Bellport Country Club

My husband and I got married last winter and were were so pleased with most of our vendors ...and I wanted to make sure to post on here the ones that were really great. I never posted on the site during the planning process, but I read the site a lot and I know how important the reviews were to me at the time. SO, I wanted to be sure to give my feedback to others!


The Reception - Bellport Country Club -

I could not have asked for a better reception than the one we had the Bellport Country Club!! Where to begin....
....the food was out of this world (and not just for catering food --it was delicious by all standards and this coming from a girl that has been eating out in great NY city restaurants for the last 10 yrs while I lived there, so I tend to be a 'food snob'). We got so many rave reviews about the food from guests as well....it was the food and the band which were the most important things to me! The cocktail hour had plenty of food and the passed hors d'ouvres were constantly passing by (I hate when you go to weddings and can never find a tray or they only have 1 left!:) and the meal itself was fantastic. I feel like people just assume catering food is not going to be that great, but at the BPCC it is. It stands up to any great restaurant. They definitely do not chince on the quality of food which I think truly sets them apart from most other catering places (I was recently at a wedding at the Watermill and the food was horrible which just ruined the experience).
....The service....from the managers to the wait staff--everyone was so helpful and pleasant. There is nothing worse than unpleasant people waiting on your guests--but the staff at Bellport were top notch. And, Rob and his team did exactly what I asked in terms of setting the room up, candles, tables etc. They seem to really take a personal approach which was very much appreciated. Rob was so helpful every step of the way and made the planning of the event an easy and fun experience. On the day of, Linda was assigned to my husband and I to ensure we had whatever we wanted. This was really great as she was there always at the right moments...to take my bouquet, replace our drinks, etc. It was a nice bonus. (You may not think you would need that, but you do...because you find yourself here and there talking and dancing and don't want to have to spend the time to drop off your flowers, ask for a drink etc. You only have 4 hrs!)
....The setting-Bellport has a truly beautiful ballroom and grounds. One thing I was very particular about with a location was the ceiling (theirs is high and nice looking--not like some places that have low ceilings that remind you of grade school!). The ballroom has a beautiful chandelier as does the entrance. The dance floor is large (we had close to 300 people attending) and there was plenty of space. And, the room overlooks a beautifully golf course. If you choose, there is a beach at the end for photos. We got shots of both. Also, there is a really nice bridal suite and they took care of the bridal party from the moment we arrived with food, drinks etc.
I can't say enough about the Bellport Country Club. I would not have changed a thing about my wedding there. My husband and I were amazed when we looked back at how smoothly and wonderfully the day had gone. Getting married at 31, I have been to many friends' weddings and in many weddings, Bellport was definitely top of the list (and not just because I got married there--I have been there for another wedding as well). I highly highly recommend this location to anyone getting married on long island. They will take great care of you!

The Band – Heart and Soul –

Heart and Soul is a fabulous band. My husband and I were thrilled with them! As soon as we had seen their showcase, we knew we were going with them (this was after seeing about 5 or 6 others and many clips online). They had a wide range, great talent and played a great mix of oldies, 70s, 80s, 90s and current music. All ages knew all of the music and the dance floor was packed the entire night. But, it wasn’t just “cheesy” wedding songs, just great tunes from the last few decades. They had a great vibe and just brought lots of energy (hard to explain in words, but if you were at the wedding, it was clear!).

My husband and I were very particular with the play list…or I should say the do not play list. The band did not play any of the many songs we requested not to play. And, the band performed the entire reception…even if they took a break, one member was performing. Again, we got some many comments from guests about how great the band was and many wanted the name for their kids/siblings/and own weddings……not just a typical wedding band, just great music for all ages. Since our wedding, 2 friends’ siblings have signed the band for their weddings! (one thing to note, I believe one main vocalist left and was replaced, but I have heard from others that have seen the band since that they are still really great). Again, after all of the wedding bands I have seen, Heart and Soul was one of the best I have seen, if not the best.

The Florist – Hengstenbergs (in Northport) –
I know I have been very enthusiastic about the reception location and band….and I have to say, the florist rounds out my top 3 vendor choices ( the videographer and photographer were very good too—but these were my top 3:).
The bouquets were gorgeous. They were full and the flower choices that Terry recommended complimented the bridesmaid’s dresses perfectly. I carried callalillies, which were pretty and simple – just what I wanted as I didn’t want the flowers to stand out too much ( I was more about the dress:) – so I wanted them minimal and simple, but elegant – and they were.
And, the centerpieces were exactly what I described. They looked so elegant and made a real statement when people walked in the room. Terry understood the vision we had and executed it beyond what I expected. Terry was really fun and easy to work with - - and on the day of, delivered all of the flowers to my house, the church and the country club well in advance of when we needed them, which when I look back prevented any stress for me!

The Videographer – Wildrose Video –
Wildrose did a very good job on our video. They were very easy to work with, were very discreet the day of, and captured all the right moments. Both Marie and Bill (the owners) are super nice, personal, and willing to discuss logistics, special editing, etc as much as you would like. I met with them several times and they were very pleasant to work with. The day of – we had Bill and Joe. Joe shot most of the day, and he was not intrusive at all. My husband and I were wavering on whether to have a videographer or not b/c were afraid of it being too intrusive on the actual day – but Joe was not at all. He kind of faded into the background, but still got all of the footage!

The one thing I would say is that it took about 6 mths to get our video, so if waiting some time for the video is a concern, you should speak to them before to see the waiting time. We thought they did a good job editing the day. I am sure there are other great videographers out there, but Wildrose is a good choice, reasonably priced, and will do a good job.

The Photographer – Marco Photography –
Marco and his team are great to work with. They were very professional and Marco is fun to work with. We were very happy with proofs - - we got all of the standard posed shots and lots of action ones as well. We had our proofs by the time we got back from our honeymoon. Unfortunately, we have been dragging our feet so we haven’t had our album done yet b/c we are still picking thru the 800 proofs we got!

I have to admit - we were very lucky w/ all of our vendors. Every one of them were professional, easy to work with, timely -- which is probably 75% of the battle with vendors!