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Quality of service
5.0 out of 5 rating
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Average response time
5.0 out of 5 rating
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Professionalism
5.0 out of 5 rating
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Value
4.0 out of 5 rating
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Flexibility
5.0 out of 5 rating
You’ve probably never heard of Trumpets at the Gate. I certainly hadn’t. And I now can’t remember how I came upon it in the first place, but I am so happy I did. I cannot imagine having had the perfect wedding I had anywhere else.
Trumpets is the perfect venue for a small, intimate wedding. They only require a minimum of 60 people and can accept up to 120. So quite small, compared to the typical Long Island warehouse-like catering halls with minimums starting at 120! We had just over 70 people at our wedding, and the size of the room was absolutely perfect; we didn’t feel or look lost in a gigantic room. I can easily imagine one more table of ten, maybe two, but not much more (I think 120 people would feel a little cramped). They only do one affair at a time, so their full attention is entirely on that one event (and you won’t run into another bride in the restroom!).
I wanted our guests to feel as if they were on vacation for the evening; Trumpets hit that mark perfectly. I can only describe the feel of the venue as “beach elegant” (think beachy-without-the-beach). The back deck (where cocktail hour is served) is right on the water, with boats passing by regularly. The deck almost looks like driftwood, and there is beach grass and hydrangeas growing on the side of the building. The main room offers gorgeous views of the bay, with windows on three sides. Between the windows, the high ceilings and the beautiful chandelier, the room feels spacious and light. In my opinion, a lot of the other venues in the area go for the over-the-top (sometimes even gaudy) look, with heavy drapes, ornate decorations and numerous gold-framed mirrors. If you prefer that look, Trumpets will be too simple for you. But if you like effortless style, you must make an appointment.
Trumpets is family owned and operated. It is obvious that this family prides themselves on making each event special. They definitely achieved that goal with our wedding! Lance, one of the owners and our main contact, was helpful throughout the process (without being pushy!). It was clear to us right away that he loves what he does. He knows his kitchen, and the recommendations he made were excellent. When I asked if they could serve Sauvignon Blanc instead of Chardonnay (which tastes like dirty socks to me), he immediately had a case put aside for our evening and made sure the bartenders knew to automatically serve it to the bride (me!). The forecast for that day was iffy at best (and by iffy I mean hot-as-hell-with-a-chance-of-storm), so Lance kept a very close eye on the radar all day to ensure his staff set everything up accordingly so we wouldn’t end up with a disaster.
The unpretentious white-glove service Trumpets offers is excellent. The staff is very attentive. While they do not have a bridal attendant that will follow the bride around to hold her champagne glass (and whatever else bridal attendants do), they have Lori, the maitre d’. Everyone should have a Lori. Lori is fantastic! Beforehand, she spent a lot of time answering my questions both in person and on the phone, without ever showing any impatience or exasperation (which I am sure she felt; I was quite needy). She listened to what I wanted, and set everything up in that way. The day of, she checked in on us throughout the evening and made sure we had the chance to taste a little of everything (more on that below). She directed her staff perfectly (even getting down on the floor to inspect the cleanliness of the dance floor after a glass had been dropped). At the end of the night, she gathered and packed up everything we left behind so we could easily swing by the next morning and pick them up. She made sure that the evening ran smoothly and, largely thanks to her I am sure, it did.
Now, to the food… When I go to a wedding, I don’t expect much from the food to be honest. I make sure to eat plenty during cocktail hour (my favorite!), and then barely pick at my entrée. The choices are quite similar from catering hall to catering hall. While the dishes are edible, they aren’t often memorable. I didn’t expect Trumpets to be any different, but they proved me wrong (I don’t admit that very often). They don’t offer a tasting, but we had the opportunity to eat at their restaurant next door, Trumpets on the Bay, about a month before the wedding. This is when we started to get excited.
The choices are laid out in the typical way. Pick three from this page, six from that column, etc… In addition to the various options we selected for cocktail hour (the duck tostada is a must!), we also upgraded to include the shellfish display. It wasn’t the huge boat filled with shrimp cocktail and crab legs that I’ve seen at other weddings, as Trumpets does believe in moderation, but it was very appropriate for the moment (as a reminder, cocktail hour is on the water). I didn’t get to eat much at this time, but thanks to Lori, I did have a plate waiting for me in the bridal suite (which by the way, is on the modest side) and was thrilled with each bite. While the quantity of food was not overwhelming, it was abundant and the quality was high.
