Wedding Bliss Berkshire Style

Boasting convenient proximity and a rural sophistication, Berkshire County has been registering on the destinationwedding radar for over a decade, vying with nearby posh hot spots Newport and the Hamptons. These days, the rarefied patchwork of big-time culture and small-town charm —dotted with paddleboard-ready lakes, hiking trails, bike paths, you-pick orchards, and ski resorts—is resonating especially with millennials, aka the “experiential generation.” The recent spate of “best places to visit” writeups is even beckoning couples from as far afield as California, Colorado (Aspen no less), Texas, and

Wisconsin. Some newlyweds have a pre-existing connection to the region (namely parents with second homes), others are rookies to the region. Then there’s the area’s ability to meet

“betrotheds” where they are at. “The Berkshires is booming with weddings right now—we can handle that endless-budget stylized event, but we are friendly to smaller, more affordable ceremonies, too,” says Rebecca Daly, founder of Whitlock & Cooper Events. She is already booked through 2022—an anomaly, given peak engagement season coincides with the holidays. (Fear not: Other planners and many venues are still available for 2022, though the general advice is to book asap—and consider weekdays, or the shoulder season, to improve your options.) The recent blip in betrothals is hardly unique to area code 413. Industry research firm The

Wedding Report projects the number of weddings to reach 2.5 million in 2022 (up from 2.1 million in 2019)—a number not seen since the high-flying 1980s. At the same time, couples are reportedly spending more on weddings, up some $3,000 over 2020. That influx of tourist dollars reverberates beyond the wedding sector to help fuel other local economies. “We bring in hundreds of guests who stay in nearby hotels and eat at restaurants and visit museums,” Daly says. “We generate a significant chunk of revenue for school bus companies and keep them going right through summer and into fall. Even local couples bring in a lot of out-of-towners.”

And for all those visitors, basking in the glow of a whimsical weekend, the Berkshires will become that enchanted place they’ll want to share with their own friends and family, and so on. Once bitten, forever smitten!

The seismic impact of COVID-19 on the wedding landscape is a well-known tale by now. Before the shutdown, 2020 promised to be a banner year for weddings in the Berkshires, and most couples pushed out their dates so they could realize their dream wedding. All those postponed events and a spike in pandemic-era engagements created a jam-packed 2021.

“It has been wonderful to see family and friends together celebrating and it has been busy!” says Kelsi Polk, wedding coordinator at The Mount. That popular venue was host to twice as many weddings this past season, and even held a few mid-week, after-hour ceremonies. (“And there is a lot of interest in 2022 and 2023. Dates are going fast!”)

What’s also telling is the small percentage of couples who bucked the trend and decided to downscale and even honor their original date (it often held special significance)—and thereby lend the intimate wedding more intentionality by not allowing even a global pandemic to stand in their way of exchanging vows.

“We found that a lot of people never wanted the big weddings, their parents did. So COVID has paved the way for couples to do their own thing,” says Jessy Turner, who runs Berkshire Elopements (co-founded by photographer Jocelyn Vassos), Bird House Events, and Ice House Hill Farm, a wedding venue in Richmond, Mass. (Amazingly she also finds the time and energy to be the on-site wedding coordinator for the Normal Rockwell Museum.) Her biggest wedding of 2021 had about 150 guests, and she continues to hear from couples who are planning elopements and micro weddings for 2022.

Daly observed a similar mind reset: “The pandemic made people realize what is important. You don’t have to invite every person you’ve ever said hello to. Smaller weddings can be just as much work, but they felt loving and great.”

“Micro weddings,” quietly gaining ground before the pandemic, have undergone a total brand update and are now part of the regular lexicon. Town & Country Magazine defines them as having up to 50 guests, while local planners and venues tend to have a cap of around 25. Couples are embracing these curtailed gatherings with the same gusto as larger bashes—often with no expense spared.

