Birch Hill Estate and Stablegate Farm

My husband and I got married on June 14,2024 at the conservatory ballroom. It was truly an amazing experience.the wedding planner birch hill provided JARED was a dream to work with. He went out of his way to make our day special and I could not say thank you enough! Birch hill is so beautiful and made everything so easy!!!

Serena and her team are the best! So accommodating and professional. Everything was perfect! Our guests kept commenting on how beautiful the venue was and how much they enjoyed our wedding. You feel like you’re tucked away in the country, so picturesque. Our day felt and looked like it was out of a fairytale. Thank you so much Birch Hill for helping us have the most perfect wedding day!!

I WOULD NEVER RECCOMEND THIS VENUE! This venue had its air conditioning fail 48 hours before during our summer wedding only to refuse to fix it or discount our final bill! My wife and I recently got married at this venue after delaying for 2 plus years due to the covid-19 pandemic and had a disastrous experience. We signed our contract in 2019 and though that staying loyal to this venue despite having to reschedule would keep us in good favor, but we only found the opposite to be true. The price was raised on us each year that we stayed committed to Birch Hill and despite being loyal, we wound up spending over 3,500 dollars more simply to keep our contract in tact. I understand that the business needed the money due to the wedding industry taking a dive, so my wife and I opted to pay the new fees all while thinking we would have a dream wedding....this was simply not the case. Over the two years we had 3 different wedding planners and the final one was Jennifer. Our first and second wedding planner were great, but left the job (either due to payment issues from their boss or working conditions depending on who we asked). Jennifer was absolutely horrendous at her job and made mistakes on the day of the wedding such as, attempting to begin the ceremony before the bride's mother or father was ready, losing the groom's mother, leaving the reception early, and getting into a yelling match with the maid of honor. After all that, I still have failed to elaborate on the venues most egregious act, their air conditioners failing. We planned an early summer wedding and were persuaded to use the large room due to its "wonderful AC unit" only to find that when we arrived a day before the rehearsal dinner that the AC unit was broken. This was a full 48 hours before the wedding and yet they refused to get it fixed in time. I understand that things happen, but our reception with 150+ guests was held at a temperature between 78 and 82 degrees due to it being 90 degrees outside. The owner himself came into the room and claimed that it was fine because we opened a window...of course it was hot and sweaty for everyone. If this wasn't enough, the hot water pipes were also broken and the men's bathroom sinks burned 4 of our wedding guests. Despite bringing all of this to the owner's attention, he claimed we weren't able to receive any money back due to the "act of god" clause in the contract...to this day, I still fail to see how air conditioning breaking is an "act of god". AGAIN, I COULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS ESTABLISHMENT TO ANYONE!

DO NOT CHOOSE BIRCH HILL CATERING FOR YOUR WEDDING NEEDS! This venue had its air conditioning fail 48 hours before during our summer wedding only to refuse to fix it or discount our final bill! My wife and I recently got married at this venue after delaying for 2 plus years due to the covid-19 pandemic and had a disastrous experience. We signed our contract in 2019 and though that staying loyal to this venue despite having to reschedule would keep us in good favor, but we only found the opposite to be true. The price was raised on us each year that we stayed committed to Birch Hill and despite being loyal, we wound up spending over 3,500 dollars more simply to keep our contract in tact. I understand that the business needed the money due to the wedding industry taking a dive, so my wife and I opted to pay the new fees all while thinking we would have a dream wedding....this was simply not the case. Over the two years we had 3 different wedding planners and the final one was Jennifer Wachter (their sales manager). Our first and second wedding planner were great, but left the job (either due to payment issues from their boss or working conditions depending on who we asked). Jennifer was absolutely horrendous at her job and made mistakes on the day of the wedding such as, attempting to begin the ceremony before the bride's mother or father was ready, losing the groom's mother, leaving the reception early, and getting into a yelling match with the maid of honor. After all that, I still have failed to elaborate on the venues most egregious act, their air conditioners failing. We planned an early summer wedding and were persuaded to use the large room due to its "wonderful AC unit" only to find that when we arrived a day before the rehearsal dinner that the AC unit was broken. This was a full 48 hours before the wedding and yet they refused to get it fixed in time. I understand that things happen, but our reception with 150+ guests was held at a temperature between 78 and 82 degrees due to it being 90 degrees outside. The owner himself came into the room and claimed that it was fine because we opened a window...of course it was hot and sweaty for everyone. If this wasn't enough, the hot water pipes were also broken and the men's bathroom sinks burned 4 of our wedding guests. Despite bringing all of this to the owner's attention, he claimed we weren't able to receive any money back due to the "act of god" clause in the contract...to this day, I still fail to see how air conditioning breaking is an "act of god". So please please save yourself time, money, aggravation, and unnecessary hardship by choosing any other venue available.

