Fall Cedar Lakes Estate Wedding Planner, Hudson Valley, New York

It's not every day that wedding planners with high standards for hospitality find a weekend-long wedding venue that not only meets those standards but works alongside our team as though we've been collaborating for years. Cedar Lakes Estate, the Hudson Valley-Catskill wedding venue, checks this box 100%. It's a breath of fresh air.

As much as design may be your passion at the start of planning, it won't matter more than how your wedding unfolds overall. Were you taken care of? Were your guests taken care of? Did your planner lead you in the right direction? Did each vendor perform to the best of their abilities? Did your planner help you make the most of your budget and anticipate your needs during planning and throughout your celebration weekend? Was your entire planning team—and every vendor you hired, including the venue's staff—happy and energized while working tirelessly on your wedding day?

If your event isn't planned with you both in mind and executed seamlessly, the aesthetics won't rise to the occasion. People traveling to celebrate you truly care about being taken care of. You want your venue to feel like your closest loved ones are coming to Thanksgiving dinner at your own home—acknowledged, appreciated, and cared for. When you meet these standards you two will have the most fun you could possibly have. And then, your wedding design will have you feeling satisfied, happy, and excited! 

Cedar Lakes Estate opened their new glass house this past fall of 2025. We were lucky enough to use this stunning new space for Emily and Ben's rehearsal dinner before their welcome party. The space was actually 90% complete, but they graciously allowed us to use it anyway. We went to great lengths to conceal the unfinished parts, and no guest would have known otherwise. This is a testament to treating your vendors well—they didn't have to allow us to use this space, but they did! It allowed us to keep the more intimate rehearsal dinner entirely separate from the welcome party that took place afterward. The glass house is also the perfect space for a ceremony rain plan, as it still brings the outside in!

We don’t have all the photos just yet and can’t wait to spill over them and share them with you all soon enough!  This couple has such a beautiful and funny at times, love story. We cannot wait to tell it with all the photos forthcoming before 2026. For one, you can find their very own lover’s bench in Central Park! Yes, a permanent bench. They are a true New York Story and we were so grateful to be a part of it. Such fun-loving and warm families!

This is your sneak peak with our great friend and photographer, Sasithon from Wedding Artists Collective.

Some loving words from these clients that we absolute love!

“The Absolute Best: A Truly Magical Wedding Weekend! We cannot recommend working with Ashley Douglass more highly—she is the absolute best. Working with her was a truly exceptional experience that resulted in a spectacular, magical wedding weekend. Ashley is a master of creativity, style, and taste, and she seamlessly brought this wedding vision and dreams to life. Every single part of the weekend felt infused with love, care, and originality. What truly sets Ashley apart is her professionalism and demeanor: she is a drama-free event planner who handles complex logistics with grace, and her team is just as wonderful! She and her team consistently treated everyone—from our family to all the vendors—with great respect, representing our needs and style perfectly. Her vendor curation is outstanding. She introduced us to the very best and most creative professionals, who were all excellent and lovely to work with. We loved truly all of our vendors - photographer, videographer, band, venue, floral design...all were spectacular. Furthermore, Ashley's attention to detail extended to our family, as she proactively took all the needs of our older relatives into account, ensuring comfort and joy for everyone. Choosing Ashley was, without a doubt, the best decision we made. We are still riding on the joy of the beautiful celebration she created.”

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SOME FAVORITE BROOKLYN VENUES

Just a few of our favorite venues in Brooklyn. Most of these speak to our aesthetic. We love a juxtaposition of texture, be it casual or formal inside. We also love relaxed weddings with the same quality you would expect if it were black tie.

26 Bridge

74Wythe

99 Scott Studio

ACE Hotel BK

Brooklyn Grange

The Brooklyn Museum

Brooklyn Steel

Brooklyn Winery

Celestine

Dobbins Street

Dumbo Loft

Glasserie

Pioneer Works

Weylin

The Williamsburg Hotel

The William Vale

Wythe Hotel

XX Venue

Weddings in Madrid, Spain

Recently, we have found that there is an increase in couples who are looking to plan destination weddings. You could explain this increase by saying that destination weddings are ‘on trend’, but we would argue that there is another reason that destination weddings have become so popular. Couples want to escape the feeling that their wedding is a performance and to feel less pressure to conform to what others do. Just the notion of getting away from it all relaxes you. Shouldn’t one of the best days of your life be better than vacation? We think so!

Many of the popular places for destination weddings, such as Lake Como and the Amalfi Coast, are also becoming popular tourist destinations as well. With stunning views, beautiful store lined streets and good food to boot, who would not want to visit these places? I do think finding a place that is relatively easy for guests to travel to is important when considering destination wedding venues. With the right destination wedding, hopping overseas can sometimes be easier than a wedding destination in the states that requires a long drive and is far from local transportation. 

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to travel in and around Madrid to scope out a few venues for a client’s intimate 2021 wedding. I could write an entire blog about all of the incredible food I was able to eat throughout the week, but what stood out to me the most were the citizens I interacted with. They are all so incredibly nice and joyful. They don’t take life too seriously and have a remarkable love for food and art. 

Below are the venues I was lucky enough to visit. Some of these venues are more accustomed to weddings, while others operate like tented sites or off-site catering facilities where you bring everything in, which is totally doable for a destination location! We hope you enjoy reading about the venues and are happy to answer any questions you have about venue logistics (or the many meals we had!)

Finca Castillo de Monteviejo

Website: https://www.castillodemonteviejo.com/

Drive time: 30-40 minutes outside of Madrid 

Capacity: 200-400 people in the Salon

Finca de montevierjo exterior

Finca de montevierjo exterior

Finca dE MONTEVIEJO rECEPTION sPACE

Finca dE MONTEVIEJO rECEPTION sPACE

Finca de montevierjo foyer

Finca de montevierjo foyer

Finca  La Montana

Website: https://bodasenaranjuez.com/

Drive Time: 40-50 minutes outside of Madrid

Capacity: a banquet hall that can fit 300 guests and outside spaces. 

