6 Rustic Wedding Venues In Pennsylvania For A Timeless Celebration

The serene countryside of Pennsylvania is such an under-the-radar wedding destination! Throughout the state, you can find so much natural beauty, with gorgeous forests, rolling green hills, and charming towns and farms that you can visit. There are so many rustic wedding venues in Pennsylvania too, which are absolutely perfect for couples seeking a space with character, romance, and a warm, welcoming vibe. 

Rustic chic weddings are having a moment as well! This type of wedding is becoming more and more popular. It’s all about celebrating in a space that’s focused on nature, including natural decor and spending time outdoors. Often, rustic ceremonies have a more relaxed, laid-back feel. However, you can still include luxury or high-end touches to your day! 

From working farm stays to lux estates and wineries, you can find so many charming countryside wedding venues in Pennsylvania that are ideal for a rustic celebration! 

Here are some of the best, each offering amazing hospitality and gorgeous photography opportunities. With lots of natural light, manicured lawns and gardens, and elegantly designed spaces, each venue is ideal for my style of genuine, emotional, and true to color photography — documenting your day exactly as it unfolded! 

1. Springton Manor Farm

@springtonmanorfarm 

Dating back to 1818, this historic manor home and garden in Glenmoore is easily one of the best rustic venues in Pennsylvania for weddings! Springton Manor offers so many options for couples and can do everything from formal luxury to barefoot casual so well!

Your guests will instantly be impressed as they arrive along the oak-lined driveway, as this space is so stunning! For your Springton Manor ceremony, say your vows under the ancient Linden Tree, a towering tree several hundred years old and providing natural shade to your guests. Or, there’s an elegant tented space that works beautifully for a ceremony backup plan or your reception.

Weddings at Springton Manor can host up to 250 guests and their experienced team makes planning your day too easy. 

This is one of my favorite rustic PA wedding venues for photography, since we have so many options here. The historic farmhouse, in the classic Georgian and Queen Anne style, features plantation shutters and a beautiful large porch. The relaxed gardens and lawns are also perfect for candid and romantic images! 

2. Historic Shady Lane

@historicshadylane

This family-owned historic estate (dating back to the 17th century!) in York is such a gorgeous choice for your rustic wedding. The Historic Shady Lane is positioned across 34 acres, offering couples one of the most unique rustic wedding locations in Pennsylvania.

The standout feature here is the venue’s stunning glass greenhouse, with a vaulted ceiling and floor-to-ceiling glass panes. It’s framed by tall trees and forest, creating such a whimsical vibe that feels like a woodland fairy tale come to life! With a crystal chandelier and heaps of natural lights, it’s perfect as it is, but you can also style the greenhouse with lots of florals or hanging ivy — so lush! 

However, there are also garden locations for an outdoor ceremony and a luxury tented space, so you have many options for customizing your day. 

Historic Shady Lane weddings can host up to 225 guests, but there is no minimum number! They also offer packages for smaller events, so contact them directly for more details if you’re planning a micro wedding. 

You’ll love your wedding images here too, as we’ll make the most of the beautiful golden afternoon light as we shoot in the meadows, gardens, or next to the estate’s gorgeous stone brickwork. 

3. Appleford Estate

@applefordestate 

Dreaming of a wedding with a garden party vibe? If so, Appleford Estate, in Villanova, is a top choice. With a historic home, it’s one of the top Pennsylvania farm wedding venues but it’s best known for its immaculate formal gardens, featuring waterfalls, an arboretum, and manicured hedgerows with brick paths. 

They’ve been hosting weddings here for over 40 years, so their experienced team makes it so easy to plan your perfect day here!

The beautiful gardens almost make you feel like you’re in Europe and are so romantic — the ideal setting for a spring or summer outdoor ceremony. Then, enjoy the balmy weather with an afternoon cocktail hour among the stunning blooms before celebrating into the night in the venue’s luxury white tented space. Appleford Estate weddings can take up to 200 guests and are also convenient. It’s only a 30-minute drive from Philadelphia, but feels completely removed from the city. 

