Whitby Castle at Rye Golf Club

Spectacular venue, beautiful view

We were very happy with Whitby Castle at the Rye Golf Club for our wedding. The service was top notch, the food delicious and the setting was extraordinary. We were torn between a few other vendors located on the shore and opted for the castle, just because of its sheer... Read More magical glory. Just driving up to the castle you know that something is special. Thanks, Whitby Castle, for making our wedding fit for a princess (and prince)

A fairytale

Whitby was the 2nd location we looked at, because I knew right away it was perfect for us. The castle is beautiful and had all the elements I've ever wanted, from the suits of armor and fireplace to the moulding on the ceilings! I loved the history too but what blew us away... Read More was the food, Lessings did such an amazing job, guests had great compliments. Working with Linda was great, she really did everything I asked for, no matter how far out it was. The waitstaff was also great, they made a positive impression on me and the guests. I even got a recipe from them when I asked after we picked up the top of the wedding cake next day!

I have been dying to write a review because I am so grateful for this past weekend. The Whitby Castle is by far the best place I've ever been to for a wedding, and I'm the Bride! I have been a guest to many weddings at various locations but the staff does not compare to those... Read More at the Whitby Castle. They go above and beyond your expectations. They have all really made my day magical. Sean, Ralph, and Linda were very helpful in every way possible. Linda was with me every step of the way, keeping my husband and I on track from the day we booked until the day before the wedding. Jasmine and Lisa were my attendants and they are both sweet and helpful young woman that made my day so much more relaxing. The delicious food was made by Chef Cliff. From food tastings to cocktail hour to dinner, he made sure we enjoyed every bite! My advice to the new bride(s)-to-be, please know what you want or at least have an idea and be organized to make their work a little easier. But knowing Sean, Linda, and Ralph, they will do their best to accommodate your every need and work with you to make your dream wedding come true. -Christina Zaphire

My husband and I had our wedding at Whitby Castle August 6th, 2016 and it was truly an incredible, perfect day. The staff at Whitby (especially Ralph) went above and beyond to accommodate all of our requests and provided fantastic service to us, our bridal party, and every guest... Read More at the wedding. I have a large Italian family and have grown up in the restaurant industry so food has always been the core of all celebrations - Whitby did not disappoint! The food was excellent and throughly enjoyed by our family and friends. When looking for a venue, my husband and I wanted something unique and not the typically "wedding factory". At the same time, I wanted a venue where catering was done on site and tables/chairs/linens were all included to make the planning process easier. Whitby was the absolute perfect spot for this (and trust me I looked all over CT and NY!) The castle is a gorgeous backdrop for photos and the ballroom is clean and fresh looking with dark wood floors and tons of light pouring in. Thank you so much to the staff at Whitby Castle who helped make our day so flawless - you guys work very hard and deserve recognition!

My wife and I were married here on July 2, 2016 and if we were asked to do it all over again, we would come back to the Whitby Castle. It's funny how we ended up choosing this venue. I think by the time we signed the contract we had visited about 15 reception venues in... Read More Westchester County NY and Northern New Jersey. A lot of factors came in to play: location, staff, food, local vendors, you name it. When we toured the place, it was the staff and atmosphere that really gave us a sense of how our wedding night would be if we moved forward. Our instincts were right. From the moment we decided on this venue, our contact Linda Bennett was very professional and helped navigate the process: ensuring the contract met our budget, recommendations on vendors, food, and so forth. She did a good job on keeping us in check and was aware of not being pushy or chasing us for details. A few months leading up to the wedding, our contact had moved up in the company and we were transferred over to be assisted by Ralph Bracco. Let me tell you, this guy is LEGIT. He made the book of business transition from Linda to him seem like he was there with us from the beginning of the planning phase. I remember we saw him in action for the first time in April 2016 as a courtesy by our music vendor, Get Down Entertainment (http://www.getdowndjsny.com). Ralph was on-point with everything; talk about maitre'd to the T. My wife and I were amazed at how organized he was and ensure the details were on point from the table linens to the food servings in cocktail hour to even the timing of the events on the wedding schedule. We decided to book our rehearsal dinner here and the staff at Whitby Castle, including Ralph Bracco, were very accomodating and customized a night for us that fit our requirements and budget! This gave the opportunity for our out of town guests and bridal party to experience the venue beforehand and it left them on their toes knowing they would be coming back on the following Saturday. We went with open bar and a pasta station with a few passed hors d'oeuvres. All were on-point, service was amazing. Our wedding day was no different, I would probably say Ralph took it to the next level in terms of keeping us happy and not having to worry about anything. This is why we put a lot of trust in our reception venues right? So we don't have to worry about a thing! We didn't have much of the food (obviously), but the staff packed it all up for us to bring back home. From start to finish, the night was amazing. Cocktail hour included passed hors d'oeuvres and a suckling pig with open bar. The guests kept saying they were stuffed and were surprised dinner hasn't started. Fill them up they said! That's what we did. The staff made sure the guests were back inside the venue and on-time to get the party started. The dinner entrees included: mixed filed greens with warm goat cheese crostini; a choice of: a)roasted farm chicken breast with madeira sauce, b)herb roasted salmon and c) filet of sirloin with port wine sauce; all with a side of yukon gold potato puree and broccolini. As I mentioned, we couldn't have the food during the wedding as much as we would like (the guests loved it!!). But we did have it when we got back home and let me tell you, it's as good as the day of the wedding. If you're thinking about booking this place, look no further. Everything will be handled for you and I wouldn't be surprised if Ralph Bracco and his team go above and beyond.