Indeed, according to a 2019 industry study, even though the average guest count was on a downward slope, the average cost per guest was up. So scaling back to 25 guests, instead of 125, might mean you can afford to coddle your invitees—say, by blocking off an entire inn or splurging on the rehearsal dinner, or treating everyone to a spa day at Canyon Ranch. Couples are also planting their elopement flag these days— only these are not quickie Las Vegas elopements, but a plannedout ceremony, with or without a few guests, and at least some of the traditional trappings.

Such is the model for Berkshire Elopements, whose standard package starts at $3,000 and includes an hour of photography, the officiant (Turner does the honors), and a meal. “Ultimately this is for people who love each other and don’t want to deal with the drama of families, or the stress of planning. It also speaks to cost savings,” Turner says. She will often drive couples up to the top of Mount Greylock, or go to Ashintully Gardens where you don’t have to pay a fee. “So that can save you thousands of dollars.”

Of course, the blowout wedding is still de rigueur for many couples—even more so after a drawn-out shutdown. “People are definitely ready to party,” says Magdalena Mieczkowska of Magdalena Events, who had a record 2021 season and has twelve weddings (her max) on the calendar for 2022, each with approximately 200 guests. “The couples seem to have more budget and want them to be even bigger than ever before.”

No matter which lane—er, aisle—you pick, the Berkshires is chockablock with singular places that can suit any ceremony. Even big-wedding bastions like Tanglewood, Blantyre and The Mount have created pricing tiers for lower guest counts. For example, at Blantyre you can have up to 250 guests on the Upper Lawn (starting at $10,000 for site rental), up to 70 guests in the Conservatory ($13,500), or two to 10 guests in the Dom Perignon Salon (for $2,000). (As a full-service venue, pricing can bundle the cost of food, drink, cake, and other details as desired.)

Mass MoCA offers an all-inclusive micro wedding package for up to 25 guests (or 35 for an additional fee of $120 per person). Also available is a short-and-sweet elopement package for up to four guests, which includes a photography session. “Once events were possible again, I started thinking of ways to do them in a smaller fashion,” says Chris Handschuh, Tenant Operations and Events Coordinator for Mass MoCA. “We are still getting inquiries for micro weddings despite not having any capacity limits.”

Beyond these familiar forums, the Berkshires has a bounty of quaint inns, retro-chic motels (cue Tourists), summer camps, and everything in between (think Greylock Works). You can also get hitched at gilded age mansions (Chesterwood among them), cultural outposts, and pastoral farms—Gedney Farm, for one, has 50 acres and two Normandy-style barns to accommodate up to 250 people.

The Berkshires is also home to modern-day “banquet halls” like Crissey Farm, which charges a $1,000 site fee and different dining packages starting at $85 per person. In the north county,

the rental rate for a one-day event at 75-acre Bloom Meadows is $10,000 (or $8,500 during the off season); the weekend event rate, which comes with a two-night stay in the Silo suite and Sunday brunch, runs $16,000.

Want a non-denominational church wedding? Check out St. James Place, a circa-1857 Episcopal chapel that has been restored into a secular (but sacred!) performance space in downtown Great Barrington, with the original limestone façade, triumphal arches, and handcrafted stained glass intact.

For elopements, the sky’s the limit—waterfalls, ski slopes, private homes, public parks, charming main streets, you name it.

What’s more, the Berkshires sports an exhaustive retinue of vendors to handle every aspect of a wedding—from planners and photographers to florists, caterers and cake designers, light and sound specialists, tent and furniture rentals, and DJs and live musicians.

As of July, there’s even an upscale bridal-gown salon— Kismet, which is by reservation only—smack dab in the heart of downtown Pittsfield. Here out-of-town brides can pick out their dress while scouting venues, and local brides can stay local.

The farm-to-fork ethos is, of course, an important part of the Berkshires’ story and can add nuance to any wedding reception, with roving food trucks, pop-up pizza ovens, and even old-school cooking over an open fire by the likes of Heirloom Fire and The Swell Party rounding out top-tier catering companies. (Or consider having one of the above for a welcome party.)

