Take a look inside Idyllwild Event Design’s process as we bring an editorial vision to life at L’Orangerie, a one-of-a-kind Art Nouveau wedding venue in the Hudson Valley. Nestled in the hills of Greenville, NY, about 30 minutes from Albany, this European-style greenhouse offers the perfect canvas for a weekend escape that feels like the French countryside.

Idyllwild Event Design crafted every custom piece to reflect the venue’s continental charm and its luminous, turn-of-the-century architecture, and the dreamlike quality of an Art Nouveau wedding in the Hudson Valley. With this post, we hope to provide not only wedding inspiration, but a guide to atmosphere and storytelling through design.

Taking Inspiration from the Space

There’s something about L’Orangerie that feels entirely apart from the Hudson Valley, and that’s exactly what makes it so special.

Tucked into the lush Catskills landscape, this Victorian greenhouse is a glass-walled dreamscape that instantly transported me to the hillsides of Europe. When I first visited the space, I knew I wanted to design something that not only fit the architecture, but belonged to it. This space is such a beautiful homage to the Belle Epoque period and the romance of continental style.

The shoot also gave me an opportunity to showcase Idyllwild’s design process from start to finish: graphic design, floral, stationery, tablescape, even custom-building a bar, all woven together to tell a singular story in a singular space.

So follow along as we bring an Art Nouveau wedding in the Hudson Valley to life at L’Orangerie in Greenville, NY.

Designing with a Story in Mind

At Idyllwild, each design begins with a narrative. For this editorial, I imagined a world where 1900s Paris met Catskills botanica. I pulled inspiration from Alphonse Mucha’s curvilinear lines, the wrought iron balconies of European mezzanines, and the organic movement of vines climbing up glass and stone. I found some examples of Art Nouveau prints that matched the vibe I was going for and ultimately settled on Mucha’s peony motif. Then I recolored it in my desired palette:

Now, I didn’t want to impose a theme on the venue. I wanted to draw it out. To me that’s what makes our shoot so different from everyone else’s. And of course there was loads of interest in shooting this space when it first became available. There’s just no other venue like this in either the Hudson Valley or the Catskills.

My goal was to show a cohesive visual journey that honored the greenhouse’s architecture and elevated it through design. I wanted soft, painterly, escapist… and wildly romantic. I wanted to show what could be done with thoughtful event design and this incredible space as a launchpad.

Why L’Orangerie is a Hudson Valley Treasure

L’Orangerie isn’t just beautiful. It’s transportive. Its soaring glass walls and botanical bones give it a European feel that’s rare in Upstate New York. The light inside shifts pleasantly, changing with the day. The space is incredibly versatile, but it’ll really shine for couples who want to lean into its design, not fight it. Think of the building as a canvas for something personal and extraordinary.

This venue invites artistry. It demands presence. It’s the perfect setting for couples seeking something both cultivated and frolicsome, especially those dreaming of a Eurpoean-style wedding right here in New York. It’s no wonder L’Orangerie is becoming a go-to for couples who envision an Art Nouveau wedding in the Hudson Valley.

A European Escape in the Hudson Valley

During their engagement, owners Lucy and Felix were considering a European destination wedding, as well as searching the area around their Greenville, NY property for wedding venues. 

Eventually it became clear that their best option was to bring all their loved ones to their property and create a wedding venue like nothing else in the Hudson Valley: a Continental-style greenhouse that feels like a secret garden in Brussels or Barcelona, but is just a few hours from New York City.

With two hotels within a 3-minute walk, and The Woodhouse Lodge just down the road, this location is perfect for a weekend escape with 100 of your nearest and dearest.

A Lens for Nostalgia: Capturing the Romance of L’Orangerie

When choosing a photographer for this editorial, I knew the venue’s elegance deserved more than straightforward documentation. It needed atmosphere. So I approached Nicole Nero Studio for her unmistakable, memory-soaked editing style: soft shadows, warm highlights, and a subtle hint of sepia that feels like a beloved vintage postcard.

Nicole’s work beautifully captures and romanticizes the details. Every embrace, table setting and floral vignette feels like a memory already in the making. I mean just. look. at. this:

To complement Nicole’s signature look, I’ll also share some studio shots of artifacts I pulled together or created. Together, these images tell the full design story, balancing the tactile world of craftsmanship with the emotional tone of nostalgia:

Nicole’s thoughtful eye was essential to bringing this editorial to life. She transformed carefully designed details into heirloom-quality images that echo the old-world charm of L’Orangerie. If you’re searching for a photographer to capture your upper Hudson Valley wedding, a Capital-region dynamo like Nicole Nero makes so much sense. Her work is a perfect counterpoint to a wedding venue like L’Orangerie.

The Details That Brought It to Life

✧ Palette & Texture

The color story was layered and natural: moss, cream, apricot, dusty mauve, soft gold. I pulled all the colors from my Mucha motif and the distinctive antique shade of the building at L’Orangerie. Every element had a tactile richness, from velvet to cut glass, creating a sense of quiet luxury. That understated opulence is an Idyllwild staple!

