Gilbertsville Farmhouse

2020 definitely feels like a dream...we have lived through a year that we would have never imagined in our wildest dreams would be our reality. Tonight we will say goodbye to a year full of turmoil, despair and fear. But also a year full of love, family, and growth. We cried, but we also laughed and bonded. No matter what each of us has been through this year, today, at it's end, we are stronger. Stronger individually, and as a community.... In between all the bad, there was good. There always is. 2021 will be a reflection of every ounce of good that came out of 2020. It will be our best year yet. We will triumph and prosper. We will recover. We will heal, and we will LOVE. Our family will celebrate tonight in this beautiful space. We will celebrate because we are alive, we are together and we have so much hope for what's to come. From our family to yours, HAPPY NEW YEAR and may 2021 be everything you have dreamed of . #happynewyear #2021herestoyou #afterpartylounge #barnlounge #bestweddingvenue

This was Christmas dinner at the farm last year. It was the first time our entire family (with the exception of only a few) stayed all together in the same house. Everyone stayed for the whole week and we celebrated New Year's together too! It was magical and I hoped it was the beginning of a new tradition. ... Fast forward to this year, and it will be a much smaller gathering. But I am happy that we will be with family, no matter how many. We can all still celebrate together on Zoom and cheers to that! Next year will be the biggest and best, because we will all be together again and have so much to celebrate!! One small sacrifice is worth it for so many more nights like this one Merry Christmas Eve Eve. #covidchristmas #2021vibes #familyalways #christmasonthefarm #christmas2019 #christmasdinner #thewholefamily

Spending the last Sunday before Christmas enjoying the lights of our tree and the peacefulness of a snowy winter evening. Lots got done this weekend and I am celebrating that with nice glass of wine, tons of candles and some holiday music. As I sit in the romance of this beautiful night, I am reminded of how truly blessed we are. ... 2020 was beyond challenging. It was the hardest year of our seven years in business. 2021 has to go perfectly for us to recover. But, we are here. We are healthy, safe and warm. We are together. We still get to do what we love and we still get to be a part of so many love stories. What better Christmas wish? The holidays are about creating memories, sharing special moments and the love of family. Tonight, I sit with my wine and with the blessings, and I think... thank you. Photo by Emily Elizabeth Studios

What an incredible space. The intimacy of our milking barn is what makes our indoor ceremonies so memorable. You cannot walk in without feeling overwhelming emotion. Every couple who has gotten married here has told me, "Sharon, I can't imagine having my ceremony anywhere else." For the most part though, indoor ceremonies here are always a plan "B". Having this space as your plan "B" is reason alone to book your wedding here. No other barn venue has such a stunning and unique... space that is always ready to go as an indoor option. That's how we have your back - by being prepared, by constantly investing in our venue, and by creating the spaces and experiences that will guarantee that everyone walks away from your weekend saying "that was the best wedding I have ever been to!" We should seriously host winter weddings here one day, if only to give this milking barn the plan "A" status it deserves. Does this space look dreamy to you? Have you experienced a GF milking barn ceremony? What do you think about winter weddings? I would love to hear what you guys think . Photo by @korverphotography #winterwedding #uniqueweddingideas #barnvenue #bestweddingvenue #indoorceremony #planB #indoorwedding #intimateweddingceremony #intimateweddingspace #wehaveyourback

Attitude is everything. My attitude has always been "don't tell me why it can't be done, just tell me how it can." It is so important to always have a positive attitude...to see the potential, not the obstacles. To believe in the probability of success, not the possibility of failure. Fear, worry, negativity - they are always present, waiting for their chance to creep in and get comfortable. So, we need reminders like these to keep us on track: you are capable, you are lov...ed, you are fearless, you are on a journey and this is part of it - trust the journey. Our reminders can come from people, from notes, from books, from deep breaths, from long drives and great songs. For years, I wanted a tangible reminder that I could look at whenever I needed to. I wanted something that would be with me at all times to remind me that "I can do this." A couple of years ago I found @mantrabands bracelets and I immediately knew they were exactly what I had been looking for for so long!! I love my bracelets so much and they remind me everyday that people love me, that I am a boss and that I can do anything I set me mind to. Do you have anything specific that you use to remind yourself that you are incredibly amazing and are fully capable to do whatever your heart tells you to do? #inspiration #mymantra #selflove #trustthejourney #capable #fearless #motivation #entrepreneurtalk #oprah #positivevibes #fucovid #icandothis #igotthis

