You May Now...: Scenic Central Park.

Locations Directory

GARDENS AND ESTATES

The Barn At Queens County Farm Museum
73-50 Little Neck Pkwy., Floral Park
718-347-3276
queensfarm.org
Grazing livestock and a Dutch farmhouse set the scene for a country-style celebration in Queens. Weddings can be held in the reception room of the museum's two-story thirties-era barn ($800 for four hours, up to 110 guests). For big parties, you can rent the apple orchard ($1,200 for two days of preparation and six hours for the event).

Blue Hill at Stone Barns
630 Bedford Rd.,
Pocantico Hills, N.Y.
914-366-9600
bluehillstonebarns.com
Located in the scenic Westchester town of Pocantico Hills (near Tarrytown), Blue Hill at Stone Barns combines a working farm and restaurant. The private dining rooms can accommodate up to 64 guests for a seated dinner, and in the warmer seasons a cocktail reception may be held on the outdoor terrace. Menus vary and may include such dishes as Berkshire pork with roasted asparagus or poached white salmon with crab, shrimp, mussels, and soybeans. At the height of the season, 80 percent of ingredients used are grown on-site. Events begin at $140 per guest.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden
1000 Washington Ave., at Eastern Pkwy.
Prospect Heights, Brooklyn
718-623-7220
bbg.org
The 52-acre Botanic Garden has numerous sites for ceremonies: the Japanese Hill–and–Pond Garden (with waterfalls, stone lanterns, lotus flowers, and a Shinto shrine), the Italian-style Osborne Garden, and the Cranford Rose Garden, with 5,000 rosebushes and latticework fencing. Exclusive caterers Charles, Sally & Charles will take over the whole garden (which can host 400 guests for cocktails and 300 for seated dinner) for your party for a site fee of $2,000 to $4,000, plus $110 to $160 per person. Open year-round.

Central Park
212-360-2766
centralparknyc.org
Central Park has lots of possibilities for weddings, but you’ll need a permit for a party with more than twenty people (call 212-408-0226). The Bethesda Terrace has a fountain and looks across the boat pond. Cherry Hill has a smaller fountain surrounded by cherry trees that bloom in the spring. The Conservatory Garden’s three gardens, at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street, are in bloom from early spring through late October; a permit for this spot costs $400, plus $100 for photography, and the time must be reserved.

The New York Botanical Garden
Bronx River Parkway at Fordham Rd., the Bronx
718-220-0300
nybg.org
There are two sites to choose from in these beautifully maintained gardens. For large parties, the Garden Terrace Room, with lush-looking murals on the walls and soft sconce lighting, will seat 300. Smaller, seated groups of 110 might prefer Snuff Mill, an 1840 tobacco factory with a beamed ceiling and nearby waterfall. Catering is provided by Abigail Kirsch, starting at $120 per person and including alcohol.

The Picnic House in Prospect Park
95 Prospect Park West, nr. 4th St., Brooklyn
718-965-8951
prospectpark.org
The 4,000-square-foot glass-and-brick enclosed pavillion reopens this June, complete with working wood fireplace and elegant French doors leading out to a rear balcony. The house is available in eight-hour blocks (five for event, three for setup) to host up to 175. Tables, chairs, upright piano, and security are included in the $3,500 fee. Catering is additional and limited to a list of vendors.

Wave Hill
675 W. 252nd St., the Bronx
718-549-3200
wavehill.org
Teddy Roosevelt's and Mark Twain's families once rented the Wave Hill house-a mansion with two great party rooms. The Large Gallery has sixteen-foot ceilings, silk wall coverings, and French doors. The Armor Hall has stone floors, vaulted beamed ceilings, and cathedral windows overlooking the Hudson River. Prices vary by season (around $6,000; $5,000 of which is tax-deductible), and a charitable contribution is required. Catering is exclusively by Great Performances.

The Whitefield
155 Hill St., Southampton, N.Y.
631-283-8247
The Whitefield mansion is now surrounded by a condo building, but it's still sometimes used for weddings, and the Music Room (with paneled walls, stained-glass windows, and marble fireplace) is often the setting. The space is available year-round, except in July and August, starting at $7,500. Caterers must supply tables and chairs. tips