New Hope, Pennsylvania, offers plethora of welcoming wedding venues for LGBTQ+ community
As we celebrate 10 years of marriage equality nationwide this Pride month, we take you to Bucks County, Pennsylvania, which is well-known for its LGBTQ+ wedding venues.
Known for being a safe haven for the LGBTQ+ community, New Hope and Lambertville have long been recognized for their welcoming and inclusive attitudes.
"We call it the bubble, and we always say we don't leave it because it is such a safe space," said Melissa Patterson, who has been living in the community for decades and even got married to her wife here.
"The community that you see welcomes you, accepts you. I mean, not only is queerness not hidden here, it's celebrated," Patterson said.
Those celebrations are held at venues as diverse as the occasion and the people who are participating.
For couples getting married, places like the River House at O'Dette's and Stella of New Hope often fit the bill. Both offer spectacular riverfront views. Others opt for the historic charm of the Logan Inn, a landmark dating back to 1727.
Nestled in the hills is the 240-year-old HollyHedge Estate, where Andrew and Jason Chun exchanged their vows.
"Going to New Hope and Lambertville always had a special piece of my heart. It's because of how open and accepting the culture is here," Andrew Chun said.
When planning their wedding, the couple had a specific sort of place in mind.
"We wanted something warm, romantic, intimate and I immediately felt all of that when I came on site, and I called him immediately, and I was like, 'I think this is the place,'" Jason Chun said.
The estate has a reputation for being very gay-friendly.
"HollyHedge hosts a lot of queer events with New Hope Celebrates. Bingo is held here, a lot of other kinds of smaller events," Andrew Chun said. "We have seen other couples get married here as well."
"That was nice to have, like, that recommendation from some of our gay friends who also got married here," Jason Chun said.
The English gardens provided the perfect backdrop.
"They were so great and accommodating to every little change that we had," Andrew Chun said.
"I had a binder and I was very type-A and very organized with everything I had dreamed of literally since I was little about getting married," Jason Chun said.
HollyHedge surely didn't disappoint.
"It was just the most magical day for us," Jason Chun said.