Not only was the venue beautiful and food off the charts, but the service was as well. Initially we were passed around to different sales managers - but it all happened for a reason cause we ended up with Serena and I cannot say enough good things about her. The service she provided was extraordinary. Not only did she make the planning a breeze - but was beyond helpful the day of!! Originally we were going to have it "streamside" with the gothic-like arch, but after the rehearsal and the chill in the air we moved it inside. The ceremony was lovely and everything went as planned. I was expecting some MAJOR issue as many weddings have - and there wasn't one! Serena not only helped with the buttoning, floofing and the bustle of my gown, but during the cocktail hour prepared a dish for us so we were able to have one of each Butlered Hors d'oeuvres; made another plate of our favorite items for our sweetheart table; and when someone needed Advil - she was able to get them within minutes!! Like I said before - I cannot say enough good things about her (and we're not easy to please). As for the food - people are still talking about it...I said to my husband I want to divorce him just so we can have another wedding at Birch Hill!! :D

It is hard to put into words how happy we were with Birch Hill Catering! Serena worked with us through every detail in the months leading up to our wedding. We had our ceremony in the Columbia Ballroom with our reception immediately following in the Conservatory Room. Our guests were blown away by the amazing service and fantastic food! Many guests made it a point to communicate to us that it was the best food they've ever had at a wedding. I wish I could relive the experience all over again, Serena and the rest of the staff made sure it was the best night of our lives! 10/10 recommend!

Our experience at Stablegate Barn and Vineyard with Birch Hill was fantastic. From start to finish their team was helpful, accommodating, and kind to us and our family. They made the whole planning process incredibly smooth and easy, and our wedding day was nothing short of perfect. Jisung was our coordinator and she was a superhero for us during the weeks leading up to the big day and the wedding itself. She was very detail oriented, coming from a detail oriented person myself, and made sure everything ran as it should between coordinating outside vendors and her staff. Our guests have not stopped raving about their experience, and most highly the food throughout the wedding. We would definitely get married here again!

When planning our wedding, we knew we wanted to go with a more "all inclusive" type venue where food, ceremony and reception space were offered, and Birch Hill did not disappoint! Between the beautiful options for ceremony/reception, the scenic outside grounds available for our photos, and the food- our friends and family keep telling us how it was the best wedding they've been to, ever. Our wedding coordinator, Serena, was especially accommodating and on top of all our needs throughout the process. We felt so comfortable putting our wedding day into her hands and because of that we were able to truly enjoy our day. Anything from shooting follow up emails during planning, to literally dropping everything in her hands and fixing my broken bustle *moments* from our reception introduction- she really gave us her all and treated our day if it was her own. She was a total professional and pleasure to work with, and if you're looking to have a stress free wedding day, she's your girl!

Serena was a delight to work with from initial planning to her hands on attention to details throughout our wedding. She and her staff were attentive, pleasant and accommodating to our needs. The food was plentiful and delicious with a beautiful presentation. We had an outdoor tent wedding that had the feel and look of a grand ballroom mainly due to the Birch Hill team who went above and beyond. We highly recommend them for your catering needs. You won't be disappointed - we surely weren't.

I was so excited to finally find a barn wedding venue that also had food on site. Every other barn I found would require outsourcing food, linens, silverware etc. and it was a relief to find a beautiful barn with all the fixings on site. Little did I know that the owner is an absolute a**hole and might be the rudest business owner I've ever met. Expect him to Nickle and Dime you for everything. I understand this must be a difficult industry to work in and I'm sure there are a lot of difficult brides. However, this man quoted us $1,000 for a seafood bar then increased that price to $4,000 in less than a year due to "the market". They require you to pay for the liquor license on the day of your wedding but won't let you bring any alcohol for your bridal party for while they are getting ready. I've been in 5+ weddings and every venue let the bride and groom bring AT LEAST a bottle of prosecco for the bridesmaids for while getting ready. But have no fear! They'll allow you to purchase alcohol through them and they'll just mark up the price by A LOT. Not to mention, they also called me a few months prior and told me I had to shift everything up by a half hour because of a "noise ordinance" in the town. You think they would have been a little apologetic about this considering I already sent out invitations with the time but no. Then for the wedding day...we had planned a beautiful outdoor ceremony up the hill overlooking some mountains. The owner charges $1750 for a trolley to bring the guests up the hill (30 seconds), whatever...we were willing to pay it. The day of our wedding, it started to rain about 20 minutes before our ceremony was set to start. The owner was using the trolley to bring our arches up for the ceremony. He actually said to one of my bridesmaids, "If I bring these arches up there but if it starts to rain, I'm not bringing them back down." This made me cry because I was clearly upset it was raining and was also upset at the fact I might not have the arches for our ceremony. I told the bridesmaid to tell him not to bother bringing the arches up. Anyways, we ended up having the ceremony inside (which was another whole ordeal but I'll spare you the details). So later, when we asked if we could get refunded for the $1750 trolley (which was never used to transport our guests) and for the $250 outdoor bar (which was never used because of the rain) the owner, Stephen, said no. I've honestly never dealt with a worse business owner. The thing is, he won't even care about a bad review, he doesn't care about his customers at all. The only good thing I will say was the food was great. Avoid this place at all costs. I was embarrassed to have had my wedding there.

Fantastic caterer! The food was absolutely fantastic. We received compliments on the food all night. At the end of the night, we ended up having half of the cake still leftover and everyone said it was because the food was so good that they filled up on that and didn’t leave room for cake - it was that delicious. We also had lots of guests with food allergies and intolerances and they were very accommodating. We really enjoyed working with them, we worked closely with Jennifer who was so kind, and the rest of the staff we met were also great. For their services, the prices really are not bad considering the quality of the food, the service, and the people! We highly recommend them!

