Prospect Park Picnic House

of the team were terrifically helpful from the first meeting. Great venue in NYC at an amazing price.

me, she was professional, flexible, creative, and made us feel at ease and taken care off throughout the process of planning our petit wedding. Even including all extras, and booking the venue for a couple of extra hours, and including dinner with one of their partnering catering vendors, the event was surprisingly affordable for a wedding in Prospect Park. The staff were accommodating, friendly, and efficient, while leaving complete control of the event up to us, which was wonderful. Our guests were incredibly impressed by the venue and surroundings and the atmosphere was dreamy (and our photos even dreamier!) We feel incredibly lucky and would highly recommend the Picnic House to anyone looking for a beautiful, functional, accessible, and highly unique venue for their wedding or other event, small or large. A huge thanks to the Picnic House, we will forever cherish the memory of this beautiful wedding!

, but when we saw the Picnic House, we knew immediately it was the place for us. The location situated in the middle of Prospect Park is beautiful for any season, and our fall wedding was made perfect by the changing leaves around the Picnic House. Caity and Willy were a delight to work with. They were super responsive and everything ran smoothly and as planned. We are also happy that the fee for the venue goes to the Prospect Park Alliance, an organization we’re proud to support.

wedding planning, we shifted our focus. We loved that booking the venue would be giving back to the park that meant so much to us. But the Picnic House is more than just a do-good venue: It's an absolutely beautiful location. For a "blank space" venue, it's quite affordable. Caity was incredibly responsive and helpful throughout the entire planning process. And the updates made to the venue (air conditioning, redone bathrooms, new getting-ready space) were all really well done. We would absolutely recommend the Picnic House to anyone who is looking for a look-good, feel-good venue in NYC.

ark all around for your ceremony and the space is so gorgeous. We barely decorated and our guests were raving about how beautiful it looked.

ganized, communicative and open to answering all of our questions. And boy did we have a ton of questions! And outside of how wonderful the Picnic House team is - the venue itself is absolutely gorgeous. The space is large and accommodating to various different setups and the natural light is second to none. Almost all of our guests commented on how perfect the venue was for our daytime wedding. We also found that the Picnic House was a great option for a venue during the pandemic (we got married in July 2022, and wanted to make sure we had covid protocols in place). The venue helped us brainstorm policies, and we were really happy with having a venue that allowed lots of ventilation while providing rain/weather cover options. FYI, the venue fee goes right back into the Prospect Park Alliance so if you like the park, it’s worth supporting them.

emony and reception were technically inside, opening the many doors and windows really brought a sense of nature into the space. Caity was a great point person throughout our planning process too: communicative, organized, and helpful. We had such a magical wedding and the Picnic House will always be dear to our hearts!

park! The staff, from the booking agent, Caity, to the Parks' crew who were there the evening of our event could not have been more warm, welcoming and helpful. They created an atmosphere of creativity and celebration. And of the caterers recommended by the Picnic House, we chose Miriam's, and could not have been happier! The food was delicious. And it was such a pleasure to know that the Picnic House and the caterer had worked together and so everything was organized and beautiful. We also had a four piece live band and they had a wonderful stage on which to perform, and a good upright piano to play. The whole evening was exceptional. I would recommend the Picnic House to anyone who wants a truly beautiful setting for their wedding or party. Can't wait to go back.

e had zero issues!

eed much decorating - The price of the venue is reasonable when compared to other venues in Brooklyn - Caity our coordinator for the event was helpful throughout the planning process Things we did not like about the picnic house: - They are strict with entry times for the event, we could not get access to the space until 2 hours before the event, not even for dropping your stuff off way beforehand, which made us feel a bit of pressure to set up in a limited 2-hour window before the wedding. We should have had more time, 4 hours beforehand would have been enough in our humble opinion. - You can solve the issue above by buying extra hours, which are expensive ($400/hour) though. - We had an issue with the projector not working properly. They have a laptop set up in a small room to the side of the stage. The laptop has a long HDMI cable connected to the output that feeds the projector. They kept having issues with the laptop not coming up on the projector, they kept re-seating the cable at the laptop end so the projector would refresh/re-sync with the laptop and display the slides/videos we had. The audio was connected last minute to a speaker on the floor, where we were hoping the audio would already be integrated into the system house speakers or something like that. It just felt like a bit of a scramble to get the slideshow/audio portion up. There is a bonus charge of $250 to use the projector, so we were a bit frustrated when this portion was not working as we had hoped. We had several slides and videos to show our guests during the wedding and this was an integral part of the night. In the end, we did end up playing all the videos and slides we had, but we had hoped it would have been more streamlined. P.S. my husband is a video sytems engineer, so one can see his frustration with this portion of the night. Overall we had a great wedding at the picnic house and we were super happy to celebrate in our favourite park we go almost every day (we live in Park Slope). This is what makes this venue special and unique! For these reasons, I would highly recommend this venue for your event. Thanks!

