Cost of a Destination Wedding
One of the most common questions I hear from couples is whether their investment is “enough.”
The truth is, there isn’t one right number.
An $100,000 wedding can be exactly right for one couple. A $600,000 wedding can be exactly right for another. What matters is the experience you’re hoping to create, the people you’re gathering, and where you want to place your priorities.
If you’re searching for an honest, transparent guide to the cost of a destination wedding in Upstate New York, you’re in the right place.
At The Maples Estate, we create immersive, weekend-long weddings that give you the time and space to actually experience your celebration.
Our full-service planning and creative direction are built in from the beginning, so every decision reflects who you are and the weekend feels personal, grounded, and unmistakably yours.
What Does a Destination Wedding at The Maples Estate Cost?
When couples research the cost of a destination wedding, they’re often comparing numbers across cities and venues without clear context.
Recent industry data helps frame the conversation. According to Zola’s most recent wedding cost guide, a 150-guest wedding in New York City averages around $99,000. In Boston and Los Angeles, weddings often land between $80,000 and $100,000 for a single-day event. And that’s for one day.
Most of our couples are traveling from metropolitan areas like NYC, Boston, and LA — markets where elevated vendor teams, thoughtful design, and seamless guest experiences are already expected. Many of the vendors we collaborate with regularly also travel from New York City and other urban markets, bringing a higher level of artistry, service, and production.
At The Maples Estate, we are not designing a one-day ballroom event. We are curating a private, immersive weekend destination wedding experience in Upstate New York’s Hudson Valley.
Because of the way our wedding weekends are structured, celebrations at The Maples Estate typically begin around $100,000. From there, your overall investment is shaped by your guest count, the vendor team you assemble, and the experience you want to create. Some couples choose a beautifully simple celebration focused on incredible food and meaningful time together. Others invest in elaborate floral installations, live entertainment, custom stationery, larger multi-day events, or highly personalized guest experiences. There isn't a standard wedding at The Maples Estate because there isn't a standard couple. My role is to help you invest intentionally, so every dollar supports the experience that's most meaningful to you.
I take your wedding investment seriously because every dollar should support the experience you actually want to create. As your wedding planner and creative director, I help build a vendor team around your priorities, style, and values so your investment feels thoughtful rather than arbitrary.
Here’s a breakdown to help you build a budget with confidence:
Venue, Planning & Lodging: $53,000
The Maples Estate is the heart of your wedding weekend and includes:
Exclusive Use of the Estate | $24,000 Value
From Thursday to Sunday, the entire 12.5-acre estate is yours. No sharing the space, no interruptions, no rush.
Everything included here exists for one reason: to give you the freedom to fully live inside the weekend.
Your ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, late-night moments, rehearsal dinner, welcome party and slow mornings all unfold naturally across the grounds. Because everything happens in one place, your weekend feels cohesive, calm, and deeply intentional. Lawn games, campfires, golf cart transportation, venue and planning staff, and all taxes are included, so you’re free to be present while we handle the logistics.
Private Farmhouse Lodging for 17 Guests | $9,000 Value
This isn’t simply where you stay. For four days, it becomes home.
For three nights, your closest people live the weekend with you: morning coffee in pajamas, shared meals in the kitchen, laughter on the porch, quiet moments before the ceremony, and late nights unwinding together. By keeping the farmhouse intimate, the space becomes a grounding home base. A place where nerves settle, connections deepen, and memories are made in the in-between moments that guests remember long after the wedding ends.
Full-Service Wedding Planning & Creative Direction | $20,000 Value
Planning isn’t about creating more structure. It’s about creating enough structure that you’re free to let go of it.
I’m with you from the very beginning , guiding every decision with clarity, care, and intention. From shaping your design vision and building a cohesive vendor team to managing timelines, logistics, and the full weekend flow, everything is handled. On your wedding weekend, my team and I are onsite ensuring things run smoothly so you can relax, stay present, and actually enjoy the experience you’ve spent so long dreaming about.
Food, Drinks & Service: $10,000 - $80,000+
One of the first questions I ask couples is, “What do you love to eat?” Because the answer tells me something about who you are.
Food and drink are at the heart of any great celebration. Depending on your guest count and culinary goals, your catering package might include:
Welcome drinks, cocktail apps
Plated dinner, family style, buffet or even food trucks
Full bar or curated beverage menus
Late night snacks, dessert stations
Welcome party or farewell brunch, etc.
We’ll help you prioritize where it matters most (a fun taco truck? A seated farm-to-table dinner? Wood fired food? An ice-cream and pizza social?) and connect you with trusted pros who understand the Maples experience.
Caterers will range from $50 - $500 per person though our clients most often spend $250-300 per person for a full service caterer on their wedding day (food, beverages, staffing). Keep in mind, this may or may not include the cost for linens, cutlery, table and barware, alcohol or even service staff, so we will review your contract thoroughly to confirm all that’s included in the price before booking. Service charges, taxes and gratuity are often billed separately.
Design, Florals & Décor: $5,000 - $50,000+
Every decision is an opportunity to shape how your wedding feels. Florals, rentals, lighting, stationery, tabletop pieces, and furniture all contribute to that feeling. Some couples want a restrained design, others want something layered and immersive. There isn’t one right level of investment. The goal is to make the design feel like you.
