An Indoor Butterfly Garden, Several Hotel Options Make Atlantis Banquets & Events the Perfect Winter Wedding Destination

With a boozy hot chocolate station and unique indoor photo opportunities, Atlantis Banquets & Events offers a warm welcome for winter brides.

Winter is coming. But that doesn’t mean that brides need to wait until the warmer months for the perfect wedding date. In fact, having a winter wedding could be perfect for you. There’s better availability on dates, lower hotel costs for your guests and even lower prices at venues. You can get all of this AND more at Atlantis Banquets & Events, a BOLI preferred vendor, in Riverhead, plus so much more, which makes it the perfect Long Island winter wedding destination.

Endless Indoor Photo Opportunities

Photos are a big part of any wedding day, so making sure there are different locations throughout a venue is important. At Atlantis Banquets & Events, your photo opportunities are endless. To start, they have an indoor butterfly garden, which offers amazing photos with tropical flowers, plants and, of course, butterflies. “If you wanted photos with beautiful, unique flowers in January, the butterfly garden is a great option for brides,” says Director of Marketing at Atlantis Banquets & Events Darlene Puntillo. “You won’t find that anywhere else.”

Some other unique spots around Atlantis Banquets & Events are the coral reef, the shark tunnel and the waterfall up on the bridge. Any of the fish habitats located throughout the aquarium are also the perfect backdrop for your wedding photos. And don’t forget the penguins! When it’s cold outside, the penguins head indoors too, which means one will be waiting for you to take photos with him if you so choose. And as a bonus, he’ll be tuxedo ready for you! (Note: The penguin experience, the butterfly garden and other experiences are an additional cost.)

For brides looking for more traditional wedding photos, Atlantis Banquets & Events Director of Sales Tony Cotignola suggests using the grand staircase, the Sea Star Ballroom and the balcony overlooking the chandelier. “The area of the Sea Star building can be illuminated in any color you want, making it the perfect background for your photos,” says Cotignola.

MORE: Learn more about the different rooms and experiences at Atlantis Banquets & Events

Four On-Site Hotel Options

Winter brides may worry about inclement weather. But they won’t have to worry about their guests’ safety with four choices of Atlantis Banquets & Events property hotels. In fact, Cotignola says Atlantis brides have a first choice of discounted room blocks at the Hyatt Place, which is literally right next door to the venue. “Couples also get a complimentary room on their wedding night, with a complimentary amenity,” he says. Also on-site is the Waterfront Suite located in the Treasure Cove Marina. It is a one-bedroom suite with a living room, kitchen and dining room, perfect for you and bridal party to spend the night and be on location in the morning to get ready.

“What’s really great about our hotel options [is that] you don’t have to worry if your guests will make it during inclement weather,” says Cotignola. “They can arrive the day before, and they’re guaranteed to be there to see you say ‘I do.’”

For something more intimate and cozy, right across the street are the Preston House & Hotel and the Howell House. Preston’s is an upscale boutique hotel with a farm-to-table restaurant. And for an exclusive experience, you can rent the entire Howell House, which can accommodate up to 12 guests, and has a fireplace to keep warm on the cold winter nights.

If you stay at one of the hotels across the street, the staff at Atlantis Banquets & Events will ensure that you make it safely to the venue, on time and dry. “Our bridal attendants and maître ds have umbrellas for our brides, and we do have a shuttle, if needed during rainy or snowy weather,” says Cotignola.

Warm Winter Enhancements

What better way to warm up than hot chocolate? During the colder months, Atlantis Banquets & Events offers a boozy hot chocolate station that is guaranteed to impress your guests and keep them warm. Atlantis Banquets & Events Director of Food & Beverage Daniel Lanieri says brides can also enhance their cocktail hour or desserts with a caramel apple dipping station or a s’mores station. “And as always, we offer our local food pairing and craft beverage station that is always themed for the season,” says Lanieri.

A good, hearty cocktail hour station is the bacon bar – which is always a crowd favorite, as well as the mashed potato bar. Another fun station that is a great way to warm up – the grilled cheese and tomato soup shots! And for dinner, ask about the pork porterhouse with sherried apples. With a unique menu that is sure to please any wedding party, the possibilities are endless for those warm, hearty meals during the colder months.

Perfect for Any Budget

The best part about Atlantis Banquets & Events is that everything they have to offer is offered all year round. In fact, as long as the weather is cooperating, you might even be able to take photos or have a ceremony outside in the winter months. The grounds of Atlantis Banquets & Events are beautiful and unique to every season. “And when it comes to a budget, we work with brides to make sure they have the wedding of their dreams no matter the season,” says Cotignola. “In fact, we consider our wedding prices economical in the sense that you will have the exact same wedding experience during the off-wedding season months at a better cost.”

Whether you are looking for a unique wedding with the aquarium, or just a more classic wedding feel in the Sea Star Ballroom, Atlantis Banquets & Events has everything you need.

MORE: Looking for a fall wedding destination? See all that Atlantis has to offer.