Dan's Papers - September 26, 2008 - Weddings by the Sea, Montauk Style

Marriage is a very special event in one's life. It only seems natural that a very special event should take place in an equally special place like Montauk. Each year, hundreds of couples tie the knot at the variety of prime establishments Montauk has for weddings. Brides and grooms, along with wedding parties, are seen all over Montauk taking wonderful wedding pictures. The beaches, sunsets, dunes, natural beauty, plus the cache of Montauk itself seem to draw couples to the village. The magic is always in the air in Montauk. A wedding only adds to the enormous electricity so many feel when they roll into town.

Gurney's Inn, on Old Montauk Highway, is famous for its beach weddings. It has a wonderful spa and seasoned kitchen that only adds to their spacious and scenic layout facing the Atlantic Ocean. When your limo tucks into the Gurney's parking lot up above the Atlantic Ocean, you know you have arrived at a prime destination. Weddings at Gurney's have a very unique feel to them. Gurney's Inn is about family. It's a dream wedding location that becomes a reality with world-class people who never give less than world-class service.

The Montauk Yacht Club (MYC), located on Star Island Road, off West Lake Drive, is yet another favorite for a luxurious wedding. With large charter boats available, as well as a historic dining room, the posh club, with a backdrop of huge, 40-plus foot yachts neatly tucked into their slips, always draws people in. The MYC always delivers the sizzle to make a wedding feel like it should. The people at the MYC are very capable of sending one over the top. Featuring great food and service, they have a reputation for taking care of the very rich. Miguel David, director of catering, brought me up to the wedding planning conference room, which had various types of wedding table settings that ranged from white satin to wonderful blues. He explained how their dedicated wedding event planner is world-class and responsive to every question, need and desire the couple may have. There were hundreds of manuals and other information displayed in the room on tables, as well as fantastically framed photos on the wall of weddings that had taken place at the MYC to help set the mood. David said the MYC handles about one wedding per week. They can accommodate between 75 and 1,000 guests. The beauty of MYC is that everything can be done all on the grounds meaning, housing for guests, with over 107 newly renovated luxury guest rooms, pre-wedding rehearsal dinners and post wedding receptions all on the luxurious grounds that Carl Fisher, the founder of Montauk, picked out. He ranged the price per person from $139 to their deluxe package at $299.

Crows Nest Inn is another favorite for weddings. The great food and the ambiance of looking out at their lake only lend to the quaint feeling of privacy and thus makes it a choice location. The sunsets there are spectacular and the rented rooms allow dogs. The parking is easy and, being right on Route 27, it's another easy place to find. Their chef has a very loyal following.

Montauk Manor is another sturdy location, with its elegance, history and high ground atmosphere. Walking through the thick walled rooms give someone about to get married a very safe and secure feeling. The views of Montauk from the hill are breathtaking. Back in the roaring '20s, this was a very favorite spot for weddings.

East by North East is the perfect place for those who want to be out of the spotlight, but still treated extremely special. The panoramic view of Fort Pond and it has the capacity to easily handle up to 200 people never disappoints. In fact, a wedding there has a special ambiance that punctuates the total Montauk experience. It's a place where taking the vows also makes you vow to come back.

The landmarks such as the Montauk lighthouse, the beautiful bluffs with an endless string of pearls like waves rolling into a shore of the purest sand only entices one to walk into the water, even in a tuxedo, hopefully with shoes off and the pants rolled up. The wedding dress is pulled up to feel the blessing and cleansing of the mighty salt water of the great ocean. And there are so many places for guests to stay if they chose to not stay at the inns. For years, many have partied at Montauk bars, waiting to attend someone's wedding. And who doesn't ever want to stop off at The Harvest for a drink and, perhaps, that perfect Montauk fish dinner? The magic is everywhere in Montauk and almost everyone comes back.

It's not the end, but the beginning location of a married couple's life. It's a hamlet rich in tradition and history. After all, with the fishing, dining, golf, tennis, surfing, beaches, nightlife, wildlife, landmarks, the scenic roads and, of course, the sunsets, sunrises and nightly performance of the stars in the sky, Montauk delivers big time, all the time.