“It’s about reimagining spaces,” says Tom Ellis, founder of The Swell Party. “The first thing most clients say is they don’t want what everyone else has done—they want their own unique experience and to use the venue in a brand new way. We make it work, moving things so normal paths are thrown out the window.”

That above-and-beyond ethos is pretty much the calling card of the local industry—”and clients seem to appreciate the authentic vibe here,” says Danielle Pellerin, founder of 5 Senses Events & Design. “We put our blood, sweat, and tears into these little businesses and it shows. And you are not compromising on anything—we can produce at the same quality as vendors from the city. Plus, you have this beautiful backdrop. I cry at every wedding; we really care about our couples.”

She and other planners are open to collaborating with outside vendors, too—it’s all about accommodating the couple on their big day.

That said, Turner has made it a mission to work with only Berkshire vendors “and I have to say, it’s been pretty magical!”

Opposite page: Greylock Works, Bloom Meadows. Clockwise: The Mount, Another Round mobile bar service, Jiminy Peak.

Late May through early October remains the peak wedding season in the Berkshires, with a typical slowdown in July (too unpredictably hot). But the region has enough offerings to attract couples throughout the year—and you will likely find more availability (and affordability) in the shoulder months. Winter can be especially magical here, whether your idea of fun is snowshoeing, or curling up fireside (or both!).

The following four weddings, all from 2021, span the seasons and sizes, from two to 200. When planning your own nuptials—and finding your own Berkshires-style bliss, there are abundant ideas and inspiration to be found in each one.

When Leigha Gardner and Bishir Ali became engaged in August 2019, they had a few plans in the pipeline for a grand wedding—mostly so they could accommodate each other’s large families. (The pair had met while attending college in Boston, where Leigha was still living; Bishir had already relocated to Pittsfield to take over his family’s restaurant business.) They even toyed with the idea of a destination wedding outside the Berkshires, but couldn’t find a venue that felt right.

Then the pandemic hit and the couple put their plans on hold until things got back to “normal”— soon realizing there was no way to know when that would be. “Suddenly, getting married just felt urgent. We wanted to move on with our lives and start the next chapter,” Leigha wrote in their pre-wedding questionnaire. Plus, there was no way to truly know when it would be safe to have a big wedding again. “Honestly, it was a blessing in disguise. It took the weight off my shoulders.”

So when Café Boulud (one of their favorite places in Boston) took up residence at Blantyre, they knew the venue would be the perfect setting for a winter micro-wedding—especially when they learned their quarantine puppy, who had been attacked and needed round-the-clock care, could be part of the event. “Everything was just falling into place.”

They did have to scale back from 30 to ten guests due to state restrictions. And despite the death of her grandfather in December and COVIDrelated setbacks (Ali’s brother decided not to risk exposing everyone by flying in from California), the couple mustered on. “My dad kept telling me ‘Just keep going,’ and we did. Love prevailed in the end!”

Planner: Leigha Gardner (bride) Photographer: Dani Fine Photography Flowers and catering: Blantyre

Venue: Hancock Shaker Village Planner: Magdalena Events & Design Photographer: Chellise Michael Photography// Michael Busse Flowers: Susie Hanna/Daisy Stone Studio Reception Music: Dancing Dream ABBA Tribute Band Dance Music: DJ JD Gluckstern Rentals: Classical Tents Lighting: Rob Alberti Transportation: Transport the People

“I don’t know how to categorize this wedding other than it was like a tasteful farm disco,” says planner Magdalena Mieczkowska, of Magdalena Events & Design. “It was this wonderfully crazy dance party.”

