North Shore House

My wife and I wanted our wedding to be a weekend experience, where we would feel the warmth of a home and the beauty of nature. We were given that and more at North Shore House. I was not surprised to hear that the Van der Haeghens receive Christmas Cards and Overnight Anniversary Reservations from past Wedding Couples. During the time that you spend there, they make you feel like you are a member of their family. We had to stretch our budget a little bit to include a Friday Night Rehersal Dinner in the courtyard, but would not change a single thing. It was the wedding weekend we had dreamed of and more. Thank you Emma and Van der Haeghen Family!

Sussex County's little hidden secret! The venue you have to visit to really take in the beauty that is the North Shore House. Recently had our wedding there and from day one we were treated with amazing professionalism and care. The staff, the venue, the amazing food, and views all made our day one to remember. Guests are still talking to us about this hidden gem months after our big day. If you're looking for a rustic setting with outdoor ceremony/cocktail hour options feet away from a beautiful lake, at a friendlier price, then do yourself a favor and book a tour.

We highly recommend the North Shore House to anyone seeking a wedding venue! Our day could not have gone better and we are so happy we chose this site! They were very responsive and helpful through the entire process. Every question was answered quickly and thoroughly. The venue itself is absolutely gorgeous, the food was amazing, and the staff was polite and courteous. We had our guests stay at the Inn itself and the rooms were beautiful and the beds very comfortable. Our guests enjoyed using the grounds on the day of the wedding (kayaking, paddle boarding etc). If you’re considering the north shore house- do it!

North Shore House made our wedding weekend absolutely perfect! They were so professional from day one of taking a tour of the place. They took great care of us and were excellent with communication. Our guests and ourselves stayed at the inn Saturday through Monday and it made the whole wedding so much more relaxing. The food, service, coordinators, EVERYTHING, was amazing. What a beautiful hidden gem of a venue - don't sleep on booking them for your wedding!

We had our small wedding at North Shore House and they exceeded any expectations we had for the day! They accommodated our smaller wedding ceremony and sit down dinner(<30 guests) and showed the same level of devotion as you would for a traditionally larger wedding. I did want to call out their level of service. We had one guest who was fasting for Ramadan and while I informed the venue that the guest will need their meal to the side for sundown. They exceeded my expectations on their attentiveness. The guest provided feedback that they were super on top of the meal and attentive to her. On top of the service and kindness, the food that day was amazing! To the point that I told my husband we should go back and ask for another cake to bring home! Overall, we felt we were in good hands through the entirety of the wedding planning process, and I'd recommend this venue to anyone having a wedding of any size!

This place is so good, I'm almost tempted to want to keep it to myself! All our guests were asking us how did you find this place??? Best service. Best views. Best food (not just at a wedding, but maybe EVER). So accommodating and kind. I cannot say enough good things about them. They made the wedding of our dreams a reality.

We fell in love with this venue the first time we visited. The setting, size, and decor were perfect. We even did our engagement photos across the lake at Swartswood Park. Eric and Kelly were pleasant, easy to work with, and friendly. They didn't pressure us and were willing to work with us. They made planning a wedding easy and fun because they knew how to make our day perfect. We can't say enough wonderful things about the staff on the wedding day. Their service was exceptional; from the bridal assistant to the team during the reception, it made it easy for us to enjoy our day without worries. New Jersey’s best-kept wedding venue secret. Top-notch wedding venue! We recommend that anyone book for their wedding or event or go to the Blue Heron for dinner. You won't be disappointed. Thank you so much, Eric, Kelly, and the team! You made our day extraordinarily.

Lauren D.

Our daughter's wedding was held at the North Shore House on September 9, 2022. If we could give more than a 5 star rating we would! The North Shore House is a truly unique and magical place. From the planning stages through the weekend of the wedding everything was perfect - I truly can't imagine having a wedding anywhere else. The grounds and lakeside views are beautiful, the food is beyond outstanding, the accommodations were perfect and the service is second to none. All our guests loved it and want to come back for dinner or their own events. Even all of our vendors loved it! Kelly, Eric, Louise and the entire staff made sure it was a perfect weekend - we can't thank them enough!

