Beach-Inspired Olmsted Lodge Wedding in Rochester’s Highland Park
When couples dream about their wedding day, they usually picture a calm, relaxed setup with hours to get everything just right. But when you’re planning a Friday evening micro wedding at Olmsted Lodge in Rochester’s Highland Park, you don’t exactly get that luxury. The park offices are open until 4PM, which means no one (not even us!) can get inside until they close.
This couple’s ceremony? 5PM. Reception? Immediately after, in the same space.
That gave us — drumroll, please — less than 60 minutes to flip the entire lodge and deck into a beach-inspired wedding dream. Challenge ACCEPTED.
By the time guests arrived, it felt like a slice of the coast had landed right in Highland Park.
Olmsted Lodge Wedding Reception Design: Coastal Elegance in Rochester
The goal for this Olmsted Lodge wedding reception? Capture seaside sophistication in the heart of Rochester. Think ivory linens + grey-blue runners. Floating candles in sand-filled vases. Seashell table numbers in hand-lettered script. Gold chargers and rimmed glassware at every place setting.
✨ Welcome Drinks with a View
Out on the deck, guests were first greeted with a shimmering silver backdrop for photos and a self-serve bar that kept things light and fun while the couple got ready.
✨ Ceremony Magic
In front of the lodge’s central stone fireplace, we built a simple wooden arch adorned with a silky soft grey-blue swag, accented by blue and white florals and greenery. At the base, clusters of glass cylinders filled with sand, shells, and floating candles created a soft, ethereal glow. Personal touches — like a poem and framed photos honoring loved ones who couldn’t be there — sat on the mantle and made the ceremony even more meaningful.
✨ Sweetheart Spotlight
After the ceremony, the arch became the backdrop for the sweetheart table, keeping the look cohesive and giving the newlyweds their own special place, front and center, to enjoy a dinner catered by Seared and Sacharum alongside their guests.
And yes, all of this was pulled off in under an hour.
How We Got Olmsted Lodge Wedding-Ready in 60 Minutes
The Olmsted Lodge in Rochester is the perfect canvas for couples who want a cozy, flexible space for their micro wedding or intimate reception. That stone fireplace, the wooded surroundings, the deck overlooking Highland Park? Total Rochester gem.
But the lodge does come with quirks (like a tight weekday setup window) that can turn a dreamy park lodge wedding plan into a timeline puzzle.
That’s where we — Barbara + Alyssa, aka Barlyssa — come in. With the right prep, resources, and a little event-day magic, we transformed the deck and lodge in record time. Guests walked into a space that looked effortless, elegant, and totally “them,” while the couple got to sip, smile, and soak it all in.
3 Things to Know Before Booking Olmsted Lodge for Your Wedding
Planning a Friday wedding? Here’s the setup scoop.
The lodge doubles as park offices, so you won’t get access until 4PM. That means you’ll need a pro team (hi 👋) who can flip the space fast.
Is Olmsted Lodge really a blank canvas?
Yes! The wood-paneled interior and stone fireplace are gorgeous, but it takes thoughtful design to bring a theme (like beachy elegance) to life without feeling out of place.
Why the deck might be your secret weapon.
Don’t overlook the outdoor deck. It’s perfect for welcome drinks, a photo backdrop, or even a cocktail hour overlooking Highland Park. With the right setup, it extends your space in the best way.
Let Barlyssa Transform Olmsted Lodge Into Your Dream Wedding!
When it comes to weddings at park lodges like Olmsted, you need more than a pretty Pinterest board — you need a team that can make it happen, no matter the timeline. That’s where working with an expert wedding planning team like Barlyssa makes all the difference. We know the quirks. We know the timing. And we know how to bring your vision to life (even if your vision happens to be “let’s pretend we’re on a beach inside a park lodge”).
“Once in a lifetime core memories are just that. They’re once in a lifetime.”
👉 Don’t leave this once-in-a-lifetime memory to chance. Work with Barlyssa and the Homemade Events crew to ensure your day goes off without a hitch (even with just 60 minutes on the clock).
