BOLI Preferred Venue The Vineyards at Aquebogue is nestled in Long Island’s picturesque North Fork region
Image courtesy of The Vineyards at Aquebogue
Deciding on a venue is one of the first and most important choices you’ll make as a newly-engaged bride. Whether you’re looking for something chic and sophisticated or cozy and intimate, there’s no shortage of venues that can offer the exact vibe you’re after.
However, there aren’t too many venues that have the capacity to create nearly any wedding style you could imagine – all within the same four walls. BOLI Preferred Venue The Vineyards at Aquebogue can do just that, while treating your guests to delicious local fare and providing the backdrop to breathtaking photos.
Image courtesy of The Vineyards at Aquebogue
“It’s so gorgeous, most brides don’t have to do anything extra to it.” – The Vineyards at Aquebogue
“We’re located out here on the beginning of the North Fork, with all of the farmstands and beautiful vineyards around the area,” said Kate Wiggins, sales director for The Vineyards at Aquebogue. “A lot of our couples’ guests take advantage of that on the weekend of the wedding. It’s a true ‘destination,’ but you’re not so far away that you can’t go home.”
The two main reception spaces at The Vineyards are versatile and comfortable year-round. “Cocktail hour is on our beautiful covered deck area,” Kate described. “There’s greenery and string lights on the ceiling. It’s so gorgeous, most brides don’t have to do anything extra to it. In the summertime it’s open air, so guests can walk in and out. During the off-season months, it’s fully enclosed and heated.”
Image courtesy of The Vineyards at Aquebogue
“The ballroom is connected to the cocktail space, so you’re able to open up the sliding glass doors and guests can mingle in and out throughout your wedding,” she added. “What’s great is that if you want to do a cigar bar, extra dessert station, or any of those add-on options, you can use the cocktail patio as a continuation of your party throughout the night.”
Your guests won’t be the only ones that can enjoy the serene surroundings. “We’re one wedding at a time, and couples are always impressed because everything they need is here,” Kate continued. “Brides have access to the bridal suite two hours before the wedding, which has a beautiful balcony that overlooks all of the vineyards. Couples love taking pictures up there.”
Image courtesy of The Vineyards at Aqeubogue
“There are just so many spots for pictures.” –The Vineyards at Aquebogue
Speaking of pictures, The Vineyard’s abundant beauty leaves brides with a wealth of photo opportunities. “The property itself is absolutely stunning,” Kate described. “The gardens here are very well manicured, we have two different gazebos, a waterfall with a pond, a wooden dock, the vineyards and a trail in the woods that we carved out with bistro lights in the trees; there are just so many spots for pictures.”
There are also a few other locations – and props – on the grounds that can lend themselves to truly unique wedding day photos. “There’s a Christmas tree farm on the back of our property that a lot of our winter couples take pictures near,” she detailed. “We offer a golf cart that says ‘just married’ on the back, and a lot of times the sunset will happen in the middle of the wedding. So we’ll use the golf cart since our property is so big, do a five-minute photo shoot with the sunset over the vineyards, then take the couple back in. The golf cart itself is a really fun photo op.”
Image courtesy of The Vineyards at Aquebogue
“We try to keep things local, so you feel like you’re getting the North Fork experience.” – The Vineyards at Aquebogue
Because the area is rich with local flavor and flare, The Vineyards at Aquebogue likes to keep their menu offerings close to home. “We try to keep things local, so you feel like you’re getting a true North Fork experience,” Kate explained.
“As a standard part of our wedding menu, we offer a vineyard farm-to-table station which features bites and sliders, oyster chowder, and chicken salad,” she continued. “In the fall we’ll change the oyster chowder to butternut squash. We also include Backyard Brine pickles, North Fork chips, and horseradish from the local Schmidt’s farms.”
Of course, presentation is also important to The Vineyards at Aquebogue’s staff. “We have a chalkboard right above the station with a map of all the farms that we get everything from, next to artistic black and white photos of tractors and chickens. A lot of guests that come from out of town don’t know the area, so they can enjoy the local cuisine while at the venue, and grab a bag of North Fork chips to take home or enjoy during the night.”
Image courtesy of The Vineyards at Aquebogue
The delectable offerings don’t end at cocktail hour. “We have awesome short ribs, that’s one of our most popular entrees, and it comes over mushroom risotto. We also do a pesto shrimp with lobster risotto. Our chefs are really good at risotto!”
For brides that want something extra, The Vineyards at Aquebogue has several distinctive options. “Our Briermere Farms pie station has three different choices of pie with ice cream, fresh whipped cream, and berries on the side. We also offer a North Fork farmstand dessert bar with hot apple cider, local apple strudel, and ‘potato candy’ from 1760 Homestead Farm – it’s a coconut candy coated with dark chocolate.”
“I like when people do something different.” –The Vineyards at Aquebogue
When asked about a recent memorable wedding, it was hard for Kate to pinpoint a specific event. “We obviously see so many weddings every year,” she explained. “I like when people do something different. Changing out the linens to their personalized color scheme or choosing extravagant floral arrangements both make a huge impact in the space. ”
She further detailed a trend that developed after the COVID pandemic. “One of the most popular things that couples started doing is decorating the ceiling in the ballroom. They’ll do heavy greenery which gives things a very romantic feel. I’ve also seen chiffon drapes hung from the ceiling, and those big installations always make such an impact in photos – the marquee letters, the sparkler towers, those over-the-top details that people remember.”
Image courtesy of The Vineyards at Aquebogue
“Think about yourself in that moment.” – The Vineyards at Aquebogue
Kate had some valuable words of advice for brides of Long Island. “There are so many beautiful venues on Long Island and it’s hard to choose sometimes. If there are certain details that are important to you and you’re stumped, think about yourself in that moment. The dress you’re wearing, the flowers you’re holding, the colors that your girls are in, on the center of the dance floor at your first dance. Are you a fairy tale princess in a ball gown at Bourne Mansion, or do you see yourself embracing your own beautiful style, surrounded by nature and the charm of a vineyard? Visualizing it this way can often help you decide.”
When you’re shopping for anything big, you want to make sure you’ve made the right decision,” she followed. “It’s one of the biggest days of your life and you don’t want any regrets. You want to see all the options to make sure you’ve made the right decision.”
Whether you’re looking for something chic and sophisticated or cozy and intimate, The Vineyards at Aquebogue could be the perfect venue for your dream wedding.