Many of our clients spend between $10,000 and $25,000 on these elements, though a minimal design may be closer to $5,000 and a lux client may spend $100,000+.
Photography, Videography & Social Content: $6,000 - $40,000+
Photography and video aren’t just about remembering what your wedding looked like, it’s about remembering how it felt. Whether you're drawn to romantic, dark and moody, light and bright or a candid, documentary style photographer, we’ll help you find the perfect fit for limited or full weekend coverage.
Most of our couples spend $6,000–$20,000+ for photography, depending on hours of coverage, days of coverage and style.
Adding videography typically doubles that investment.
Some also opt for a social media content creator to capture behind-the-scenes or real-time moments.
Your visual team should be one that you trust completely as they will be with you through the most intimate and celebratory parts of your weekend.
Entertainment: $4,000 - $50,000+
Whether you’re envisioning a DJ, string musicians or a live band, entertainment sets the tone for your entire celebration.
DJ Services: Typically priced between $4,000 and $10,000, a DJ can provide the versatility to curate your favorite songs and keep the energy high throughout your celebration. Many DJs offer add-ons like photo booths, lighting or props, which can increase the total cost.
Live Band: For a more dynamic experience, a live band can bring the energy. Prices for a 10-piece band usually range from $7,500 to $30,000+. Keep in mind that if the band is traveling from outside the area, lodging expenses (usually starting around $250/night) may be an additional cost.
Extras: $5,000 - $100,000+
Capture the magic and set the tone with the right vendors:
Hair & makeup: $85 - $200 per attendant per service, bride $250-$800 + trial + travel
Transportation: $1,000 - $5,000
Stationery: wide range
Attire: wide range
Specialty rentals: wide range
Welcome Bags: wide range
These costs depend on how you want to celebrate—and we’ll help you find just the right fit.
Why a Destination Wedding Weekend Is a Different Investment
A destination wedding weekend is fundamentally different from a traditional single-day celebration.
You are hosting:
• Three nights of private estate access
• Multiple gatherings across the weekend
• Onsite lodging for your inner circle
• A curated vendor team
• Full-service planning and production
• A guest experience designed to feel unhurried and immersive
A weekend wedding isn’t simply longer. It creates more opportunities for connection, more moments for your guests to experience, and more time for the celebration to unfold naturally.
Couples and guests consistently leave our weddings understanding what was invested, because they felt it.
How to Stay on Target Without Sacrificing Your Vision
One of the most common questions we receive about the cost of a destination wedding is whether a budget is “enough.” The answer is rarely yes or no.
Sometimes expectations and investment need alignment.
Sometimes priorities need refinement.
And sometimes couples are already exactly where they need to be — they simply need context.
Once you become an official client, we provide a detailed and personalized investment guide based on your guest count, design direction, and must-haves so you can move forward with confidence. As you can see, there is a wide range of investments that we work with as each of our clients priorities are different.
Your goal isn’t to spend everywhere. It’s to spend intentionally.
Here’s what we recommend to stay on track with your preferred investment:
1. Start With Your Priorities: What do you want your guests to remember? What do you care about most? Incredible food? A live band? Florals? More time together? Let’s build the investment around those answers.
2. Let Us Help: Your wedding planner and creative director (me, Katie!) is included in your wedding venue package. One thing couples often find especially helpful is how transparent and structured our planning process is. From the start, we’ll create a working budget based on the experience you want to have, then make vendor and design decisions within that framework. We’ll adjust as we go so nothing ever feels out of control or overwhelming.
3. Be Honest With Your Vendors: We work with vendors who value transparency and service over ego. They’ll help you get the most out of your investment, not upsell you on things you don’t need.
The perks of celebrating with The Maples Estate
We host a limited number of weddings each year because care takes time.
We want to know our couples. We want to understand what matters to them. We want to be fully present in the planning process and in the weekend itself. Our couples walk away saying it was “the best weekend of our lives,” because it was personal. It was intentional. And it actually felt like them.
When you celebrate with The Maples Estate, you’re not simply renting a venue. You’re investing in:
space to slow down and be present
a private estate immersed in nature
three nights in the farmhouse with your inner circle
full-service wedding planning, design, and production
freedom to build a vendor team that reflects you
a four-day experience instead of a single event
We’re here to help you plan a wedding that reflects your values and vision, and guide you through it all with ease. Life is too short to rush through the moments that matter most. Our job is to create enough structure that you’re free to live inside them.
Ready to explore more?
Schedule an in-person tour or book a call with me to talk through the kind of Upstate New York wedding weekend you’re imagining. If you’re planning from across the country or abroad, we also offer virtual tours.
I’d love to hear what matters most to you and help you understand what your investment could look like.
Interested in viewing a sample wedding investment? Check out this budget template to help you get started.
Keep in mind that your wedding budget will be unique to your vision, but to help you get started, we’ve included a couple of sample budgets in the document linked below. Simply click File > Make a Copy to personalize it and begin crafting your budget.
More helpful tips and real wedding inspiration for planning your destination wedding with us at The Maples Estate!
