A short ride from New York City lies the hidden treasure known Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Gardens.

The enchanted 83-acre setting is home to lush botanical gardens, Zen-inspired & European-style gardens, and the finest artisanal cuisine. The highly acclaimed Chinese Scholar’s Garden boasts a collection of beautiful pavilions, handmade walkways, and architecturally stunning courtyards and is designed in the essence of traditional Chinese gardens from the Han Dynasty.

For a memorable ceremony, the Tuscan Garden, modeled after Villa Gamberaia in Florence, features beautifully landscaped terraces, formal water elements and a glass-enclosed “Lemon House” which is filled with olive and lemon trees. The Botanical Gardens of Snug Harbor have been compared to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens as being even more beautiful and much more unique.

Snug Harbor is also a distinguished Smithsonian Affiliate. Numerous art galleries including the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art offer many spectacular and less traditional ceremony and wedding options. Cocktails and smaller receptions can be enjoyed in the old world charm and ambiance of the Lower Great Hall.