The Oheka Castle used to serve as the country home of wealthy investor and philanthropist Otta Hermann Khan and his loved ones. The massive mansion, built sometime between 1914 to 1919, is known as the second biggest private home in the US. It has over 127 rooms and covers 109,000 square feet of land.
Today, the opulent castle serves as a historic hotel that becomes one of the most preferred wedding venues for celebrities and socialites.
If you want to spend your most important day with your beloved at this spacious New York hotel for your wedding, here are several details that you need to know, including the amount that you need to spend for the big day.
Oheka Castle History
Kahn had the castle constructed as his response to the regulations of some golf clubs and courses in Morristown, New Jersey, that banned the entry of Jews in their facilities. He also planned to use the castle as his replacement for his old country home called Cedar Court, which was deeply devastated because of a fire.
The wealthy businessman was determined to make the castle fireproof, so he required his architects, Delano and Aldrich, to come up with a building made of concrete and steel. It becomes one of the completely fireproof residential buildings in the country.
Kahn’s family enjoyed living in the massive castle until they decided to sell it in 1939, a few years after his death. It used to serve different purposes, including a retreat area for New York’s sanitation workers. It also became a school, a golf course, and a greenhouse complex.
Oheka Castle’s Return To Former Glory
In 1984, Long Island developer Gary Melius purchased the Oheka property. However, he could not continue spending money on the ambitious project, so he sold it to Japanese businessman Hideki Yokoi for $22.5 million.
Melius reacquire the property for a long-term lease before completely buying the estate. He reopened it to become a luxury hotel and wedding and events venue.
The Courtyard of the luxurious Oheka Castle is one of the most picture-perfect locations for weddings in the world.
Weddings At Oheka Castle
The castle turned out to become one of the most popular wedding venues in the world. Couples can choose the part of the property where they want to have their special event. Their options include the Formal Dining Room, the Terrace Room, and the Grand Ballroom. Every option comes with additional rooms that you can use to accommodate guests, depending on your headcount.
If you want to have an outdoor ceremony for your event, you may rent the Great Lawn to have the most amazing pictures. You may also rent one or all the 32 guest rooms and suites on the hotel’s upper floors to enjoy the full Oheka Castle experience.
Wedding Costs At The Oheka Castle
The castle management does not offer packages for weddings. But expect to spend somewhere between $10,000 to $14,000 for the site fee, depending on the day of the week. You also have to spend an average of $250 to $400 per guest for an extravagant wedding.
