Full Moon Resort
- Wedding Venues
Photographed by Joshua
Joshua is a Preferred Vendor
Full Moon Resort
- Wedding Venues
Photographed by Joshua
Joshua is a Preferred Vendor
Full Moon Resort is 100 acres in Big Indian, New York, deep in the Catskill Forest Preserve about two and a half hours from Manhattan. It’s a full destination wedding venue, which means your guests aren’t just attending a ceremony. They’re spending a weekend. The property has lodging for up to 150 people, from glamping tents to private cottages, and the whole place operates as a self-contained compound for the duration of the event.
I’ve shot weddings here and what makes it work photographically is the variety. The [Catskills](/catskills/wedding-venues/) forest surrounds everything, but the property itself has meadows, streams, a vintage barn, and the Moondance Pavilion, which was built specifically for wedding receptions. That pavilion handles 60 to 350 guests and has the infrastructure most barn venues lack: proper lighting, a real floor, and sound.
Ceremonies happen at the streamside tent or in a wooded grove on the property. The streamside tent has a covered structure with open sides, so you get the feel of being outdoors with rain protection built in. The grove is fully outdoor and works when weather cooperates. Both are set back from the main buildings, which gives the ceremony a sense of separation from the rest of the weekend’s activity.
Cocktail hour and other gatherings happen in the vintage barn or on the grounds. The barn has high ceilings and exposed beams. The Roadhouse is a separate building that works for late-night hangouts after the reception wraps. Having multiple buildings spread across the property means the weekend unfolds in stages rather than everything happening in one room.
Catering is in-house. Wedding packages include the site fee, planning services, a formal tasting, ceremony setup, cocktail hour with passed and stationary hors d’oeuvres, reception dinner in the pavilion, three hours of open bar, staffing, and service charge. Per-person pricing runs $75 to $175 depending on season, guest count, and day of the week.
The destination aspect is both the strength and the consideration. Your guests are committing to a full weekend, not just an evening. That means deeper connection and a more relaxed timeline, but it also means more coordination on your end. Lodging, meals, and activities for the full weekend need planning. The Full Moon team handles a lot of this, but the scope is bigger than a standard venue booking.
The resort is 10 minutes from Belleayre Mountain, which gives winter wedding guests a ski option. If you’re planning a Full Moon Resort wedding and want to talk through what works from a photography perspective, [get in touch](/contact/).
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The 100 acres give me the thing I need most: space and variety. I’m not shooting every portrait against the same barn wall. The forest, the stream, the meadow, the pavilion, and the grounds between buildings all read differently. A full day of shooting here produces a gallery with range.
The streamside ceremony tent is covered but open-sided, which means the light enters from the sides and the water behind the couple adds movement to the background. I shoot from the far bank of the stream for wide compositions, and from within the tent for close work. Afternoon ceremonies with the sun filtering through the tree line along the stream give me the most workable light.
The Moondance Pavilion is a proper reception space. It’s not a barn you’re hoping works out. The structure was designed for events, and that shows in the lighting and layout. I can work the room without fighting low ceilings or dark corners. During toasts, the directional lighting is enough to shoot clean. The dance floor has space for off-camera flash setups.
The weekend format changes how I shoot. Because guests have been together since Friday, by Saturday night they’re relaxed. The candid moments are better. People aren’t checking in and figuring out who’s who. They’ve already had those conversations at the Friday barbecue. That ease translates into the images.
Morning-of coverage in the cottages and lodging buildings has natural light that varies by location. Some cottages have large windows and work well. Others are darker and need flash for detail shots. I scout the getting-ready location during the timeline planning so I know what to expect.
The late-night Roadhouse session after the reception is a bonus. The space has a bar, the lighting is low, and the energy shifts. I keep shooting through that transition because those are images couples don’t expect to have.
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– Streamside Ceremony Tent: Covered structure with open sides along the stream. Light enters laterally. The water adds background movement. Shoot from across the stream for wide shots or from inside for close ceremony coverage.
– Wooded Grove: Fully outdoor ceremony option surrounded by forest. Filtered canopy light in the afternoon. Best on clear or overcast days when the light is even through the trees.
– Moondance Pavilion: Purpose-built reception space. Good interior lighting, high ceilings, room to move. Works for dinner, toasts, and dancing without needing extensive supplemental lighting.
– Vintage Barn: High ceilings, exposed beams. Best for cocktail hour and daytime events. The beam structure creates visual depth. Darker than the pavilion, so I adjust settings accordingly.
– Meadow and Grounds: Open grassy areas between the buildings. Works for couple portraits, group shots, and cocktail hour overflow. Afternoon and golden hour light hits well in the open areas.
– Forest Trails and Stream Banks: Paths through the surrounding Catskill forest. Dappled light in the afternoon. Works for couple portraits with a natural, unposed feel. The stream banks add foreground interest.
– The Roadhouse: Late-night gathering space with a bar. Low, warm lighting. Best for end-of-night candids when the formality has dropped.
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Treat this as a weekend, not a single day. Full Moon Resort is a destination venue, and your guests are there from Friday through Sunday. That means you need a plan for the whole stretch: Friday welcome dinner or barbecue, Saturday wedding, Sunday brunch. The resort handles the logistics, but the couple sets the tone. Build in downtime. Not every hour needs to be scheduled.
Choose your ceremony location early and plan your timeline around it. The streamside tent has built-in weather protection and consistent light, so it’s the safer choice for predictable photography. The wooded grove is the more dramatic option but requires cooperative weather and specific timing to get the best light through the canopy. I can advise on timing based on the season.
The per-person pricing ($75 to $175) varies by season and day. Shoulder season dates and weekday options can significantly reduce your per-person cost. If budget is a factor, ask about off-peak availability. The lower end of that range is one of the better values in the Catskills for a full-service venue.
Guest lodging is built into the experience but needs coordination. The property sleeps up to 150 across various accommodations, from glamping tents to cottages. Assign lodging early and communicate options clearly. Some guests will want a cottage, others will want the glamping option, and some will prefer a nearby hotel. Give them choices.
The Belleayre Mountain proximity is worth mentioning on your wedding website if you’re doing a winter or early spring wedding. Guests who arrive on Friday can ski Saturday morning before the ceremony. It gives out-of-town guests a reason to make the trip beyond the wedding itself.
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