The Mansion at Oyster Bay Reviews

I will be the first to admit that when choosing a wedding venue, I was not anticipating falling in love with the Mansion at Oyster Bay - but the second we entered the estate, I knew this was the ONLY place we should get married. The whole venue is beautiful and grand - could easily fit a 300 person wedding, and yet a 100 person wedding didn’t feel too empty at all. We also loved that we could have “full run” of the estate, which meant that the children attending our wedding had quiet time rooms their parents could take them for when the music got too loud or they got too tired. Lastly, the gorgeous drawing room with those deep rich wood walls, fireplace, and classic bar sealed the deal - a perfect space for a cocktail hour and lovely background to wedding photos.
The beauty of the venue was one thing, the folks who ran the show were somehow even better. Starting with Jennifer, the sales manager, who was so warm and welcoming and made sure we had all the information needed to plan our wedding - she was excellent, kept detailed notes of what we wanted, and ensured that on the day of the wedding - we could just relax. Mike, the maître d', went over all the notes that Jennifer and we provided and instantly knew what we wanted and how he could help our wedding day go smoothly. The bridal attendant and the rest of the Mansion’s staff were so perceptive and in tune with what we wanted - literally not a thing went wrong - everything was executed perfectly. We fully got to enjoy our day with zero stress. We could not have asked for more.
The day after, when we stopped by to pick up some of the items that were left behind/needed to be cleaned up - everything was packed up nice and neatly for us and the space was immaculate. This is a team that knows their business and does a flawless wedding (or any celebration). They are so easy to work with - you would be crazy not to have your event here.

My daughter and son in law chose The Mansion at Oyster Bay the minute they walked in. The beautiful dark wood, fireplaces, black and white floor and open staircase, had all the elements needed for a New Year’s Eve wedding. The Mansion did not disappoint! The entire staff, especially Mike our maitre’d made the nights events go smoothly! Our guests raved about how beautiful the venue was and how great the food was! Prior to our event we had made some special requests and Jennifer S, made sure it all happened. Thank you for making our daughters dream wedding a reality!

This was my dream venue. If you’re looking for a charming old mansion with a lot of character, this is your place. Pictures truly don’t do it justice. Staff is super responsive and accommodating. Everything ran smoothly without me needing to lift a finger.

Also, if you have someone in your bridal party with a physical disability, this place is super accessible. My mother doesn’t walk very well so I loved that the aisle wasn’t very long and didn’t have grass, and that everything we needed including the bridal suite was all on one floor. if you do choose to use the second floor they have an elevator to help you get up there.

They also only do one wedding/ event at a time which was a big plus for me! The mansion was ours from the time we arrived at 7:30 in the morning to when we left at 9:30 at night. I couldn’t recommend this venue more.

Lessings is a wonderful company to work with when planning your wedding, & we looked at a few of their venues before we fell in love with & decided on the Mansion at Oyster Bay. The ambiance, the food, the professionalism & attentiveness exceeded our expectations & made our wedding absolutely perfect. We will forever cherish the experience we had with them! Thank you Estee & Mike!! They were wonderful :)

My wedding was an absolute dream, and it would not have been possible without the staff at The Mansion at Oyster Bay. Steve, Skylar, Mike and Natalie were absolutely amazing to work with and helped to make our day perfect and run so smoothly. The venue itself was beautiful--it has so much charm and character, making it such a unique place to get married. Our guests have now mentioned to us several times that this was some of the best food they have ever had at a wedding. I can honestly say that there is nothing that I would change or do differently. Highly recommend!

We fell in love with the mansion instantly and it was the first and last venue we toured for our May 2022 wedding! We worked with Gary and then Doug, and both were amazing and super responsive! They guided us through the process and made everything easy for us. Mike our Maitre D was incredible, he was professional, organized, and upbeat. I never ended up hiring a day of coordinator, Mike helped me plan the timeline of the day and was there for us with whatever we needed the day of. Este my bridal attendant never left my side, she was a dream from the morning until the after party! The rest of the staff worked so hard to bring everything together and truly made the day magical. It unexpectedly rained and Mike and the team shifted everything inside quickly and made it look beautiful!! All of our guests loved everything from the cocktail hour, food, bar, and service and said it was the most romantic and stunning venue they’ve ever been to. I don’t even have the words to thank you all enough! You made it a day we will cherish forever.

