Perched in the Catskills above the town of Hunter, the Escape Hospitality campus—home to Scribner’s Catskill Lodge and the distinctive hillside retreat known as The Rounds at Scribner’s—offers couples something increasingly rare in the wedding world: a setting where the celebration unfolds across an entire landscape rather than a single ballroom.
“People tend to choose us because they want a connection to nature but still want an elevated experience,” says Jessica Milton, Social Event Sales Manager for Escape Hospitality. “You’re outdoors, you’re in the mountains, but you’re not sacrificing comfort.”
That flexibility is part of what makes the venue distinctive. Weddings can range from intimate micro-ceremonies for 40 guests in The Garden to full-property celebrations hosting up to 160 people. Milton describes the options with a sense of playful shorthand: a small garden wedding, a privatization of The Rounds, or—as she puts it—“the whole enchilada,” where the entire property becomes the couple’s weekend home base.
What sets the experience apart is the variety of environments available within walking distance. The Lodge area offers a classic Catskills aesthetic, while The Rounds—a cluster of circular cabins connected by a winding trail above the main property—feels like a Scandinavian woodland retreat. “You walk five or ten minutes up the switchback trail and it feels like you’re on a different planet,” Milton says.
That range allows couples to stage different parts of the celebration in distinct settings: a ceremony on the Rounds Lawn surrounded by forest, cocktails near The Lodge Garden, and a tented reception on the Bluestone Patio overlooking Hunter Mountain. The result is a wedding that unfolds more like a weekend retreat than a single-day event.
Most celebrations are structured as two-night gatherings, giving guests time to settle into the setting. With 38 guest rooms, 11 private cabins, and a twelfth Rounds Suite cabin currently under construction, the property can accommodate roughly 100 to 120 people on-site. Guests typically arrive Friday afternoon, check in, and gather for a relaxed welcome event—often a cookout or pizza party at The Rounds’ Apex event space.
Saturday is the centerpiece of the weekend. Guests might spend the morning lingering over brunch at the property’s restaurant, Prospect, playing lawn games, lounging poolside, or joining a yoga session before the ceremony preparations begin.
Food is another defining element of the experience. Escape Hospitality’s culinary program draws on two chefs with distinct styles. Chef Alejandro Reyes Herrera brings a refined restaurant sensibility to large-format events, presenting family-style meals with the same meticulous plating seen at Prospect. “It’s not casual platters,” Milton says. “It’s the same beautiful presentation—just on a bigger scale.”
Meanwhile, Chef Rachel Lauginiger of Fellow Mountain Cafe and Escape Catering leans heavily into hyper-seasonal cooking, building menus around whatever Hudson Valley farms are producing at that exact moment. “She’s incredibly particular about what’s in season,” Milton notes. “If a vegetable is a week past its peak, she’ll pivot.”
The property’s natural setting shapes the experience in subtler ways as well. Guests often explore the short hiking trails around The Rounds, gather for sunset views of Hunter Mountain from the reception tent, or step outside after dinner to see a sky full of stars—a novelty for many city couples hosting destination weddings.
For Milton, the most memorable moments often happen away from the spotlight. After the ceremony, couples sometimes slip away for a private pause while staff brings them cocktails and canapes. “They’ve just had this huge emotional moment,” she says. “It’s nice to see them take a breath together before heading back to the party.”
Customization plays a major role, too. Couples choose their own tent styles and work with planners to shape the weekend around their vision, whether that means candle-making workshops, sound baths, telescope stargazing sessions, or simply letting guests roam the property.
And for couples bringing their four-legged companions? Scribner’s is famously dog-friendly.
Because in the Catskills, Milton says, weddings don’t have to be confined to a single room. “Here,” she explains, “the entire mountain becomes part of the celebration.”
