What Happens When the Associate Creative Director at Trollbäck + Company Marries the Design Director at Elle Magazine?

by Jake Kilroy

Even those who have never bounced east of the Mississippi have a picturesque fantasy about the Hamptons. They see sleepy thin fences hugging wooden lovebird boardwalks with splashes of long, wavy grass rolling against the beach. They see a foggy breeze giving the New York coastline a nostalgic palette of muted colors. They see themselves celebrating romance beneath pale beach ball lanterns aglow in a class-act tent with the warmest cheer you can find after sunset.

Well, they surely get their wish at Gansett Green Manor. Such an idyll lounges somewhere between upscale and down-home, where guests sip lime-ringed cocktails in Tom Collins glasses while strolling the sprawling green lawns, with a lighthouse on the nearby cliffs. Behind, charming cottages dot the lush surroundings, conjuring up a deep, beautiful sigh of relief and relaxation.

So, of course, with such a picture-perfect landscape of rich greens, pure whites, and light browns, The Venue Report had to know more. You can’t look upon Gansett Green Manor’s cozy and quaint accommodations or their masterly approaches to receptions and not want to know everything. We decided to interview the very rad Alexis Buryk of City Love Photography, who recently shot a wedding at the East Coast oasis.

Words + Photography by Alexis Buryk of City Love Photography

What were some of the highlights of your experience at Gansett Green Manor?

Gansett Green Manor is a truly magical spot. As a wedding photographer who specializes in capturing weddings for city couples both within and outside NYC, I loved how Gansett Green Manor was super accessible to the city and yet felt like it was worlds away. Tucked into a lush and green property right off the main street in Amagansett, NY, the venue evokes rural green pastures, but has all the benefits of being in a small town near a big city.

Tell us about the wedding you photographed and why the couple chose this venue.

Photographing Rosie and Evan’s wedding was a pleasure. They are both designers with a strong visual sense, but were also ultimately very relaxed and had a go-with-the-flow attitude about their day—a perfect balance! Although the couple is based in NYC, they have spent a lot of time out in the Hamptons and wanted the feel of a destination-type wedding without them or their guests having to travel too far from home.

What made Gansett Green Manor an ideal location for this wedding?

Gansett Green Manor has quite a bit of inherent character because of its location and traditional Hamptons shingle-style architecture; yet at the same time, it’s very versatile. Rosie and Evan wanted a wedding that was designed to their modern taste, to be fun and whimsical, and they were able to accomplish that beautifully on the venue grounds through the particular floral designer Fox Fodder Farm, designers & prop stylist, Blow Up, and other elements they brought together.

Were there any areas you thought lighting was the best?

There are so many different areas on the property that are beautiful and great for photography. The quintessential Hamptons-style shingled structures, as well as the small farm-like silo area; the beautiful old tree and lush greenery of the main lawn. Rosie and Evan decided to put up large lanterns in the trees, which provided light at night and a lovely geometric edge to the site during the day. Including strung lights within the tent itself was also a great way to add that warm tangerine glow to the evening festivities.

The property is also near to the beach, which makes for a very different, yet equally compelling, look for photos. It's always great to have options!

Any special drinks or eats you had in the surrounding area?

When are you inside the grounds of Gansett Green, you feel like you are far away in the rolling meadows. Walk out to the sidewalk and you are in the middle of Amagansett! It’s amazing. Gansett Green is near all the beautiful South Fork sites that the Hamptons has to offer, including relaxing Montauk and the great vineyard Wölffer Estates. Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee, right across the street from the venue, has delicious coffee, baked goods, lunch, and snacks. And for all those beach bums, sand and surf are just a few blocks away.

Any inside tips for prospective couples who want to marry or have an event here?

Leslie and Jed, owners of Gansett Green Manor, are wonderful and excellent wedding teammates. I think that couples who are considering outdoor weddings often think that they can save money by taking a more DIY-approach. However, I think that the reality of logistics can often become staggering to couples once they go down that route—Tent rental? Porta potties? Rain plan?—and ultimately ends up costing them more, both monetarily and emotionally.

If you really have your heart set on a backyard-style wedding with big outdoor components, I think a venue like Gansett Green is the way to go. Having people like Leslie and Jed helping you, navigating decisions, and ultimately providing the knowledge of their experience is invaluable.

For Gansett Green in particular, there are also cottages on the property where people can stay overnight, which also cuts down on the logistical complexity. And as you can see from the images of Rosie and Evan’s wedding, despite planning for a beautiful, perfect weather day, we got rain. Even with that hiccup, the wedding was fantastic and went off without a hitch, due in large part to the expertise and calm assistance of the Gansett Green Manor team.

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