Storming the Castle What woman hasn’t dreamed about being a fairy princess at some point in their life?  Well, it is possible for this dream to come true.  Just make the decision to host a wedding at a castle or sprawling estate.  Believe it or not, castles and estates are scattered throughout the U.S.  Many castles are situated in New York State alone along the Hudson Valley and New England Thruway.  Quite a few of these grand structures specialize in destination wedding venues. For example, Reid Castle in tony upper Westchester, New York is a stately manor that is the focal centerpiece of the Manhattanville College campus.  Reid Castle has been the backdrop for many exclusive wedding ceremonies and movie sets including the Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo.  The architecture and detailing of the castle are well appointed and the catering staff is at your

disposal to make your every dream come true.    Plan ahead though.  Travelista’s in the know have probably already secured a date.  Also in New York is the OHEKA Castle in Hungtington, Long Island.  This historic monument sits atop a 443 acre plot and is the legacy of philanthropist and financier Otto Herman Kahn  hence the name OHEKA.  This nearly 100 year old, expansive structure is the go-to venue for high society weddings and gala affairs.  A little known fact is that OHEKA was to be the wedding venue for baseball great Derek Jeter.

For southern belles, nothing but the Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina will do.  The expansive property was once the home of the Vanderbilt family (think descendants fashion designer, Gloria Vanderbilt, and her son Anderson Cooper of CNN fame.)

The grand architecture of the Biltmore Estate is modeled after a French chateau and is still touted as one of if not the largest home in the continental U.S.  The Biltmore specializes in grand affairs and lavish ceremonies to remember.  The Biltmore is adept at providing brides with all the amenities of a dream wedding including a horse drawn carriage ride.

Yes, things are bigger in Texas and their castles are no exception.  The Falkenstein Castle was ranked #3 in top wedding venues by theknot.com and is located in Texas Hill Country which is 50 miles west of Austin.  The German inspired Gothic architecture is a sight to behold.  For a grand event on a grand scale, travlista’s will want to vist the Falkenstein Castle. If you’re just into castles in faraway and distant lands, I had occasion to meet via blog post Victor Tribunsky of victortravelblog.com.  Victor has posted the most incredible pictures of castles that he’s actually seen, worldwide.  I just had to share his pictures with you all (just follow the link by his name.)  Hey, who knows?  The luxury travelista is not bound by borders when it comes to a magnificent wedding, right?  Perhaps a castle wedding in some international destination is in your future.  That’s what being a travelista is all about, yes?  Until next time when I bring you part 3 in my series of Top Luxury Travelista Wedding Venues.  Ciao Bellas.