So much went wrong the day of our wedding including Makayla (our 6th or 7th coordinator, since everyone kept leaving birch hill, I honestly lost count) asking my guest to help her set up my venue even though I specifically told her that will not be happening and then lying about it when confronted saying my "guests offered to help" even though they ALL said she asked them saying "go recruit people to help set up" to my OFFICIANT who was our cousin. My contract was left out on the bar for all of my guests to see, including prices. Makayla was MIA all night, she didn't even bring me a glass of water. I asked her to get us a plate from cocktail hour. She got it for us and one of my bridesmaids said "oh thats so nice that you got them a plate." She responded with "yeah for them, you're on your own." Idk what her problem was. The trolly brought me right up to the aisle, every single one of my aisle pictures has a pickup truck and trolly in it. Makayla basically told my sister that we were too cheap to open the winery bc my guest were cold, like we didn't already spend thousands of dollars and the winery that holds 10 people would have solve any issues of the cold. She made my groomsmen and my 6 month old puppy stand out in the freezing cold bc we "didn't sign a waiver" - she knew my dog was going to be there and I would have been more than happy to sign a waiver but she had no problem ASKING MY GUESTS TO GET ON CHAIRS TO HANG MY NEON SIGN & help her decorate though, she kept confusing us with other couples and we felt so unimportant. I kept asking to have guests brought up to hudson 360 so I could go inside and warm up (we had to ask them to put the heat on and they were weird about it) and kept getting told "no they only bring people up 20 min before." It wasn't until I demanded that they were brought up that it happened, thank god I did otherwise we would have been very late. So much more happened. I wrote the owner, Steven, a very long email to which he replied apologizing and wanting to connect to "make it right." I gave him days I was available. He did not call on any of those days and called when I wasn't available. I called him back and received a voicemail 3 days later. I had my mother call so we would stop playing phone tag. My mother said Steven gave her nothing but excuses, he said that there was plenty of staff to set up so he doesn't know why makayla asked our guests, he told her makayla specifically told him to bring us right up to the aisle when the conversation WE had w makayla was the exact opposite, he told my mom "well its a nice trolly" in regards to his PICKUP TRUCK being in the few aisle pictures I have since he made the aisle so short. Steven is condescending and does not care about anything but money, which was apparent when he tried to raise the price 10% even though we exercised our rights first and froze the price 9 months before our wedding date as per the CLAUSE IN THE CONTRACT. He offered my mom no financial compensation or anything for that matter. It is so unfortunate that management cares so little about their couples because stablegates food was INCREDIBLE and the venue is gorgeous. My husband and I were both in the serving/catering business for over 10 years. I gave my tables at Applebees better service on a friday night than I received the night of my wedding. My husband who was a wedding captain was appalled at the lack of service we received. Unfortunately, I would not recommend this venue to anyone.

Stablegate Farm & Vineyard was the first venue we visited, and we booked the next day. We fell in love with the charming rustic barn, the beautiful winery and everything that Birch Hill had to offer. We literally did not have to worry about one thing, from the food to the bar to the set up, Birch Hill covers it all. This took a huge stress off our shoulders and allowed us the time to focus on getting married. MAKAYLA is hands down the best wedding coordinator you could ask for. She matched our energy, understood our needs and our vision, and helped us have the most unproblematic, laid back and fun wedding we could have asked for. She was professional and organized, but had a sense of humor and was so fun to be around. We truly had the most amazing wedding day and it wouldn't have happened without her help.

We utilized Birch Hill for an offsite wedding where they provided food. Their team was outstanding, efficient communication, and very thorough reviewing site set-up, confirming all flatware, etc., was rented to make sure the reception went smoothly. The food was fantastic, everything was set up perfectly, including some last minute changes. We would certainly recommend Birch Hill to anyone looking for a caterer.

Birch Hill consistently delivered on all promises and expectations, and Sarah, our coordinator, went above and beyond, with a great attitude and willingness to talk us through many details. The food was excellent, and they went out of their way to make sure that guests with dietary restrictions felt included and not an afterthought. The venue itself was beautiful, and we were very pleased with all elements that Birch Hill provided.

I couldn't have designed a better venue for my wedding if I tried. Stablegate Farm served as a perfect backdrop to the best day of our lives. The way the venue is set up allows for a perfect flow of events. The garden is beautiful, the barn is charming, and the overlook is stunning. The whole space is a 10/10. But now let's talk about the food! The Birch Hill staff went out of their way to ensure our guests from Texas had an authentic BBQ experience, and they walked away saying it was some of the best food they'd ever had. People went back for seconds and thirds, y'all! Finally, words cannot express how incredible the staff is. Jennifer is an angel. She's super responsive and would always jump on a call to answer my questions. She and the rest of the Birch Hill Staff will go way out of their way, and I think beyond the call of duty, to make sure the couple is catered to. They're truly great people to work with. If you're a couple looking for an amazing venue in NY state, look no further. You'd be very lucky to have Stablegate as your venue.

We had our wedding here a few weekends ago and truly cannot say enough about our experience. Our coordinator, Jennifer, was very helpful and kept everything running smoothly up to and during the wedding. We also worked with both Jessica and Sarah at times, and can not say enough positive things about them both. The ceremony was absolutely beautiful. We chose to get married at Hudson 360 and it was well worth it. We had our reception at the barn, which surpassed everything I could have asked for. The barn, the decor, and the overall ambiance are absolutely incredible. The reception, the food, the bar, and the service were all above and beyond our expectations. I truly cannot express how happy we are with our experience at Stablegate and I highly recommend both the venue itself as well as Birch Hill Catering.