Indeed, San Francisco-based Ariel Friedman and Robert Heeger planned an entire weekend of celebrations for their destination wedding. A rehearsal dinner/welcome party with food truck kicked things off on Friday night; there was an after-party on Saturday with a bonfire and s’mores; and a huge brunch on Sunday was the farewell finale—all held at the Lake House Inn in Lee, Mass. (A group of close friends were also based there; the couple stayed at The Wheatleigh.)

Why the Berkshires? “Proximity to Eisner Camp was a big motivator,” the couple wrote via a joint email. They both grew up attending Eisner—and both sets of parents have homes in the Berkshires. It is also where the two reconnected, through a mutual friend, after six years.

Flash forward to August of 2019, when they got engaged in Greece and set their sights on a 2021 wedding date. “We had always planned a lengthy engagement for a couple reasons, including that we wanted to be intentional about the transition from dating to life partnership—we learned a lot about ourselves and our relationship during that important time.”

Way back when, they chose Hancock Shaker Village because it had the capacity to host 250 guests, which was the number they thought they would have pre-COVID. And then they waited as long as possible before landing on their final count of 190.

The idea for the disco theme grew out of the couple’s experiences attending (pre-pandemic) ABBA tribute nights at popular venues around San Francisco. “It was such a novelty to get to dress up and be really silly and joyful and colorful. We thought if can try to recreate any part of ABBA night energy, it’s probably going to a pretty fun wedding.”

Hence, according to Mieczkowska, an ABBA tribute band opened up the dance floor and played for an hour, then an “amazing” DJ played very nontraditional wedding music. (The first dance was a more subdued “Harvest Moon” by Neil Young.) A group of guests also surprised the newlyweds with a choreographed disco flash mob during dinner.

“Ultimately the execution was exactly what they had imagined—the sun came out just as the ceremony started, a herd of cows came over to greet the guests the moment the tribute band began to play, and we ended the night jumping into Laurel Lake with all of our friends. We felt and still feel so held and supported by our community. And we danced A LOT.”

For Berkshires natives Sarah Rhodes and Charles TK—she grew up in Great Barrington, he in nearby Hancock, Mass.—their wedding was always meant to be both a reunion of friends and family from the area and an opportunity to introduce out-of-towners to their “beautiful” home county. (They now live near Old Chatham, N.Y.) When they had to wait over a year due to the pandemic, the former goal became even more poignant.

One thing was certain—The Mount was to be their venue. “It really can’t be beat,” Sarah says (here on out speaking on behalf of both newlyweds). The couple’s story is a familiar COVID tale: They first postponed their wedding from May 30, 2020, to later that same summer before landing on the eventual date of July 3, 2021. The guest count also dropped from 160 to around 100.

Meanwhile, on October 17, 2020, they had a small civil ceremony at a secluded spot along the Green River in Great Barrington, surrounded by immediate family and a few close friends. After the ceremony, their thoughts began to shift about the format of the July event and they ultimately decided against a formal sit-down dinner. Instead, guests could eat, drink, and dance freely throughout the celebration. The chosen wildflower theme was designed to create the unfussy look and feel of a New England meadow. (Charles TK is a native plant enthusiast.) “Crocus Hale, the florist, brought her inestimable skills to bear and made it all truly beautiful and authentic.”

Guests were scattered across the Berkshires, many of them staying at their own family homes, while others were at hotels and rentals.

And there was sweet serendipity in how the postponed event came off: “It was the most fantastic day! Two years in the making! In the end it was nice to have been already married in the civil ceremony— the evening felt totally celebratory, like a real party. The rain held off until later that night and we were able to have our ceremony in the French Garden. Wish we could do it all over again!”

Venue: The Mount Catering and planning: Mezze Catering Photographer: Dear Edith and Lily Florist: Crocus Hale Band: The Loyales Ceremony music: Atlantic String Trio Rentals: Classical Tents

Planner: Berkshire Elopements Photographer: Dear Edith and Lily Florist: Thistle N Thorn Cake: Shire Cottage Bakery Hair and makeup: Beauty Locale [for an additional fee] Dinner reservation: Bistro Zinc

Getting married outdoors in the Berkshires, sans tent, requires a certain willingness to go with the flow—inclement weather (especially sudden downpours) being a frequent spoil sport.

