From a premiere Estate to a rustic vineyard, East Wind Long Island caters to whatever brides want for their wedding.
Carousel at the Shoppes at East Wind Long Island. (Photo courtesy of Life Art Photographers)
When you visit East Wind Long Island, a BOLI preferred vendor, you are immediately wow’d by how beautiful the property is. From the main Inn, with its two ballrooms (that can be converted into the Grand Ballroom), the Veranda, a spa and Desmond’s restaurant, to the Estate, Vineyards and, of course, the Shoppes, you really do have it all in one venue. Whatever size guest list you have, and whatever theme or style you want, you’re bound to find a space at East Wind Long Island that will match exactly what you’re looking for.
A Community Staple
East Wind Long Island Owner Ken Barra says he has been in the North Fork community for almost 50 years. He started in the food business with a pizzeria. From there, he says his restaurant grew and started hosting parties. “I knew I had to find something else to host events,” says Ken. “We purchased a Knights of Columbus in the early 90s, and that’s how I started in the wedding business.”
Ken says East Wind Long Island is a labor of love. “There’s no way you can be here with that amount of time, if you don’t love what you’re doing.” And he really enjoys the business. Since the 90s, Ken has expanded East Wind Long Island into what it is today – 28 acres filled with beautiful spaces for weddings, shoppes, restaurants and even a carousel.
East Wind Long Island is a family-owned business, so when you book with them, you become part of the family. In fact, Ken says that a lot of his team has been with him from the very beginning. “We’re all trying to achieve the same goal.” And that goal? Making sure couples have the best day of their lives!
Cocktail room at the Estate. (Photo courtesy of ADA Studio)
Plenty of Choices
East Wind Long Island has five beautiful spaces for brides to choose from. Each space has different capacities, with different décor, and different price points. Inside the Inn are three different spaces, the Northampton, the Southampton and the Veranda. The Northampton and Southampton can hold between 250 – 300 – so they are perfect for larger parties. According to Ken, if you need an even larger space, you can open up those rooms into the Grand Ballroom, which can fit up to 1,200 guests with a full dance floor. Then, upstairs in the Inn is the Veranda, which has an outdoor balcony and can hold up to 140 guests.
There are other separate spaces at East Wind Long Island. The Vineyards has a more rustic feel, can hold up to 150 guests, and is an actual working vineyard. However, according to Director of Marketing Charlotte Coté, they are just hosting weddings right now, but the grapes are coming in. “The one thing that’s nice about the vineyards is we don’t charge a site fee,” says Ken.
The vines near the Vineyards. (Photo courtesy of Life Art Photographers)
Finally, there’s East Wind Long Island’s premiere property, the Estate. “It’s over 14,000-square-feet with two different cocktail rooms, plus a full outdoor patio,” says Ken. “It also features high ceilings with plenty of windows and skylights throughout.” It can hold up to 300 guests, and will be the home to the BOLI Soiree in July! “We’re really looking forward to that,” says Ken.
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And the great thing about the Vineyards and the Estate is that they are completely separate buildings with their own parking and catering. They both offer one wedding at a time, according to Charlotte. And while there could be more than one wedding at the Inn, Ken assures his brides that with the entrances on the opposite side of the buildings, everything is completely separate.
Reception room of the Veranda. (Photo courtesy of ADA Studio)
Make It a Weekend Celebration
When you plan your wedding at East Wind Long Island, no matter the space, you have so much more at your fingertips. You could actually plan an entire wedding weekend celebration – complete with spa days and hotel stays. Inside the Inn are the hotel rooms, as well as Desmond’s restaurant, the spa and North Fork Bridal Shoppe, a BOLI preferred vendor. Ken suggests hosting your rehearsal dinner or even a morning after breakfast at Desmond’s. Or if you want to keep the wedding party going, you have the option to extend time in your space or head over to Desmond’s for an after party.
In addition, there are the Shoppes right next door. There you can find any vendor you need for your wedding. From a photographer and florist to a jeweler and Ruggero’s Restaurant, which is great for rehearsal dinners.
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And if you’re looking for beautiful – and fun pictures, “We have 28 acres that are manicured specifically for pictures,” says Ken. Plus, they have a Carousel over at the Shoppes. “Brides love going over there and taking pictures on the carousel.”
East Wind Long Island does offer all-inclusive packages, which include a DJ, flowers, photographer and overnight accommodations at the Inn. In addition, they have a bunch of preferred vendors that they work with. And they do offer special pricing for room blocks for guests.
Outdoor ceremony area. (Photo courtesy of Lighthouse Photography Dream Weddings)
Anything You Want
Ken says that East Wind Long Island is always changing with what is popular. In fact, he says when he used to tour the spaces with potential East Wind couples, he’d listen to the questions they had and make notes of things they were interested in for possible future changes. “We change with the times. Our Vineyard was the Cottage, then it was the Gardens,” says Ken. “When the vineyards became popular, we changed it again.”
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Both Ken and Charlotte recall over the years they’ve had horses at some weddings. And a long time ago, they say they had an elephant for an Indian wedding.
Basically anything goes (within reason, of course) when you plan your wedding at East Wind Long Island. Ken recalls a bride recently wanted to have her wedding in the parking lot! “So, we put up a tent in the parking lot,” says Ken. “Whatever you want. You want it on the roof? Let’s go!”
Whatever space you choose, no matter what ideas you come up with, Charlotte says brides should never be worried about their wedding day. “Let us do the work,” she says. “We have the best staff that handles everything. Just relax and enjoy the day.”
View of the Veranda. (Photo courtesy of ADA Studio)
