Best Venues for Elopements & Intimate Weddings in Connecticut & New York
Coronavirus certainly threw the 2020 wedding season for a loop! Many of our couples opted to postpone their wedding days to next year so they could enjoy it fully with guests. Others opted for an elopement or micro wedding on their original date, while only pushing out their celebrations to a future date. With elopements and intimate weddings happening all over the world due to limitations on gathering sizes, I was inspired to put together a list of some of my favorite venues that would be perfect for weddings of these sizes!
CONNECTICUT VENUES FOR ELOPEMENTS & MICRO WEDDINGS
Yale University - New Haven, Connecticut
The Yale University campus in downtown New Haven is absolutely STUNNING for portraits! We’ve photographed plenty of engagement sessions and wedding portraits here, as well as some styled elopements or two. Be sure to check with the university on any guidelines or rules you may need to follow for having your ceremony on campus. With plenty of restaurants in the area, you’ll have quite a variety of choices when it comes to planning a celebratory meal after you say your I Do’s!
See Shannon & Jamie’s romantic portraits at Yale University
Chamard Vineyards - Clinton, Connecticut
If you’re looking for a place to get married with gorgeous views, wonderful charm, and an upscale feel, you’ll love Chamard Vineyards! It has both indoor and outdoor options for a small reception, plus a restaurant on-site with delicious food for you and your guests.
See Camille & Tarique’s intimate wedding at Chamard Vineyards
DCA Meadowlands - Darien, Connecticut
The DCA Meadowlands is a historical estate located in the heart of Fairfield County, Connecticut. If you’re envisioning something simple and smaller in size, the DCA could be a perfect fit! With gorgeous gardens and plenty of locations for portraits, this is one of my favorite venues for small and intimate weddings.
See more of Sarah & Shawn’s wedding at the DCA Meadowlands
The Lace Factory - Deep River, Connecticut
Located in the lower part of the Connecticut River Valley, this charming venue has plenty of natural light and wonderful options for both indoor and outdoor wedding ceremonies. The reception space is equally as beautiful with plenty of room for dancing!
See more of Sammy & Mike’s wedding at The Lace Factory
Edgerton Park - New Haven, Connecticut
If you’ve dreamed of an outdoor ceremony in a beautiful little park, look no further than Edgerton Park! Located on the New Haven-Hamden line, Edgerton has endless locations for a variety of portraits as well.
See more of Alli & Tim’s intimate wedding ceremony at Edgerton Park
Candlelight Farms Inn - New Milford, Connecticut
Candlelight Farms Inn never disappoints! Stunning mountain views, amazing light, and a dreamy ceremony location nestled between two birch trees all make this spot a favorite of mine for both small and larger weddings.
See more of Jessica & Nick’s wedding at Candlelight Farms Inn
Keeler Tavern Museum - Ridgefield, Connecticut
If you want to get married in the gardens of a historical New England inn, check out Keeler Tavern! You will need to bring in your own caterer, but the reception space has plenty of natural light and is the perfect size for smaller celebrations.
See more of Stephanie & Will’s wedding at the Keeler Tavern Museum
NEW YORK VENUES FOR ELOPEMENTS & MICRO WEDDINGS
Wainwright House - Rye, New York
With views of the Hudson River and the New York City skyline, what’s not to love? The grounds of the Wainwright House are immaculate and perfect for plenty of romantic portraits, making it one of my favorite wedding venues in lower Westchester County!
See more of Lauren & Mike’s wedding, as well as Paige & Danny’s wedding at Wainwright House
Windrift Hall - West Coxsackie, New York
Located in the heart of the Hudson Valley, Windrift Hall is a beautiful Airbnb with plenty of historic charm. It has copious amounts of natural light indoors and plenty of space to get ready. With two outdoor ceremony locations on-site, there’s so much to love about Windrift!
See Kelley & Jason’s wedding at Windrift Hall
Bedford Post Inn - Bedford, New York
I love to describe the Bedford Post Inn as elegant, private, and perfect for intimate weddings. It’s located in Westchester County, New York, which makes it super convenient to New York City!
See Nika & Javier’s intimate wedding at the Bedford Post Inn
Brooklyn Bridge Park - Brooklyn, New York City, New York
Views of the Manhattan skyline, as well as the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge?! What more could you need? Plus, the park and surrounding areas are lined with all kinds of excellent restaurants to pick up a bite to eat after your ceremony!
OTHER UNIQUE IDEAS FOR ELOPEMENTS & MICRO WEDDINGS
Your Own Backyard
What could be more special than getting married in your own backyard? This may take a bit more planning with tents, catering, and such, but if you’re willing to do the work (or better yet, hire a wedding planner to do it for you!) it will be a beautiful day for you both! Emily and Chip’s original wedding reception was taking place at Brooklawn Country Club in Fairfield, Connecticut, but they needed to switch their plans due to the pandemic. With the help of their parents and friends, they had an elegant and intimate backyard tented wedding celebration!
New York City Hall - Manhattan, New York City, New York
Also known as the Marriage Bureau, New York City Hall is located in Lower Manhattan at City Hall Park. It’s also near the pedestrian entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge, so if you’re feeling up for it, take some time to walk along the bridge for some epic New York City wedding photos!
Hartford City Hall - Hartford, Connecticut
If you love classic architecture as much as I do, then you’ll love the inside of Hartford City Hall. In the event the weather isn’t great on your wedding day, the city hall has plenty of beautiful spots for portraits!
City Rooftop
New York City and the surrounding counties have some pretty epic rooftop venues, as does Connecticut! If you’re going for a sophisticated, upscale vibe for your elopement or micro wedding with city skylines in the background of your photos, consider a rooftop ceremony (and celebration!) for your wedding day.
Your Favorite Beach or Park
These could be a perfect option for those of you who aren’t looking to have any guests in attendance at your elopement (think the two of you and your officiant!). Be sure you check with the city or town for any rules and requirements. Don’t forget to obtain any permits you may need!
Your Own Place of Worship
Though wedding ceremonies at churches, synagogues, and other places of worship often happen for larger or more traditional weddings, that doesn’t mean your elopement or micro wedding can’t happen there as well! Last June, Arturo and I photographed Ashley & Patrick’s elopement at Church of the Resurrection in Rye, New York. Only their immediate family members were in attendance, and it was a perfect day! Last September we also photographed Summer & Matt’s wedding at their church in Fairfield, Connecticut. Though they had about 200 guests, the newlyweds decided to forego a traditional wedding reception. Instead, they had a coffee bus and cupcake truck waiting in the church’s parking lot for their guests to celebrate. After sharing their first kiss, the newlyweds walked up the aisle and out of the church, straight to the trucks to get a sweet treat and some coffee! If Matt and Summer did this with 200 guests, it can certainly be done on an elopement or micro wedding scale as well!
There are endless options when it comes to finding the perfect venue for your elopement or micro wedding and I hope a few of these helped you in finding something you like! Just remember, what matters most isn’t WHERE your wedding takes place, but rather that you’ll be MARRIED at the end of the day!
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Shaina Lee Photography is a husband and wife photography team serving Connecticut, New York, and beyond. We specialize in timeless, elegant, and romantic weddings while celebrating all couples in love.
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