Your wedding photos here will be so magical, with so many lush garden spaces where we can photograph! I love the tree-lined paths, the footbridge over a bubbling stream, and the beautiful cherry blossom trees. 

As your Pennsylvania wedding photographer, I’ll be by your side the whole time to ensure we capture all of the beauty of the venue, while ensuring you have so much fun throughout the process!

4. Willows at Ashcombe Mansion

@thewillowsatashcombe 

Willows at Ashcombe Mansion is country luxury personified! This amazing Mechanicsburg venue offers couples a grand Victorian mansion, expansive gardens, and an array of indoor and outdoor spaces that you can customize to your style. There are also several lux suites within the mansion, so convenient if you’d like to stay the night!

For a rustic celebration, you could plan a springtime ceremony in the Willow Way space, featuring a serene pond and tall trees, or the larger English Knot Garden with space to accommodate up to 250.

Then, the Grand Sperry Ballroom, an elegant tented sailcloth space, offers chic black and white tiled flooring and opens onto a gorgeous garden patio, perfect for pre-dinner drinks. It’s perfect for an extreme weather day too, as it’s the only venue in the state that’s fully climate-controlled.

Weddings at Ashcombe Mansion always photograph so well too, with the decadent interior of the mansion ideal for glamorous portraits. Outside, you’ll love the ancient trees (complete with a rope swing!), the historic porch of the mansion, and the serene ponds and gardens dotted throughout the property. 

5. Elstowe Manor at Elkins Estate

@elkinsestate 

Elkins Estate is one of the best PA wedding venues with a rustic and elegant feel. This 42-acre estate is just outside Philadelphia and offers a luxury historic mansion that’s been beautifully restored, combined with unique architecture, inviting gardens. Plus, there are 69 rooms on site, making it an easy choice for a destination wedding! 

Built in the late 1800s, the grand estate is a blend of neoclassical and Gilded Age styles, reminiscent of a European castle—think marble columns, grand stone carvings and archways, and vaulted frescoed ceilings. Although this venue is more high-end luxury, you can still completely host a rustic wedding here, making the most of the outdoor spaces and gardens. 

There’s a relaxed garden space that’s perfect for a rustic chic ceremony and several gorgeous ballrooms for your reception, each with natural light pouring in and stylish period decor.

For your Elkins Estate wedding photography, the grand stone stairway leading from the lawn into the mansion is always a winner for dramatic portraits! Or, we can shoot portraits framed by the stunning courtyards and gardens. Your images will have such a timeless and refined style and film photography always comes out beautifully in gardens like these!

If you’re planning a larger celebration, Elkins Estate can host up to 300 guests, with both single and multi-day wedding packages available. 

6. Cairnwood Estate

@cairnwood 

Cairnwood Estate weddings are a delight for couples seeking a venue with a rustic European vibe! This historic home and garden in Bryn Athyn dates back to 1895 and was built in the Beaux Arts style, making you feel like you’ve been transported to a French chateau! This venue offers weddings year round and also offers slight discounts in the winter season, so could be a good option if you’re planning a celebration in fall or winter. 

Cairnwood is ideal for smaller or larger weddings, as they can host up to 250 guests but have no minimum number. For an outdoor wedding, the Side Garden is a charming choice for your reception, with a serene reflecting pond. Then, the South Terrace is a beautifully landscaped open area for an al fresco reception, or a luxury marquee can be set up there in case of rain.

Of course, you’ll want to enjoy the mansion’s historic indoor spaces too, so consider a cocktail hour in the Billiard Room or Music Room. And you definitely won’t want to miss the feature staircase within the Great Hall, one of the best places to take couples’ portraits!

The outdoor spaces at Cairnwood Estate are just as beautiful, with so many places where we can take portraits with lots of natural light. Stroll through the surrounding forest, share a kiss at the fountain garden, or hold hands as you take a moment to unwind on the spacious, manicured lawns. 

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If you’re ready to book your Pennsylvania wedding photography, I can’t wait to meet you! Let’s connect if you have any questions or are ready to get started.