Belhurst Castle and Winery

f food allergies! We were able to sample everything at a private tasting that really helped us narrow down the choices before creating our menu. The variety of alcohol options is great too. Carmen is simply the best! She helps you coordinate everything from beginning to end and she really knows her stuff. Unfortunately, it rained on our wedding day and the ceremony had to be moved inside but Carmen and her team did a fantastic job changing over the ballroom for the ceremony and back again! It seemed meant to be that we had our intimate ceremony in the Meritage Ballroom and as soon as the tables were arranged again we had people on the dance floor! Our guests keep raving about what a wonderful time they had! We also booked a good number of rooms in the Vinifera Inn and a few in the castle. It was really nice to be able to stay and get ready right on site. I also got my hair and make-up done at the Isabella Spa and was very happy with the results. Katie and Holly are very talented and helpful! I highly recommend the Belhurst Castle and Winery for your wedding!

saw the first ceremony outside starting at 3, with our ceremony starting at 4:30. This does not follow the contract that ensures a 2 hour break in between weddings. Additionally, our guests could not sit until 4:15 and the previous ceremony left trash and bottles on the ground, so my husband was picking up trash 15 minutes before our ceremony. When he brought in the trash he personally picked it up and asked where to put it, Sharon told him "over there" and did not apologize. Ultimately it was a minor issue, but rude and inconsiderate. By far the most frustrating aspect of working with Belhurst was the terrible lack of communication. Carmen is very good at her job but needs help with answering emails and calls. We went weeks with no response in between emails and didn't even know how much we owed a month before our wedding. An assistant, anything, to help with communication. I give the 3 stars for the affordable price, beautiful grounds, and the big ballroom was a lot of fun. My ultimate advice is this is not the venue for hyper organized people because the lack of communication is extremely stressful.

xpectations. The food is amazing, the staff is so kind - every little detail was just what I wanted and even more so! Belhurst is an amazing place and I highly recommend it! It was the best day of my life due to this amazing venue!

erhero in coordinating EVERYTHING. She really knows what she is doing, she is so fun to work with, she understood our vision entirely.. my husband and I could not have planned our day without her! The venue itself is BREATHTAKING and our guests have not stopped raving about how beautiful everything was.. the view of the lake, the gorgeous historic castle, the ornate ballroom. We held our reception in the Castle Ballroom with 145 guests and it was a great space for everyone to spread out, dance, and visit with the other guests. We loved everything about our wedding at Belhurst, I cannot sing enough praises to Carmen and her team for all they did for us for our wedding!!!

l our options…they were all so helpful and reassuring. I can’t speak highly enough of Carmen who coordinate everything for us and met up with us whenever we needed to, and Sharon as well. Karen was never far away on our wedding day, getting us anything we needed. The staff had such flawless service. Our guests all remarked on how gorgeous the venue was, both inside and out. The food was just excellent! Our room was very comfortable, it made for a perfect place for day-of preparation and rest the next day. Isabella Spa & Salon on-site was absolutely perfect. The stylists just took away all my day-of jitters while they did my hair & makeup, and I looked stunning if I may say so myself. Just an overall incredible experience!