We got married at the Whitby on July 24, 2016. Our experience working with the staff was absolutely wonderful! From the beginning, the staff was professional, responsive, and amazing to work with it. Our wedding day went smoothly thanks to Ralph! He is a customer service and... Read More event coordinating wizard! The entire staff made us feel like guests at our own wedding--pampered and well-cared for. Our guests also raved about the amazing service and delicious food. I'm so happy that we chose the Whitby. It was my first choice for our wedding and it was the best decision we made! We look forward to returning every year for our anniversary.

Whitby Castle was absolutely incredible as our wedding venue!! My husband and I chose there because we wanted something unique - and a castle was just that. After reading great reviews about the food and service, we decided to go ahead and book it. I am so so glad we did - it... Read More was just phenomenal. Ralph - our maitre'd - was seriously amazing. He was so attentive and accommodating. He worked with us during planning - helped us switch out a few things we didn't want (the slider station) for some extras we did want (the drunken sundae dessert station). He also helped us out when we had only a 125 head count (we invited 190 and needed to guarantee 150) by absorbing the cost of linen rentals, giving us extra food packed up, and more. He really went above and beyond for us. In addition to that, on the day of the wedding, he really hustled and worked so hard to ensure everything was to our liking. Anything at all we needed, we would just tell any member of the staff (they all had ear pieces to communicate easily, which was a really great and organized system), and Ralph came to us immediately and took care or whatever we asked for. He was really a fantastic maitre'd. Additionally, the overall service at Whitby really exceeded our expectations. Not only did we notice that the staff was very efficient and friendly, but so many of our guests commented on how impressed they were with the service. I cant't comment on the bridal attendant because unfortunately she had a minor accident and sprained her ankle on the stairs, but honestly with Ralph and the staff, we really didn't even feel like we were missing out on any service. One example of the great attention to detail we noticed was the presentation of the entrees - servers would surround each table at a time and would all place the plates in front of our guests in a synchronized fashion - which was visually impressive as well as a really nice touch. Finally, now that I have sung the praises of the castle itself, Ralph, and the service, I will talk about the food. The food was absolutely beyond incredible. At our tasting, we enjoyed the food, but the chef must have really stepped up their game on our wedding day because everything was delicious. My husband and I have very high standards when it comes to food and often eat in fine restaurants. When we tasted the food at our wedding, we were thrilled. We didn't get to taste every single thing at the cocktail hour, but everything we did try was fantastic and many of our family members and guests raved about the cocktail hour as well. Our entree choices were the seared duck breast, Chateaubriand with Port wine sauce, and herb roasted salmon. We opted for mashed potatoes and haricort vert as the accompaniments. We had a plate of all three at our sweetheart table, and the flavors were great. Everything was cooked to perfection, and as we walked around to all of our guests' tables we noticed that this was consistent for all of the plates. We had multiple people tell us that the food was the best they have ever had at any wedding and that it was delicious and they couldn't get enough. This was truly a wonderful thing to hear. My maid of honor told me that even though she orders Chateaubriand and every single wedding she goes to, this was the best she ever tasted. Also, the wedding cake was off the charts. We chose vanilla cake with salted caramel filling, and it was out of this world. All in all, Whitby Castle gave us a PHENOMENAL wedding!!!

