There are a lot of ways to describe a wedding at The Ashokan Center: beautiful, relaxed, memorable, unconventional, family-friendly, or simply unforgettable.

But perhaps the people best equipped to describe an Ashokan wedding are the couples who have celebrated theirs here.

That’s why we’re especially proud to have been recognized with the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award in 2025, 2023, and 2020. WeddingWire currently lists Ashokan with a 5.0 out of 5 rating across 29 reviews, with 100% of couples recommending the venue.

For us, these awards are about more than a badge. They reflect the experiences of the couples, families, friends, and staff who come together to make each wedding their own.

A Wedding That Feels Like You

One of the things that stands out across recent reviews is how differently couples use the Ashokan campus.

Amanda, who celebrated her wedding here in 2025, wanted to incorporate plenty of memorable and non-traditional ideas. She described Lisa, Chef Bill, and James as instrumental in helping bring those ideas to life, creating a weekend that felt exactly right for the couple and their guests.

For Margot, whose wedding took place in 2023, the vision was a low-key celebration with a bonfire and camping with friends. Ashokan gave them the space to create just that.

And Sarah described her 2024 wedding as a “dream venue with social mission,” appreciating the welcoming atmosphere, sense of community, and opportunity to create a DIY, camp-style celebration complete with games, s’mores, and a ceremony near the waterfall.

There isn’t one Ashokan wedding.

That’s part of what makes this place special.

More Than a Wedding Day

Ashokan’s 385-acre campus offers fields, forests, nature trails, a barn, covered bridge, waterfalls, a gorge, lodges, and historic buildings—giving couples and their guests plenty of room to turn a wedding into an entire weekend experience.

Arden chose Ashokan because they were looking for a nature-focused, low-key Catskills venue where they could host friends on site.

Carrie similarly described Ashokan as a special place with a beautiful property and a staff that made it a perfect fit for a weekend wedding filled with activities for guests.

For other couples, the activities become part of the memories themselves. Margot mentioned blacksmithing, archery, and hiking trails, while the WeddingWire review summary highlights activities such as hikes and bonfires as part of what makes an Ashokan wedding distinctive.

The People Make the Place

Again and again, couples mention the Ashokan team.

Timothy called the space beautiful, comfortable, relaxed, and festive, and said the team was able to accommodate everything they needed.

Maggie praised Lisa and the team for being responsive and helpful, particularly in creating a relaxed environment where the couple could focus on spending time with their guests.

Courtney kept it simple: “Lisa was great as well as the whole staff!”

And Carrie said everyone they worked with was incredible.

These comments mean a lot because weddings involve countless moving pieces. At Ashokan, our team works alongside couples to help make those pieces feel manageable, while leaving room for the celebration to remain personal.

A Place for Celebrations—and Community

Ashokan is not a traditional wedding venue in the conventional sense. We’re a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring learning and building community through shared experiences in nature, history, music, and art.

That spirit naturally carries into the weddings that take place here.

Whether it’s a bonfire after dinner, a hike with friends, children exploring the grounds, music drifting across the property, or simply having everyone stay together for the weekend, an Ashokan wedding can feel less like a single event and more like a shared experience.

That is what we’re proud to see reflected in these reviews—and what makes being recognized by the couples who choose Ashokan so meaningful.

Thank you to every couple who has celebrated with us, shared their experience, and helped make Ashokan part of their story.

And congratulations to all of the couples who have made this place a little more special along the way.