Carmen is nearly impossible to get a hold of. I know she’s busy. I know Belhurst is understaffed like everyone else. But I literally could not reach her via phone, email, even in person for 6 full weeks to get her to tell me how much money I owed Belhust a month before my wedding. Nobody else at Belhurst could help me out with other questions either. She either needs an assistant, or someone else at the venue should be able to address basic needs. 2) My décor was not at all what I asked for. I did not have much and I gave them a list (printed and emailed) of what I wanted where. Most items were not where I asked them to be, and several items were missing. It would not have taken longer to do it as I wanted. The ribbon for the napkins looked like it was hacked and fraying. At one point, a bouquet was put on a table so haphazardly that it toppled over as the staff member walked away and my MOH had to fix it. 3) There was a bat in the suite where my sister-in-law was staying. This was not one of the rooms with a balcony where she could have left the window open and it could have flown in (as they accused her of doing). 4) If you get married at Belhurst, DO NOT use the salon for your hair/makeup. Holly (the main hairdresser) was appallingly rude to me, my mom, and my mother in law during my trial. We should have known then to switch salons. Day of the wedding, Holly rushed through my mom’s hair (and did not do what my mother wanted) and then took a walk in appointment for a hair dye. My hair, which was done by another person, was fine but not what I asked for. Almost everyone had to get their hair re-pinned before the ceremony because it was poorly done. I know the wedding industry is slammed this year due to COVID, but I don't think it's too much to ask that vendors are polite, get back to the bride in a timely manner (seriously...1.5 months to know how much money I owed them), and tried to meet the couple's wishes.

d to talk us out of it at first but ultimately respected our decision and moved everything over so easily, even honoring most of the original pricing. - Our day ended up going perfectly and it really was the best day of our lives. Carmen and her team really pulled off one heck of an event! Cons: - Carmen is extremely difficult to get ahold of. We would go weeks without a response to emails sometimes and getting her on the phone near impossible. I don't blame her personally for this, I personally think she just needs help. - Before the wedding, we were accidently charged extra for the service fee, multiple times. When I pointed it out each time, I was met with a lengthy explanation that they were honoring the original pricing and we shouldn't complain then they would reluctantly change it to the correct amount. - During the actual reception when we were ready to line up for introductions, Carmen was no where to be found (assuming she was helping the other wedding that day). Everything turned out fine because our photographer stepped in to do Carmen's job, but it was frustrating. Later in the evening Carmen was there serving dinners so our guess was that she takes turns between weddings. Again, not at all Carmen's fault, she really knows what she is doing and works incredibly hard. They really should have a point person for each wedding if there are two on a given day. Overall, I would still recommend the Belhurst for the absolute beauty of the venue and the knowledge that it will go great even if planning is stressful. If Carmen got someone to help her, I would change my rating from a 3 to a 5.

pportive through it all!

e events planner Carmen. Air conditioning was non functional in the bridal suite (Tower Suite). night before and morning of. Lodging manager jerked us around a bit, moved us in and out because he couldn’t guarantee repair and still wanted to book it out for that night after I refused to stay with no AC on my wedding night. In the end it was fixed by our wedding night and we stayed. Manager gave a substantial discount for the 2 nights which was fair. No communication with the small events coordinator….event booked for Edgars Lounge AND another wedding 30 min after our end time. Per our contract we had reserved the lounge for 2 hours for the groomsmen to get ready/photos/and hangout. That did not happen. Also per our contract weddings must be 2 hours apart to ensure proper cocktail hours and photo opportunities. Since there was not a 2 hour gap after our wedding we were pushed off the back lawn for our photos AND had to turn off our cocktail hour music. There needed to be communication with us that they double booked. Feel like with the l pandemic craziness it is pure chaos with the planners and no one is clear on plans. No wedding is without hitches but this was too much for comfort with the budget item that costs the most! Mainly picked the Belhurst for value (no event fee) and support of Carmen. Honestly looking back would have rather a different venue…even with a fee. Carmen was still great for the planning and execution of design; given the circumstances. Feel like a lot of the issue was the other Belhurst staff.

th ease! Best thing Belhurst has ever done is hire Carmen. They did all the set up too!! Everything was exactly what we wanted! She went above and beyond and we truly appreciated it. We love you Belhurst thank you for all your hard work!

cuting the logistics of the wedding. Carmen, the Event Coordinator, is an expert in creating flawless weddings and answering every question in great detail. Highly recommend having your wedding at Belhurst!