Snow days are a gift that only come once or twice a year. They are a welcomed break from the everyday. A chance to let go, relax, veg out in front of the TV, bake cookies or make snow angels and igloos. Most important is that they are guilt-free days. (In my opinion, they should not be taken away because we have online options - especially for kids.) Our school agrees and gave the kids a 100% free day off. I am going along for that ride too. So, we've been plowing, jumping..., riding, cooking and enjoying the rest. I am 100% not going to feel guilty about it and instead I am going to savor every minute of it. If you got 4' of snow like we did, I hope you are enjoying your day too! #snowday #guiltfree #giveyourselfabreak #itssnowing #

Today this guy told me that I better get my act together and get crackin' on Christmas shopping BECAUSE when he procrastinates with school work and then has a deadline, I tell him..."I don't want to hear it! You better figure it out." Guilty. ... SO, I am going to open up my laptop tonight and cram the #### out of online Christmas shopping because my son called me out. Some days we need tough love - it can make us stronger - as long as every day, we give and receive the kind of love that's in this photo - that makes us indestructible. (P.S. - This photo was taken two years ago. That little guy is not so little anymore, but just as handsome.) #christmasshopping #lastminute #myboy #hecalledmeout #guiltyascharged #crammingmode #gettingitdone

For those of you who would never go camping, would this tent change your mind? When we opened our venue, there were no other properties (that I was aware of) offering glamping in NY. We could not even find a consultant or anyone local with experience to help us create what we were envisioning, so we had to start from scratch. Some people laughed when I would describe what I had in mind. Thankfully, we found a great tent company, @davis_tent_official, and they were able to c...ustom build the tents we wanted. In our relationship, I always say Aldo is the architect and I am the designer (Chip and Joanna vibes all day long), so after finding our tent company, it was pretty much up to Aldo to figure out how to create the GF #glampingvillage. At one point in the process, as we discussed some logistics, Aldo said "well, the people that are going to stay here will be campers, right?" NOOOOOOOO!!!! I said, "the people that are going to stay here are people who would NEVER go camping,... but they would here". That was all it took to clearly define what the experience of Gilbertsville Farmhouse Glamping would be: LUXURY! Over the years, we have had quite a few guests who had previously glamped at other resorts and they all have told us that our glamping tents are the best they have stayed in. Many others who arrived nervous about glamping, with that "why did I agree to this" look, have all been blown away by the experience and yearning to come back. On the regular, (pretty much every few weeks), I receive an email from a guest asking what brand of mattress we use because they "have never slept better!" Years later, even as glamping has become more popular, it is still a bit misunderstood. Glamping, in my opinion, should be "luxury, wrapped in nature." It should feel like the perfect balance of authentic and raw, with richness and elegance. If you find a place that does it right, glamping is an experience that you will never forget and one that you will yearn for many times. Let us know what you think of this tent. Would you camp here? Have you been glamping before? Is it on your bucket list? Have you ever been to a glamping wedding before?

Glamping has been a part of the Gilbertsville Farmhouse experience long before we were even a venue, before anyone else was doing it in New York, and before farm weddings were even a thing. Nine years ago, when a little whisper in my heart developed into a beautiful vision in my imagination, glamping was at the center of the amazing weekend experience that I wanted to create and that I believed would transform the wedding industry. Ever since we built our first glamping ten...t, I knew I wanted to build a special one just for the wedding couple, but it had to be incredible. It had to top all the others, and be the center of attention and the life of the party. Nine years later, that vision is complete. This here is Gilbertsville Farmhouse's Sweetheart Glamping Tent. It is a treehouse-inspired, over the top, two-story, gorgeous and luxurious glamping tent built for two special people. Two people who will bring together all of the people they love at our farm in upstate NY to celebrate the BEST FREAKING WEEKEND OF THEIR LIVES!! That's how you kill it at the wedding game and that's how you transform an industry. #listentoyourheartswhisper #believe #beinspired #beunique #bestweddingvenue #weekendwedding #glampingwedding #luxuryfarmwedding #innovators #industryleaders Photo by Korver Photography LLC

