Why Your Wedding Needs to be in Bucks County
If you are searching for eclectic small-town charm with avant-garde style, or perhaps your search entails finding that perfect rustic chic vibe or just plain rustic, romantic, vintage-inspired or elegant….
Look no further than Bucks County, Pa. It has it ALL.
Take New Hope, for instance. Just one of many unique towns in Bucks County, New Hope offers every theme or concept imaginable for your wedding. There are venues with a rustic chic style, such as HollyHedge Estate. There's country French, such as Hotel DuVillage. And there's rustic contemporary with a more edgy vibe, like River House at Odette's.
HollyHedge Estate, which has been hosting weddings since the early 90s, is well-known for its gorgeous courtyard, historic barn and one-wedding-a-day approach. It's a long-time favorite family-owned wedding venue of mine, offering personalized service and wonderful areas for gorgeous wedding photography.
Hotel DuVillage is an historic country estate with a French flair that actually began as an all-girls school. It was a restaurant that also hosted weddings for a number of years (under the same name) and is now a Landmark Hospitality venue owned and operated by Jeanne and Frank Cretella. Two lovely bridal suites are available, and they can comfortably accommodate two weddings simultaneously in European elegance.
Bucks County, particularly New Hope as well as the surrounding area, is rich in history and natural beauty. It’s home to art galleries, antique shops, museums, the historic Delaware Canal and Delaware River. It's been ranked a top tourist destination with its picturesque sprawling landscapes and cultural attractions. The canal towpath stretches the length of Bucks County and even up to Easton and is wonderful for running, biking or a leisurely stroll. Bicycles can be rented at various spots along the way.
There are plenty of restaurants with diverse cuisine offering outdoor seating along the Delaware and great shopping with unique boutiques where you can find jewelry, European fashion, pottery, vintage items and antiques. There are plenty of musical offerings from bands to solo artists in every genre. The Bucks County Playhouse is located in New Hope, as is the Children Museum, or enjoy a vintage train ride through the countryside with the New Hope Railroad from New Hope to Lahaska. Lahaska offers the family-friendly Peddler's Village, with more than 60 shops and restaurants, and there's stately Doylestown and scenic Perkasie.
Located just outside Philadelphia and Princeton and only 65 miles from Manhattan, Bucks County offers everything for a bride found in larger cities, but with easy accessibility. These New Hope and Bucks County wedding venues are close to antique shops, artisanal boutiques and quaint restaurants. There's shopping, live music, wineries, a playhouse, ghost tours, history and beauty.
Seasonally inspired menus utilizing farm-to-kitchen produce from nearby farms and custom cocktails from locally sourced spirits form a customized menu plan whether you have a seated affair or an elegant buffet.
Activities and Attractions for your guests.
Bucks County also has a slew of nearby attractions for your guests. Some suggestions are Fonthill Castle, the Mercer Museum, the Moravian Tile Works, Washington Crossing Historic Park, Peace Valley Lavender Farm, the 9/11 Memorial Garden of Reflection, the Bucks County Children's Museum, Bucks County Playhouse, Peddler's Village, Sesame Place, Ringing Rocks County Park, the many covered bridges or tubing down the Delaware.
So many great things for your guests to do and enjoy, especially if Bucks County is a destination wedding for them.
What should you look for in a wedding venue?
The wedding venue you select will set the tone for your once-in-a-lifetime experience. Choose one which expresses who you are.
Did you always dream of the perfect luxury hotel or mansion, a historic barn and courtyards? You can have your wedding in a field of wildflowers (Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve), alongside a river (River House at Odette's), in a church, a historic barn (HollyHedge Estate), a scenic vineyard or modern luxury hotel (Hotel DuVillage).
Bucks County is rich in all of these offerings, and is centrally located and easy to reach whether from Philadelphia, New Youk, or New Jersey.
Can the venue accommodate your guest list? Does it offer a range of cuisines, professional planners, accommodations and convenient access?
Here are some of my very favorite wedding venues in the Bucks County area, with a few in New Jersey that also recommend me. These unique and distinct wedding venues really stand out from the crowd.