lexible with guest count changes and tons of safety questions. Numerous guests commented to us about how they felt safe. We also got tons of compliments about the food! Our wedding day was wonderful, if a little different than what we initially thought it would be, and that would not have been possible without the work of Carmen and her staff. I would 100% recommend Belhurst Castle to anyone looking for a wedding venue in the Finger Lakes!

perienced & hardworking that every little detail I asked for was done perfectly, & she gave us good advice. We were kept posted on changing Covid impacts (especially the 50 person limit), & Belhurst was flexible & responsive as we struggled with decisions w/Covid impacting everything. Their goal was to make sure we had a fun, safe, beautiful celebration despite it all—& we did. I was the mother of the bride, & officiated as well as was the de facto wedding planner & bill payor. Those roles made it a virtual necessity that Belhurst staff were top notch. Many guests stayed at Belhurst (a beautiful place w/many elegant rooms & amazing lake views). A number of reservations had to be canceled as attendees dropped out due to Covid. Sometimes new people were substituted on prior reservations. It got complicated. Belhurst handled this efficiently and without any unnecessary cost. The food was very good. The bride, groom and I sampled at least 10 meals before picking the menu. (Plated meals were required due to Covid.) I only sampled the vegetarian & vegan meals, and they were delicious. The Belhurst menu allowed many meals to be made gluten free which was also important. Belhurst only charged for actual meals served & allowed variations and substitutions as requested on the wedding day. I could not have asked for more. Carmen knew the exact order for wedding ceremony events and how to do them. This was particularly important to me as I did not know how to both officiate and be the MOB at the same time. When she told me I would walk down the side with the groom followed by the groomsmen, I was elated. That was perfect, & I had not thought of that solution in all my ruminating about whether to be escorted down the aisle, wear my robe or dress then, etc. What a relief to be guided by someone with so much experience that she had seen everything and knew what worked. We had to decide last minute whether to have the wedding inside or outside in the cool fall weather. I liked Carmen’s position—it’s the bride’s call. Though my daughter had her heart set on outside, it was too cool for the string quartet and for guests, so we stayed inside for the ceremony — but got many formal pictures outside plus the rehearsal was outside—the perfect compromise. Carmen not only oversaw everything, she was a waitress at the dinner so that she could make sure everyone was happy. I have never seen anyone else work so hard & smart. The staff was very helpful with the little extras —and when it came to decorating, we had a lot happening. They worked hard and well with me and the florist. E.g., I asked belatedly for little LED light strings from the rehearsal dinner to be added to the display of family wedding photos. 20 minutes after my request I found 4 employees sitting on the floor untangling LED lights for the display. PS—The Halloween rehearsal dinner was at Belhurst too, & what a beautiful job they did with our many rehearsal dinner decorations! They showed their creativity—w/a white owl & crows up high in front of stained glass windows, bats too, black candles, bat art & black Jack-o-lanterns on tables, & skeleton mice peaking out of plants. The candy table was beautiful, the entry display breathtaking.

to the transition of the reception. Everything came out beautifully and flawless.

We loved the food tasting.

ll organized for the ceremony, cocktails and reception. Absolutely no worries on your wedding day because they handle it all! Beautiful setting, great food, wonderful wedding day!!

rs. The venue is absolutely beautiful and we could not have asked for a more scenic place to get married. The food was perfect and we were afforded so many different options despite it being such a small wedding. The women at the Spa were so kind and made my girls and me all look so beautiful. I would definitely recommend this venue.

ery detail. They were so easy to work with and very attentive. They were flexible with planning and very accommodating, while also providing valuable suggestions to make your day perfect. They helped make our wedding day go so smooth and easy to have fun. Many of our guests said that it was one of the most beautiful wedding venues they have ever attended; and we agree! The lake views are stunning from both the yard and the ballrooms which were perfect for pictures! There are also unique photo opportunities on the lawn, in front of the castle, by the railroad tracks, and on the dock on the water. The food was amazing and the waiting staff were very attentive from the moment you arrived. If you are looking for a wedding venue where the staff and coordinators will go the extra mile in every way, with a beautiful environment both outside and inside; Belhurst Castle is it. We recommend Belhurst Castle with high regard!