I highly recommend Stablegate as a wedding venue. Jennifer Wachter was easy to work with and the setting is perfect. This venue is also a great value for the money. I would not have changed one thing! The evening was perfect!

We used Birch Hill as our caterer at an off premise venue. We chose the cocktail style package and felt like we had so many options to choose from. From the start, Birch Hill was awesome. They were quick to get back to us via email and very clear in their communication. Our coordinator was Jessica Ryan and she was absolutely fantastic. In our prep meetings, she asked thoughtful questions and helped us think through logistics for the day. We truly felt supported every step of the way. Day of, the entire Birch Hill team was amazing. They were all so friendly and helpful. Everything was so perfect at the wedding- we truly had the time of our lives. Jessica made everything so easy and just was always there to see if I needed anything. She checked in with me throughout the entire day, making me feel so supported. She helped me bustle my dress, got me drinks throughout the night and the Birch Hill staff offered me the passed apps throughout the night as well (which was helpful since the entire day was a blur to me and I had barely eaten!). All in all, I could not recommend Birch Hill catering more highly. Our guests are still raving about the food and we are just so happy with our experience! Thank you so much!

I can’t say enough good things about working with Birch Hill. Jessica was nothing short of amazing and made sure everything was exactly the way we wanted it. The food was incredible start to finish and the staff made sure that my husband and I never had an empty plate or glass. The chef was very accommodating for guests with dietary needs or restrictions and there were plenty of options across the board. Jessica and the rest of the staff made sure our day felt personal, and we were able to have everything we wanted. She gave us lots of ideas for things we could do, and was happy to answer any of the millions of questions I had. She even made sure our rehearsal was able to happen in the middle of a snowstorm, and kept my head on my shoulders! I didn’t have to think about anything the day of and got to just sit back and enjoy our big day.

I had my wedding in the ballrooms at Birch Hill. My ceremony was in the Conservatory and the cocktail hour and reception were in the Colombian ballroom. Everything was flawless up to the wedding and on the wedding date. We worked with Jessica who did an absolutely amazing job especially since we pushed our wedding out 5 times! She was on top of everything and didn’t miss a beat! She made our special day a day that I will always remember and the entire company did a fantastic job with the set up, the service, the food, literally everything. I could not have had my wedding at a better venue. I am so glad that we had our special day with the Birch Hill catering company! I wouldn’t have done it any other way! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Overall, the food was excellent. Jessica and her assistant were attentive, well organized, and communicated well with us. With our initial coordinator we did not feel we had much flexibility in planning or details beyond the package we chose. There were some difficulties in communication in the beginning. Luckily with a change in staff, we ended up having an excellent relationship and experience. At the tasting event, we were initially underwhelmed by the food. Nothing bad, but also not impressive...the day of the wedding they killed it! We had a thanksgiving themed dinner for our wedding and we heard endless compliments on how great the food was. As noted on other recent reviews, we also had the 10% price increase. While it's frustrating to receive that email, it is clearly stated in the contract and they cannot be faulted. We do recommend doing a price freeze upon initial contract signing (read details in the contract). Cannot thank Jessica, her assistant, and the rest of the staff that day enough for helping things run so smoothly and their calming presence on such a big day!

Excellent grounds, food, pricing!! A must for any event...a secret gem in the country!!

We really enjoyed having our wedding at the venue. We received many compliments on the food, the space was pretty, and our wedding coordinator was great. She helped us with last minute fires on our wedding day and made sure everything went well. However, there seems to be a high turnover at this company as we went through three wedding coordinators as we planned our wedding. Also, we did end up having to pay an additional fee of 10% to cover costs from what we assume is from pandemic related issues.

Read your contract, in particular, clause 8. We are 3 weeks out from our wedding (AND Rehearsal Dinner) at Stablegate and Birch Hill is now saying they’re raising the price of our wedding by 10%, without warning or compromise. We were so excited to get married here and now it’s just more unnecessary stress and having to figure out where an extra $2500 is coming from. Really, really poor business sense when Birch Hill claims to be struggling. Instead of raising prices going forward, they’re swindling the only customers they have: their current ones. That being said, our planners (Sarah and Jessica) have been wonderful and I do not blame either for this. Hence the 2 stars.

We had our reception at the Stablegate Barn & Vineyard this July. We loved every single aspect of our wedding and couldn’t have asked for more from the staff! Throughout the process of postponing due to covid, and all the uncertainty, the team continued to provide support and excellent communication. The premises are beautiful, the food is excellent and the service is wonderful! Jessica, our coordinator is professional, and truly excels in her role. We are so grateful she was there for us throughout the process of wedding planning and throughout our wedding day.

Amazing venue!! We booked prior to COVID and held our wedding in February 2021 and the staff was amazing and helpful throughout the whole process!! I am so thankful for the amazing staff and delicious food! The venue was beyond beautiful!! . The staff was accommodating towards all our of requests and made our dreams come true!!