My husband and I got married here on Sept 18, 2022 and it was everything we could have hoped for!!! The weather was on our side allowing us to be married out on the peninsula in front of Swartswood Lake. Being a non motorized lake our wedding photos include sailboats and swans in the background!! The staff was amazing making sure we we had food and drinks at all times which may I say the food is out of this world!! The lamb chops and polenta hold a special place in my heart and on my tastebuds. Our friends and family were blown away by just how beautiful the venue was, how amazing the food is, and how awesome it was that it all took place in one spot. My husband and I are over the moon with our experience and we hope to return for anniversary dinners in the future. Kelly and Eric are truly wonderful to work with and were on top of every detail. If you want a Lake wedding stop looking and book the NSH! You won’t regret it!!

We could not have asked for more from a venue!! Everything from the attention to guests, to the food, to how smoothly our big day went was absolutely amazing. We did not have a wedding planner so chose to go with the top package available where the venue acted as our planner and we couldn't have been happier. We got rave reviews from all our guests and were so happy with how amazing the day was. If you are looking to get married in this area we highly recommend The North Shore house and Kelly!!!

We are so glad we found North Shore House! Our wedding was postponed due to COVID, and due to circumstances at the pervious venue we had to move. From the last-minute visit in the middle of December to view the venue, through leaving Sunday after the wedding, they made everything as simple and easy as possible. We chose to stay the whole weekend, arriving Friday and leaving Sunday. We did our rehearsal dinner and after party on site, and utilized the hotel rooms above the restaurant as well. The hotel was amazing, and had some of the most comfortable beds we have slept in in a long time. Each meal was just excellent. Dietary needs were always considered, and all the food was fresh and delicious. The flourless/allergen friendly chocolate cake was mind blowing. Everything contributed to a great experience. The hotel rooms, the food, the staff, the location, everything was incredible, and every person who works here was so kind, helpful, and accommodating. Guests are still telling us about something or someone that made the day even more memorable (beyond the whole marriage part), and we have received so many comments on how the staff went above and beyond to ensure our guests had the best possible experience. There was a bad traffic accident that closed the road outside the venue, and a downed tree that damaged some power lines, but Eric had such seamless coordination with the local fire and police departments that as the bride I didn’t know anything was wrong at first. We had to delay the start of the ceremony due to one of the guest busses being stuck, but Louise generously offered to extend our end time to accommodate the delay for no extra cost. We cannot recommend enough that you should hold your wedding or other celebration at North Shore House. Be it for the day or for the weekend, Eric, Kelly, Louise, and everyone else made us feel incredibly well taken care of, and we hope you allow them to do the same for you on your special day!

My husband and I got married at the North Shore House on December 11th, 2021. I don’t even know where to begin to tell you how amazing our experience with NSH was. We knew from the very beginning of wedding planning, that having our big day at the North Shore House was a must. Kelly, Eric and Louise were amazing to work with and helped pull together every little detail from start to finish! The amount of hard work that went in to decorating inside the hall for the holidays truly showed, Louise made the most beautiful garland and wreaths to pull it all together! Both Kelly and Eric were super responsive and helpful from start to finish wether it was choosing table cloth and napkin colors to what goes best together for our menu and everything in between! We didn’t have the best weather for our wedding and we were both pretty bummed about not being out on the point for our ceremony, but they went above and beyond to make inside absolutely perfect! (Including bringing three Christmas trees inside to make for the perfect backdrop). The food - I can’t tell you how many compliments we got on the menu! We had some vegan / vegetarian guests and one guest with an allergy. The NSH staff made sure that the vegans / vegetarians had a special plate from their restaurant menu just for them. And when they learned there was a guest with an allergy they brought out a dish made just for him. Our families loved and talked about our wedding for weeks to follow! You can tell that the Van Der Haeghen family and NSH staff goes above and beyond for all of their couples, we are so thankful we chose the North Shore House for our wedding! We highly recommend anyone to plan a special event or wedding the North Shore House!

