Pavilion at Sunken Meadow

isioned it. Thank you for your kindness and expertise Nicole. Our guests gave us raving reviews over the whole day. The new bridal suite was the most exciting thing especially for a party as big as ours. The biggest shout out to Julio and Helen for always having a drink in our hand and making sure that my husband and I made time for moments with each other. Thank you to Lessing’s and the entire staff for making it the best day of our lives.

ou just cannot beat the ambiance, the views, the boardwalk, ALL OF IT ! It is affordable too. We cannot stop talking about how beautiful and bad ass the whole day was. THANK YOU to the Pavilion for making this the most memorable day of all time. Even though he got stage fright at the last minute, they were even going to let us bring our pet pig to the ceremony. We had a wish lantern lighting that went off perfectly. We are GUSHING with joy. Oh and the food! EVERYTHING - perfection. Thanks Helen and Julio and Nicole. - Emily & Joe (10/5/18)

e. The words "high maintenance" or "bridezilla" could never accurately describe who I am or was throughout this process. I think I had pretty realistic expectations and a relatively laid-back attitude. But what I wasn't at all expecting was for Lessing's to take advantage of my low-key demeanor by doing the bare minimum required. My husband and I chose the Pavilion primarily due to it's location. The warning signs were there upon the first meeting with the GM; while he seemed to be a really nice guy I wasn't thrilled with his lackadaisical attitude - it just didn't leave me feeling confident that he could handle a once-in-a-lifetime event. But we were excited about the location so we turned a blind eye to everything else. We initially had a lot of issues with the contract - incorrect dates, a tent rental fee that we were told would be waived, a buffet style menu when we had asked for a sit-down dinner, etc. Trying to resolve these issues was like pulling teeth. The menu tasting also left a lot to be desired. We were made to feel, both at the menu tasting and pretty much throughout the entire time leading up to and on the day of our wedding, that we were inconveniencing everyone simply by our presence. At the tasting we were only presented with 3 entrees, which, considering our contract only allowed for 3 entrees, wasn't really all that helpful in our decision making (we ended up going with entrees because they "sounded" good). The rehearsal (that again made us feel we were inconveniencing them by insisting on having) was not at all indicative of even the lowest level of expertise on the part of Lessing's. While I tried to laugh it off at the time, the maitre d' made a snide comment about me being "one of THOSE brides" (eye roll included) because I suggested that my bridesmaids stand on the side that would be better for me in pictures. While it was likely intended as a joke, when put into the context of her demeanor and personality, it definitely felt more like a personal dig. Fast-forward to the day of the wedding. The aisle runner that comes standard with an on-site ceremony? Never laid out. The chairs were set up but one was left up at the arch and for reasons unknown stayed there throughout the entire ceremony, making it's way into all of our priceless wedding pictures. We heard from our guests that the bartenders had a nasty attitude. My mom had to put the cake topper on herself because the staff left it sitting next to the cake. And what irks me the most: we had not one but TWO maitre d's - and yet couldn't seem to find either for the majority of the night which means that I often went without a drink (as a bride it's impossible to make your way to the bar if you have to go across a room full of loved ones who all want a moment of your time). I'm aware that Lessing's is a long-standing wedding caterer with positive reviews overall, but our experience was anything but. The venue is the priciest aspect of a wedding and you should get what you pay for. We didn't. The lack of experience of the staff coupled with their unprofessional attitudes really left us less than pleased. The venue is in such a gorgeous location but sadly I could never recommend it to anyone after our ordeal.

ding without having to travel.

concern my wife and I had in the weeks leading up to the event, from food, to decor, to layout, to schedule, to vendor coordination.. you name it, he was on top of it! My wife loved how Steve customized our cocktail hour apps table.. and the whole event space for that matter. Table arrangement, linen colors, decor ideas, and even things we didn't think of Steve helped us out with. Steve went out of his way to get everything necessary to create the design feel we were looking for! The greenery around the cocktail tables was great! Coordinating schedules with the decorators helped tremendously! Throughout the night they catered to our needs and were flexible with the time line of the evening to accommodate my relatives showing up late and preparing an extra app plate for them was exceptional. Steve and Helen allowed us to enjoy our night and not have to worry about operation type details. All the guests loved the food, they loved the venue, they loved the layout and setup of everything, and they loved the service. The following day Steve and Helen arranged to have everything ready for us for pickup. Again, we appreciate the accommodation! Again, thank you so much for everything! Lessings is lucky to have someone like Steve around who makes them look good and the clients renting the space are lucky to have someone like Steve around to make an anxiety filled time much less stressful. Cheers to Steve and the Pavilion!

of the wedding was very easy and the staff there covered every detail well. Steve and Helen were the senior staff onsite and took very good care of us and our guests. I strongly recommend this venue and their staff for your wedding

h in the beginning (who is no longer with them ) was to be honest less than warm and welcoming . We were very pleased when Steve took over overseeing the rest of our plans and the day . He did his best to make everything go smoothly and make our day a truly memorable one . We were fortunate enough to have a beautiful summer day in the end of September . If you are looking for a beachfront location without the cost of Montauk or the Hamptons then this is it ! This truly suited our personalities and the vibe we were going for . The one thing I would advise is if you are not comfortable with guests seeing you (the bride) ahead of time to make sure you mention that ahead of time as the whole location is glass and guests will end up coming inside before your ceremony . There is no bridal suite to hide in . Wasn't a big deal for us but may be for someone else . All in all the day went perfectly and our guests will certainly be talking about our wedding for a long time . The views are breathtaking and the sunset here is incredible . Thanks Steve and Helen and the staff at the Pavillion for a wonderful day !

if a destination wedding is not a possibilty.

d (there was plenty of it!) and the beautiful view. We couldn't be happier that we chose the pavilion as our wedding venue!

w, and especially Kathy Lilly, the venue coordinator, made all the details come together easily! The day of the event was perfect. All facets were perfectly organized, with no surprises. Kathy assigned a Matre 'd to attend to all of the needs of myself & my groom.....she was wonderful! The food was terrific. All of our guests loved the venue, the beautiful views, simply magical! This venue & it's entire staff helped make the day of my dreams a reality! I would recommend this venue to everyone looking for the perfect beach wedding location on Long Island!

es in the tents ceiling. The floor was being swept w/brooms by waiters to push the water out The bar was half in the tent, half out. The bartenders ,and glasses were wet. A place run by the Lessings, I expected more! At $150 a person, buy some tents that don't leak and the sides actually meet the floor . If it rains, plan to stand the entire cocktail hour bc the tables are all wet from being pushed out for the ceremony......and never brought back in. Bad enough having your beach wedding rained out, but when your venue can't salvage it, that's a shame! PS. the bathrooms are outside, expect to walk through puddles as well

ilion. The pavilion is also amazing and gorgeous with fantastic views of the ocean. We worked with Kathy the manager during the planning process and she was wonderful to work with. She was so sweet and accommodating to our needs and requests, all while understanding our budget. On the day of Kathy was there along with the maitre d Lisa and they were both fantastic. They had everything set up as I had asked and had taken care of every last detail. My husband and I were amazed how they seemed to be everywhere and taking care of everything, but never seemed in the way or obvious about it. We felt so taken care of and special the whole day. They really were amazing. The food was also great! Light and fresh and perfect for a beach wedding (it was mostly all grilled, which we thought was awesome!!) The staff was fantastic, nice, and efficient (our friends especially loved the bartender!) It was an amazing day and I would absolutely recommend this place!!