modating. The location in Prospect Park can't be beat, and the venue's list of preferred vendors all did a great job as well. Our wedding at the Picnic House was just perfect!

ff was a pleasure to work with. We had an excellent experience with this venue and would highly recommend this spot to others!

that got lost in the shuffle of clean up but otherwise this was an excellent value for our New Year's Eve wedding. Unforgettable for our once in a lifetime event, and fireworks a bonus.

, and beautiful with minimal added decorating. Plus, there is the added bonus of natural beauty all around. No one else gets booked for the same day, so that also removes a lot of stress. We definitely would highly recommend the Picnic House to anyone who wants to get married in Brooklyn.

n their responses, and know the vendors well. Ms. Kuhn was patient and prompt with every question we had. We received a lot of good feedback about our wedding and received a lot of comments of how nice the setting was. You choose from their recommended vendors who are very experienced and work well with the Picnic House.

f not at the beach). What sealed the deal is how easy it all was...and also how affordable. The rental fee is incredibly reasonable and the tables (60" rounds) and chairs (as long as they're kept inside) are included in the fee. The staff is super kind, flexible and super responsive. Everything was a cinch. And of course the space itself and the PARK...just gorgeous. I couldn't recommend the Picnic House more highly!!

rt steps away. It's a magical space: brick walls, huge windows, the ability for guests to be indoors and outdoors. We wanted a huge dance party for the bulk of our cocktail style event - and the space was more than big enough to accommodate our 185 guests on the dance floor. The staff and vendors were super accommodating and easy to work with. Simply put - having our celebration at The Picnic House was one of the best decisions we've ever made.

ning process, and she was wonderful to work with; she was incredibly responsive to e-mails, very helpful, and super friendly when we eventually met in person. William, the house manager who was on-site the day of the wedding itself, was also completely lovely and ensured that everything ran smoothly, including gradually adjusting the overhead lights over the course of the reception to fit the mood. The Picnic House is a beautiful space before you bring anything into it — the only decor we added was flowers and some candles on the tables (no extra lights), and it looked even more gorgeous the day of the wedding than we had imagined it would. The private room downstairs is no frills, but it's a secure place to leave valuables and sit with your partner / officiant before and after the ceremony and sneak a bite to eat before joining the cocktail hour; the bathrooms were also no frills but were perfectly serviceable. We definitely got married IN Prospect Park, and we were surrounded by the people of the park — there were kids playing and laughing nearby, people picnicking, and lots of bystanders observing the ceremony. We loved that environment and thought it was really special to be in the midst of Prospect Park. All in all, the Picnic House was the perfect venue for us. If you are considering getting married at the Picnic House, a few things to think about: Unlike other venues, Picnic House is pretty bare bones in what it provides; other than the tables and chairs, you have to bring everything else in yourself. This might be more cost effective in the end, but it does require more work and coordination than a venue that does everything for you. (Fortunately, your caterer should be responsible for reserving the rentals, and we were able to delegate a lot of that decisionmaking to the catering captain.) You should read the contract closely before signing it and probably at some point again as you start to lock down vendors. We didn't realize that the chairs the Picnic House provides could not be brought outside and that we couldn't amplify sound outside until we were well into the wedding planning process; neither wound up being a huge issue, but we hadn't accounted for them or budgeted for the extra set of chairs. The Picnic House is strict about clearing out the space at the end of the contract time, so you should have at least a day-of coordinator or a VERY supportive friend or family member who is responsible for making sure everything is out on time. Before booking you should also take a look at the list of exclusive caterers and rental company to make sure they work for your wedding vision, budget, etc. (For what it's worth, we thought it was great to work with a caterer who was familiar and comfortable with the venue and knew how to work with the space and the staff.) And, if you are hoping for an outdoor wedding, you should decide if you are comfortable having your wedding in a public space, surrounded by people; we thought it was a blast, but that might not be everyone's vibe.

