Lisa and Adam were confident in their decision to host their wedding on the east end of Long Island. So confident, in fact, that Lisa planned the entire wedding without the help of a wedding planner. “Once I found Gansett Green Manor and met the owners, Leslie and Jed, I had butterflies in my stomach and could immediately picture the wedding I always dreamed of,” says the bride. “Gansett Green Manor is comprised of 14 charming cottages and a beautiful field located in the back of the property.” Not only was the setting perfect, but the nearby town was ideal for guests to explore on foot – a major bonus for out-of-towners.

Lisa and Adam’s venue was ideal in every way but one. “I was sold on the idea of having my nearest and dearest all staying on the same property for the entirety of our wedding weekend,” says Lisa. “While Gansett was the perfect place for about 40 of our friends and family, we had to find nearby hotels for the rest of our guests. This was the hard part.” The Hamptons is a quintessential summer town – meaning it’s virtually shut down in the winter and the summer months are consistently sold out. For these reasons, the couple was unable to block off rooms in advance for their guests. While slightly nerve-wracking, all the couple could do was encourage their guests to book their accommodations as early as possible.

The venue was also a bit complicated in that it didn’t offer any one-stop-shop packages for weddings. Meaning Lisa had to book everything herself. “I think my planning was a little more difficult because I did not have a wedding planner and I had to coordinate every single piece myself; from the tables and chairs, to the tent and lighting, to the food and alcohol, to the ceremony music and permits,” explains the bride. “A lot of venues have tables, chairs, linens, food and alcohol options. I had to coordinate all of these vendors myself.” Thankfully, Lisa was up to the challenge and found Gansett’s owners and preferred vendor list extremely helpful. “Leslie and Jed went above and beyond to recommend preferred vendors and were always available…I don’t know what I would have done without them!”

The bride made the most of having complete control over her wedding and implemented several DIY details; her favorite of which was an entryway into the ceremony location. “My mother-in-law made this beautiful curtain out of wax paper that the bridal party walked through before entering the lawn for the ceremony. It came out so beautiful and it provided some privacy for the bridal party before walking down the aisle since we did not have a traditional ceremony space.” This is a perfect example of a logistical detail you might not think of when saying “I do” in an outdoor venue.

While Lisa and Adam were clearly well prepared and organized for their wedding day, there were still some unforeseen surprises when it came to the budget. “[With our wedding, there] was not a package I was choosing, it was a la carte and there were so many things that I was hit with last minute that I was not budgeting for.” When contemplating whether or not to hire a wedding planner, your budget is an area in which a professional can be particularly helpful.

With so much first-hand experience with her vendors, it’s no surprise that Lisa’s main advice pertains to booking your W-Day team. “I relied mostly on recommendations when choosing and booking vendors. Any vendor who was recommended to me turned out to be amazing – it was the vendors who were not recommended that we had some issues with. Things will always go wrong, but, no matter what, marrying your best friend will always be the one day you wish you could relive over and over again!” 

Vendors: Photographer: Photography by Verdi, Ceremony/Reception Location: Gansett Green Manor in Amagansett, New York, Florist: Flowers by Beth, Stationery: Only You Gifts, Cake: Blue Duck Bakery Café, Hair: Laura Thompson, Makeup: Tia Hebron, Gown Designer: Amsale, Groom’s Clothing Designer: J.Crew, Bridesmaids/Groomsmens’ Clothing Designer: Joanna August/J.Crew, Catering: Noah’s Restaurant in Greenport