Wolffer Estate & Gurney's Montauk Resort & Spa By Nicole Knudsen
/I never knew how far in advance couples began looking for their wedding venue, let alone started approaching other vendors such as their wedding planner! It is mid Summer and ADE is busy taking first appointments, calls and site inspections for 2015. Not only are these for Weddings but also for other social events and fundraisers. Additionally, ADE is taking on more weddings than they have in the past, now with a larger staff. So here I get to go looking at venues! Since I am a local to Long Island, Ashley and I revisited some old lovely venues she is well familiar with and also took a look at some new ones, like the Weir Barn I spoke of before on the blog. Picking your venue is the biggest decision you will make. There are so many factors to take into consideration, some of which are more or less attractive to different couples and their families. Furthermore, there are so many details you should flush out and questions you should ask before you sign on the dotted line, details you do not notice right away because you haven’t been a wedding planner!
Here we will be revisiting two venues Ashley Douglass Events loves; Wolffer Estate and also Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Spa. Gurney’s is in the process of renovating their event space, while their restaurant and deck has already undergone a brilliant facelift!
Wolffer Estate Vineyard, Hamptons, New York
Wolffer Estate in Sagaponack, NY is definitely one of the vineyards on the East End of Long Island that stands out. As a side note, during the summer months Ashley is a big fan of their Rose selections ;)! Other vineyards we love for both their wine, layout and atmosphere are Bedell Cellars and Sparkling Point, which allows you to bring in your own wine, as they create sparkling wine only.
The moment I walked up to Wolffer Estate I felt transported to Tuscany! You can totally put your mind there! The dining area is on a deck, which allows for rain coverage, while also not feeling separate from the charm of dining vineyard side.
Wolffer Estate can hold up to 175 guests. This is a venue where you can host your ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. Weather permitting, you can have your ceremony out alongside the vineyards. If it does rain, they have walls to put down on their patio. There is also enough floor space inside for some dancing and maybe a Viennese table as well.
Overall this venue is a great location for someone who wants a vineyard and outdoor feel, while not having to rough it with too much rustic.
Out to Montauk, one of the more trendy locations for a wedding these days. I love Montauk because, as they say, it is “the end”. Away from it all but still on Long Island, Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Spa has pretty much been an institution on Montauk for decades. I was very, very excited to visit Gurney’s for the first time with Ashley because this is actually where my sister is getting married this year!
Gurney's Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa
Gurney’s is currently under renovation. The old world and traditional has been substitute for casual modern luxury. You will not be disappointed!!! If you haven’t been out to them in a couple of years, I recommend you go see the changes they are making. They also have a new chef and restaurant management company on board to make the cuisine not just competitive with the newer establishments out East, but we bet it will be renowned as one of the best places to dine come next season.
Gurney’s is not only a place to celebrate the special occasions of your life, but also a gray weekend getaway. Hotel rooms, restaurant, beachfront, pool and spa, all in the same place. Having accommodations and both ceremony and reception space on-site, was an important detail my sister needed in her venue. Our family has a lot of people traveling in from all over. We did not want people unfamiliar with the area to have to drive around over the course of the weekend.
One lovely feature that may be the end all be all for couples, is that in the event of rain, if you were going to host your ceremony beachside, you can now host your ceremony and cocktail hour on the upper deck with views of the ocean. The upper deck can be tented if necessary, so you can still get that beach wedding feel. However, they do still have a ceremony space inside for the colder months. Furthermore, the main dining room and side ceremony space has wall to wall windows of the ocean.
Another option is to host your entire wedding under a tent on the upper deck, then have your ceremony beachside. If it rains, there is still plenty of space indoors for the ceremony. Guest’s do not need to walk on the sand in the event of the rain; you can enter the tent on the upper deck from the main building and deck.
The first floor event space, where most of the receptions have been hosted for years, can hold about 225 people. If you have a huge wedding, just like my sister (We have 30 first cousins alone so we’re a big family), Gurney’s is a great place.
Why not stay the weekend and see if it foots the bill for your wedding venue?
I’m looking forward to having the best night of my life celebrating my sister’s special day in just a couple of months!
I hope you all enjoyed my review of the Wolffer Estate and Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Spa. If you would like to research more here is the website link to the Wolffer Estate: http://www.wolffer.com and here is the website link to Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Spa: http://www.gurneysinn.com. Happy researching! Xoxo, Nicole
Gurney's new building, all with waterfront views!