Resiliency in hand, Rhiannon McGraw and Andrew Adams were all set to be married at Ashintully Gardens on a fall Friday afternoon, having flown in from their home state of Wisconsin just for the occasion. But when the threat of heavy rains forced them to shift plans and find a location with some protective shelter, they first set out to marry under the timber at Hancock Shaker Village (hint: no advance notice required!). Then the sun magically came out and they were instead able to exchange vows near a small pond in a secluded area along the route. “The moment was perfect and beautiful,” Rhiannon says. It was also fitting, given that the couple chose an elopement, because they “wanted to be able to connect with one another in a serene setting, celebrating love in a natural, easy-going fashion.” (That would have been their choice, pandemic or not.)

And for a thoroughly modern (and millennial) approach to scouting destinations, Rhiannon says the Berkshires was a random choice after searching on Google. “The area was mentioned frequently and seemed to be a top pick.” Adding to the appeal was that they could visit with her family in Gloucester and his best friend in New Hampshire, post ceremony.

Google was also the path to Berkshire Elopements, which co-founder Jessy Turner says is pretty much par for the course.

Despite having to shift course a couple times, the couple reports being “extremely happy with any changes we did end up making.” It does pay to have an unflappable team making all the arrangements— Turner basically plans everything and “all the couple needs to do is show up and get married.” As for pulling another location out of the proverbial hat: “That is the essence of what we do: Flexibility, adventure, privacy. And certainly the Berkshires is filled with no end of beautiful places if you know where to find them!”

excluding the costs of rehearsal dinner, lodging, transportation, and other extras, which can quickly add up. In Massachusetts, the number is closer to $45,000.

“Even couples who have a healthy budget appreciate hearing creative ways to repurpose and reuse certain elements, so everything looks more lush,” Danielle Pellerin, founder of 5 Senses Events & Design says. (Her clients tend to spend over $100,000 and sometimes over $200,000, with a few in the $75,000 range—”that amount can go quickly.”) For one summer wedding, Perellin worked with the florist to create two striking floral arrangements in lieu of an arbor or arch. Post-ceremony, they cut those into smaller pieces and put them behind the sweetheart table at the reception. “We couldn’t bear the thought of leaving all those florals to wilt when their beauty can be enjoyed elsewhere.”

Turner tends to work with clients with lesser budgets. “We keep our prices reasonable because we think it’s a service everyone should have.” Here she offers a few of her tried-and-true cost-saving tips.

•Keep your guest list between 15 and 100. “That speaks to weeding out those you may not have been keen on inviting anyway.”

•Reconsider having your event at an inn—most will require a two-night buyout. Instead, look to all the other beautiful places in the Berkshires. Consider weekdays or off-peak months when lodging is traditionally lower priced.

•Save on the cost of paying for a wait staff by having a buffet versus a plated meal.

•Opt for a full open bar just for the cocktail hour, then pare back to wine and beer for dinner, or just have beer and wine and maybe a signature drink for the entire reception. A consumption model, whereby you pay for whatever is consumed above a minimum fee, is yet another option.

•For outdoor receptions, find a venue that either includes a tent (and maybe some furniture) or doesn’t have a huge fee to begin with. For example, Arrowhead just started renting the entire property for $2,500, including the barn ($500 on its own); at that price, you can bring in a reasonable-sized tent, fancier tables, and special lighting.

•An affordable wedding planner can save you money in the long run by prioritizing the budget on what matters the most. “It’s also about knowing the right vendors who can do something fabulous, which isn’t going to be over-the-top expensive,” Jessy Turner, who runs Berkshire Elopements says. “My husband and I did our own wedding on a shoestring budget, and everyone said it was the best wedding they’d ever attended.”