My wife and I got married at the Mansion at Oyster Bay in November 2021. We originally booked for March 2021 but had to postpone due to COVID. Gary and his team were SO incredible in making the day "ours". We HIGHLY recommend the Mansion given a) the beauty of the space, b) the value, c) the staff and d) how flawlessly they executed.

We were cared for by Gary, Michael (Maitre' D), Natalie (bridal attendant) and all the rest of the staff!

My husband and I just returned home from our honeymoon and we are still in complete awe with how amazing our wedding day was! When we first visited The Mansion at Oyster Bay back in July of 2019, we were blown away by the class and pure elegance of the Mansion. We stood back scanning each room and admired the wood work, the chandeliers, and the overall décor. Leading our tour of the Mansion was the kindest, most sincere man, who we would come to appreciate and respect over the next two years to a level that cannot possibly be expressed, Gary Schneider. Gary went over everything with us about how our day would go in a way that allowed us to live the day two years before it even happened. It was more than a sales pitch, it was a story, a story from someone that we could tell was genuinely excited for us and absolutely had our best interest in mind and at heart. After the initial tour we were convinced that this was the venue for us, if not for the sheer beauty of it, then because we were certain Gary would take care of us like no other person we had met so far at any other venue. Whatever the date they had available, my (future) husband and I knew that this was going to be our venue!

Originally, our wedding date was October 17, 2020 however, sadly, COVID and the world it created had other ideas about that. We tried sticking it out as long as we could to keep that original date, but it came to a point that due to the state restrictions, we had no choice but to postpone. Gary was in constant communication with us throughout this difficult time and kept us calm and assured us that a new date was in the books if we wanted it. We pushed the decision to the end of August, 2020 and with a heavy heart made the official call to postpone. We were nervous, anxious, and upset all at once as we had heard stories from other future brides and grooms about how their venues and/or vendors had changed their prices or imposed other difficulties on them for postponing. However, we could not have had a more different experience to the ones we were hearing about. Gary took care of the change immediately and we were not penalized or forced to make any changes whatsoever. It was the easiest phone call we made in one of the most difficult and upsetting times in our relationship. Gary and his amazing staff at the Mansion made it seamless.

Our wedding took place on September 25, 2021 and the day was perfection. The weeks leading up to our day were seamless as well as we worked with Gary and his staff. From having a delicious food tasting with our parents a month before, to meeting with Gary a few weeks before to go over details for our big day, and finally to meeting Gary and our matre de’ Michael the week of the wedding to review final details. I am a type A person, so to have to trust others to plan, situate, and support me is challenging, but with Gary and Michael I felt a calm and level of trust that allowed me to enjoy my day to the fullest.

While we owe a HUGE thank you to Gary for EVERYTHING he did for us in the lead up to the big day, we owe another one to Michael, our maître d', for his amazing work executing our vision on the day of. When we first met Michael four days before our wedding, I was very nervous and skeptical about how this person, who I had never met before, could possibly understand my vision, let alone execute it on the day of with such a short amount of time to prepare. But, my worries were completely unnecessary because Michael delivered above and beyond! After actually meeting him there was an instant connection as we went through our plans, décor, and vision for the ceremony and reception. He had an amazing understanding of what we had in mind and some great ideas and suggestions about how we could improve the flow of the evening that turned out to be amazing. On the day of the wedding he was there from the beginning of the afternoon to the end of the night and we didn’t have to think once because we had complete confidence in him and he didn’t disappoint. Michael is beyond accommodating and an all-around amazing person and if he could maître d’ my day to day life, I would be a lot less stressed out!

When you think of your wedding day, you go through your checklists and confirm that you have everything you need, but one thing I didn’t know I needed, but now know I could have never lived without, was Natalie. EVERY bride needs a Natalie! Natalie was my bridal attendant, and was amazing, to say the least. She is chipper, kind hearted, and is amazing at what she does. She was there for me from the minute I arrived at the Mansion to the minute my husband and I and our families left that evening. She kept me calm and assisted my maid of honor and I in every way possible. Without Natalie my maid of honor probably would have left pulling her hair out and cursing me pretty early in the day because of all the things she would have had to put up with (like the bustling of my dress, which was so insane), but Natalie handled it all with a smile and level of care that made me feel like she was someone I had known forever. I cannot thank Natalie enough for everything that she did for me that day!

