Owner Billiam van Roestenberg

Magic Cathy Wedding Coordinator/Manager & Owner Billiam van Roestenberg (3 photos just below) have been working together exclusively for 19 years. Additionally, Kim and Sharon have been with us from the beginning and Henry has been working with me for 25 years! Many more of us that work the farm and weddings for years.

Founder’s Statement: A Life Rooted in the Right to Celebrate

"In 2004, I stood on the steps of New Paltz Village Hall and was married in front of the whole world. At the time, it was a radical act of civil disobedience. As a farmer standing beside a retired Major of the 82nd Airborne, our story wasn't just about us—it was about the fundamental human right to celebrate love openly, authentically, and without compromise.

That moment changed my life, and it changed the landscape of our country. It also deeply informed how I view the 'wedding' as an institution.

After twenty years of hosting celebrations at Liberty View Farm, I realized that the industry had moved away from what matters most: the connection between the couple, their guests, and the land that sustains them. The 'big wedding' machine had become too loud, while 'micro-weddings' often felt too small for the gravity of the occasion.

I created the Modéré concept to reclaim the 'perfect middle.' To me, Modéré isn't just a guest count of 35 to 65; it is a philosophy of 'just enough.' It’s about high-level detail, farm-grown flowers, and food produced right here on our soil.

When you celebrate at The Wedding Foundry, you are stepping into a legacy of activism and stewardship. Your wedding helps us continue our work—from feeding our neighbors through People's Place to hosting free community fundraisers. We don't just host weddings; we cultivate a community where every celebration has a purpose."

— Billiam van Roestenberg

MORE INFO BELOW PHOTOS

Text the owner Billiam van Roestenberg for more information:

845-399-9545

Featured in Martha Stewart's Wedding book release, 'Martha Stewart Weddings.' She describes it as "the most useful weddings guide book ever... best of the best in 20 years," and gives special thanks to Liberty View Farm! 

 Billiam van Roestenberg

Founder of Liberty View Farm & The Wedding Foundry

Billiam van Roestenberg is a visionary entrepreneur, designer, and advocate who has spent over two decades redefining the intersection of sustainable agriculture, civil rights, and community service. Since 1999, he has been the steward of Liberty View Farm in Clintondale, NY, where he pioneered the Modére wedding philosophy—a "perfect middle" approach to celebrations that are high-design, all-inclusive, and deeply rooted in the land.

A Legacy of Impact & National Recognition

Billiam’s career is marked by milestones that have captured the national imagination:

• Marriage Equality Pioneer: As a lead organizer and participant in the historic 2004 New Paltz marriage equality movement, Billiam’s story was featured on the front page of The New York Times and immortalized in documentaries on the Sundance Channel.

• National Accolades: His farm has been named a "Top 10 Apple Picking Farm in America" by Travel + Leisure and American Express, and Billiam has been featured in Martha Stewart’s wedding book and Airbnb Magazine.

• "America’s Hottest Farmer" (Huffington Post): Winner of a landmark national poll that drew a record-breaking 800,000+ votes (for farm innovations), marking one of the highest engagement levels in the publication's history.

Decades of Results-Driven Leadership

Billiam’s commitment to the Hudson Valley is defined by over 25 years of high-level civic engagement:

• People’s Place Food Pantry: Serving for a decade on the Executive Board (including terms as Vice President and President), Billiam oversaw a monumental expansion of the pantry’s reach—scaling the organization from 130,000 meals per year to an incredible 1.5 million meals annually.

• Ulster County Board of Tourism: Served for 15 years, playing a pivotal role in transforming the region into a premier global destination for ag-tourism and culture.

• Town of Plattekill Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA): Served for 6 years, contributing to the thoughtful development and preservation of the local landscape.

The Vision: Liberty View & The Wedding Foundry

Billiam’s aesthetic approach is rooted in his background studying architecture, a discipline that informs the structural precision and visual harmony of the farm. Through The Wedding Foundry, he curates boutique Modére weddings for 35 to 65 guests, creating a symbiotic ecosystem where celebrations fund the farm's ability to host free community fundraisers and continue its legacy of outreach.

For Billiam, the name Liberty View is a blueprint: representing Liberty as equality and love for all, Liberty from pesticides, and a View toward a more sustainable, inclusive future.

Press Highlights:

• The New York Times: Front Page & Cover Features

• Huffington Post: National Competition Winner (800k+ votes)

• American Express/Travel + Leisure: Top 10 National Ranking

• Martha Stewart: Featured Wedding Industry Expert

And remember to 'Eat Healthy and be Happy!!

When Billiam isn't farming, hosting an event or working with food pantries he will doing something else that is beautiful and sustainable.... he will be sailing on his boat Liberty! Oh and he likes Ice Sailing in the winter on Ice Yachts!

Our Mission: Cultivating Celebration with Purpose

At Liberty View Farm, our mission is to redefine the art of gathering through the lens of stewardship, equality, and radical hospitality. We believe that a wedding is not just a single day, but a meaningful contribution to a larger ecosystem.