We got married at Whitby Castle on June 18th and it was truly a dream wedding. The whole day was perfect! The beautiful bridal and groom suites were so great to have and made our getting ready experience so wonderful. We didn't have to worry about a thing, as the incredible... Read More staff made sure we were taken care of with food, drinks, and had everything under control with perfect timing. The ceremony was breathtaking! Walking out from the willow tree as my grand entrance, along with our bridal party, was absolutely magical. The staff directed everything with ease and paid attention to every detail. Our reception was so great. Aside from the gorgeous venue, we really can't say enough about the staff members. In particular, Ralph and Will were amazing!!! Every single staff member was wonderful, and they worked closely with us that day to ensure we were happy and taken care of every single step of the way. We really could not be more impressed with this venue and the staff. It was everything we could have ever dreamed of and more!!! We can't wait to return for dinner and reminisce about our magical day. THANK YOU to everyone at Whitby for making our wedding a dream come true.

We held our wedding reception this past weekend (June 10th) at Whitby Castle and can say this venue threw us a party nothing short of spectacular. From signing our initial contract almost a year and a half ago to food/cake tasting to our final meeting the week of the wedding,... Read More the staff at this venue were so attentive, responsive and organized. We mainly communicated with the maitre 'd, Ralph, who assured us that the day would run smoothly- and everything went off without a hitch! The ballroom is beautiful with its large windows overlooking the golf course, uniquely shaped room and dark wood floors and the outdoor deck for the cocktail hour is setup beautifully for guests to enjoy on a nice day. Part of the cocktail hour space is enclosed with a tent, which was a nice feature for guests who wanted to stay out of the sun. Ralph was amazing to work with, especially the week and day of the wedding. He personally called all of my vendors to confirm delivery times of the reception flowers as well as determine an appropriate time for the DJ to setup to ensure that the room would be clean/ready in time for vendor arrival. Ralph and his team worked extremely closely with our DJ and photographers to make sure that each vendor's timeline for the day did not overlap with each other. I was provided a bridal assistant, Jasmine, who was so attentive and at my side for the entire evening, whether it was to re-fill a drink or to fluff my dress. The food was outstanding. We received numerous complements on the abundance and tastiness of the cocktail hour and reception food as well as the synchronized dinner service for the main course from our guests- hats off to the chef and staff! If you want a venue where the staff truly take care of you, your guests and vendors, look no further! After months of planning, it was a relief to be able to enjoy our reception and not have to worry about a thing! To Ralph and the staff at Whitby, Bill and I can't thank you enough for making our wedding everything we dreamed of and more! Best, Kerry and Bill

We’re so glad we chose the Whitby for our big day! We looked at so many venues, but we fell in love with the Whitby right away. Linda (the Sales Manager) did a great job of showing us the property, going through different menu options and working with us to fit it all within our... Read More budget. She answered all of our one-off questions leading up to the big day. About three months before the wedding, we were introduced to our Maitre D, Ralph, who was very nice, organized and accommodating. He had a “day of” timeline created soon after our initial meeting and revised it numerous times based upon our ever-changing preferences. On the day of the wedding, Ralph and the rest of the staff had everything organized and laid out, including our table cards, guestbook, card holder, and special champagne flutes we wanted to use. Ralph kept our night running like clockwork. We were so grateful for him. The Castle offered some great photo ops around the grounds. The bridal suite is very nice, and there’s a room downstairs for the groom/groomsmen as well. The only con to the space is that the main ballroom has a bit of a “T” shape. We had about 175 guests, and during the important dances, guests either had to remain seated to allow people behind them to see or had to get out of their seats to see what was going on. We were allowed to be on-site for photos several hours before the reception for photos, which was great. There were still some customers on the golf course at that time, but everyone was gone by the time the guests started arriving for the amazing cocktail hour. The open bar was good, and the food and cake were both phenomenal. Our guests absolutely raved about the food and we had some picky eaters. In terms of the cake, we had so many different designs and fillings to choose from and it turned out great. We even got three packed meals (one of each dinner option) to bring home with us! Overall, we would definitely recommend the Whitby Castle, it's a great venue and has a fantastic staff.