Bottom line, everyone needs a Gary, Michael, and Natalie in their lives and to have them you MUST book The Mansion at Oyster Bay.

Now, as great as everyone was in the planning and execution of our big day, everyone knows that the one thing that can make or break a wedding is the food. And let me tell you the food at the Mansion does not disappoint! The Chef did an AMAZING job cooking some of the best food any of our guests had ever had, period. The cocktail hour stations were amazing and the staff even allowed us to create our own Polish based station for cocktail hour, which was a big hit! The kitchen staff cooked so many diverse foods and all of it was delicious. Still, our guests cannot stop talking about how amazing the food was on our big day!

Choosing The Mansion at Oyster as our venue was the best decision my husband and I made throughout the entire wedding planning process. We cannot thank Lessings and the Mansion staff enough and we hope to be back in the future for other events and parties!

-Michelle & Nicholas Stankiewicz

PLACE IS DISGUSTING. MET THIS GUY GARY, WHO IS EXTREMELY RUDE AND THINKS HE IS ALL THAT!!!!! WOW!!!! FILTHY DIRTY EVERYWHERE. MENS ROOM HAD PISS ON FLOOR AND LADIES ROOM TOILET PAPER EVERYWHERE. FOOD WAS HORRIBLE!!!! TOUGH MEET, AND CHEAP VEGETABLES. APPETIZERS WOULD BE BETTER IS FROZEN FOOD FROM FRIDAYS. MAYBE THEY WERE. BEWARE!!!! GO ELSEWHERE!!!!

The Mansion at Oyster Bay is by far the most beautiful reception facility. A gorgeous old world Mansion with beautiful rooms and gorgeous grounds. Impeccable service, delicious food of every variety. At first we were suppose to have a magical winter wedding then with Covid we had a small intimate dinner party with family and re-scheduled the big party for august 2021. Management was so attentive to helping us navigate thru the COVID pandemic. Specifically Gary Who stood by our side and enabled us to host two parties. Michael our maitre’d who attended to our every need. A stress free experience and two magical nights. The Mansion at Oyster Bay is a “ must see” for anyone looking to have a beautiful wedding venue!

I do not even know where to begin when it comes to working with Gary Schneider at the Mansion at Oyster Bay. We booked the venue the first time we walked in and it was not even set up for viewings as we saw it during the height of COVID in June 2020. That speaks to how special this place truly is. Gary loves what he does and takes such pride in the venue- it was no question for us! I did not have an ounce of stress the entire process because I knew the team at the mansion would deliver. We met Michael later on in the process and he was a true gem- professional, accommodating, passionate…ugh, I could go on forever. Natalie was my bridal attendant and, as expected, she was just as wonderful! I would not change a single thing about my entire day. I also wish I could see Gary, Michael, and Natalie on a regular basis because they are each a ray of positivity you want in your life, especially on your special day. Do not think twice, this is your venue.

We got engaged in January 2019 and toured several LI venues, but after our tour with Gary, we knew the Mansion at Oyster Bay was the venue for us! Gary didn’t skip a beat during our tour and truly cared as he listened to what my parents, fiancé and I were looking for in a wedding venue. When covid hit we were left with no choice but to postpone our July 2020 wedding to July 2021. Gary and Lessings were nothing short but wonderful with changing our day. They were understanding and supportive knowing the biggest day of our lives was just turned upside-down and beyond accommodating of whatever we needed to make the new day just as incredible. Fast forward to 2021 and Gary brings Mike the maitre d into the mix to assist with the final details of the planning process, Mike and Gary are the dynamic dream duo you need on your wedding day! Every single detail, down to hourly weather updates, was seamlessly coordinated by them. The chef is equally fantastic - people are still raving about the food from our wedding! Gary and Mike have an amazing staff who truly care about making your wedding day exactly what you are looking for, by the end my parents, husband and I all said they felt like family. Run to tour this venue and snatch a date for your wedding - you will not be disappointed! After 2.5 years of planning together choosing the Mansion at Oyster Bay was one of the best decisions we made and we will miss working with Gary, Mike and the incredible staff!