First off let me just say Sarah is amazing! she made sure our day was super special and that we were able to enjoy it completely! The venue is beautiful, we were lucky enough that no one had booked the day before. I was able to put my own little touches the evening before which made things less stressful! Everyone was super sweet. Our guests LOVED the food, we added desserts and I don't regret it! My husband and I are truly thankful for everything, and we couldn't have imagine it going any better than what it did!

We hired Birch Hill for our catering needs for another venue during our COVID “micro-wedding” in September 2020. We worked with Sarah throughout the whole process and she was nothing less than amazing. From start to finish, the planning was seamless. We are thankful we chose Birch Hill during these uncertain times because they were always there for us and always willing to accommodate to make us feel comfortable especially with these most recent extra precautions. Sarah was so communicative and responsive and we were confident we made the right choice from the beginning. Bonus - and of course the food was delicious! Guests were happy and they were safe and careful to maintain COVID precautions throughout the night. Thank you again Sarah and Birch Hill!!

In this year of COVID-19, we decided to pare down our guest list for our daughter’s wedding and change the venue to our house. Birch Hill was fantastic to work with – they were flexible in this oddest of years and worked with us to make it a very memorable experience! Jessica, Jordan & Gage did a fantastic job and were so responsive and helpful – impeccable service. The setup was beautiful and they helped us make the quick decision to have the ceremony and reception outside and said they would only need a few minutes to move everything inside if it did rain – it didn’t and we had a fantastic, outside, October wedding! The food was delicious and the choices for beer, wine and soda were great. We would definitely recommend to our friends and family to use Birch Hill!

Where to even begin. We had the pleasure of working with both Sarah and Jordan and there truly aren't enough good words to describe them both. Through the entire pandemic, Sarah was there every step of the way answering countless emails and questions. She is absolutely the BEST at her job hands down. Through all the stress of planning a wedding in a pandemic we finally got to the day and it was truly incredible. The entire day was flawless and that is 100% due to all of the efforts that Sarah and Jordan put in. They went above and beyond for our guests and made everyone feel safe and welcomed. There is truly not one thing I would change about that day and I will never be able to say thank you so the two of them enough for giving us a wedding day that was more magical and romantic than we could have ever dreamed of. From the fall color trees to the rustic feel of the barn, it was the best day that we could have ever asked for. They are truly the dream team and we were so lucky to have such an amazing team behind us every step of the way. We will truly miss working with both of them but will always have the greatest memories of a picture perfect day.

Genuinely had the most incredible experience with Birch Hull Catering. They did absolutely everything they could during this pandemic to cater a PERFECT event for us in my husband’s parents’ backyard. The staff there could not be more friendly, fun or easy to work with. 10/10 I HIGHLY recommend.

In June 2019 my fiancé and I contracted with Birch Hill for a traditional wedding with 150 guests. When the Coronavirus closed down wedding venues for the foreseeable future, Birch Hill couldn’t promise to provide the traditional wedding we had contracted for. When we asked for a guarantee that Birch Hill could provide the wedding as contracted for, they wouldn’t do it and therefore we asked for a refund of the money we had deposited. Birch Hill has refused to refund our deposits and continues to do so, even though they can’t fulfill their side of the contract. To make matters worse, they informed us they were in the right in refusing to return our deposits and told us if we didn’t believe them to check the language of our contract on their wedding portal. Subsequently, we opened our contract in the portal and found that Birch Hill had substituted a new contract which was vastly different than the original one we signed back in June 2019. The new contract was much more favorable to Birch Hill’s position on the issue of their inability to perform on the contract. When we brought to their attention the fact the contract had been drastically changed, Birch Hill apologized and said there must have been a computer glitch. Thankfully, we safe kept a copy of our original contract, otherwise we would have been left to the mercy of an organization which could have done such a thing. Since Birch Hill refuses to return our deposit, even though they can’t provide the wedding we contracted for, we have had to retain an attorney to seek legal redress. This has already been a devastating experience for us, and Birch Hill’s refusal to properly refund the money we deposited has made matters worse. We are stunned that a business involved in the hospitality industry would treat us this way.

When you are booking your wedding, you are placing a lot of trust in your venue. This is one of the happiest times of your life. Because of this, I would not suggest working with Birch Hill. The owner is not in it for the couples, instead it is all about the money to him. I work in the hospitality industry and know how devastating this pandemic is in our world, along with everyone else's. I also know how important each and every client is to your business. I am still shocked with the treatment my fiance and I received from Steven, the owner of Birch Hill. For numerous, well thought out reasons, we unfortunately decided we needed to cancel our July wedding, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The salesperson who had been friendly and nice to work with the two months up to that point, was not authorized to help so she passed us to Steven. Steven was not at all hospitable over the phone, instead he was incredibly rude to me. Instead of empathizing with me that we had to cancel our wedding that we were very much looking forward to, he accused us of underpaying the deposit, explained how much money he lost for holding the date for us, and to consider my deposit to cover my one email chain and one phone call with the salesperson. The venue billed us online and we paid that exact amount. We booked our wedding 3 months before our date only got our date after someone canceled days before we inquired. Of course I want the salesperson to get paid, but to say our full deposit covers our communication is outlandish. We never saw this pandemic coming. We booked one week before things started shutting down. We are all hurting from this, but it would have been nice to feel like our venue was trying to be accommodating and hospitable. I hope Steven feels good about making a woman cry. I hope he understands how upsetting it is to have to cancel this very anticipated day. I hope going forward he decides to work with couples and meet them in the middle so no one else has to feel the way we are feeling.