We had our wedding here this past weekend. It was gorgeous, everything was beyond perfect and I couldn't have been happier. Ralph and crew did a phenomenal job!!!! Even with the threat of rain all week we were able to have a beautiful ceremony on the front lawn and got some... Read More pretty wonderful pictures! The food was delicious, everyone was raving about the cocktail hour! So much food!!!! The entire staff was so friendly and so helpful, and the reception hall is just beautiful. We looked at a bunch of other places and they were your basic wedding venues nothing special. But when we got to Whitby, not only is it a castle but the reception hall is open and bright and has absolutely stunning views of the golf course. The food was delicious, three entrees are offered and so is the cake, which was also outstanding! We have lived in this area our entire lives and have never once been there, if you're looking for something better than just 'wedding row' along the coast, this is the magical place for you.

Our wedding reception at Whitby Castle was absolutely perfect thanks to Linda, Ralph, and the entire staff at Whitby Castle. We booked our date over a year in advance, and it was a very easy and enjoyable process planning all of the details. We worked with Linda through much... Read More of the planning process, and she was always very quick to reply to my emails and very helpful. They were able to accommodate all of our requests, and everything down to the last detail was everything we hoped for and more. The cocktail hour out on the deck was so beautiful. The food was amazing, and we received so many compliments from our guests. Ralph kept everything running smoothly from start to finish, and was such a pleasure to work with. All of the different details/decorations I had brought in were set up exactly as I had envisioned. Ralph, Jasmine (my bridal attendant), and all of the staff went above and beyond to make everything perfect and were so organized. Several of our guests mentioned how friendly and professional Ralph and the staff members were. Thank you Whitby Castle for making our wedding day absolutely perfect. There is not a single thing we would change, I can not recommend them enough!!!

We got married in February of 2016 at the Whitby Castle. My wife and I selected this location because it wasn’t something either of us had heard of before and we love the mix of old and new at the venue. The castle has a tremendous amount of character and the ballroom is... Read More elegant, new and beautiful. We loved the idea of having the ceremony in the ballroom with those big bright windows looking out on the golf course and sound inlet. Pre-wedding planning, via Linda, was easy. She laid out all of the details we needed to coordinate with her early on and was always very responsive via phone or email. She took care of venue tours, the menu, vendors, tasting, etc. It was all well organized and easy to choose from. As we got closer to the wedding Ralph got involved as our day-of maître d’. He went over, in fine detail, every piece of the wedding from layout, to ceremony, to music, speeches, etc. He always listened to any tiny thing we wanted to add or subtract from the plan and updated the schedule of events dozens of times without complaint. Day of, the wedding went off without a hitch. I can honestly say I’ve never been treated so well by a wait staff in my entire life, and all our guests have said the same thing. For anything we asked for, (from a drink, or a lost shoe), Ralph would jump into action as if someone’s life was on the line. The next day when we went back for our cake toppers, Ralph had leftover food for us to take home as well! That is the type of service you want from a maître d’! Two months later all I can say is that Whitby exceeded all of our expectations and there wasn’t a single thing that didn’t go as planned. Linda and Ralph, as well as the wait staff, are all amazingly professional and accommodating people. The food, atmosphere and execution were all top notch and I would recommend this place ten times over. I hope we get to go to another wedding there some time soon.

We had our wedding reception at Whitby Castle on 4/16/16 and it was beyond what we imagined. Ralph, Linda and team made every detail of the day personalized to us and truly special. Our coordinators and maitre d went above and beyond to make sure we were completely happy every... Read More second. The grounds are stunning, the castle itself (inside and out) are beyond words and everything ran smoothly and without error. I would recommend Whitby Castle to anyone who is looking for their day to be especially magical and effortless. Truly the best!