It's difficult to explain how positive of an experience my wife Alison and I had at North Shore House. There was so much that went into it that it's a challenge to pinpoint what exactly sets them apart, but I will try. Eric and Kelly made us feel comfortable throughout the entire process and worked very closely with us and our vendors to make sure it was exactly what we wanted it to be and within our budget. By the time the day came, it legitimately felt like we were at home there. From the beauty of the venue, the well-made cocktails, to the delicious food, our guests were blown away by the whole experience, including those who had multiple weddings this year. Even our vendors kept asking, "How did you find this place? It's incredible!" We can't wait to go back to the Blue Heron Tavern and be reminded of our time there. Highly, highly recommend it.

The North Shore House is the perfect place to have your wedding! The staff was very helpful and friendly throughout the entire planning process. The views are beautiful. The food was amazing, all of our guests could not say enough amazing things about it! It ended up raining on the day of our wedding, but the staff made everything inside perfect! Myself and my bridal party got ready at the North Shore House and we had a wonderful bridal attendant to help throughout the day. I can not say enough wonderful things about this venue!

Hosting our wedding at North Shore House was the best decision. From the first 2-hour long viewing to the checkout the morning after the wedding, we felt treated as perfectly as one could imagine. The ambience is beautiful with the lake front and the many custom-designed spaces around the property. Most importantly, North Shore House is not a wedding factory like many others. We had the space exclusively to ourselves for the days of and around the wedding and Eric, Kelly and the team were always open to individual wishes or ideas. So, we had specific German beer, custom chairs and other decorations. Also they were personable yet professional along the way and did whatever it took to honor our and all guests' needs. Lastly, the quality of the food is impeccable, so that we came multiple times for dinner leading up to our wedding and always loved everything. The food & drink choices for the wedding day were extensive and as we went with several food stations and passed appetizers along with a plated salad and buffet, we received many compliments for the food from our guests. Finally, we never felt this was about the commercial benefit, but North Shore House truly wanted to create the best experience for us every single step along the way - something that we can't praise highly enough during a time with COVID that put every venue under pressure.

We had our wedding at the North Shore House last summer, August 2020. Eric was phenomenal to work with, he truly does his best to help your vision come to life especially when trying to plan a wedding during a pandemic. Eric even arranged a pontoon boat ride for us to take some fabulous sunset pictures! Louise is an amazing florist, if she makes your bouquet you will absolutely love it. Our guests had a great time, they loved the atmosphere, views and food. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful, they even helped with clean up at the end of the night. I would highly recommend anyone to plan a special event or wedding at the North Shore House!

I had my wedding at North Shore House and it was 100% perfection! The entire planning process was a breeze - Eric and Kelly were on top of everything from day one. During the initial process they weren’t pushy and the family-owned work ethic really shows through in everything that they do. Firstly, the venue is absolutely gorgeous! The lakeside views are to die for, and the indoor space is just as beautiful. The bridal suite was finely detailed - they really though of every single detail when renovating it. The lighting is great for photos, there are so many mirrors for getting ready, a hair/makeup chair with plenty of outlets, the bathroom has double sinks and great toiletries - really top notch from top to bottom. While it did rain on my wedding day and we had to move the ceremony inside, the views were still outstanding. They tried to do everything in their power to wait as long as possible to make the call because they knew how much we wanted it outside, and I appreciated their flexibility so much. They made the indoor ceremony as beautiful and special as humanly possible. During the cocktail hour they made sure that my husband and I (and our bridal party/ family) had drinks and food while we finished photos. And speaking of food, it is five star quality - both at the restaurant and the wedding, the best meals I’ve ever had. Their chef is amazing and took into consideration that myself (and a few guests) have food allergies and made it clear to us what was safe for us to eat. And the service...it honestly spoiled me. I don’t think I’ve ever had such amazing service and nothing will ever stand up to my experience at NSH. They went above and beyond on a few occasions for myself and for guests also that night. As the night dwindled down, the guests who were staying on site at NSH were invited to stay for an after party. For a small additional cost, they provided a bucket full of the most popular drinks from the night. And the owner was super flexible with letting us stay until almost 12:30am when she (understandably) had to go to bed and lock up the bar. Honestly, the fact that she stayed up that late for us to continue to party was incredibly selfless and very much appreciated. If you’re at all hesitant to book your wedding/event at NSH, don’t be!! I loved every single detail of my experience with NSH and I can’t wait to spend every anniversary there and every other special occasion.

