“My fiance and I are looking for a modern wedding venue in northern NJ Something that’s not your typical country club.  Any ideas?”

Glad you asked.

There are several that come to mind immediately. The Stonehouse at Sterling Ridge is fantastic, withimgres.jpeg a loungy cocktail area and a beatiful stone patio complete with a firepit. The food is amazing and the staff is fantastic. There is a sleek staircase that leads into the cocktail area for a grand entrance and the lobby is rustic chic; it’s one of my faves. Its sister property, the Liberty House, on the Hudson River, is great too, with outside space and a fantastic view of the skyline from both the cocktail areas and the grand ballroom, (with it’s floor to ceiling glass windows).

View wise, the Highlawn Pavilion can’t be beaten either; it’s set in the Eagle Rock Reservation and while it’s a little more traditional, I would still classify it as ‘chic rustic”. It has a wrought iron gazebo that also has a view of the city, if you want to have your ceremony there.

The Westmount Country Club IS a country club, but their cocktail room is beautiful and clubby and the outside ceremony space is sweet; there is a giant fountain in front of the raised gazebo. The food is amazing and the bar area is really, really neat.

Avenue, in Long Branch is also very cool, with a rooftop pool right on the beach. I do a lot of ceremonies at the Jersey shore, but this is about my favorite venue.

If you do decide to venture out of NJ, my fave is the Galapagos Art Space in Dumbo (Brooklyn). There is really no describing it; reborn factory space with wall to wall pool on the first floor (the dining area is built over it). It’s quite amazing and I think Brooklyn is easier to navigate than Manhattan. It is literally two minutes from theBrooklyn Bridge, there is BB Park right there, and their event manager, Lisa is a dream. It is a truly unique, one of a kind venue.

Good luck! All of these places are just wonderful!!!