The Hilton Pearl River is easy to underestimate from the name. It sits on 17 wooded acres in Rockland County, about 40 minutes from Manhattan, in a château-style building with a great lawn out front, a tiered fountain in the courtyard, a wooded path with a wooden footbridge, and an 8,200 square foot Grand Ballroom with floor-to-ceiling windows and crystal chandeliers. For a big wedding that wants an outdoor ceremony and a ballroom without changing venues, there are not many places like it this close to the city.
We have photographed and filmed weddings here many times. This guide gathers four of them: Olivia and Jeremy in May, Goldie and Ezra in June, Tommi and Zach in August and Haley and Evan on Labor Day. Every one of them held the ceremony outside, and every one looks different. If you are planning a wedding at the Hilton Pearl River, start here, and see the cost questions at the bottom of the page.
Olivia & Jeremy: Blue Florals on the Lawn in May
Olivia and Jeremy married on Sunday, May 25, 2025. The morning was quiet: her gown on the hanger, a letter read by the window, a last touch-up in the light. Their first look happened in the garden, and from there we used almost every corner of the grounds, the fountain, the great lawn with the hotel’s château facade behind them, the footbridge in the woods, and an ivy-covered wall that turned out to be one of the best backdrops on the property.
The ceremony was on the lawn under a chuppah of blue and white flowers, with the procession walking straight out of the hotel doors and down the aisle. After dark the chuppah was lit again, and we brought them back out for a few frames under it at night.
Inside, the ballroom was set with tall crystal candelabras and red and pink roses, and the dancing ran the rest of the night.
Goldie & Ezra: A Wooden Chuppah in the Garden in June
Goldie and Ezra married on Monday, June 29, 2026. Goldie carried lily of the valley, and her portraits moved from the window light in the suite to the footbridge and the fountain, with a stop in the blue room with its arched shelves.
Ezra’s friends lifted him onto their shoulders on the way in. The ceremony was outside under a simple wooden chuppah set in a garden of flowers, with the guests filling the lawn in front of the hotel. After dark we went back to that chuppah, and Ezra spun Goldie under it.
The tables ran warm, oranges and reds by candlelight, and the dancing filled both sides of the room.
Tommi & Zach: Citrus and Greenery in August
Tommi and Zach married on Sunday, August 16, 2026. Their colors were peach, orange and green, from the invitation suite to the flowers in the lobby. Tommi got ready by the windows, then we walked her train down the hallway and out to the lawn, where their first look happened in the open grass with the woods behind them.
The ceremony was held under a tent with a wooden chuppah dressed in greenery, and the reception carried the same palette: citrus on the tables, green plates, fruit and flowers on the dessert display. Late in the evening we went back to the chuppah for portraits against the greenery, backlit, and then the dancing took over.
Haley & Evan: Pink and Lavender on Labor Day
Haley and Evan married on Monday, September 1, 2025, and leaned into the hotel itself for their portraits: Haley in the gold elevator with her train filling the floor, the two of them with the brass luggage cart in the lobby, then out to the footbridge, the great lawn and the fountain as the first fall color came in.
Their florals were pink, purple and blush, from the lounge to a full floral chuppah on the lawn. A harpist played as guests sat down, the procession came out of the hotel doors, and Haley walked the aisle with a cathedral train behind her.
The ballroom was set in blush and gold, and the party ran late.
Photographing a Wedding at the Hilton Pearl River
Plan the ceremony outside. All four couples above did, and the great lawn in front of the hotel takes a full chuppah, a long aisle and a large crowd, with the château facade as the backdrop. The procession can walk straight out of the hotel doors. Keep a tent or an indoor room as the rain plan.
Use the grounds for portraits. Between the fountain, the lawn, the ivy wall and the footbridge in the woods, you can get four completely different settings within a few minutes’ walk. Budget 30 to 45 minutes and you will come back with a full gallery before the ceremony.
Go back out after dark. A lit chuppah on the lawn at night is one of the best frames this venue gives you. Olivia and Jeremy and Goldie and Ezra both stepped out for ten minutes during the reception, and those are some of the best portraits of their day.
Do not skip the hotel itself. The gold elevator, the brass luggage carts and the chandeliered hallways are worth a few frames; Haley and Evan made them part of their story.
If you are getting married at the Hilton Pearl River, we would love to hear about your day. Tell us your date, or book a call.
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