We were blown away with our wedding at Whitby Castle. Our wedding planner, Amy at Amy Winters Events, exceeded our expectations and designed and executed the most magnificent wedding at the Castle. Linda was a huge contributor in our dream wedding and she was more than... Read More accommodating and gave us everything we desired. The Castle was wonderful from the moment we decided to host our wedding there, to the very last minutes we were there, to collecting all of our belongings for us for the upcoming week. This venue was more than a dream and I wouldn't have changed a thing! We are so thankful for the whole team; Linda, Sean, Ralph, the chef and our bridal attendant Jasmine and the wait staff, especially Will! What an amazing experience that we are dying to relive again! THANK YOU WHITBY CASTLE!

Everything was utterly amazing for our special day! The team did a great, great job - Ralph went above and beyond for us. Really can't say enough about how wonderful the venue and staff was!

Words cannot express the gratitude, respect and appreciation I have for Linda, Ralph, Sean, Chef and the whole staff at Whitby Castle. My husband and I recently had our wedding here and the venue, staff, food and view were an absolute dream. Linda was so lovely to work with... Read More leading up to our special day and spent several afternoons with us customizing a menu that suited our Irish Countryside-themed wedding vision. We were truly floored by Ralph's attentiveness, hospitality, kindness, organization and attention to detail on our wedding day and everyday throughout the entire wedding process. He was so kind to assist us in carrying out every detail and request that we had - from organizing the details of a surprise dance performance, assembling a custom photo booth, creating a custom playlist for our cocktail hour, ensuring the delivery of our last minute keg requests, configuring an ideal layout for our large guest count and so much more. The bridal attendant, Katie was such a doll! She had an effortless ability to predict what my husband and I needed and was always by my side lending a helping hand. We had everything we could ever need or want whether it was a glass water or champagne or an open door to cool off after dancing the night away! And I can't say enough about how absolutely delicious the food was! All of the food was ridiculously exceptional and what a treat to have plates full of food delivered to our dais table despite having a station-style reception. They really thought of everything! The turkey with cranberry sauce was to die for, the mini pot pies and shepherds pies were phenomenal and our customized seafood station was a hit thanks to Linda's guiding hand. Everything completely exceeded all of our hopes and expectations. The castle looked beautiful, guests thoroughly enjoyed themselves and everything was absolute perfection from start to end thanks to the staff's time, energy and accommodations.

I couldn't have asked for a better wedding! ! Thanks to the whitby castle and all of the staff! What a beautiful atmosphere!! I would highly recommend! !

My wedding was an absolute dream come true! The castle speaks for itself as it is gorgeous inside and out. All of the rooms are beautiful and it is fabulous to have your guests be able to enjoy the splendor of the entire castle. Linda was an absolute pleasure to work with... Read More from the start. She was extremely helpful throughout the process! I knew I wanted to work with her and the castle immediately. Ralph was our Maître D. Throughout the prep, rehearsal and day of the wedding he was an absolute gem. He bent over backwards for whatever I needed. After having an issue with our florist he jumped right in to assist my mom in ensuring everything was perfect. Ralph guided me through the night with such ease. Everything was on time and fluid, each portion of the day flowed flawlessly. Everything was seamless. Thank you Linda & Ralph! I had a beautiful day because of you both and your team. Lots of love, Kelsey & Adam

First, let me apologize to everyone who has recently provided a deposit to this PITIFUL establishment. I’m sorry for your inevitable disappointment. Whitby Castle, I hope you named that Bridal Suite after me. Before my wedding this SORRY EXCUSE FOR AN ESTABLISHMENT didn’t feel... Read More the need to lock the bridal suite because they DIDN’T HAVE A LOCK ON THE DOOR. In fact, they left the door wide open and because of their negligence, two of my bridesmaids had their envelopes (wedding gifts) and cash stolen from their purses. At no point did they tell us that the bridal suite didn’t lock, that there was no safe for us to keep our belongings in. My brothers were telling me that the staff members were telling people that there was an additional bathroom upstairs (it is connected the bridal suite). How they do not put measures in place to PREVENT this? Especially after Ralph had TOLD my bridesmaid that a theft had occurred 6 months prior in the bridal suite. AND its open to the public during events. This place is just so elementary and pathetic. Ralph was AWFUL. No where to be seen after he screwed up our seating chart which left my parents/brothers seated away from me and my family. He was missing the entire night and caused me to be late to my father daughter dance/bouquet toss. TO LESSINGS MANAGEMENT, PLEASE NOTE THAT 90% OF ALL NEGATIVE REVIEWS FOR WHITY CASTLE ARE IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER RELATED TO HIM. Little things that most venues have down pat are just overlooked by the staff at Whitby – like having cutlery and napkins at all of the various cocktail hour stations. They ran out of a type of beer, and had actually served Salmon instead of Halibut as an entree (we agreed upon Halibut), and tried to act like they were doing me a favor because it "cost them more". I was told that, “some” of the waiters were uninformed and had provided both halibut and salmon as options to our guests which was a lie (I asked my guests). Then I find out they had enough Halibut for 10 plates. This place is a joke.