La finca montana exterior

La finca montana exterior

La Finca montana outdoor ceremony space

La Finca montana outdoor ceremony space

La FINCA MONTANA INDOOR RECEPTION SPACE

La FINCA MONTANA INDOOR RECEPTION SPACE


El Cortijo de Monico

Website: https://grupomonico.com/fincas-para-bodas/cortijo-monico/

Drive Time: 25-35 minutes outside of Madrid 

Capacity: 500 people seated and 750 cocktail. Outdoors: 200 people seated and 500 cocktail style. 

El cortijo de monico exterior

El cortijo de monico exterior

El cortijo de monico courtyard

El cortijo de monico courtyard

El cortijo de monica indoor space

El cortijo de monica indoor space


The Westin Palace Madrid

Website: https://www.marriott.com/hotels/event-planning/wedding-planning/madwi-the-westin-palace-madrid/

Drive Time: 7-10 minutes from the main road in Madrid 

Capacity: 20 multifunctional rooms and capacity for up to 600 in the largest room

WESTIN PALACE MADRID ENTRANCE

WESTIN PALACE MADRID ENTRANCE

wESTIN PALACE MADRID

wESTIN PALACE MADRID

westin palace madrid interior

westin palace madrid interior


El Viajero

Website: https://m.facebook.com/ElViajeroMadrid/?locale2=es_ES

Drive Time: 15 minutes from Calle de Gran Via

Capacity: 100 to 150 people

El Viajero terrace

El Viajero terrace

eL VIAJERO EXTERIOR

eL VIAJERO EXTERIOR

El Viajero indoor space

El Viajero indoor space


Bodega Del Real Cortijo de San Isidro

Website: https://realcortijo.com/

Drive Time: 30 minutes from the center of Madrid 

Capacity: up to 300

Bodega del real cortijo de san isidro ceremony space

Bodega del real cortijo de san isidro ceremony space

Bodega del real cortijo de san isidro wine vaults

Bodega del real cortijo de san isidro wine vaults

Bodega del real cortijo de san isidro reception space

Bodega del real cortijo de san isidro reception space









Gather Greene | Catskill Mountains

Thank you for your patience as we refocus our attention on blogging! It is not as high on our list as doing the actual work of planning a fabulous event is! One thing we do LOVE is to share new venues. Discovering a new venue is such an exciting thing for a planner. Working at a venue we have never worked at before is like being given a blank canvas and a brand new palette of paint.

There are so many wonderful venues in New York City, old and new, that the list would be too long and the blog endless, so we have decided to focus more on those great venues outside of the city. We are going to share a few new venues over the coming weeks in New York State, at least two in Connecticut and perhaps a few more in Newport or Vermont, as well as a new destination location. It can be hard for couples to find the time to visit every venue, so it is great that we as planners can give an overview so that you do not have to take time off from work to travel around here and there only to potentially strike out! There are many details about a venue that effect both your wedding experience as well as your budget. It can be hard for a client to discern all these details if you have not been doing this for forever and a day.

For now, we set our thoughts and starry eyes on Gather Greene, a stunning venue located at the start of the Catskill Mountains. The passionate and smart friends Amna and Jackie began rounding out their vision of an organic resort where nature was the primary decor starting a good four years ago, maybe more. Before officially owning the land, they reached out to ADE about wedding and event planning in general and particularly in the New York State area. Questions were addressed like ‘what features do couples and planners look for most’ and ‘what are the drawbacks that prevent someone from booking a venue they love.’

Many clients are looking for that weekend away experience where everyone can spend quality time together away from their everyday grind. A weekend wedding is not just more intimate but it is also more memorable, with guests departing feeling more connected than when they arrived. There is something magical about a special event being hosted away from it all. Similar to the theater, when people arrive to a location that they have never been before their attention immediately peeks. This really does set the tone for a weekend of little to no distraction.

Amna and Jackie’s venue site is modern and organic in design. The accommodations are dressed with the conveniences of every day life. The outside comes inside, with floor to ceiling window views of the mountains, and sunsets, for each guest to enjoy while getting cozy in bed with a book.

Another problem they have solved is that this beautiful venue has upwards of 17 cabins. It is not often that a weekend long wedding site can house both the immediate family and the bridal party. Additionally, with the town of Hudson New York so close by, there are many extra options for accommodations. From the standard chain hotels, to The Wick and The Rivertown Lodge in the heart of Hudson, and more. Not to mention the plethora of Air B & Bs in the Hudson and Columbia County area.

The Pavilion is where you will most likely host your main event or multiple events at Gather Greene. Again, the outside is brought inside, while maintaining sophistication. The structure is beautiful all on its own without too much adornment yet built with the potential to become more creative. The cement wall at one end of the pavilion is perfect to dress with floral, anything hanging or even a pattern to be projected. The beams above, modern and smart in feel, can also be used to hang decor. Weatherizing options for the sides of the pavilion are in development and the venue is fully prepared to accommodate any off-site caterer in their kitchen. No cook tent needed at Gather Greene, nor restroom trailers.

We have been so excited about this venue from day one and cannot be more excited for these two ladies and the opportunity to work at this one of a kind spot.

The first photo below was taken by a staff cell phone and the succeeding photos were taken by Kelsey Ann Rose.

IMG_6953 Gather Green.jpg
Photo by kelsey ann rose

Photo by kelsey ann rose

PHOTO BY KELSEY ANN ROSE

PHOTO BY KELSEY ANN ROSE

Photo by kelsey ann rose

Photo by kelsey ann rose