East End of Long Island {Part II, The Hamptons Wedding}

The sandy beaches – check. Wind sculpted dunes – check. Tree lined streets – check.  Historic churches and cedar shingled buildings surrounded by the ocean or bay  – check.  The south fork of Long Island is comprised of several towns, better known as “The Hamptons”, a luring destination for a wedding.  But for all the beauty these charming towns, the perfect place to have a wedding can be hard to find or  ultra-expensive {the ever so exclusive locations, where you basically need to marry into or be born into a family who has rights to use these clubs, won’t be mentioned here – but they DO exist}.

My first choice for a Hamptons wedding would be a private home.  If you do not have access to a home, estates are available to rent for a price.  Be prepared to spend more than a few thousand dollars, and budget well over $10,000-$50,000 plus for a weekend rental.  Inform your rental agent about your plans and check for permits that need to be filed.  Each town on the east end will have ordinances that need to be followed or the men in blue may show up as uninvited guests. Estate weddings have many details and proper knowledge along with planning will help to reduce any headaches you may have in the near future.  I am bias of course, and the best advice here is to hire a planner to handle the logistics.

There are several impeccable full service catering companies on the East End as well. Many of these companies have connections with event locations {think farms, barns, ultra special places that you only know about if you live, work and breathe the hamptons}  you will only find by securing their services. One of our favorites is Art of Eating.

My other favorite well known spots for an East End wedding include; The Harvest on Fort Pond {I crave their food!}, The Montauk Yacht Club, Gurneys Inn, The Laundry {in the past few years they have moved to a new, larger location},  East Hampton Point, Southhampton Inn, B.Smiths and The Parish Art Museum. Just a short ride on the South Ferry will bring you to the Pridwin Hotel and the Rams Head Inn on Shelter Island.