It’s obvious to say that choosing a venue and food for your wedding is one of the most significant decisions you can make in the wedding planning process. With no shortage of beautiful locales and delicious catering companies in the Albany area, finding the right one is not a quick task. I’m here to end your search for the perfect venue by highly recommending Birch Hill Estate. The professionalism of the planning and catering staff, the variety and quality of the locations and rooms, and the creativity and delivery of the food options made for an irresistible combination that sealed the deal for us, and should for you. If you were ever looking for a venue that would respond with “Yes, we can do that” to any of your wedding requests, look no further than Birch Hill. Our experience with this venue started when we scheduled an appointment with one of their special events sales managers, Sarah Connor, who would later become our day-of coordinator. We met with her in person on-property, and she wasted no time in identifying the basics about what we were looking for, when and for what price. She had lookbooks and slideshows to demonstrate the venue mid-event, and then took us around for a tour of the indoor and outdoor locations. Pretty early on, she could tell we were foodies (out of town, living in the Washington D.C. area), so the menu became one of the focal points of discussion. Sarah told us about the three types of food serving styles they could do, and we settled on the “food station” style, knowing that we wanted to allow for our guests to try foods from our eclectic and varied cuisine choices. Like I said before, not once did Sarah say “We can’t do that”... instead, it was always a positive affirmation that they would make it work. That’s what you need from a coordinator, and from a wedding venue. With the day and venue spot chosen, we just had to work with Sarah over the months to refine guest lists, specific packages and arranging for occasional in-person food tastings, of which our family members remarked was excellent. During the planning period, Sarah also let us know that we had some flexibility for weather concerns, and options to flex to other venue spots should the right conditions occur. Basically, she was assuring us that we were 100% covered. Week of the wedding, it was not hard to get hold of Sarah to finalize things, and for arranging our vendors. We were able to perform our rehearsal at the venue, but decided against hosting the dinner there for completely separate reasons (but it was an option!). Again, there was not a small adjustment or last-minute change that wasn’t met with a “Yes, we can make that work” from Sarah. Sarah was always around when we needed her, and kept us as on time as she could for our schedule. She made sure to cater to our needs and kept us a priority amongst the hustle and bustle of the night. She was instrumental in coordinating all of our vendors into a unique experience for our guests, many of which told us what a terrific night they had later on. We cannot thank Sarah and Birch Hill Estate enough for making our wedding as memorable as it was, except to try to convince you that you don’t have to look further.

My husband and I couldn't of been happier with our choice to have our wedding at Birch Hill! From when we first spoke with Jessica to the wedding day, we always felt like we were in good hands. Jessica was in constant communication with us and was always there to give us advice or put our mind at ease if we were worried about any aspect of the wedding. From the moment we walked into the cocktail hour until the end of the night, Jessica and the Birch Hill staff made our day one we will never forget! The food was amazing, the staff was friendly and responsive, and our guests all raved about how beautiful it was. Birch Hill is such a great place to have a wedding, we would recommend it to everyone! Thank you Jessica and Birch Hill for making our wedding day go so perfect, we couldn't be more happy!

We had the distinct privilege of having Jessica Ryan, Birch Hill Special Events Sales Manager, 1 Celebration Way, Castleton-on-Hudson, New York, work with our son Kevin and his wife Chrystina to plan their wedding which was held Saturday, August 31, 2019. Jessica helped plan and coordinate things the day of the wedding. She went over and above making sure the bride and groom were happy, had everything they needed, and kept checking on them throughout the evening and making sure their day was special. She also made sure that we were taken care of was calm and helpful leaving no stone unturned. We could not have asked for anyone with more grace, enthusiasm, and expertise. Jessica went over and above making sure that everything ran smooth and we can’t thank her enough! Everything was perfect from the ceremony, to cocktail hour, and the reception, we can’t stop talking about how amazing this day was and how instrumental Jess was in the process.

Absolutely obsessed with all the staff at Birch Hill. They all truly played a part to make our wedding night amazing. We had the pleasure to work with Sarah. She made every single part of our planning process so easy. The food was incredible and people were very impressed. I honestly would recommend Birch Hill for any event. They do a beautiful job!

We had the pleasure of working with Sarah and she was amazing to work with. She was always available to meet up with us, even the day after our wedding she was there so we could get our belongings. The day of the wedding Sarah was attentive to us and made sure that our plates and drinks were always full! Even clumsy me who twisted her ankle at the end of the night, they were right there with ice for me! Birch Hill was the magical setting for our magical day and everyone involved Sarah, the waitstaff, and the kitchen staff made it even more magical for us! Also our guest loved all the food and still talk about it with us whenever we see them. I would highly recommend Birch Hill not only for your wedding but for any special occasion as I’m sure you will not be disappointed

It has been 2 weeks since my wedding at Birch Hill and in that time you would think I could come up with the right words for this review. But I just can't quite express my experience well enough. From the moment Sarah responded to my email inquiring about the venue to the moment we picked up our decorations and supplies after the reception we enjoyed the process. Sarah and everyone else at Birch Hill made this whole thing so easy for us. Over the course of the year, there were plenty of times that I thought I was being a crazy bride, but Sarah always reassured me and answered all my questions. When it came time for the big weekend we had our rehearsal dinner, ceremony, and reception all right there and every aspect was handled with true professionalism while also making us feel like we were the most important event of the season - and trust me when I say there is definitely nothing special about us! Sarah worked seamlessly with our vendors and the entire event went off without a hitch. No detail was overlooked and we didn't have to think about anything other than having a great time. Our guests thoroughly enjoyed the food, thought the location was beautiful, and left happy. My husband and I are half joking, half not joking, about attending the wedding show in March because we would love an excuse to go back. You can tell they've done a ton of weddings, and know the ropes super well, but they work hard to make your day unique to you. Its a winning combination and I would recommend them over and over without hesitation.

