As a native New Yorker who now hangs his hat in New Jersey, the "Big Apple" will always have a special place in my heart. Perhaps it's variety of food at our fingertip, or the quick-pace of city living. It might even be our shared, universal derision of tourists during the holiday season.
But if there's one thing we can all agree on, that view of lower Manhattan is timeless.
It's romantic.
It's iconic.
And here's the thing: I've got nothing but love for my current home state of New Jersey. It's where we decided to raise our kids, build a home, and start a wedding photography business. To be quite honest, I don't think I could live & work anywhere else in the world.
Our clients probably feel this way too.
If you're planning to host the wedding on this side of the Hudson River, you're going to have several options. If you haven't figured it out by now, three of those options are owned and operated by Landmark Hospitality. Today we are going to talk about one of those options, the OG of them all: The Liberty House, located right in the heart of Liberty State Park .
Looking for the perfect wedding photographer?
76 Audrey Zapp Drive
Jersey City, NJ 07305
(908) 418-4186
info@landmarkhospitality.com
Wedding cost: $$$-$$$$
Capacity: Up to 325 guests
Possible number of simultaneous events: 2
Venue Space Type: Garden, Marina, Restaurant, Waterfront, Park, Ballroom
Website
https://landmarkvenues.com/venues/liberty-house-jersey-city/
Instagram
https://instagram.com/libertyhousejc
For starters, let's talk about the space.
If there's any reason why newly engaged couples choose to host their wedding at Liberty House, it's going to be this gorgeous space and the incredible city views that come with it. Their guests will be talking about that view for decades to come.
Outdoor wedding ceremony space in the gardens, with views of NYC
Weather permitting, most couples will choose to host an outdoor wedding ceremony in one of the meticulously landscaped gardens. With 20 foot shrubs surrounding your ceremony, you and your guests will enjoy little bit of privacy, but you'll still enjoy unobstructed views of that gorgeous New York City skyline (and the incredible photos to go along with it!).
Unique wedding reception space with panoramic views of NYC
And once your celebration is underway, you'll be greeted in a spacious ballroom with panoramic views of New York City, the Statue of Liberty, and even Ellis Island. Your guests won't be limited to experiencing all these views from behind the window, of course; thanks in part to the large wraparound terrace which you and your guests will have easy access to. And if you happen to be hosting your reception in the Liberty Room (their tented ballroom downstairs), you and your guests will still get to enjoy that unobstructed view of the New York City skyline.
Easy access to endless photo locations in Liberty State Park.
And what good is a gorgeous wedding venue if you don't have the pictures to prove it? The great news is that you'll have no shortage of photo locations in and around your venue. Don't want to walk too far because it's too hot or too cold outside? Then the gardens on site, the cherry blossom orchards nearby, or even the 20 foot shrubs on the property, would be perfect backdrops for your wedding photos. But for folks who don't mind a little bit of walking, you have the entire liberty State park at your disposal. From the cobblestone streets of Audrey Zapp Drive, to the train station at the very end of the road, you'll have more options than you'll know what to do with.
As someone who's photographed a bajillion weddings here at this venue, I can personally tell you that the food is incredible here.
Whether you are looking for sushi, paella, or even sliders, you will find no shortage of food options when it comes to feeding your guests during cocktail hour. But you don't have to take my word for it; presidents and dignitaries have stopped by to enjoy all the deliciousness that this venue has to offer.
As far as service goes, I would give Liberty House a five out of five stars. The attendants are always nearby, ready and willing to be helpful with whatever the couples need.
And look at it this way: they even give me five star treatment whenever I set foot on the property - and I don't even pay them a penny!
Most of my clients and their guests live in nearby in Jersey City or Hoboken, or even New York City itself. This makes Liberty House a convenient choice for everyone coming to the party. And for all the out-of-town guests, both the airport and hotels are just minutes away.
But even more importantly, you'll have easy access to all of the popular photo locations in the area. Whether it's the waterfront, gardens, or even the grounds of the venue itself - The Liberty House offers everything you'll need.
Awesome couples = awesome photos
If there is a difference between "good" and "great", my clients can tell the difference, and will stop at no lengths to achieve it. Anything worth doing, is worth doing 100% - which means they'll also do whatever it takes, and give me whatever time I need on the wedding day in order to create amazing photos for them.
Teamwork makes the dream work
As a professional wedding photographer, it's part of my job description to work well with all my fellow vendors. Fortunately, for me, it's always been a breeze as a wedding vendor at the Liberty House. They keep me on time, they keep the couples on time, they're never rushing me through portraits, and they always make sure that I've had something to eat before I leave for the night. As a wedding vendor, I appreciate this more than words can adequately describe.
An abundance of photo locations
Speaking as a wedding photographer, the most important thing that I need from venues are photo locations. Whether we are going indoors or outdoors, or if the clients are looking for garden vibes or city vibes, Liberty House offers a little bit of something for everyone.
Ready for the most amazing photography experience?