I just had my wedding at the North Shore House and it was absolutely PERFECT. From the location, to food, and owners... it was truly the best experience I could have ever asked for. I cannot thank them enough for everything they did to make sure my wedding day was special and successful. From the big details to the small ones - they took care of everything so seamlessly (and during a pandemic!). I will forever be thankful for the North Shore House. Eric, Louise, and Kelly were SO attentive, communicative, and easy to work with. No one wanted to leave after the wedding! I am so thankful that we chose the North Shore House for our wedding! We look forward to returning for years to come.

My daughter had the privilege of marrying her best friend at this perfect venue. The location is stunning, right on the lake. The staff was wonderful to work with, accommodating us well within the current climate of a pandemic. The lodging was all beautiful, and the food was delicious. We could not have been happier with our choice! It was lovely to wake up the next day and still enjoy our guests, and the atmosphere, with a relaxing breakfast outside. Thank you so much, North Shore House!

My husband and I were married at the North Shore House and it was everything we had dreamed it would be! The staff was very professional, the food was superb (especially the crab cakes, my guests are still talking about them!), and the views from the lake are beautiful. Eric, Louise, and Kelly put my mind at ease while moving forward with the planning process and last minute changes. I loved that the venue has one wedding a weekend and that my guests were able to relax by the lake any time before or after the wedding. If you are looking for a venue that provides beautiful scenery, excellent food, professional and accommodating staff, and a place your guests will be still be raving about after the event, than the North Shore is the place for your wedding!

Our wedding was supposed to be yesterday. From the moment this pandemic became a reality and the future of our wedding was in question Eric has communicated with me honestly and offered any and all support he can. My fiancé and I scheduled a visit in February 2019 to North Shore House. After spending some time here we knew it was the place for us. I can best describe it as a unique, hidden gem. We stayed that evening for dinner and as we fished eating our absolutely delicious meal called my parents to come. We booked that night. Since then we have been fortunate enough to visit for a bridal expo, special Valentines weekend where we were able to have dinner and stay in the hotel, enjoying the incredible views, dinner with our whole family and to see the venue set up for a wedding later that day. Each visit we feel valued and like extended family members rather than just clients. Eric is the perfect combination of a professional you can depend on and a friend to reassure you and make you laugh. The staff is hand-selected from the wait staff to bartenders and wedding planning assistants like Wendy. The attention to detail in not only the construction of the building and grounds but down to the napkins in the bathrooms,that you aren’t sure if you should throw out, is indescribable. Although I am not writing this as a bride who has been married here I can write as one who sat at her computer and on her phone browsing venues with excitement and hesitance just as you likely are. Today while talking with Eric he said something along the lines of, “We meet people for tours and know this place isn’t for them. It isn’t for everybody.” I hope this place will be for you. I hope when you visit you feel the little bit of peace and magic that I do.

