As amazing as the East Wind was for our annual soiree, it’s an even better choice for your wedding day.
(Photo courtesy of Life Art Photographers)
While wedding planning can be stressful, it can also be fun. This is why the Brides of Long Island holds its annual soirée every year! One, we want our brides to kick back and enjoy themselves. And two, we just love planning weddings! Which is why choosing the perfect venue is key. Each year, we tour Long Island’s most beautiful venues to find the best spot to bring our vision to life. And this year, the Estate at East Wind, a BOLI preferred vendor, was the ideal place to host our Kentucky Derby-themed soirée.
“We were thrilled to host the BOLI soirée this year,” says Charlotte Cote, director of marketing at East Wind Long Island. “The Estate at East Wind is our premiere property, and we couldn’t wait to see it transformed with this year’s theme – and filled with BOLI members.”
But just how did we settle on the Estate at the East Wind – especially when the East Wind has so many options for brides to have their weddings? First, we chose our theme. We had this idea for the Kentucky Derby, and how exactly we wanted to decorate. We also knew so many of our lovely brides were going to want to attend – so we needed a space that could accommodate hundreds of them.
(Photo courtesy of Life Art Photographers)
“Once we choose our theme, it’s a matter of how we get to bring that theme to life,” says Heather Cunningham, founder of BOLI. “We knew the Estate at East Wind would be the perfect place to help us throw the best Kentucky Derby-themed party for our brides.”
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One of the great things about the Estate is that you have the whole venue to yourself – which was key for our soirée. By hosting one wedding at a time, their dedicated staff is focused solely on catering to their brides and grooms.
“When brides choose the Estate at East Wind, they can rest assured that our staff will be waiting on them throughout their entire wedding day,” says Cote. “We have the best staff that handles everything, all brides have to do is relax and enjoy themselves.”
The building itself features an outdoor area for a ceremony, and a very spacious area that is both indoors and outside for the cocktail hour – which means plenty of seating for all of your guests. We knew that this space was going to be perfect to set up all of the generous raffles donated by our preferred vendors. The reception area has plenty of room for up to 300 guests with a spacious dance floor to get your groove on all night. There’s also space for a photo booth or any other fun extras you can dream up for your big day.
(Photo courtesy of Life Art Photographers)
Some other amazing features of the estate include the beautiful foyer where guests can sit to take a breather from dancing or just warm up by the fireplace in the colder months. And the Estate at East Wind has its own parking lot, so guests can run out to their car if they forget something – that is if they can tear themselves away from the amazing wedding fun!
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But let’s talk about food! While space is always key when we plan our soirée, so is the food! And the food at the East Wind does not disappoint. The cocktail hour alone features so many food options that your guests won’t even know where to begin! To start, we suggest the Asian station! From the veggie spring rolls to the stir-fry steak or chicken, guests are sure to come back for seconds. Or maybe they’ll head to the American station, complete with corned beef or pastrami sliders and pretzel twists and fries. And we can’t forget the delicious Italian station that features two pasta choices and out of this world stromboli and garlic knots! Of course, these are just some of the few options that the East Wind offers when it comes to the cocktail hour.
(Photo courtesy of Life Art Photographers)
“The food at East Wind Long Island is just off the charts,” says Cunningham. “I was so excited to share this space with our brides so they could see just all that the Estate at East Wind has to offer!”
Dinner choices are also important – from the New York strip steak to the grilled pork chop – you can’t really choose wrong when it comes to entrees. The best part? Guests don’t have to worry about choosing just one entrée. At East Wind, they offer seconds of the entire menu for you and your guests to enjoy.
And we can’t forget dessert! We suggest the ice cream bar where guests can make their own sundaes (and go back for more if there’s room)!
While the Estate at East Wind was the perfect choice for our BOLI soirée this year, it’s an even better choice for your wedding.
“The Estate at East Wind offers a rustic charm with modern luxuries,” Cunningham says. “Something that was important not only for our soirée this year, but also for our brides’ wedding days.”
(Photo courtesy of Life Art Photographers)
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Aside from the delicious food and the beautiful space, the staff at East Wind Long Island is a pleasure to work with. They were great at communicating with us throughout the planning process, answering all of our questions in a timely manner. When it came time to pick the menu, it was so tough with so many delicious options, our consultants helped us choose the best ones. Of course, they were so accommodating with any of our special soiree requests. And on that night, the bartenders were fast and friendly, and the day of staff went above and beyond to make our night great, which is so important for all our brides. We know that you’ll be in great hands on your wedding day at the Estate at East Wind.
(Photo courtesy of Life Art Photographers)