Our wedding day at Stablegate Barn was absolute perfection. Our coordinator Sarah Connor was unbelievably wonderful. We booked with Birch Hill over a year and a half before our wedding, and the entire time Sarah answered all of my questions (often repeat questions as the months passed) in a timely manner and was incredibly helpful and patient. The March before our wedding we attended Birch Hill’s expo and were honestly very disappointed in the food and got quite nervous about this major aspect of our wedding. I reached out to Sarah to share our concerns and she offered to set up a tasting. We proceeded to do so, and went ahead and took the chance that their food would be what we hoped after a successful private tasting. On the actual day, the food was FANTASTIC! Guests are still raving about it, and we had several specialty items including ethnic foods like Lumpia (Filipino egg roll) and Potica (Slavik sweet bread). They also accommodated a pescatarian diet and had labels for foods with potential allergens. Furthermore, the owners of the barn are incredible. They have a small farm on their property and gave the chefs some of their vegetables to add to our buffet table with no extra charge. Stablegate and Birch Hill are clearly passionate about what they do. Their prices are amongst the fairest we found when searching venues, and upon reflection were a complete steal for the quality of event they put on. I can’t recommend them enough. If you have the chance, ask to work with Sarah Connor. She went above and beyond and is incredibly skilled at the personal and business aspects of her job.

We tried their food at a wedding show and was unimpressed, but decided to use them because they are cheaper than other places. I also have a friend who attended a wedding that used Birch Hill for their venue, and she confirmed that the food was not impressive. Furthermore, after placing our deposit of $750, we found that due to financial changes in our personal lives we could no longer afford this type of wedding venue. In more than 1.5 years before the wedding date, we told them we will not be using them anymore and asked for our deposit back. Even after they rebooked our date, they only refunded us $100. No other industry besides the wedding industry allows companies to treat their customers so poorly and would give such little/ no money back after changes in plans. Due to their inflexibility, poor quality food, and treating my fiance and I as "just a number", I definitely do not recommend this company to anyone.

Sarah and Ashley were so amazing and beyond helpful. I was constantly asking them questions and they always responded, even if the questions were stupid. They helped calm me down when I was a nervous wreck and did everything they could to make this process as smooth as can be. I also had some (also weird) requests, but they made it happen! Ashley was an absolute rockstar on our wedding day. She saved us some appetizers and was always checking on us if we needed anything. Everyone at birch hill was amazing. Even another coordinator there helped with bustling my dress since it was a process. Everyone from the chefs to the bartenders were amazing and we got so many compliments about how much fun our wedding was and how beautiful the venue was. Working with Sarah and Ashley definitely made this process a lot more easier. I can not recommend Birch hill enough. Everyone there truly helped to make this the best day ever!

A wedding is only as amazing as your guest say it is and our guests LOVED LOVED LOVED our wedding. From top to bottom. From the food, to the location, to the bonfire. My guests are RAVING how our wedding was the best they've ever been to. For my wife and I our favorite part was working with Sarah Connor. She helped make the the planning process so much easier, and on the day of she took care of so many of the smallest details that made our day special and unforgettable. (She's AWESOME) Birch Hill thank you for serving us!

I don’t even know where to start or if words can even express the gratitude I have for Sarah and her team. After over a year of planning, Sarah and her team made my vision and dream come to life. My husband and I still can’t believe it’s over and keep on sharing moments we each had of our day. Sarah made me feel so comfortable, all the nervousness and anxiety went away as soon as I knew Sarah was in charge. Doing so allowed me to fully soak in and cherish my day. We had so many compliments of the venue, the food, the staff, everything. Everyone loved it, even mentioned getting married every weekend, lol. My pockets aren’t that deep, lol. Every detail was flawless, Sarah and I worked very well together to make my dream a reality. I’m truly speechless and a lost for words to thank you.

We had our wedding on 10/4/19 at Stablegate Farm. We could not have been happier with everything ! Our coordinator was Bridget & she is legitimately amazing. She answered every email & phone call, no matter the crazy or weird my question or concern was leading up to our big day. The barn is beautiful & Bridget and her team (shoutout to Danny!) were there every step of the way making my vision for decor perfect. They made sure everything went off without a hitch! The made sure everything was happening on time & even made sure ate! We cannot recommend getting married here enough!