✧ Stationery

The wooden invitation suite (yes, it’s wood!) featured bold florals in warm peach tones, and a whisper of golden ink. It’s my belief that an invite should be a joy to receive, and these were elegant, tactile, and gently retro. To complete the experience, I designed a laser-cut wrap to echo the distinctive green windows and doors that comprise the building. And of course Nicole made the most of the incredible light and shadow in the greenhouse light while shooting it.

The menus mirrored those shapes, as did the Gaudi-esque table numbers. I created Nouveau place cards and laurel-wreath holders and rested them atop vintage china. The base layer for the tablescape is Reverie Social’s “Eden Fern” napkins and their lush velvet tablecloths. 

✧ Signage and Details

I carried the same visual language into all the signage, and as many details as I could. When every element speaks the same design dialect, the story becomes immersive. And when the focus is on the storytelling, you don’t have that “dyed-to-match” quality that can cheapen a design.

A mirrored escort card display greets guests with a moody, reflective elegance. It captures both the greenhouse’s light and the venue’s idyllic atmosphere. I wanted the mirror to call out to centerpieces and the bar at the same time. Here again, I employed the custom Mucha print on the escort cards, and layered them on the mirror with wax seals with a bust motif. All this layering creates an ethereal, floating effect. Plus, it gives guests a chance to look themselves over! Mirrors for the win!

✧ The Dress

Phoebe’s vintage-inspired gown flowed like liquid light through the greenhouse. It wasn’t overly embellished, but it moved with an elegance that echoed the feminine softness of the period and the curved architecture of the space.

I’m not a gown designer, but I had a very specific vision for this space. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to secure my vintage dream gown (“Cleo” by Rue de Seine). So, using the Cleo gown and the artwork from our menus as inspiration, I created a gown in the Neo-Classical style that was so often referenced during the Art Nouveau period. Phoebe was the perfect muse. You can see how I carried the aesthetic from the artwork into the hair, makeup, and accessories in her wedding-day look.

✧ Floral Design

For me, this was where the Art Nouveau inspiration needed to be taken in moderation. I leaned into the asymmetry, natural movement, and layered textures of the period, but I didn’t want to go overboard. (This style demands a love of nature, but that’s a core value at Idyllwild, so no need to gild the lily!) I let Coral Charm peonies, hellebore, and foliage in classic shapes and colors arch and spill with purpose. We had peonies in our graphic motif, so I pulled them into the florals as well.

I continued the Neo-Classical theme by including busts in the centerpieces. I also used garden planters and statuary throughout the space. (Hello, Swans!)

As far as bouquet shape, nothing says Art Nouveau wedding to me like a cascading shape. This style brings in all the trailing, curvaceous movement of the period. These florals were a key part of crafting the nostalgic feeling I associate with an Art Nouveau wedding in the Hudson Valley.

✧ Cocktail Lounge

The gravel courtyard behind the greenhouse is a pond-side oasis perfect for mingling. We brought in high cocktail tables and draped them in these stunning “Elodie” embroidered linens from PEAK event services. You simply must see these in person, because they’re so luxurious. I had to have them the moment I laid eyes on them.

Idyllwild also provided a vintage lounge vignette, complete with authentic French-inspired Victorian chairs and a full-length sofa upholstered in green jacquard. The lounge invited the couple (and our team) to slow down and savor the surroundings. Each piece was chosen for its sculptural quality and sense of history.

✧ Custom Bar

The custom bar was a centerpiece all its own. I designed and built a collapsible wooden bar just for this shoot, finishing it with our custom Mucha peony motif. It’s designed so that I can switch out the artwork or leave it with just the wood tones. I’m looking forward to using it in other spaces as well. Perhaps I’ll even build a matching custom back bar with a vintage mirror. It’s proof that even functional elements can be storytelling tools. 

Custom cocktail menus continued the theme: slightly curved, delicately detailed, and styled to feel like objects from a Belle Époque café. The cocktails themselves were as pretty as the paper they were printed on. Who doesn’t love a pretty coupe of St. Germain with a splash of bubbly?

✧ Evening Ambience

Felix- the owner and a consummate host- built us a cozy fire under the string lights and it was just magical. We listened to French music and enjoyed some prosecco and delicious bites provided by Kaela Serino of Boards by Kae. It was a delightful end to an idyllic day.

A Note to Future Idyllwild Couples

The right combination of place and artistry absolutely shape guest experiences. This editorial is a testament to what intentional design can do.

When we direct your design process, we’re not just picking colors or choosing flowers. We’re shaping a visual narrative that honors your story and your venue equally. L’Orangerie was the muse this time. Next time, it could be your favorite poem, your heritage, your garden, or your grandmother’s lace.

When every element is thoughtfully designed, the result isn’t just a wedding, but a living work of art.

Planning an Art Nouveau wedding in the Hudson Valley? L’Orangerie offers a completely unique setting for couples drawn to old-world charm, luminous architecture, and thoughtful design. If this space speaks to your vision, I’d love to help you bring it to life. Get in touch to start planning something beautiful together.

Vendor Credits

Venue: L’Orangerie

Photography: Nicole Nero Studio

Videography: Jess Lazar Video

Catering: Boards by Kae

Linens: Reverie Social

Rentals: PEAK Event Services

Models: Phoebe & Devin

Planning, Design & Floral: Idyllwild Event Design

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