Here are some of my fave photo spots when my couples get married at Liberty House
The gardens/platform/chessboard/cabanas. The most obvious choices are the ones that are sitting right under our noses. On the property itself, you have several gardens, a large platform for taking large group photos, as well as a large chessboard where you can potentially take some fun, creative shots. We've also got some really colorful pieces of garden furniture, as well as cabanas peppered throughout the property that we can use for fun or intimate wedding portraits.
The cherry blossom orchard. If my couples are looking for a little bit more greenery, there's a cherry blossom Orchard across the pedestrian pathway, which sits right on the Morris Canal. Not only does this provide some incredible color in early spring, the trees also provide ample shade for those hot summer weddings. This little spot also provides our couples with a little bit more variety as far as backdrops go, especially since everything in the surrounding area is pretty industrial and urban.
The 20ft evergreen hedges. This little spot is by far my favorite, because of its simplicity and convenience. Located right on the corner of the property, it's the perfect backdrop for family photos, group, photos, and even couples' portraits. And because of where the sun is located during portrait time (usually in the afternoon), these hedges provide a nice clean backdrop for these super important photos, without blinding my subjects.
Morris Canal. Aside from some leading lines from the benches, lamp posts, and the railing along the path, there's very little that the Morris Canal offers that the platform on the property doesn't, and that's because both views are pretty much the same, with the exception of those leading lines that I talked about. In the event there's another wedding taking place on the same day as yours, this would be a viable second option, especially if you are committed to having the city as the backdrop for your photos.
The waterfront. It would be a travesty if you were to get married at Liberty House, and not have any photos taken by the waterfront. The good news is that you have plenty of it at your disposal. The not-so-great news is that you'll need to bring your walking shoes. But if you are doing a first look anyway, just have your shuttle drop you off at the waterfront, and you'll be everyone's hero!
The train station. This train station is the unsung hero for all weddings taking place here at Liberty State Park. While most venues in the area offer pretty indoor spots in the event of inclement weather, very few of them will offer the kind of space that you'll find here. You'll be able to spread out as much as you need, while being protected from the elements. And even if it isn't raining on your wedding day, the interior space here is gorgeous, even on those bright sunny days.
Audrey Zapp Drive. All along Audrey Zapp Drive, you'll find the original cobblestones that have lined the streets over 100 years. You'll also find a couple of vintage train cars, and an ice cream truck that surprisingly hangs out in the same spot all year long. If you're not too keen on walking on cobblestone in heels, I've got some other spots nearby that I can take you that will give you a similar vibe of what a little less suffering!
Love what you've seen so far?
Want the best photos at Liberty House? Then you'll want to read this!
The sun position is going to determine how I'm going to photograph your portraits.
Yes, I understand that you booked this gorgeous venue because of the magnificent views. But if we're taking group photos in the afternoon while the sun is setting, we are going to have a whole bunch of squinty faces and raccoon eyes in your formal photos. I can assure you that the resulting photos will neither be nice nor comfortable to take. In these instances, I am usually shooting the opposite direction, towards the building itself or into the evergreens, for everyone's comfort. But listen, if you insist on having squinty face formal family portraits, I'm more than happy to take them for you. But for my sake and yours, you'll want to make sure that you have a version without the squinty eyes. You'll thank me later, promise.
Liberty State Park, the train stations, and its pedestrian pathways, are public.
Despite all the compositional and photographic gifts that Liberty State Park offers on a wedding day, there is a catch to all this: the entire park is public. This means that there is a very good chance we'll have some tourists and pedestrians in the background of some of your photos. That being said, I'll do what I can to remove whatever's possible in post production. But if we've got a parade of people in the background of your photos, unfortunately, there's very little that I can do. As your wedding photographer, I will do what I can on your wedding day to find spots that are private or semi-private, and far away from all the crazy pedestrians and tourists. Let's be honest: nobody needs giant green foam fingers and Statue of Liberty crowns in the background of their wedding photos.
The train station closes between four and 5 o'clock in the afternoon.
If you're planning on using the train station on your wedding day, then you'll want to plan your itinerary accordingly. Depending on time of year (or even their mood, it seems sometimes), they usually close a few hours before sunset. In most cases, this puts us right around four to 5 o'clock.
Because sharing is caring.
If there is another wedding taking place, we may need to share and coordinate photo locations on site. Like most wedding venues in New Jersey, Liberty House can accommodate two events at a time. With that being said, there's a small tiny chance you might have to share some of the popular photo locations on site if there is another wedding going on that day. This includes the platform next to the chessboard, as well as the 20 foot evergreen hedges along the perimeter. The good news is that it's first come first served (so you simply have to get there first). The bad news is that you might have to wait your turn. But the best news of all is that you have no shortage of photo locations in the immediate area that you can use right away (and not waste any precious photo time).
No drones are allowed.
Which sucks, I know. No doubt, these aerial shots would look pretty amazing with the city skyline, especialy with your venue in the background. But last I checked, the permit alone will set you back several thousand dollars. And I wouldn't even recommend trying to do it without a permit: those park Rangers will find you so fast!
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If you are currently engaged and looking for a wedding photographer to help document one of the most amazing days in your lives, I would love to hear your plans and seeing what we can do to be a part of them!
- Ben