We had our wedding on 9/21/19 at the Stablegate Barn and Vineyard and I am still in awe of how amazing it was. The vineyard was absolutely picturesque and the barn was completely charming. Our guests are still complimenting us on how beautiful it was, a week later! We're thrilled that everyone loved it as much as we did! Sarah, our coordinator from Birch Hill, is absolutely, hands-down the most amazing thing we've ever met. She was fantastic. Not only is she as sweet as can be, but she really went above and beyond for us. In addition to all the work on the back side of coordinating between vendors, she also brought us drinks and food while we taking photos in the vineyard after the ceremony, she made us dinner plates as we were greeting and thanking our guests, she kept us on track the entire night and she made our wedding 100% perfect and memorable. If you're on the fence about this place, you really shouldn't be. It literally has everything you could dream of for a wedding; timeless beauty, soft romantic lighting, a gorgeous loft you could die for, phenomenal food, amazing staff. If we could do it over and over and over again, we would without a doubt pick this place time and time again. You're seriously going to love it!

My husband and I got married at Birch Hill on 9/6/19. We had the most amazing experience and could not have been happier with every aspect of our wedding. We worked with Sarah Connor and along the way, I had to make several last minute changes and with every change Sarah was completely understanding and helpful. I had originally booked Birch Hills Stablegate Barn venue, but due to some health issues with my parents I was forced to change to the Conservatory Hall. Sarah not only arranged for the space change, but she promised to make sure my parents would be taken care of throughout the night. I was so happy about how easy she made all of this for us and how accommodating the owners were to our concerns. Our ceremony was at the birdcage by the pond. This space was amazing. It was so intimate and beautiful. All of our guests were blown away about the beauty of the ceremony. We didn't even need extra flowers or anything for the space, it was so natural and organic, it was perfect. The cocktail hour and reception were held in the Conservatory Hall. What a gorgeous space. It was the perfect size for our 100 guests. Again the beauty of the room made it so easy on us, we didn't need to do much with flowers, it was not even necessary. I can not express how happy my husband and I were with every aspect of our experience with Birch Hill. We can't thank Sarah enough for being the best coordinator we could ask for. She took care of every concern and really is like family to us now! My parents were so thankful for her caring nature, for carting them from place to place on the golf cart and for checking up on them all night! As far as the food goes, it was all delicious. We had a buffet style meal, the food was hot and plentiful. We were thrilled with it and also the service of all the friendly staff members. I would recommend Birch Hill to anyone planning a wedding or special event. You will not be disappointed 🙂

Stablegate was amazing. I worked with Sarah and she was wonderful. She made our experience seamless! She was flexible, supportive, creative, and everything I could dream of. I was very pleased with the venue. The vineyard was beautiful and inside went very well with our guests. Thank you for everything Sarah. <3

Beautiful venue and very accommodating. Couldn’t be more satisfied with how my wedding turned out with the help of our wonderful wedding planner Jessica Ryan.

I always said I wanted to get married at Birch Hill... Sarah and Ashley met our every need, whether it was a planned meeting or the last minute addition of guests attending our ceremony, they were prompt and extremely professional. They made our day very special! As we finally are able to sit and reflect on our wedding and reception, they were everything we wanted and more!

Birch Hill was absolutely amazing and a dream come true! They were so willing to work with me on everything I wanted to do/have at our wedding. We choose the BBQ food option, and the food was incredible. We received so many compliments from our guests on how amazing it was. Also, Birch Hill gives you your own wedding coordinator! We were so fortunate to have Sarah as our wedding coordinator. She is absolutely incredible in every way possible! She also made my life/wedding planning experience stress free and easy. I even texted her a few days prior to our wedding requesting things that I didn't think would still be an option, and she was able to get everything done. Just for Sarah alone, I would recommend this place! However, everything was perfect. The food, the environment, the view, the venue, the workers, and even the swans that hang out outside!

Our wedding could not have been more perfect. From the moment I met Jessica, I felt completely at ease about all of the planning that goes into this special day. We were married in the Conservatory room and then our reception in the Columbia ballroom. The transition was quick and smooth. Throughout the entire planning period Jess was always willing to help. We were in constant contact and she always had everything organized. All night long Jess and the rest of the staff were making sure we had food and drinks (even chocolate milk for my 3 year old step-son). The whole property is gorgeous, food is delicious, and great people to work with!

I literally can’t express my gratitude enough for Jessica Ryan and Ashley West!!! They were both so so so incredible to work with: professional, friendly, patient, supportive, helpful, quick to respond, etc etc. I worked with Jessica all year long and she was extremely fast to respond to my constant emails with questions, and she always answered everything very thoroughly. She never tried to sell me anything extra, she was so supportive of my budget and always tried to work with me and make sure everything was exactly how I wanted it. She was so patient while I changed my mind on so many details of the wedding. She is a very hard worker and truly went above and beyond to make sure I was happy with everything! She made the wedding planning process so seamless for me, and I can’t thank her enough for all she has done! Ashley was our day-of coordinator. She was also ABSOLUTELY amazing - she also went above and beyond to make sure everything ran smoothly. She worked tirelessly all day long and handled so many behind-the-scenes tasks while also managing to stay very present and make sure my husband and I were happy and to accommodate all of our families’ needs throughout the night. She was perfect! I would highly, highly recommend working with Jessica and Ashley! Not to mention the Stablegate Barn is an absolutely stunning wedding venue and my guests haven’t stopped raving about how much fun they had at our wedding, thanks to Jessica and Ashley’s hard work!