My husband and I got married at the North Shore House back in September 2019. From the moment we stepped onto this beautiful property, we knew it was perfect for us! From the beautiful lake views with swans swimming by to chandeliers hanging from the trees, this venue is truly enchanting! We knew from the start we wanted a different experience from the typical NJ banquet hall wedding. Eric and the staff were very accommodating throughout the planning process and was flexible enough make our vision a reality. The fact that our friends and family could relax and stay at the venue all weekend was also a huge plus. It made it feel like a local destination wedding. Our guests were in awe of this spectacular venue, and especially the food! We would highly recommend this venue for the couple that wants a one-of-a-kind event.

We had our daughter's wedding there this past weekend. I can't say enough how wonderful the weekend was for this event. Eric, his family and staff were warm, attentive and always accessible. The renovation of the Shore House was completed this past year and it is a magnificent place to stay! The food was top notch!! Do take a Pontoon ride and if you are an outdoors person, take advantage of the state park amenities adjacent to the property

My husband and I just got married at North Shore House at the end of June and we couldn't be happier! Everything about our day was absolutely perfect! All of our guests raved about the entire weekend! The staff was so professional and attentive during our ceremony and reception to make sure everything went smoothly! Eric and Louise made us feel like family, we could not have asked for a better weekend. The food is fantastic, the grounds are stunning (which made for gorgeous pictures) and the attention to detail is impeccable. I truly felt like a princess! I highly recommend North Shore House for all of your events, especially your wedding!

Honestly we were very nervous up until the day. It took a while to get our questions answered about details for the day since they were coming out of a remodel but everything turned out beautiful and absolutely perfect! Perfect day, perfect weather, perfect location, perfect staff and DELICIOUS food. There was zero issues brought to my attention and all my guests raved about the location, setting and food! We will be back for dinner in the future!!!

I'm thrilled to recommend the North Shore House for your wedding! If you are looking for a unique and picturesque event, this is the place. I looked at 12 wedding locations, and this was by far the standout. I toured with Eric who was very informative and helpful! North Shore offers 13 guests rooms (more are available off-site, and North Shore provides those locations), and only does one event per WEEKEND! They can do your rehearsal dinner or brunch the next day on site, and provide outdoor activities for your guests the entire weekend (boats, paddle boards, corn hole, etc). I got to see the guestrooms and all event locations, and they are meticulously maintained, rustic, and beautiful. If you are looking for an entire weekend where your guests will be taken care of, I can't think of a better spot!

I am honored to be the first to review this incredible establishment. I visited the North Shore House this past January, searching for a one-of-a-kind venue for for my husband's 60th birthday bash. I had three non-negotiable criteria: 1) Spectacular location 2) beautiful rooms to house my guests and 3) a menu that would impress and satisfy a well-traveled crowd who are known to travel for food. I am thrilled to announce that the North Shore House not only met, but exceeded my expectations. This place has such a great vibe, earthy, but elegant. The setting on the point in Swartswood Lake could not be better. When I visited in January, the rooms were still under renovation, but I was assured that they would be done in time for my party. They were indeed done in time and there is not one single amenity that is not provided. The photos on their website really don't do the rooms justice. Every room has a full lake view, beautiful linens, Frette robes, and each room has a fabulous bathroom. Now, let's talk about food. Chef Ken Salmon has a gift. He's listens to what you are trying to create, then offers his suggestions until you achieve precisely what you want. He's inventive and has a knack for flavor pairings. Anything that he creates is a delight for both the eye and the palate. The staff is impecable and the service is divine. They make you feel warm and welcome and each and every member of their staff is pleasant. Most importantly, the van der Haeghen family who own and run this gem are some of the loveliest people you will ever meet. They will do anything and everything to make sure that your event is perfect in every way. They only book one event at a time and if you're lucky enough to book here, you and your guests will have the entire resort to yourself. It's virtually perfect. You arrive, check into a luxurious room with a picture postcard view, go downstairs to a party like no other, then back up to your room with a lovely breakfast served in the morning. It simply does not get any better than this! I walked into the North Shore House in January, very shortly after they had re-opened after a massive renovation and I'm glad I got there when I did. Once the word gets out on this place, it's going to book up quickly.