n their wedding day, brides and grooms feel on top of the world. If they get married at Peaceful Pines Bed and Breakfast, they’ll
actually be on top of it – or at least atop the part nearby. That’s because the bucolic hilltop setting offers spectacular scenic views across a broad valley to Hamilton, N.Y., soothing jangled pre-nuptial nerves and delighting the happy couple’s guests. Yet Peaceful Pines is just an hour from the bustle of Syracuse and Utica.
“People say it’s so quiet here, they’re not used to it,” notes Kevin Strasser, who runs the country-chic property with partner Leslie Briggs. “I want to create a feeling of well-being for people by the time they leave.”
If you’re lucky, you can watch early morning mist burn off the valley below from your hammock on wrap-around porch, or go for a dip in the pretty pond. Afterwards, you can relax in the bright common room, perhaps checking out the collections of antique model cars, tin cans and thimbles scattered about.
Then head to the kitchen for breakfast. For individual guests, it’s usually a smorgasbord of cold items, such as Leslie’s Louisiana crunch cake and fresh fruit, that’s available whenever guests want. “I don’t like to tell guests they have to eat at 8:15 or whenever,” Kevin explains. “They’re supposed to be here for a rest and people don’t always know when they want to get up.”
For a wedding ceremony itself, an expansive tiered lawn provides plenty of space for as many as 300 guests, though most parties are much smaller. Both a gazebo and an arbor by the pond offer romantic settings for the exchange of vows. A rustic pavilion features convenient restroom facilities. There’s a fire pit for evening s’mores. All is impeccably maintained, with towering trees and colourful gardens wherever one looks.
And when the party’s over, the newlyweds can retreat to their spacious honeymoon suite, with its king bed, sky lights and ensuite bath featuring a steam shower, sauna and whirlpool tub. The property has four other guest rooms, including a separate apartment with a kitchen, living room, bedroom and its own entrance.
The bridal party has to arrange for such amenities as tents, catering, photography and an alcohol permit – even a lifeguard if youngsters are expected to swim – but Kevin can provide local contacts, established over three decades as an electrician and Leslie’s equally long career as a Spanish teacher.
The couple opened the B&B business 13 years ago after what Kevin calls an “aha!” moment, and have welcomed guests from around the world ever since, many visiting local colleges, including prestigious Colgate University. He says his heart sings every time nervous freshmen and their families arrive in fall get to know peers who are also Peaceful Pines guests. “They meet each other before going off to the big school.”
There are family reunions, company retreats and graduation parties, too. But, he adds, “A minister told me I’d be crazy to get into weddings. But I think that’s my purpose.”
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Peaceful Pines B & B
Kevin Strasser and Leslie Briggs, Innkeepers
6125 Briggs Road
Hamilton, NY 13346
315-824-2469; 315-382-4034 (cell)
www.peacefulpinesbandb.com
O
ON TOP OF
THE WORLD
ON TOP OF
THE WORLD
At Peaceful Pines
By Peter Johansen