Did both you and your honey, spends the first weekend getaway picking apples & sipping cider within the Catskills? Or perhaps you’ve always imagined mini lobster rolls & a windswept ceremony around the beaches of Montauk?

Whatever the ideal may be, there are many beautiful & unique wedding destinations which will transport your friends and relatives from the hustle & bustle of New York for your wedding getaway – no flight necessary.

With Covid-19 travel restrictions in flux, why don't you plan a “destination wedding” at your fingertips? All within three hours by car (and frequently quicker by train!) your guest list will locate fairly easily their way, whether or not they plan a weekend vacation, or have to head back towards the City following the big shebang.

Up there during my top two NYC getaways (taking a look at you too, Montauk) the Catskills & nearby Hudson Valley fills the flamboyant of any New Yorker that loves farm to table restaurants & idyllic countryside views.

Every Catskill wedding (& Weekender) I’ve been spoiled to go to has been pure magic – imagine farmhouse venues, roasted pig, live music, and night time bonfires between the fireflies.

We’re dreaming about a sunrise surf Sesh in Montauk together with your soon-to-be-spouse, then a casual roadside lobster roll, then swaps to your chic city wedding attire to have an elegant Hamptons wedding ceremony – this is exactly what the end of Long Island has in store.

Whether you’re an old-school New Yorker, or new-school Brooklynite, both Montauk & the Hamptons provide a range of venue styles.

Old Greenwich supplies a posh seaside getaway without any have to book hotels for any weekend away. Technically in Connecticut, this quaint commuter (and yacht) filled town is really close towards the city your New Yorker guests could slyly use Uber to obtain a home.

Balking at New York City venue prices? We wholly understand, using the average NYC wedding costing $77k (double the amount country’s average, according to The Knot) we bet venue hunting within the city on a tight budget may give a few heartbreaks.

But if you’ve got the mindset for a city chic wedding, why don't you consider neighboring Philadelphia? Only 90 minutes from the city, with trains & buses aplenty, the City of Brotherly Love provide historic American backdrops, a buzzing modern cuisine & serious cool factor for that city couple.

The Jersey Shore’s southernmost town – Cape May – will charm the pants off any prideful New Yorker. Rows of colorful Victorian homes line a legendary beach full of surfers & classic food stalls. Boasting old-school Americana vibes we are able to already think of the Fourth of July fireworks lighting at the barbecue wedding, full of ice cream, sparklers & classic white wedding dresses cake.

Oysters, mussels, scallops, lobster, calamari – shall I go on? Rhode Island has best wishes seafood & coastline New England provides without turning the trek right into a massive journey. Just under three hours driving from NYC, the country’s smallest state provides a myriad of venue styles from small beachside towns to upscale estates. Plan photos aside lighthouses, spoil your friends and relatives with decadent oysters while saving big on local beer, Narragansett.

Looking for additional New York City wedding ceremony planning advice? We’ve started a web-based support group for New Yorker couples to use of local pros & fellow engaged couples offering their very own sage advice. Whether you’re planning for a wedding within the City or New Yorker marriage abroad, you’ll find help with any or all your budding questions within our group.

For more wedding dresses venue inspiration, visit our Real Wedding section.