An Interview with Stephanie DeCaprio,
Wedding Coordinator of the Preston Barn
We had the opportunity to visit one of the Hudson Valley’s newest barn wedding venues, the Preston Barn, and interview their wedding coordinator, Stephanie DeCaprio. She shared some fun facts with us, a bit of history and some details on hosting a wedding at the barn. If you are seeking a barn in the Hudson Valley for your wedding, this might be the perfect place. Check out our interview videos and more about the venue below.
About Old Drovers Inn and the Preston Barn
Questions & Answers
1. What do couples love most about your venue?
Answer: Couples love that we only do one wedding a weekend and offer pre and post wedding events as well. Our ideal couples want the weekend destination wedding and we can give that to them. They want exclusivity and for their wedding to be our main focus; they don’t want the wedding factory.
2. What does the Preston Barn offer couples that most barns don’t?
Answer: So many modern amenities! Heat and A/C, indoor bathrooms, a commercial kitchen and in-house catering, weekend exclusivity, and a tent that can be used for backup in inclement weather or just another area to lounge. Our site fee also includes tables, chairs, linens, china, etc. so you don’t have to rent anything. We can host up to 220 in our barn for a seated dinner and dancing all year round.
3. What’s your favorite set up for the barn?
Answer: We are pretty flexible and we haven’t had anyone use the same layout or look to date. My personal favorite is the dance floor in the middle of the barn and the sweetheart table in front of the door and under lights.
4. What’s your favorite design elements in the barn?
Answer: I love when florists decorate the chandeliers with greenery and florals! It brings in a little more of the outdoors and a softer element. I also really love when they bring in vintage furniture and decor. It adds style and personality.
5. What’s something couples can add to their wedding day?
Answer: We started offering an after-party option at the Tavern which is a really fun and a great way to extend the party. We also offer fun dessert stations like s’mores, ice cream sundaes, and cakes & pies as fun add-ons for the foodies out there.
6. What’s the one piece of advice you would give to couples?
Answer: As far as planning goes, just be realistic. Give yourself the time you need, make sure you have the money you need, don’t try to do EVERYTHING yourself. Utilize and trust your wedding professionals. Let them take care of things so you can enjoy your engagement and ultimately the wedding day.
7. How much housing do you offer on site and is it included or offered separately?
Answer: We include the Inn with 6 bedrooms and a common area in our site fee. We also have 4 other houses separately. One is across the street, one is just down the road, and the others are off-site, 5-15 minutes away. They are all recently renovated and gorgeous, cozy and spacious.
What are some menu items you highly recommend?
Answer: Everything is pretty amazing honestly. Guest always RAVE about the food… but the short ribs with crispy and camelized onions is a favorite amongst myself, our staff and couples. Everybody really loves our citrus salmon too. The Mac & Cheese tartlet is a popular HD, along with the pulled pork spring rolls, mini crab cakes, and rare beef sirloin toast. One of my faves, especially for summer weddings, is the goat cheese and apricot tartlet. It had me skeptical at first but they made me a believer. It’s unique and delicious.
Photo Credit: Domenick Michael
Tell me about some add-ons couples can choose from to personalize their wedding.
Answer: Signature cocktails
Self serve beer/wine/signature cocktail stations
We love when couples personalize the space with drapings, extra lighting, vintage furniture… anything to makes the space truly theirs.
What does your pricing start at and what would you say is the average a bride spends on their wedding when hosting at your venue?
Answer: Our average wedding usually starts around $40,000. Which includes the property for the entire weekend, the Inn and rooms, catering and open bar.
Is there anything else you would like to share with us?
Answer: Actually the restaurant in the Inn is open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights for anyone who wants to stop in and try some food. It could even be a nice little overnight getaway. Come for dinner, spend the night and take a tour of our event space with me.
We’d like to thank Stephanie and the team at the Old Drover’s Inn for their hospitality and having us for dinner in the restaurant after our interview. The food is amazing. We highly recommend you plan a trip for dinner! You can learn more about the restaurant and check out their hours here…Old Drover’s Inn Restaurant
If you enjoyed reading about the Preston Barn and think it might be the perfect fit for your wedding day, get in touch with Stephanie at stephanie.decaprio@olddroversinn.com or head over to their website at www.theprestonbarn.com to learn more. Feel free to check out our venue service page, if you think you might need some help making a decision or finding a venue.