And for dinner, again there are options: soup and salad (the Trumpets salad was a great choice), or cold appetizer (the prosciutto and fruit was more fruit and salad than it was prosciutto). And then, the entrée. Meat, poultry and fish, as usual. We went with the more traditional Filet Mignon for the meat. This seemed to be what most people ordered. I didn’t taste it (not much of a meat eater), but hubby said it was fantastic. Instead of going with a chicken dish, we decided to offer Long Island Duck, since that was an option. I was able to taste that, and thought it was excellent. To be honest, I do not remember the last time I had such good duck. For the fish option, we picked the Sesame-Encrusted Salmon with a wasabi sauce. It. Was. Amazing. Perfectly cooked and moist. I would be thrilled to order this in a restaurant any time, and would rave about it for days. Each of the three entrée option was outstanding (I may be biased, but I did see a lot of empty plates!). Definitely memorable.
Then comes the cake. We could choose between Trumpets’ in-house baker or an outside baker who uses fondant for something a little more modern. We aren’t really dessert people, so we asked Lance for his opinion. He mentioned that people try to order cakes for their special events from Trumpets even when the event is not at Trumpets, because the in-house baker is very good. We trusted Lance completely, and even had him recommend the flavor, the icing, etc… All I did was send him a photo of what I wanted the cake to look like. Not only did we end up with a delicious white vanilla cake with fresh raspberry filling and buttercream icing, the baker achieved the desired look of the cake perfectly.
In regard to the cost… All of this awesomeness doesn’t come cheap… Trumpets is definitely pricier than the other venues we looked at (although I am sure nowhere close to the most expensive on the island, and still less expensive than Manhattan). That being said, the end result was well worth every penny we spent. I really do believe that you get what you pay for, and in this case, I am happy we paid more.
Overall, I could not be happier with our wedding at Trumpets. I wouldn’t dream of changing anything about the décor, the food, the staff, or anything else related to the venue, and will be recommending them for years to come.
The bottom line is:
Trumpets offers a gorgeous and exceptional setting for a wedding.
The food is restaurant quality, in other words super delicious.
The staff is professional and very accommodating.
Trumpets did not just meet, they exceeded all of our expectations by far!
You’ve probably never heard of Trumpets at the Gate. I certainly hadn’t. And I now can’t remember how I came upon it in the first place, but I am so happy I did. I cannot imagine having had the perfect wedding I had anywhere else.
Trumpets is the perfect venue for a small, intimate wedding. They only require a minimum of 60 people and can accept up to 120. So quite small, compared to the typical Long Island warehouse-like catering halls with minimums starting at 120! We had just over 70 people at our wedding, and the size of the room was absolutely perfect; we didn’t feel or look lost in a gigantic room. I can easily imagine one more table of ten, maybe two, but not much more (I think 120 people would feel a little cramped). They only do one affair at a time, so their full attention is entirely on that one event (and you won’t run into another bride in the restroom!).
I wanted our guests to feel as if they were on vacation for the evening; Trumpets hit that mark perfectly. I can only describe the feel of the venue as “beach elegant” (think beachy-without-the-beach). The back deck (where cocktail hour is served) is right on the water, with boats passing by regularly. The deck almost looks like driftwood, and there is beach grass and hydrangeas growing on the side of the building. The main room offers gorgeous views of the bay, with windows on three sides. Between the windows, the high ceilings and the beautiful chandelier, the room feels spacious and light. In my opinion, a lot of the other venues in the area go for the over-the-top (sometimes even gaudy) look, with heavy drapes, ornate decorations and numerous gold-framed mirrors. If you prefer that look, Trumpets will be too simple for you. But if you like effortless style, you must make an appointment.
Trumpets is family owned and operated. It is obvious that this family prides themselves on making each event special. They definitely achieved that goal with our wedding! Lance, one of the owners and our main contact, was helpful throughout the process (without being pushy!). It was clear to us right away that he loves what he does. He knows his kitchen, and the recommendations he made were excellent. When I asked if they could serve Sauvignon Blanc instead of Chardonnay (which tastes like dirty socks to me), he immediately had a case put aside for our evening and made sure the bartenders knew to automatically serve it to the bride (me!). The forecast for that day was iffy at best (and by iffy I mean hot-as-hell-with-a-chance-of-storm), so Lance kept a very close eye on the radar all day to ensure his staff set everything up accordingly so we wouldn’t end up with a disaster.