helpful, always keeping us in the loop with the changing rules and being honest and transparent. I felt confident that myself and our guests were going to be safe as all precautions and NYS rules were adhered to. I also never felt like Belhurst was just trying to get our money, they were SO fair and helpful with all the uncertainties and accommodated our always changing guest list, up to the very day! Pandemic aside, the staff at Belhurst was so amazing. I did not need to set up any decorations as the team had it covered, the servers and bartenders were not only great at their jobs but also very pleasant, and the food was phenomenal. Carmen and her team met us in parking lot with drinks as we were getting off the bus, and I feel like we always had a drink or hors d'oeuvre in hand during happy hour as everyone was so attentive. The menu was very flexible and fun to put together. The whole day went so smoothly and I was honestly so much less stressed than I expected to be, and that is thanks to Carmen and the team at Belhurst. The grounds are also beautiful, with the castle, the lake, the large outdoor lawn area for everyone to enjoy, the fire pit, the outdoor bar, everything. I am so happy with our decision to choose Belhurst for our wedding reception and would 100% recommend to others.

onalism and more.

to put into words. Before Covid-19 had hit my now husband and I committed to Belhurst for our special day, it is beautiful, and highly affordable compared to everywhere else we had looked at. 2 key decision makers for us was: 1-their policy that you only pay for the people that come to the event so if all of a sudden a freak blizzard hits and 20 people don’t come, no problem. And 2- meeting their Wedding Coordinator Carmen and team who has now with Covid-19 actually seen IT ALL, will make sure that your day is perfect, and will answer and respond to every little question texted her way with extreme patience and kindness (Trust me I contacted her A LOT). As I’m sure you are aware of October 2020 is smack in the middle of Covid-19 and ALL of the very real restrictions that New York State had set and planning a wedding is stressful enough without the always changing rules. We let Carmen know we planned to move forward and then we came in to try out the menu options and can I say–YUM. Trying out the menu was so much fun and I’m so thankful that in the midst of Covid-19 the team at Belhurst kept everything fun and wonderful even with a mask on. Waking up in one of the stunning rooms and watching the sun rise over the lake was incredible and really gave me some beautiful calming time to myself before the day really started, followed by a continental breakfast to make sure I had a filling start to the day, a stunning cup of coffee, and a friendly staff letting me know which way to the coffee. After the day started I was expertly styled by Belhurst’s Isabella’s Salon , and then I stopped in the Ballroom to make sure everything was set up right…I came in with the room incredibly set-up better than I ever could have imagined, and Carmen sitting down eating a well-deserved powerbar smiling at me as I came in. As I know Carmen and the team at Belhurst HAD-IT-HANDLED. I didn’t need to worry about a single thing. I went back up to my room. Carmen came to get us when it was time, brought us down to our entrance point…and I married the love of my life. As soon as we came back from saying “I-do” They had drinks and Hors d'oeuvres in hand (Making sure my gluten-free ones were separate because of my food allergy), and the following was magically and still is a week later. In a non-Covid Year it would’ve been the best thing that happened all year, but in this Covid-19 insanity this was our own oasis of happiness and celebration (with masks and all safety rules followed) but it was truly one of the most incredible days of my life and a huge part of that goes to Carmen and the Team at Belhurst. So while there are many beautiful places to get married, Belhurst, Carmen and the team there made my husband and I part of their Belhurst family and gave us an incredible gift by making our day about the celebration of us, not making us worry about anything, and just giving us the beauty and the happiness of the wedding of our dreams in the midst of Covid-19. So if they can manage the perfect day with all of that going on, you have absolutely NOTHING to think about or worry about. Call up Belhurst and meet Carmen and the Team and see for yourselves. Have your special day there…you won’t regret it.