Gratitude changes everything. The most important thing it changes is your perspective. Gratitude makes you see what you have, not what you lack. It replaces frustration with appreciation. It shines light on opportunity, where you might have only seen obstacles, and it is the seed that fosters happiness. 2020 has been a frustrating, divisive, obstacle-filled, lacking, and sad year. BUT, it has also been a year full of opportunities to learn, reflect, change, unite, bond, str...engthen, communicate, grow, hope and love. As difficult as it was, we are grateful for this year. It has given our family moments to bond that might not have otherwise existed. It has given us time to evaluate our lives and reflect on certain choices. It has given us opportunities to think outside of the box and find new ways to grow. It has given us new ways to stay connected to our family. It has strengthened our commitment to our business. It has given us hope. Today, we are overflowingly grateful for our lives, our children, our families, our livelihood, our friends, our supporters, our team, our couples, our guests, our health, our bonds, and our home. We are incredibly grateful to God for always, always showing us the path to love. I am specifically grateful to my husband, our rock, who has taught our family that it is easy to remember to be grateful on days like this, but it takes a conscious effort to be grateful everyday. We wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of love and appreciation. We wish you all a day to reflect, feel love and be hopeful. XOXO! #2020vibes #thanksgiving2020 #covidthanksgiving #grateful

Our (micro) season officially ended last weekend. For a seasonal business like ours, that would normally signal the beginning of our winter rest. A time to relax, regroup and recharge... NOT!! Nope, not at Gilbertsville Farmhouse. We are seasonal, but we are also innovative (and a little crazy). Every single winter from our first season until now, we have taken on huge projects that make our winters super busy and very stressful. We work straight through - from the day afte...r our season ends to the day before our next season begins. Literally. Like unpacking moving trucks full of furniture the night before opening day literally. Then, like in nature, spring reveals new life and new beauty. We start every new season as a newer, more improved and more beautiful venue. Every Gilbertsville Farmhouse couple starts their weekend wedding at a better venue than the one they booked -it's kind of just our thing. One of the many perks of getting married here. This year has been our hardest year ever. We had days where we did not know how to move forward. But here we are. We are at the back end of our worst season ever (financially) and guess what we are doing tomorrow? Building the first of ten new glamping tents! Why? I don't know really. Because we committed to them already? Because we are super hopeful and full of positive vibes? Because we know we will make it out of this year bigger, better and stronger? Because we really are a little crazy? Maybe it's all of the above. It's also because of moments like the one in this photo. Moments like these that make all of the work worth it. You guys trust us with the most important day (weekend) in your lives. You trust us with your love and your people. That's worth a busy winter, isn't it? Here's to the start of a great off-season! #endofseason #offseason #bestweddingvenue #2021weddings #microwedding #weekendwedding #campweddings #upstateweddings #catskills #innovators #neverstop #hgtv #joannaandchip #barnweddings #indoorceremony Korver Photography LLC

"Proceed as if success is inevitable." That has always been our motto, but it's a bit more refined now. We have been the "jump in and swim" types since day one - it's in our nature. Today that instinct is polished and better defined. Jump in and swim is youthful and it's characteristic of people who like adventure and risk. It is not for everyone, but it definitely teaches those who live by it that once you are "in the water", you have to figure it out. There is no other op...tion. It takes a young mind and teaches it resilience and hard work. It teaches that mind adaptability and perseverance. As those adventurers grow and mature, that innate desire for adventure and risk becomes a lifelong love of learning, growing, adapting and always finding a path to success. This is what we have learned so far: THE PATH IS ALWAYS THERE. Sometimes it is clear, but most times it is covered. It is covered by so many things - fear, insecurity, guilt, ego, excuses, laziness, our past, our finances, our circumstances - that it can truly seem like you are lost in the middle of the woods and you keep circling back to the same spot. However, the path IS there and it can ONLY be found by knowing, in your heart and in your soul, that it is there. That is the first step to finding it. When you know it is there, the time spent finding it is fun. It is thrilling, even when you are sure you have found it, and your hopes are dashed. It is exhilarating, even when you have seen it, only to have a strong wind come and cover it back up again. But when you finally find it, when you actually have both feet on it, you realize that the spot you are standing on is just that - a spot. Just a spot on a much longer path, whose end you do not know. It is the most humbling yet incredibly inspiring place to be in in your life. It is wisdom and grace. It is God, the universe, love, purpose. It is our legacy to our children, way more valuable than property or jewelry or a profitable business. THAT is success, and it is inevitable, and it is there for all of us. #inspired #success #positivity #himandme #partners #marriage #thesecret