I do not know where to begin. We LOVED The Mansion and all the employees before the pandemic, and honestly, we were blown away at how helpful and absolutely accommodating the team was. We had no problem rescheduling and 10months later, we are glad that we did. The primary person who we worked with was Gary Schinder, he truly made us, and my family feel like our wedding was his number one priority. He was always available with any question we had, and was always willing to assist with all of the curveballs we had to face with the pandemic. When it came time to rescheduling our day, Gary was so incredible that he even had us to keep our original date, just in case. Later on we got to meet Michael, the maître d’, and was hands down INCREDIBLE!!! Gary, Michael, and all of the staff at the Mansion were unbelievable to work and I honestly cannot say how fortunate we were to work with such an amazing team. On the day of our wedding, the staff were so attentive, caring, kind, and provided quick service whenever it was needed. My bridal attendant was so beyond helpful, attentive and overall exceed expectations! Michael was very attentive to my husband and always made sure he had a drink and had enough to eat, while also being able to keep the entire event on schedule so we had plenty of time for dancing. My bridal attendant was Essie and words cannot describe how much I LOVED HER!!! Essie was truly so attentive, helpful, kind, caring, and well more than one-step ahead. From the moment that we got there to the end of the night she was always there for whatever I needed, whether it was a drink, food, and fixing the bustle. The food at cocktail hour, dinner and dessert was amazing!!! The presentation and consistency of the food was certainly noticed by our guests and something we continued to receive compliments on from our guests even weeks later. The next day, when we went back to grab the various personal items we brought for our reception, Michael and Gary were there to greet us and were so welcoming with a huge smile on their faces. All of our stuff that we had to pick up was cleaned and packed away so neatly, I was very impressed. Michael and Gary asked us how my parents and we felt about the night and really wanted to make sure we had the time of our lives, which showed that they really cared about us. I cannot recommend the Mansion at Oyster Bay enough, this is your venue I guarantee!

- Julianne Dawes

Our daughter, Julianne, and son in law's, Gary, wedding reception at The Mansion of Oyster Bay was more beautiful than we could ever imagine and we are forever grateful for Gary and Michael's professionalism and ability to make us feel we are the most important people planning a wedding from the first day we went to the Mansion to the day after when we returned.
The wedding was planned before Covid, but during the height of Covid, Gary always made us feel at ease and suggested we pick another date "just in case" to assure they always had the safe yet perfect wedding that they wanted. We are so grateful for Gary's suggestion as we moved the date to July 2021!
From the initial interaction, to Covid discussions, to the actual planning and finally to the wedding day, Gary and Michael never wavered on making us feel we were the most important family they had ever worked with.
The Mansion on the day of the wedding reception was more beautiful than we could ever have imagined. Covid never impacted the Mansion and was as beautiful as the first day we saw the Mansion in 2019. The food presentation was picture perfect and our guests continue to tell us how incredibly delicious it all was. The staff were always there for whatever we and our guests needed from the moment we entered the mansion to the moment we left.
Gary and Michael were an incredible team that you felt all through the process believed in what they did and truly wanted to make sure the wedding is everything you had hoped for and more.
When we returned the following day, Gary and Michael were there to greet us and were as happy for us as we were. They loved hearing about our day and sharing in our joy.
We will ALWAYS be forever grateful and thankful for this incredible day our daughter, Julianne, and son in law, Gary, had on their wedding day at The Mansion of Oyster Bay.

John and Eileen

I had my daughter’s birthday party here and we had an amazing experience with the staff and the vendors. I would definitely recommend this venue to my family and friends for future events.

The mansion at oyster bay was absolutely amazing. We picked our date right before Covid hit and the entire time they kept us updated with policies and allowed us to pick a back up date if Covid restrictions were still in place on our big day. The actual venue is beautiful but the staff is also amazing. They say yes to whatever you want to make your wedding day dreams come true and pull through and make it happen. Absolutely incredible experience from the food to the service to the space. Would definitely recommend.

Having our wedding at The Mansion at Oyster Bay was the best decision we could ever make. First off they were extremely accommodating during the COVID 19 pandemic and worked with us through multiple postponements. They hosted a small dinner for our immediate family and bridal party in August 2020 when we had our ceremony, and it was perfect. We had to move our reception to June 2021 due to restrictions and we are so thankful that we were able to have the reception of our dreams this past summer. The grounds are spectualur and the food is amazing! Our guests were so impressed by the quantity and quality of the food.