though Kymberle came on-staff a couple months before the wedding, she seamlessly picked up where the previous events manager left off and responded to all of our emails immediately. Picnic House staff were amazingly helpful on the day of and kept our wedding running smoothly. The space was beautiful and it looked amazing with just flowers on the tables, no extra lights, and comfortable AC. The ceiling is higher than it looks in pictures and overall, the space is very elegant with minimal decoration. We had the ceremony and reception inside because park rules say no amplified sound and you have to rent separate chairs for outside use. During the cocktail hour, post-ceremony, the Picnic House staff and Catering staff made a quick transition with chairs and tables from ceremony to dinner and dancing. We live down the street from the venue and visit the park almost every day so it felt almost like we were getting married in our backyard. Initially, having a set list of caterers felt frustrating but we actually ended up appreciating it because it seemed like all those included in the list have tons of experience working specifically with the Picnic House space and staff. The day was everything we could have hoped for and more.

being able to drive right up front. These things were a non-issue because the "preferred vendors" know the site really well and were great to work with. The travel arrangements were tricky for some out of town guests, but everyone arrived intact! It was very cool to be married in a public place and have children around calling me a princess and happy spectators wishing us congrats. It was unique. It was an elegant party in a laid back atmosphere which was so "US" and I can't believe how well it suited us and how smooth everything went. We had a 9-piece band which fit well and sounded great on the stage.

e public, it felt like we had the Prospect Park community at our wedding- such a unique and loving experience. The venue was beautiful and didn’t need that much to decorate. The vendors they suggested were also great. I highly recommend using the Picnic House!

use. The venue is gorgeous, can accommodate a ton of guests - we had 130 people and there was a ton of room for more. It’s beautiful to look out onto the greens from every window and they have air conditioning for a hot day. Some couples choose to decorate, but you really, really don’t need to other than table decor as the venue is just gorgeous with its old school charm. My only criticism is the bathrooms aren’t the nicest, but really, who spends time in the bathroom at a wedding anyway! Now for the staff! From the very first open house in April 2017 when we met Stephanie, to the very last few emails between us and Stephanie and Christina, the staff at the Picnic House are just a joy to work with. Over the course of the year they received several emails with tons of questions, several requests etc. Every interaction and conversation with them was always one filled with empathy and willingness to help. They always helped ease stress by providing solutions, making recommendations and being super accommodating. They were really a total joy to work with, you won’t regret it.

are grateful for the wonderful memories we have of marrying there.

is parking available, which was a big plus for our guests coming from other boroughs. The venue itself is so beautiful that we went very minimal on decor. This was also a smart move as you only have 2 hours to set up and 1 hour for breakdown. Some of our vendors had issues getting into and out of the park. Other than that, I think this is one of the more affordable and unique venues in Brooklyn.

e high to be 20 degrees! Christina made sure we had a nice fire going for the ceremony. It was a nice touch to bringing the ceremony inside. We felt cozy and our guests were well taken care of. Of course the venue itself is mostly windows — so lovely! We got the feeling of being outside nonetheless. I couldn't be happier with the location, staff and solutions that were presented to us so last minute. A beautiful venue and a great value.

d in maximizing the space to fit your wedding. We did our wedding at night, and even in the dark, without the view of the park, the venue was beautiful and needs minimal decorations. We still are getting complements from our guests on the space.

nning through to the actual evening. We received so many compliments on our choice of venue from our guests. It turned out to be just perfect for what we wanted -low-key yet warm and elegant. Highly recommend!

The Picnic House itself is a huge empty space with enormous windows and exposed brick. It truly is a "blank canvas" and can fit any theme/vibe. The outdoor space is beautiful for a fall or spring wedding. It is a part of the public park so there is the possibility of strangers being close to your space, but we found that everyone was extremely respectful. Their curiosity only added to our day in a positive way. It was easy to work with Christina, who manages the venue. She was easy to reach by email. The day of, there was a different liaison, who I unfortunately, did not speak with or catch the name of, got rave reviews from my mother, MIL, and everyone who interacted with him. We absolutely recommend this venue!

