Help me find a reception location...

I''m planning my Long Island wedding from San Francisco - you can imagine how difficult that is. We''re looking for a less-traditional location to have the reception (park, beach, gardens). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. One place I''m considering is the Planting Fields Arboretum - has anyone checked that place out? Thanks everyone!

Help me find a reception location...

How about the Vineyards? Almost as good as the Napa/Sonoma ones!! Ok, maybe not...I'm from San Fran too, but living on LI now! How about Oheka Castle? Or Brooklyn Botanical Gardens?

I think it also matters on how much you want to spend..

Oheka and some other nice ones on LI are really expensive. Vineyard is nice, but all the way out east. Are you thinking about Nassau or Suffolk County?

I think it also matters on how much you want to spend..

We were booked at the Vineyard Caterers but we have to change our date and they're not available. Oheka is beautiful but I think its out of our price range. I heard its $150+ I'm open to Nassau or Suffolk. The Families are in Commack.

some others...

...there's Watermill in Smithtown, near Commack. It's owned by the Scottos (they have 4 in total), and Villa Lombardi's in Holbrook. Let me think about some more!

some others...

I checked out Oheka and it was $240 pp PLUS a $9000 site fee...but there is the Otto Herman Mansion on Park Avenue (NYC). You might also want to check out the Pavillion in Sunken Meadow State Park (Kings Park). Its on the inexpensive side and right on the beach. They have one large room on the boardwalk and then put up tents (for cocktail hour). The same company (Lessings) also owns Coindre Hall (Huntington), which is an old boys school/mansion type. I tried to look at it, but I played phone tag with the people and never got there. People on this site have mentioned the Montauk Light House. They have a section on weddings on their website. But that is REALLY far out. I wanted the beach/water and decided on Land's End in Sayville.

some others...

I know that the Bronx Garden is over $200/person. But it is beautiful. Have you called the mansions yet. I think some do weddings but probably are very expensive. I have heard that Captian Bills is great (even though the name does not sound it) It is one the water and you can go out on a great deck. Just a thought. I had one of my best friends plan her LI wedding from San Francisco. She used the Internet for everything and had a once a month planning trip to NY. Let me know if you need me to ask her anything for you. Good Luck

Eastwind/Swan Club

Eastwind is beautiful. It is in Wading river. I booked the swan club in Roslyn. Look at their virtual tour. www.swanclub.com The grounds are huge and there are flowers everywhere! Very reasonably priced.

Help me find a reception location...

I also wanted to look at Planting Fields but was told that after 2001 no receptions could be booked because of construction. What about DeSeversky?

Some more...

I`m getting married at the Crescent Beach Club (Bayville, Nassau). It`s on the water and they do one wedding at a time. (www.crescentbeachclub.com) Flowerfields (www.flowerfields.com) is also beautiful - very garden type. I loved East Wind, but it was too far and they didn`t have my date. Good Luck!

Some more...

I think that all of the places mentioned are very expensive. If you want the feel of the water & sailboats and are willing to give up the beach, I would check out Captian Bills on the water http://www.captainbills.com/ where you should scroll to the bottom and click on weddings, then click on pictures of the new boathouse. Also John Anthony's on the Water is reasonbly priced http://www.johnanthonys.com/. If you want more places on the water, check out http://www.dininglongisland.com/awater.htm here you will find all the places on the water in Nasau and Suffolk counties. Good luck and let me know if I can be of more help.

Help me find a reception location...

There is also the Vanderbilt Mansion in Oakdale at Dowling College (stonecaterers.com), the Nassau Museum of Art in Roslyn Harbor and the Sands Point Preserve in Sands Point (has a mansion on the grounds) (516-571-7900). I have never been to any of these for a special event but any of them would be a very elegant and different kind of location for a wedding. You can check out Newsday.com and go to 'Fun Book' and check out different preserves and museums and at least get phone numbers to find out if they do special events. I just know of the ones I mentioned that do.

I have to agree with Vickfl77...

I just went to a wedding at Captain Bill's in June. It was beautiful! And big! There was one wedding actually in the restaurant in a separate room, and the one we went to, which was in the Bayview House (the boathouse Vickfl77 was referring to). It is a separate building. From what I hear it was affordable, and from what I saw (and ate) it was teriffic! Good luck.

Thanks Everyone

There have been some great suggestions - I think I'll try to fly in next week and check them out.

lisat - a good magazine upon arrival

Wedding Services puts out a magazine which lists all venues, descriptions, etc. We used it (and went down the list!). Just be wary about price ranges - I think they list them by Wednesday afternoon and up! You can find it in any large newsstand. Also - www.locationsmagazine.com - you can order one.

lisat - another good magazine upon arrival

if you get a chance to get to fortunoffs - they have some great magazines with reception halls

Help me find a reception location...

The planting fields is off limits. We tried that too, but as of 2001, they are no longer having weddings there. We were devastated, as we had already started planning before they made this decision, but they were dragging their feet on giving us a contract, I guess because they were deciding this. The Queens Botanical Gardens is supposed to be lovely and according to the website, very reasonable. http://www.queensbotanical.org/ You can also try the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn, although they were a bit on the pricey side for our taste.

Sorry, no Planting Fields anymore...

The planting fields is off limits. We tried that too, but as of 2001, they are no longer having weddings there. We were devastated, as we had already started planning before they made this decision, but they were dragging their feet on giving us a contract, I guess because they were deciding this. The Queens Botanical Gardens is supposed to be lovely and according to the website, very reasonable. http://www.queensbotanical.org/ You can also try the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn, although they were a bit on the pricey side for our taste.

Sorry, no Planting Fields anymore...-NOT TRUE

They were planning construction so they weren't taking any more parties after 10/2001 but they've pushed it back until 6/2002. I was able to get a date for late May just this week. I'm terribly sorry it didn't work out for you. If you have any info about the site or the caterers they use, please pass it on. Thanks

Sorry, no Planting Fields anymore...-NOT TRUE

Oh good..you booked your reception site!!! that is great..