Trumpets At The Gate

Perfect spot for small, intimate weddings. Minimum is 60 ppl, max is 120 (low compared to usual LI warehouse-like halls!). We had 70ish; room size was ideal. Can picture 1 or 2 more tables, no more (120 ppl would feel cramped). Only one affair at a time; their full attention on the one event. I wanted to feel as if we were on vacation for the day; Trumpets hit that mark! Gorgeous, exceptional setting; “beach elegant” (think beachy-without-the-beach). Driftwood-y back deck on the water with boats passing by regularly; beach grass + hydrangeas growing on the side of the building. The main room offers gorgeous bay views with windows on three sides. Family owned + operated. Lance, one of the owners + our main contact, loves what he does. He knows his kitchen, excellent recommendations. I requested Sauvignon Blanc, he immediately had a case put aside and made sure the bartenders knew to serve it to the bride (me!). The forecast for D-day was iffy at best (by iffy I mean hot-as-hell-with-a-chance-of-storm); Lance kept a close eye on the radar to ensure his staff set everything up appropriately + we wouldn’t end up with a disaster. Excellent unpretentious white-glove service. Maitre d’ Lori is fantastic! Beforehand, she spent time answering questions without ever showing impatience or exasperation (which I am sure she felt; I was needy). She directed her staff perfectly; got down on the floor to inspect the cleanliness of the dance floor after a glass broke. When I go to a wedding, I don’t expect much from the food. Dishes are edible, but not often memorable. I didn’t expect Trumpets to be different; they proved me wrong. No tasting, but we ate at their restaurant next door, Trumpets on the Bay, a month prior; this is when we started to get excited! In addition to various options we selected for cocktail hour (pick 3 from this page, 6 from that column…), we upgraded to include the shellfish display which I highly recommend! I didn’t get to eat much at this time, but was thrilled with the few bites (the duck tostada is a must!). The food was abundant, high quality. For dinner, soup + salad (Trumpets salad, a great choice) or cold appetizer (the prosciutto + fruit is more fruit + salad than prosciutto). For the entrée, the usual options. We went with the typical Filet Mignon for the meat. Most people ordered it. Hubby loved it. Instead of going with a chicken dish, we selected Long Island duck, since it was an option. I tasted it, excellent (don’t remember last time I had such good duck!). For the fish option, we picked the Sesame-Encrusted Salmon with wasabi sauce. A-mazing. Would be thrilled to order this in a restaurant; would rave about it for days. Each option was outstanding (it’s not just me; I saw a lot of empty plates!). The cake. We opted to use the in-house baker. We aren’t dessert people, so we trusted Lance, had him pick the filling, icing, etc. All I did was send him a photo of what I wanted it to look like. A delish white cake, fresh raspberry filling, buttercream icing. And the baker achieved the desired look perfectly! How much? This awesomeness doesn’t come cheap! Definitely pricier than other venues we looked at. That being said, end result was well worth every penny. You get what you pay for; in this case, I am happy we paid more! Couldn’t be happier with our wedding at Trumpets; wouldn’t change a thing. Will be recommending them for years! Trumpets exceeded our expectations!