key. Going with Bon Soir caterers (one of their recommended caterers) is a no brainer - they know this venue inside and out and the wedding day goes seamlessly. The park setting was so beautiful on our May 6 wedding! The staff at the Picnic House are helpful and super awesome. I can't recommend this venue enough if you are having a Brooklyn wedding!!!

ordable price. The venue hosts open houses and their preferred vendors also host mini meet-and-greet sessions there. We were able to visit the venue for an open house and again to meet with vendors so we can make the best choices about catering and lighting. Christina was easily accessible by phone and email to answer any questions for us. The one thing is that this venue can be a bit tricky to find, so many of our guests got lost on the day of the ceremony. Thankfully we put half hour earlier on the invitations so the majority were on time for the ceremony.

imple flower arrangements and I didn't feel like the room was missing anything. Everyone had an amazing time and it was really special being in the park-it felt like we had escaped the city for a night! My one complaint, which is pretty major, is that we learned three weeks before the wedding that we needed to extend the contract time and pay an extra 800 dollars to accommodate our caterer. Though I do wish our caterer had told us sooner, I feel it was the Picnic House that mislead us. They say repeatedly on their website and in their contract, that 8 hours allows for a five hour party, two hours of set up, and one hour of break down. Literal days before our wedding we suddenly learned that 8 hours is never enough time for a five hour reception. That 12 hours is the industry standard. Our caterer laughed at the idea of a 2 hour set-up and our coordinator had never heard of such a short contract time. We chose the Picnic House because we loved the venue and especially loved how affordable it is. Adding 800 dollars to the rental fee at the absolute last minute felt pretty deceptive and incredibly disappointing. If 8 hours is not enough time for a normal reception, they should not advertise it as such. Overall we had a beautiful wedding, but that was a major bummer!

the contract in full many times. There are things in there that are out of the ordinary and will catch you off guard. That said, don't take everything in the contract as the end all be all - check with your caterer before planning anything in terms of timeline and their needs. Overall the staff is responsive and willing to work out issues as they arise. Just be prepared and read that contract and ask questions! Also no AC in the summer and it gets hot in there. Best of luck!

s responsive and helpful, the venue gorgeous and affordable, and the location accessible for all of our guests. We had very minimal decorations and it still looked beautiful; we couldn't have found an easier, more beautiful, affordable place to get married. The Picnic House gives you a list of caterers they work with, and we easily found one we liked; other vendors (DJ, flowers, photog) are up to you. This meant that we were able to really find places that fit our budget (instead of having to use pre-set ones). The Picnic House has round, 8 top tables and chairs for 175 (you can't use their chairs outside though, so you have to rent for your outdoor ceremony; keep that in mind when budgeting). One note: it was close to 100 degrees the day of our wedding (right in the middle of the heat dome) and there is no a/c in the venue. It was very, very hot! Our caterer brought extra water, and everyone was fine, but be aware if you're planning a summer wedding. Certainly not something that should discourage you (we barely noticed!), but something to keep in mind.

170 guests, followed by a terrific reception of dinner and dancing. The space met all of our needs. We liked that we were able to attend an open house of catering vendors. The staff at the park was really great! Will, the manager on site for our event, really did everything in his power to make the evening a success and make us feel comfortable. I fondly remember more than one of his employees congratulating me when I came across them throughout the night. This space allows for guests to congregate indoors and out. They host events regularly and seem to have it down to a fine science. Stephanie and Christina were very attentive in responding to questions by email, pretty much immediately. Parking passes were provided for up to 10 guests or vendors who need vehicle access to the front door of the Picnic House. My bride and I couldn't be happier that we selected this scenic and accessible location. We had a wonderful wedding and will have great memories for life, thanks to a beautiful backdrop and a team that was a pleasure to work with.

and responsive. The entire Picnic House team was so knowledgeable, kind, and the opposite of the high-pressure and "upselling" of some of the other wedding venues that we looked at. Plus, I loved that our fee could help support the Prospect Park Alliance for a park that means so much to us. The guests keep telling us how beautiful the venue was-- the lighting and huge windows was a big plus for us, and we didn't even need to bring in any additional decor or lighting other than what we used for the tables. Every time we run by it on our Prospect Park Loop we get happy just seeing it, and I know we'll feel that way for years to come. You do need to book from a list of specific caterers (we used Bon Soir), so this may not be the space for people looking for a raw space where they can bring in their own food or select a restaurant caterer. But it really is to make it easiest because there's no kitchen on-site, so the caterers on the list know the venue so well that it makes the planning and set up seamless. Book the Picnic House and you won't regret it!

