Summer is almost here; extra sunshine leads to longer days and more happiness. Which makes the summer an ideal time to get married. For those soon-to-be brides in New York City, reading this article will provide you with a glimpse into the venue that might be perfect for your summer wedding.
The summertime is the one of the best times of the year to take advantage of the beauty of nature that New York City affords (I know, “New York City” and “beauty of nature” together sound like an oxymoron, but they are appropriate for one another).
The New York Botanical Garden is located at 2900 Southern Blvd. in the Bronx and can provide a beautiful backdrop to any wedding. The New York Botanical Garden can accommodate either a wedding reception or a ceremony and reception. One of the primary spaces available is the Enid Haupt Conservatory which can hold from 300 to 1000 guests. A floor plan of the Garden Terrace (which is another reception space) is available on the Botanical Garden’s website. All arrangements for wedding celebrations are handled by Abigail Kirsch Catering. Abigail Kirsch Catering provides brides with a list of party planners, photographers and entertainers that have worked with the Botanical Garden. When it comes to florists, however, brides must use one of their six required companies. In addition to the floor plan, there is an online photo gallery that allows prospective couples to see the Botanical Garden in all its wedding day finery.
Central Park is another perfect summer wedding venue. The thing that makes Central Park a wonderful wedding venue is that there are so many locations within the park to choose from. The Conservatory Gardens, Shakespeare Garden and the Pond are among the many that come to mind. If one is interested in the Conservatory Gardens, the total cost for permits is $500 with $400 going towards the general permit and $100 for the photography permit. Brides are able to bring their own vendors or take advantage of Central Park’s wedding planner who can be reached at weddings@centralpark.com. The Central Park website talks about these issues and more in their FAQ section.
The Brooklyn Botanical Garden which is located at 1000 Washington Avenue in Brooklyn also makes for a bountiful floral environment for a summer wedding. For wedding ceremonies, brides can choose between the Rose Garden, Osborne Garden, or Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden. For receptions or indoor ceremonies, the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is home to the Palm House. To rent the Palm House, one must have a minimum of 100 guests. The Palm House can safely accommodate up to 400 guests for a cocktail reception and 300 guests for dinner and dancing. One of the more helpful things on the Palm House website is the downloadable fact sheet that shows the basic facts of all available wedding venues in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden.
The Battery Gardens, located on the southern most end of Battery Park, continues the theme of perfect New York City summer wedding venue. The Battery Gardens provide a view of the Statue of Liberity, Ellis Island and the rest of lower New York harbor. The restaurant can accomidate from 12 to 1200 guests which offers great flexibility when planning a wedding. Along with the other venues discussed in this article, The Battery Gardens can also provide recommendations for florists, wedding cakes, photographers and even hotels.
The Staten Island Botanical Garden has merged with the Snug Harbor Cultural Center to provide a wonderful summer wedding venue. Within the Staten Island Botanical Garden, there are many gardens to choose from including the Chinese Scholar’s Garden, the Connie Gretz Secret Garden and the New York Scholar’s Garden. The many open spaces of snug harbor can accomidate ceremonies and receptions from 10 to 700 guests depending on which space is chosen. Neptune’s at Snug Harbor can take care of a wedding’s catering needs.
For all of the venues, final pricing will depend on what accomodations have been made. Each of these five venues would provide a beautiful, memorable backdrop to the perfect summer wedding in New York City.
