Why I Love Berkshire Weddings
Thinking about getting married in the Berkshires?
I love weddings in the Berkshires. Berkshire County, Massachusetts is in beautiful Western MA and has become a well-known choice for a destination wedding. I like to think I was ahead of the curve – Nel and I were married at Seven Hills Inn ten years ago. =)
After photographing couples getting married in the Berkshires for several years, I keep discovering more and more reasons why I love Berkshire weddings.
The Berkshires hold a special place in my heart because I grew up in Stockbridge and still have family there. It’s a unique destination that is not only charming and beautiful, but also sophisticated with many great restaurants, museums and theaters.
Only a few hours from NYC and Boston, it’s a convenient destination wedding for couples looking to gather their favorite people for a weekend of celebrating.
1. Berkshire Wedding Creatives are at the Top of their Game.
The wedding vendors in the Berkshires are really good at what they do – catering, floral design, event lighting, planning…
My membership in the Berkshire Wedding Collective has introduced me to the ultimate wedding #DreamTeams time and time again – creatives who make beautiful weddings happen in the Berkshires year-round. Berkshire Wedding Collective founder and master event planner Tara Consolati has worked hard to curate an award-winning group of vendors who are trusted and respected in the industry. I am proud to be a part of this group of people, and I’m grateful to have the ability to work with such amazing wedding professionals.
2. A Berkshire wedding is the Combination of Classy and Relaxing.
The Berkshires are so serene. Every summer, my wife, my two kids and I move from our home in New York City to our cabin in the woods in Massachusetts. We film and photograph beautiful dance at Jacob’s Pillow Dance all summer long, in between weddings and other dance projects in NY.
As soon as I arrive in the area in June, I feel relaxed, almost as if my blood pressure is lowering. A Berkshire wedding is the perfect option for couples who want to really relax and enjoy the day. Just like Nel and I wanted to do when we got married.
3. Everyone can Make a Weekend out of the Wedding.
Part of the reason why it’s so relaxing to get married in the Berkshires is that there are plenty of venues that offer multi-day options for couples to spread activities through an entire weekend.
Wedding guests can arrive on a Friday, stay in a beautiful inn – maybe even the wedding venue itself, and enjoy a pre-wedding gathering like a rehearsal dinner. Then, guests can wake up in town, celebrate the wedding on Saturday, and enjoy another night in. On Sunday, couples can even plan something else to do together – a trip to an art museum or seeing dance at Jacob’s Pillow or listening to music at Tanglewood.
The location of a wedding ceremony and celebration is really the starting place of the wedding planning process.
Couples often choose the Berkshires because it holds special meaning for them.
The Berkshires is loved for so many reasons – childhood camp memories, visits with grandma or family, a celebration of the arts – music, dance, theater, visual, design, and architecture – the beautiful landscape, access to nature, biking, hiking, skiing, Berkshire history, local food, farms and more. No other place offers so much. It truly has something for everyone bringing various ages and interests together.
Introducing guests who have not been to the Berkshires before is truly a gift. The Berkshires can become everyone’s special place.
The Berkshires is uniquely situated to be an excellent location for weddings. The height of the tourist season is July & August, leaving May, June, September ready for wedding guests.
Couples who have their own sense of style, or their own unique perspective on how they would like their wedding to be love to get married in the Berkshires. They often find their venue in the Berkshires by looking online, or through their event planner or by past experiences with the Berkshires. Many attended camp in the area.
What do they find when come here to plan and execute their weddings? They find a setting rich in history and culture. The Vanderbilts, Morgans, and Edith Wharton and many other historic figures chose the Berkshires as the setting for their ‘ summer homes’ due to the stunning landscapes the Berkshires offer. Each small town was gifted by nature with it’s own lake. Rolling hills and woods surround those lakes and make the Berkshires an idyllic place to host the best party the couples will ever throw!
The pace of life in the Berkshires is slow. Not so slow that you fall asleep standing in place. But slow in the ways we crave: very little traffic, no lines for services, and time to read a book in your favorite nook, or take a hike on a trail you notice as your drive down one of the country ( or main ) roads. That slow pace has an effect on the service that wedding couples receive with working with local vendors.
Caterers, rental companies, photographers, florists – they all take the time to meet me with you an to understand your wedding style. They want to make you happy and because of that you are not just a number to them. The Berkshires is brimming with talented wedding vendors who, like the betrothed, made the choice to get off the main path and take life at a slower pace.
The dance, music, arts, natural beauty and pace of life in the Berkshires is very appealing. Maybe you’ll even elect to move to the Berkshires after you are wedded here!
Special thanks to Sara Kovel, Classical Tents and Mezze Catering for their expert reflections about why you should have a Berkshire wedding! I love working with you.