e venue in NYC, definitely check this place out. I was stressed out about having a July 2 wedding with no AC, but the cross breeze and fans really and truly do the trick. Go for an evening wedding if you are using this venue during summer months. And use Bon Soir - that's a no brainier.

hich are top of the line and all know how to do great weddings! Christina & Stephanie were both very helpful as I made several visits to plan and lay out the reception space. When you work with their vendors they are also aware of the time limit you have for set up and breakdown. Everything went smoothly and Will, the house manager is an excellent resource. Be sure to ask him lots of questions as he has plenty of experience working on wedding day of. One of the main concerns for the Picnic House for me was the directions on how to get there for guests and the 8 hour time slot we had to work with to get everything set up. It was very helpful to have a day of coordinator to help with set up. But also, to ensure that there's proper direction for guests to come through the park path. My tip: plan, plan and plan some more. I worked with Jeff at Bon Soir Caterers, Rebecca from unruffled bride as my coordinator and everything just fell in to place. However, that was ALL because I did a lot of planning on my part. With all that said, it is a beautiful location worth every penny!

mer service was fabulous start to finish! Loved working with the approved vendors as well. Highly recommend having your wedding there!

fit the bill. We had our ceremony and reception there. For us, everything took place inside, but they also accommodate outdoor ceremonies (as long as it's light out). I knew I wanted to get married at The Picnic House when I moved to Park Slope 2 years ago. And it turned out that it was actually the most reasonably priced for our budget. Although you are required to choose from their caterers, their list provides an array of styles, prices, and cuisines. The Picnic House provides a more country feel since it's located in the park, but at the same time it's in the middle of a great neighborhood in Brooklyn. Which made planning the whole weekend easy and convenient for us and our guests. We got so many compliments on our choice of venue; honestly the place speaks for itself. It has big windows surrounding it, exposed brick, and a beautiful mantle. We are so happy with our choice. I communicated mainly with Christina, who emailed me back promptly every time. The night of our wedding, William and Victor were attentive and helped coordinate the whole event. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because you're responsible to take everything out of The Picnic House that night. I obviously knew this going into it, but it would've made our night much easier if we could've come back the next morning. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a venue for your wedding, definitely check out The Picnic House.

use between the two big trees overlooking the great lawn. At sunset, it was picture perfect. The room held our 180 guests for a sit down meal, with room for dancing and we set up a seating area in front of the fireplace with benches and side tables and many different groups throughout the evening made use of the area. We also had room for a Photo Booth. A terrific place to hold a wedding!

in Brooklyn. Thank you!

here we lived in Brooklyn. When my husband and I went to one of the open houses at The Picnic House as we began our search, we knew that was where we wanted to get married. The park is such a special place and the Picnic House allows you to really personalize the way you want your wedding day to be because it’s almost like a blank canvas. We were married outside under a tree in the park (so romantic), the cocktail hour was also outside around the venue and the reception held inside with plenty of space for dinner and dancing to accommodate 150 of our guests. After looking at so many other places my husband and I agree that we couldn’t have found a more perfect location and venue for our wedding. Both Christina and Stephanie, the building managers, were very responsive to our multiple calls and emails, they made us feel at ease during the planning process which can feel very overwhelming at times. They also were able to provide a list of vendors who have previously worked at the Picnic House, all of whom are reasonably priced and excellent at what they do, we found this to be very helpful as well. All of our guests kept raving about what a special location this was and what a unique place to get married. You get the perk of being in the city all the while being in one of the most beautiful parks in the world. I’d recommend the Picnic House to anyone looking to plan an event, what a special place. We are so happy that this is where we got married!!

wedding. Unfortunately, the day ended up being rainy and cold but in a wonderful turn of events, we ended up having an even more beautiful wedding than we planned. Having the ceremony indoors with the fireplace lit created the most wonderful, cozy setting for our family and friends and the Picnic House staff was on-hand every step of the way to make sure our "Plan B" was a success. They were able to effortlessly "flip" the room without breaking up the flow of our cocktail hour and made sure all of our guests were comfortable. During and after the wedding, our guests raved about how perfect the venue was and how the setting alone made everyone feel all the more comfortable. Even with uncooperative weather, we still had the most perfect venue and the wedding we'd hoped for.