Emily was amazing to work with and was extremely patient and responsive throughout the entire process, she made everything seamless and easy!

We received so many compliments from our guests on how beautiful our wedding was thanks to the beautiful grounds, amazing food, white glove service and flawless execution!

We would highly recommend this venue! A++++++++++

Thank you!
Maria & Spencer

We were married on December 14th and are still reliving the magic of The Mansion at Oyster Bay--working with them was the BEST decision we made in our wedding planning! From start to finish, Emily and the team at Oyster Bay were incredibly organized, kind and thoughtful. They were also incredibly transparent in their pricing and communication of all costs involved, which was much appreciated in our financial planning!! Emily and team were always available to answer questions and make helpful suggestions to make our day smooth and stress free. On the day of we didn't need to worry about any logistics, which allowed us to truly be present and enjoy the day--Emily, Mike (our Maître D), and Stephanie (our bridal attendant) thought of everything down to making us a plate of our (delicious!) cocktail hour food to enjoy together before rejoining our guests. And while we're on food--the cocktail hour and dinner food offerings at Oyster Bay are spectacular! There is so much variety and it is easy to offer something delicious for everyone--our guests were raving about everything for days afterward! Oyster Bay also works with and provides a delicious cake from local bakery Dortoni's, which was absolutely divine. Oyster Bay worked seamlessly with every one of our vendors and ensured that everything looked, tasted, and sounded incredible. We are so happy and would recommend that anyone in need of a wedding venue contact The Mansion at Oyster Bay!

I don't even know where to begin. The Mansion at Oyster Bay was the only venue we saw and we were in love with it from the moment we walked in the door. It is so beautiful and welcoming and the staff is even more welcoming. We first met with Gary, who gave us our initial tour. Gary is a true professional in every sense of the word. He worked with us every step of the way and clearly cares about making sure you will have an incredible wedding. I also worked with Emily, when I had questions, who was always so helpful and quick to respond to anything.
Now to the wedding day, I imagined it was going to go perfect but it truly exceeded all of our expectations. Our Maitre D was Michael and Natalie was our bridal attendant. Michael was so incredible to work with, always very calm and really made the night go so smoothly. He truly made sure every aspect went according to plan and that we were always taken care of. Natalie was an absolute angel. She held my train basically all day, got me anything I needed, took care of our 18 person bridal party and made it look so easy!! She even took such beautiful pictures of us which she sent to me afterwards. I will never forget her or any of the staff. Every guest said the food was absolutely amazing and it WAS!! I will also never forget those mini cheeseburgers. Do yourself a favor and book The Manson at Oyster Bay for your wedding or any event. They truly are worth it. I will definitely have them, or any Lessing's venue, in mind for our future events.

The Mansion at Oyster Bay exceeded our expectations in all aspects! We had guests complimenting everything from the beautiful scenery on the driveway leading up, to the gorgeous woodwork in the mansion. Our outdoor ceremony was beautiful! The food was so great that I cannot put it into words. We had guests who are chefs at other vendors make it a point to tell us that our wedding was the most delicious food they've ever had. We were able to visit the location multiple times before our wedding day to get the best visualization of where everything would be (photobooth, tables, DJ, etc). Emily (our coordinator) was prompt and knowledgeable from the first day we met. She answered emails almost immediately. When she was not completely sure about something she consulted her colleagues and got us all of the information we needed. Natalie was my attendant the day of our wedding. She was personable and sweet and had anything I needed every time I turned around. Our maitr'd was changed midway through planning, which made us nervous at first. However, Mike was unbelievable. He was eager to please us, our families and our guests. He coordinated all of our different vendors - floral setup, two photographers, two videographers, one drone, string quartet, DJ, ice sculpture setup, photobooth, cigar roller, scotch bar - I don't think that all of our ideas would have ran so smoothly without Mike's skills. I cannot say enough how much I loved our day and how amazing it was to work with The Mansion at Oyster Bay.

My husband and I got married at the Mansion at Oyster Bay in August 2019 and we are nothing but thrilled with the entire process. We signed our contract with Gary, who told us the mansion was ours for the day and we can do whatever we want to make our day special and personalized. I thought planning a wedding from Pennsylvania was going to be tough, but Gary made it seamless. He was nothing but accommodating and had us so confident in our venue choice. Every time we spoke, he made us feel like we were the only wedding being planned. We were taken care of and did not have to worry about anything.