There are not enough great things I can say about our wedding at the Whitby Castle. From the moment we saw the venue, we knew this was where we wanted to say our "I do's". Everything, I repeat everything, was amazing while working with the Whitby Castle. From the planning,... Read More to the execution, the team did an amazing job making us feel comfortable, happy and at ease. They worked within our budget and provided us with the most amazing experience we could have ever imagined. The venue is beautiful, the food was delicious, the cost was affordable, and the team was professional and helpful from start to finish. Look no further, the Whitby Castle is the best. Thank you Linda and Ralph, working with you two was an absolute pleasure!!

My husband and I knew we wanted to have our wedding at Whitby Castle as soon as we walked into the venue. It's completely breathtaking and has this cozy feeling when you walk in. Since day one we worked with Linda and she was outstanding. She was very responsive and... Read More accommodating. We worked with Ralph the day of and he was also amazing! The staff was exceptional and really catered to our needs. We both felt special the entire day and could not have been happier with the way everything went. Our guests raved about the food too! We did the decadent dessert and warm donuts with apple cider enhancements and those were very well received. The cake was a big hit too! We got a dulce de leche filling so we highly recommend it. It was delicious! Overall I would highly recommend. It's such a beautiful place and if you're looking for a venue that will wow people, but not be over the top, I would consider Whitby!

Worst customer service ever! I went to check them out as a possibility for my wedding, and was told there was only one Friday left in the month I'm looking for. After discussing with my fiance, we wanted to take a second look. I contacted Linda on Monday night, who said the date... Read More was still available, but she was going to be off for a couple days, said she didn't advise me waiting till she was back in, and I should call to meet with Ralph the next morning. I did just that, and when I tried to make an appointment with Ralph that same day (Tuesday), he told me he "wanted to go home early because it might snow." (which it never did) I told him I was concerned about losing the date, and we were very serious about it. He said he would hold the date until he could meet with us on Thursday (today). We were prepared to walk in there with a deposit check. Then I get an email last night from Linda saying not only can she not meet with us today, but she gave the date they were supposedly holding for us to another couple. She claims it was booked Monday night, but let's not forget she told me Monday night it was available. This woman wouldn't even get on the phone with me to explain herself, would only reply to my emails like a coward. That's not who I want assisting me with my wedding!! Horrible business practices, these people do not care about your special day, you're just another dollar sign to them. I wouldn't work with her now even if she offered it to me for free. STEER CLEAR of this place ladies! Not worth it! Would give them a zero-star rating but I'm being forced to give at least one (un-deserved) star.

October Wedding

Beautiful wedding and Ralph was fantastic! He took care of everything! I wish the bridal attendant was more proactive, but she was doing other tasks. Everyone had a great time and the food was excellent. Cocktail hour needs more space- they shouldn't set it up in the... Read More hallway.

We had both our ceremony and reception and Whitby Castle in September, 2015. We can't say enough positive things about our experience with Whitby. The setting is lovely with views of Long Island Sound and the venue has been recently renovated. The bridal suite is large and... Read More very comfortable - perfect for the bride and bridesmaid to get ready in a relaxed environment. We received many rave reviews from our guests about the excellent food from the tasty appetizers to the perfectly prepared entrees. The staff at Whitby is outstanding. Linda was very responsive and professional. Ralph, our Maitre d' was very attentive; constantly making sure that everything was as we wanted. The best thing about Whitby is that they take care of all the details on the wedding day and you can truly enjoy the event.