The unpretentious white-glove service Trumpets offers is excellent. The staff is very attentive. While they do not have a bridal attendant that will follow the bride around to hold her champagne glass (and whatever else bridal attendants do), they have Lori, the maitre d’. Everyone should have a Lori. Lori is fantastic! Beforehand, she spent a lot of time answering my questions both in person and on the phone, without ever showing any impatience or exasperation (which I am sure she felt; I was quite needy). She listened to what I wanted, and set everything up in that way. The day of, she checked in on us throughout the evening and made sure we had the chance to taste a little of everything (more on that below). She directed her staff perfectly (even getting down on the floor to inspect the cleanliness of the dance floor after a glass had been dropped). At the end of the night, she gathered and packed up everything we left behind so we could easily swing by the next morning and pick them up. She made sure that the evening ran smoothly and, largely thanks to her I am sure, it did.
Now, to the food… When I go to a wedding, I don’t expect much from the food to be honest. I make sure to eat plenty during cocktail hour (my favorite!), and then barely pick at my entrée. The choices are quite similar from catering hall to catering hall. While the dishes are edible, they aren’t often memorable. I didn’t expect Trumpets to be any different, but they proved me wrong (I don’t admit that very often). They don’t offer a tasting, but we had the opportunity to eat at their restaurant next door, Trumpets on the Bay, about a month before the wedding. This is when we started to get excited.
The choices are laid out in the typical way. Pick three from this page, six from that column, etc… In addition to the various options we selected for cocktail hour (the duck tostada is a must!), we also upgraded to include the shellfish display. It wasn’t the huge boat filled with shrimp cocktail and crab legs that I’ve seen at other weddings, as Trumpets does believe in moderation, but it was very appropriate for the moment (as a reminder, cocktail hour is on the water). I didn’t get to eat much at this time, but thanks to Lori, I did have a plate waiting for me in the bridal suite (which by the way, is on the modest side) and was thrilled with each bite. While the quantity of food was not overwhelming, it was abundant and the quality was high.
And for dinner, again there are options: soup and salad (the Trumpets salad was a great choice), or cold appetizer (the prosciutto and fruit was more fruit and salad than it was prosciutto). And then, the entrée. Meat, poultry and fish, as usual. We went with the more traditional Filet Mignon for the meat. This seemed to be what most people ordered. I didn’t taste it (not much of a meat eater), but hubby said it was fantastic. Instead of going with a chicken dish, we decided to offer Long Island Duck, since that was an option. I was able to taste that, and thought it was excellent. To be honest, I do not remember the last time I had such good duck. For the fish option, we picked the Sesame-Encrusted Salmon with a wasabi sauce. It. Was. Amazing. Perfectly cooked and moist. I would be thrilled to order this in a restaurant any time, and would rave about it for days. Each of the three entrée option was outstanding (I may be biased, but I did see a lot of empty plates!). Definitely memorable.
Then comes the cake. We could choose between Trumpets’ in-house baker or an outside baker who uses fondant for something a little more modern. We aren’t really dessert people, so we asked Lance for his opinion. He mentioned that people try to order cakes for their special events from Trumpets even when the event is not at Trumpets, because the in-house baker is very good. We trusted Lance completely, and even had him recommend the flavor, the icing, etc… All I did was send him a photo of what I wanted the cake to look like. Not only did we end up with a delicious white vanilla cake with fresh raspberry filling and buttercream icing, the baker achieved the desired look of the cake perfectly.
In regard to the cost… All of this awesomeness doesn’t come cheap… Trumpets is definitely pricier than the other venues we looked at (although I am sure nowhere close to the most expensive on the island, and still less expensive than Manhattan). That being said, the end result was well worth every penny we spent. I really do believe that you get what you pay for, and in this case, I am happy we paid more.
Overall, I could not be happier with our wedding at Trumpets. I wouldn’t dream of changing anything about the décor, the food, the staff, or anything else related to the venue, and will be recommending them for years to come.
The bottom line is:
Trumpets offers a gorgeous and exceptional setting for a wedding.
The food is restaurant quality, in other words super delicious.
The staff is professional and very accommodating.
Trumpets did not just meet, they exceeded all of our expectations by far!