Even three weeks after our wedding, we still have guests calling us and saying it was the best wedding they had ever been to. They are also still raving about the delicious food that was served during the cocktail hour and dinner. Every portion of the evening ran so smoothly which made Andy and I enjoy the day to its fullest. The Mansion is beautiful.. we were able to use a different space for the ceremony, cocktail hour, reception, and afterparty, which kept the day interesting and fun for our guests. Mike, our Maitre d’, was experienced, skilled, and fantastic. He organized our 22 person wedding party for the ceremony, set up the Mansion to our request and above our expectations, and was in constant communication with us, the waiting staff, our vendors, etc. Our bridal attendant, Rebecca, was also the sweetest and most helpful attendant I could’ve asked for. She helped me with everything from putting my veil on, bustling my dress, refilling my “hers” cocktail, and running to grab and help me change into my dancing shoes while I was eating!! We were ushered into the bridal suite immediately after the ceremony by Rebecca and Mike, and there were several plates of the food from the cocktail hour. We were able to have some alone time and sample the cocktail hour food before we met all of our guests! Mike and Rebecca were there for us at any given moment, and always made sure we had what we needed, and that we were happy!

I can’t express enough how smooth the day was thanks to the staff. They are all very experienced and do their job so well that we were able to just relax and take in every moment.

Every wedding is beautiful but our wedding at The Mansion at Oyster Bay on June 23 was remarkable. Gary is a wonderful human being, and extremely good at what he does. His assistant Emily is lovely to work with and was helpful throughout the entirety of the wedding planning process. And the day of --- what a special day it was with the support of Luis, our brilliant Maître d'who orchestrated every detail with a calm demeanor, rendering great success. He is as personable as he is knowledgable, and helped cultivate an evening of great joy. Rebecca, the beautiful bridal attendant was by my side the entire day ( a fellow teacher -- which explains her huge heart) -- ensuring I had every tangible thing I needed (advil, a proper bustle for my dress, water, tequila), and all the emotional support I so appreciated. The Venue is divine -- as my husband and I were given such glaring reviews about the cozy yet elegant nature of The Mansion by our guests. Words can not yield justice to all of the amazing staff who contributed their exceedingly knowledgable and gregarious efforts to creating the most flawless wedding day possible. The beauty of the grounds, the warmth of the Mansion, the kindness of each and every staff member, bartender, server, and higher up makes you feel as if you are not only supported, but you are being celebrated. Our hearts are grateful that we found the Mansion at Oyster Bay and will continue to sing its praises. The Venue embraced our Persian Cultural requests and was open and successfully accommodated our Deaf guests in attendance, ensuring that they had full accessibility. At one point, Luis mediated a last minute issue with our DJ promoting calm and demonstrating that his personality is perfect for the job that he does. The staff was also smiling the whole evening -- making us feel like they were part of our special day. A million thanks to Gary, Emily, Luis, Rebecca and the entire staff at The Mansion at Oyster Bay. You are forever etched as part of hearts and we are gleaming with gratitude.

From start to finish, the staff at the Mansion were exceptional. My mom and I are big planners, and they supported every idea and implemented it to perfection. I cannot say enough good things about Emily and Luis. They were patient, kind, and did everything possible to facilitate the perfect day. My bridal attendant was an angel and was there whenever I needed her, always behind the scenes. The food is amazing, the venue is beautiful and my family/friends cannot stop talking about how much fun they had. Thank you so much for everything! If you are thinking about booking your wedding at the Mansion at Oyster Bay, do it!!

Gary, Luis, and the entire staff at the Mansion helped to make our June wedding the most amazing day of our lives. From our first meeting all the way to our after party, everyone was very professional, knowledgeable, warm, and inviting! Everyone wanted to make sure we were happy with every choice made, and it was such a wonderful and memorable experience. Everyone raved about the food - so many options, everything was delicious and fresh! We have two big Italian families who are very picky about food and the team was more than accommodating and exceeded our expectations x 1000! I also have a severe food allergy and they went above and beyond to make sure I could eat safely at my wedding without worry. It really meant a lot to me! We cannot recommend the Mansion enough - it is an absolute must for your wedding and you will be so happy you had it here!