LUXURY FINGER LAKES WEDDINGS – THE INN AT TAUGHANNOCK FALLS
New York’s Finger Lakes region is one of the most scenic areas of the country, with every season offering its own brand of charm and natural beauty. For luxury Finger Lakes weddings, The Inn at Taughannock Falls is a boutique hotel that combines Victorian elegance with modern comforts. It’s quite a spectacular blend that offers couples and their guests a truly unique New York wedding experience. Stephenie Monroe, Director of Sales & Events, shares more about the property and their wedding planning process.
GO: What makes The Inn at Taughannock Falls such a special destination for luxury Finger Lakes weddings?
A: The Inn at Taughannock Falls is located in Trumansburg, NY, just 9 miles from Ithaca College and Cornell University. This stunning luxury boutique hotel spans across 12 acres featuring four buildings and the Northeast's largest outdoor event venue overlooking the lake. The four buildings combine 23 vintage and modern guestrooms, suites, a private lake house, and one of the best restaurants in the area featuring exceptional Cayuga Lake and Taughannock Falls State Park views.
Surrounded by Taughannock Falls State Park, which hosts the tallest waterfall on the east coast; a 215-foot vertical drop, is easily accessible by our hotel guests to visit and the Park also has a variety of activities including: hiking, swimming, canoeing, kayaking, water skiing and more.
The Inn at Taughannock Falls is a famous landmark, servicing the community since 1946. Originally built in 1873, the entire first floor of the Victorian mansion is dedicated to the Inn’s casual fine dining restaurant, which features a traditional American cuisine with a Mediterranean influence. Our recently renovated Hillside Lake house offers six bedrooms and sleeps 12 in comfort. The Le Grande Residence, located within the Hillside Lake house, offers a fully outfitted kitchen and oversized family room with pool table. Hillside may be rented by room or in its entirety for a group to enjoy. The guestrooms in our Edgewood building are a classic modern style and each feature a furnished lake view balcony. Our one-story Parkview house is nestled in the woods beside the Victorian Inn and directly against Taughannock Falls State Park.
Located at the start of the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail, the Inn is located in the heart of the idyllic Finger Lakes region, with over 100 wineries within a half hour from our location. The Inn at Taughannock Falls has just completed construction of a dedicated 10,000 SF event garden called “Enchantment," an elegant setting with a majestic stone fireplace, numerous fire pits and a Gatsby style translucent sailcloth tent, capable of handling receptions up to 500 and 300 for a seated dinner. We offer tours of this venue, year-round, which operates from May through October.
GO: When is your busiest time of year for weddings, and how far in advance should couples book if they hope to secure a date during those months?
A: Most of our couples book with us 12-18 months prior to the wedding. Couples should never be discouraged, though, as our flexible booking calendar sees weddings seven days a week and we’re always happy to discuss availability. We’re a four-season location, and our couples come from all over the world. The majority of our bookings occur during the regular engagement season, November-February. However we offer tours year-round and a potential client can always speak to a member of our event planning team no matter the time period.
GO: How many wedding guests can you accommodate at The Inn at Taughannock Falls? Are buyouts available?
A: The Enchantment Event Garden, our most luxurious venue, accommodates up to 300 guests for a plated meal, and up to 500 guests for a cocktail reception. Exclusivity is a customizable option for our couples, and they can reserve just the venue, or choose to buy-out and add on the restaurant space and our (24) premium hotel rooms and suites as well.
GO: Are onsite wedding planners/coordinators available for the wedding process?
A: Yes, we offer a concierge style approach with full service in-house event planners. They will walk our couples, and our couples’ representatives, through the entire planning process from vendor selection, floorplan, and timeline to décor and design, also providing day-of coordination as well. Each of our departments – food and beverage, maintenance and labor, engineering and technology – contributes to the wedding and is present on the big day.
GO: What indoor/outdoor spaces are available for wedding ceremonies and receptions?
A: The majority of our ceremonies take place outside, where they are able to be surrounded by stunning views of Cayuga Lake and the Taughannock Falls State Park. Each season presents our couples with unique backdrops, and a soothing and serene atmosphere. Receptions can take place inside the Victorian Inn mansion, the centerpiece of our property, or the bluestone garden patio known as Enchantment where they are covered by a gorgeous 100’ x 60’ sailcloth tent. Our team provides weather back up planning, and has experience with a number of comfortable back-up scenarios.
GO: Food is such an important element at a wedding. Tell us about your menu customization options.
A: Discussing our menu is a never-ending conversation – this is because we offer a completely customized approach to our food and beverage service. We have a number of packages and items to help get inspiration going, but overall, we will walk through each step of the food and beverage service so that our couples can design the flavors and concepts that they are dreaming of for their day. We offer everyone’s favorite staples – buffet, plated, or family style dining – and then we augment with creative and clever packages such as Raw Bars, Interactive S’Mores displays, Custom Gelato Carts, Late Night Pub Food Stations – and anything else anyone can think of. Our cuisine is not restricted as our culinary leaders have a combined background that spans all international experiences. We specialize in American-Mediterranean, and yet have produced upon request meals ranging from Indian influence to the tastes and spices of Latin America and East Asia. We’re proud to accommodate all dietary restrictions, and offer Kosher friendly dining as well.
GO: When it comes to luxury Finger Lakes weddings and what couples can expect to experience, what sets The Inn at Taughannock Falls apart?
A: Our service is limitless; we can provide as much support during our couple’s time with us as they would like to request. Our concierge style event planning team assists them with coordinating destination style activities in the surrounding area – a welcome party at a Finger Lakes Winery, a scenic two-hour lake cruise, a tee-time at the local Golf Club, etc. – but also sees them through every need they could have on-property from weekend dining to hotel services. We’re happy to assist with arranging transportation through the area, as well as a full schedule of leisure activities.
GO: What are some of the amenities, incentives, and activities that the property offers a couple and their guests?
A: Our estate sits, jewel-like, in the heart of Taughannock Falls State Park and is central to the hub of Wine Trails that make up the Finger Lakes Wine Region. Right outside our door are an endless number of activities including kayaking, wine touring, hiking, museum, theatre production, and craft brewing. On-site the estate allowed scenic exploration, pond-side relaxation, and a vibrant terraced bar and patio space for socialization. Fire features dot the entire estate, and tranquility is the primary experience.
Visit inntfalls.com for more information.