The Modéré Standard

Through The Wedding Foundry, we champion the Modére philosophy—the "perfect middle" of celebrations. We provide a space where intimacy meets high-design, ensuring that every wedding is "just enough" to be extraordinary without the waste or stress of the traditional wedding industry.

A Symbiotic Harvest

We are committed to a symbiotic relationship between our land and our community. By maintaining a pesticide-free environment, we ensure that every flower and vegetable grown on our acreage is as healthy as it is beautiful. Our events serve as a primary engine for our outreach, allowing us to pay very good living wages, to host free community fundraisers and support local food security through our long-standing partnership with organizations like People's Place.

The View Toward Liberty

Rooted in our history of equality for all, we continue to view "Liberty" as a living practice. We strive to provide an inclusive sanctuary where everyone—regardless of who they love—can celebrate their union surrounded by the honest beauty of the Hudson Valley.

At Liberty View Farm, we don't just host events; we grow them. We don't just build memories; we sustain a community.

A Legacy of Action: Media & Historic Milestones

Billiam van Roestenberg’s role in the 2004 New Paltz marriage equality movement created a global media firestorm, bridging the gap between small-town organic farming and the international fight for civil rights.

The Global Spotlight

At the height of the 2004 movement, digital and print archives recorded a staggering 450,000+ articles related to the New Paltz weddings and Billiam’s key role in organizing them. This moment remains one of the most documented civil rights events in Hudson Valley history.

The New York Times

Billiam and his then-husband, a retired Major in the 82nd Airborne, were the faces of this movement in the "Paper of Record."

• Front Page Feature (Feb 2004): "Gay Couples Say 'I Do' in New Paltz" chronicled the historic morning at Village Hall.

• Cover Story Follow-up: Just weeks later, the New York Times Styles section featured a cover story on Billiam and his partner, highlighting the intersection of military service, organic farming, and the push for marriage equality.

Featured in Literature & Academia

Because of the historic nature of these events, Billiam's story is cited in numerous books and academic papers:

• Major Conflict by Jeffrey McGowan: A deeply personal memoir (published by Crown) detailing their journey from the 82nd Airborne to the steps of New Paltz Village Hall.

• One Summer in New Paltz: A Cautionary Tale (Film & Book): A documentary and academic project exploring the heroics of the New Paltz movement.

• University Textbooks: Cited in law and sociology papers from Yale Law, Touro Law, and York University as a key case study in civil disobedience and social change.

Media Kit: Billiam van Roestenberg

Architect, Activist, and Founder of Liberty View Farm & The Wedding Foundry

The Story at a Glance

Billiam van Roestenberg is a visionary entrepreneur whose life’s work exists at the intersection of design, sustainable agriculture, and civil rights. Studied architecture, an artist and had a company designing high end pet supplies, Billiam gained international prominence in 2004 as the lead organizer and first same sex coiuple in the historic New Paltz, NY, marriage equality movement—one of the first of its kind in the United States. Today, he channels that same spirit of intentionality into Liberty View Farm, a premier Hudson Valley destination, and The Wedding Foundry, the birthplace of the Modére wedding philosophy.

Documentary & Film Credits

Billiam’s journey from the steps of Village Hall to the fields of his organic farm has been the subject of several acclaimed films:

• "One Summer in New Paltz: A Cautionary Tale" (2008): A feature documentary by Nancy Nicol exploring the 2004 civil disobedience. (Official Selection: Multiple International Film Festivals).

• "Gay for a Day" (Sundance Channel): A profile on the global media surge surrounding the first same-sex weddings east of San Francisco.

• "I Now Pronounce You Husband and Husband" (2010): A retrospective on the emotional and legal impact of the New Paltz movement.

Accolades & Press Highlights

• The New York Times: Featured on the front page and multiple cover stories within the Styles and Metro sections.

• Martha Stewart Weddings: Profiled for expertise in boutique, high-design farm celebrations.

• Travel + Leisure / American Express: Named a "Top 10 Apple Picking Farm in America."

• Airbnb Magazine: Profiled for creating immersive, community-centered travel experiences.

• Huffington Post Winner of the national 'America's Hottest Farmer' competition, a viral landmark for The Huffington Post that drew a record-breaking 800,000+ votes.

Areas of Expertise for Interviews

• The Modéré Philosophy: Bridging the gap between micro-weddings and large-scale productions (The "Perfect Middle").

• Symbiotic Agriculture: How weddings and events can directly fund community outreach and food pantry initiatives.

• LGBTQ+ History: First-hand accounts of the 2004 marriage equality movement and its legacy 20+ years later.

• Sustainable Land Stewardship: Managing "Liberty View"—a pesticide-free farm focused on equality and ecological evolution.

By the Numbers

• 450,000+ News articles generated by the 2004 New Paltz movement.

• 25+ Years of organic farming and stewardship at Liberty View Farm.

• 15 Years of service on the Ulster County Board of Tourism.

• 100% of wedding flowers and a majority of wedding food grown on-site.

Text the owner Billiam van Roestenberg for more information:

845-399-9545

Liberty View Farm

340 Crescent Avenue

Highland NY

12528

Billiam van Roestenberg

845-399-9545