. We will have a DJ and photographer. Do most people have a videographer? What's your experience been with this?

Same sex groom here too.

Chris, if you are looking for a more informal party-style atmosphere, perhaps a cocktail style dinner can work. Heavy apps and some stations, with plenty of seating and some high top tables etc.

May not be cost efficient but will create the vibe you are after.

As for videographer, will be going through my own wedding this weekend with one so I can report back to you! Haha.

Had the same hassle with friends. They looked for months for an affordable option in Westchester and the Hudson Valley, New Rochelle and Northern NJ. Not a lot of pickings if you hate the ballroom ad nauseum most folks are doing. We found that most venues need a 130 minimum guest count. The undertone was "anti-gay" though not as rude a behavior as you have experienced. Damn shame! So sorry about that. Me & my hubs wound up having a fab destination wedding on Miami Beach.

So, as for you -- If you are not totally against a hidden gem in Northern Manhattan, there is an historic mansion that George Washington lived in during the revolution of 1776. It is quaint, fenced in with gorgeous landscaping, wrought ironwork and a cobbled street. Lots of films are shot there--scenes from "Boardwalk" was filmed there as well. We had the best time there -- an outdoor ceremony in the lawn in front of classic Victorian home, a tent set up on the other side of the lawn and cocktails in one of the libraries. They were very nice == totally welcoming to all. You can go smaller, and the $ goes to upkeep this beautiful historic site. I can make a phone call for you as I have worked with them in the past. Here's photos. Send me a note morales fontaine a t g m a i l and I'll get a name and contact person.

If this doesn't work, there are a few historical sites in lower Westchester. See https://parks.ny.gov/historic-sites/37/details.aspx Be aware they are pricey!!

Best,

Tiara