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Are you looking for outdoor wedding venues in Pennsylvania? Look no further!
Sylvan Ridge Farm is a historic Pocono wedding venue with a natural setting like no other. The rustic yet modern wedding barn, historic farmhouse, and romantic honeymoon cottage are surrounded by 200 acres of pristine, private forest. Set halfway up a mountain, this is also the rare barn venue with a view! A fully indoor-outdoor venue, Sylvan Ridge Farm is perfect for couples wanting to integrate the great outdoors into not only their ceremony, but their whole wedding weekend.
Full Weekend Outdoor Wedding Venues in Pennsylvania
We’ll get to the standard ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception in a moment, but at Sylvan Ridge Farm, the celebration isn’t restricted to the wedding day. Far from it! Our standard weekend package is a 72-hour rental that includes three nights’ lodging for up to 16 guests, and unlimited side events between the hours of 6 AM and midnight, all at no additional charge. The 200-acre property features an in-ground pool, deluxe hot tub, grill area, fire ring, and hiking trails, all enabling groups to truly make the most of their wedding weekend. The vast majority of couples hold their rehearsal dinners onsite, either in the cocktail hour area or inside the historic farmhouse. Beyond that, many if not most also opt to host additional events and wedding activities for groups of all shapes and sizes! We’ve seen the wedding weekend timeline filled in with all manner of festivities, from welcome drinks and morning-after brunches to pool parties, trail runs, nature walks, and more.
Outdoor Wedding Venues in PA: Ceremony Locations (& backups!)
For couples dreaming of an outdoor wedding ceremony in Pennsylvania, but wanting the peace of mind of a beautiful rainy-day backup option, Sylvan Ridge Farm fits the bill. We have not one but two picturesque outdoor ceremony spots on site, and the Brazilian hardwood event barn with its historic stone fireplace provides an indoor ceremony option that is stunning in its own right. For smaller guest counts under 120, we can also set up ceremonies on our covered stone patio for an indoor-outdoor happy medium!
The Courtyard
Lush grass, rustic post-and-rail fencing, and old-growth trees highlight the ceremony courtyard, which is tucked behind the event barn and has an intimate, secluded feel. Couples have opted for aisles straight down the center of the courtyard with a forest backdrop, as well as diagonal aisles oriented towards the corner of the fence for a more open mountain view. Conveniently positioned right next to the cocktail hour area in the lower level of the barn, wedding parties can line up out of the sight of guests before making their grand entrance through one of the 10’ wood & glass sliding doors. With ample room to seat up to 170 guests, this is the most popular ceremony site at Sylvan Ridge Farm!
The Upper Lawn
A sweeping meadow that slopes ever so gently up to an impressive row of enormous pines, the ceremony lawn is perfect for couples preferring a wide-open-to-the-sky feel as they exchange vows. The main level of the event barn and the farmhouse are both adjacent to the lawn area, so guests can take in the historic setting as they wait for the processional to begin. For upper lawn ceremonies, the wedding party lines up inside the farmhouse and proceeds across the drive and down the aisle from there.
The Barn Fireplace
A beautiful outdoor ceremony surrounded by nature is close to the top of the priority list for many of our couples, and we get it! But the reality is no matter the season, weather can require a ceremony to move indoors. Thankfully, Sylvan Ridge Farm is a fully indoor-outdoor wedding venue where no amount of rain or wind can ruin the party! In the majority of cases, couples select the main level of the event barn as their rainy-day backup ceremony location. And honestly, with the 14-foot-wide stone fireplace, built in 1900, and the soaring Brazilian hardwood timbers, it’s hardly a downgrade! When inclement weather threatens, Sylvan Ridge Farm’s coordinator works with each couple to decide when to make “the call,” and our staff handles moving reception furniture out of the way, setting up ceremony chairs, and then flipping the room back into reception mode during cocktail hour.
The Patio
An additional option for couples’ ceremonies is the covered patio directly adjacent to the courtyard. While the square footage limits seating to 120 guests, and setting chairs up on the patio means cocktail hour will be limited to the indoor bar area, there are obvious pros to using this space for rainy-day ceremonies—namely, guests won’t see the reception space until the actual reception, keeping that “wow” factor for couples who prioritize next-level decorations. It’s also nice to have an outdoor backdrop to the ceremony photos, even under cover!
Outdoor Wedding Venues in PA: First Looks & Portraits
Outdoor wedding portraits in Pennsylvania can be absolutely stunning when you have a venue that checks all the boxes! The grounds at Sylvan Ridge Farm are second to none when it comes to privacy and variety. We have no neighbors and are set well off of our quiet mountain road, so couples enjoy total seclusion for their portrait sessions. From the rustic fence line along our ridge overlooking the mountains, to sweeping lawn spaces, to dense old-growth forest surrounding the farmstead, the property is a veritable photographer's playground in any season.
Outdoor Wedding Venues in PA: Indoor-Outdoor Cocktail Hours
Cocktail hours at Sylvan Ridge Farm are a true indoor-outdoor affair, with a rustic cocktail bar built into the lower level of the bank barn that opens onto the covered patio and adjoining grass courtyard. After the ceremony, guests are ushered right through the sliding barn doors into the reclaimed wood and stone-walled interior, where they can grab drinks from the live-edge tigerwood bar. From there, they can find an open cocktail table either inside or under the covered patio, grab a chair in the open-air courtyard, or stretch their legs and take in the view from the ridge line. Separate bathrooms are conveniently located on this level, so there’s no need for folks to wander up into the reception area early!
Outdoor Wedding Venues in PA: Indoor-Outdoor Receptions
The ceremony and cocktail hour are one thing (well, two things) but what about for couples who want their wedding reception to integrate the outdoors? You may have considered bare-bones outdoor locations that would involve trailer bathrooms and caterers having to lug their equipment to the middle of a field (not to mention the cost involved with a tent rental!) and concluded that an outdoor reception just isn’t in the cards. But who says you can’t have it all? Sylvan Ridge Farm’s wedding barn was designed by renowned American architect Peter Bohlin specifically to incorporate its natural setting. The building is climate controlled, so we can keep your guests comfortable if it’s especially hot or cool outside, but unlike many barns, there are windows in the sliding doors and lining the entire wall overlooking the ridge below. And on pleasant days, the two 10’ sliding doors and that opposite wall with all of its 32 windows can be opened for a true indoor-outdoor feel. Guests are also more than welcome to wander the rest of the grounds if they need a break from partying! Many couples incorporate lawn games, lounge sets, fires in the fire ring, and other outdoor activities to encourage their guests to enjoy all the property has to offer.
Outdoor Wedding Venues in PA: Afterparty Locations
Once the reception draws to a close (at midnight, if not before), couples and their inner circle often choose to keep the good times rolling. The fire ring, set at the edge of the forest with a delightful, fairy glen-meets-summer camp vibe, is a common choice, as are the sprawling farmhouse porch, the in-ground pool, and/or the deluxe hot tub.
Contact the Sylvan Ridge Farm Team
If all these dreamy outdoor spaces have you drooling over your keyboard, check out our wedding pricing or contact us today to schedule a tour! Prime wedding weekends start filling up 2+ years in advance, so if you are engaged and looking to nail down your venue, there's no time like the present!